Five destinations to explore with your family

Booking.com has curated a list of lesser explored cultural destinations for the entire family to explore when it is safe to do so.

National Parents Day, a day that commemorates parenthood and appreciates the love, efforts, and sacrifices of parents towards their kids is celebrated every year on the fourth Sunday of July. As per a Booking.com Future of Travel survey, distance has made travellers heart grow fonder as 67 per cent of Indian travellers plan to use future travel as an opportunity to reconnect with loved ones.

Karwar, Karnataka

Situated between Goa and Karnataka, is the cultural beach town of Karwar. Known for its serene beaches such as Karwar Beach and Rabindranath Tagore Beach, this town derived its name from a nearby village Kadwad, which means the ‘last precinct’ in Konkani and Kannada language. Surrounded by scenic nature, ancient forts and temples, the town of Karwar has seen colonisation by Portuguese, French, the British, Maratha emperors and Muslim traders, who set up their territories by sailing through ports. Karwa is a paradise for families looking to soak in some cultural heritage away from the city crowd. While in Karwar, travellers can also visit the Rock Stone Garden, Warship Museum, Kurumgad Island and the Oyster Rock Lighthouse. 

Dholavira, Gujarat

This lesser known destination is located in Gujarat’s Rann of Kutch, where families can indulge in an educational experience of India’s ancient and mysterious history.  Also known as Kotada Timba, Dholavira is the only place that marks the presence of Harappan culture from 2900 BC to 1500 BC. It is also the second largest Harappan site in India and fifth largest in the Indian subcontinent. While in Dholavira, one can visit the archaeological museum and spend some time at the Kutch Fossil park on your way back.

Majuli, Assam

Easily spotted from afar is Majuli, a large island on the Brahmaputra river. Known for its scenic views and untouched tribal culture of the Mising, Deori, and Kachari tribes, Majuli is a lush green, non-polluted river island. Also called the cultural capital of Assam, Majuli is home to the Sattriya culture and a pilgrimage island of Assam. It is distinguished for its geography and culture where different ethnic groups of the region  came through the spread of religious ideologies of Neo-Vaishnavism in the 15th century. While visiting Majuli, families can explore the rich traditions of art and literature at the Vaishnavite monasteries, indulge in local Assamese Majuli thali and live in bamboo huts for a truly authentic family experience.

Unakoti - Tripura

Dated back to the period between the 12th and 16th centuries, known for its massive stone and rock-cut sculptures, Unakoti hills in Tripura is a must-visit for families who thrive on destinations with historical importance. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva once spent a night here en route to Kashi. He was accompanied by 99,99,999 gods and goddesses and had asked his followers to wake up before sunrise and make their way towards Kashi. Since nobody was awake, Lord Shiva set out for Kashi alone, and put a curse on the others, turning them to stone. This gave this site the name of Unakoti - which means ‘one less than a crore’. One would also find a 30 feet high Shiva head in Unakoti, known as ‘Unakotiswara Kal Bhairava’ , including an embroidered head-dress which itself is 10 feet high. Besides rock figures of several gods, Unakoti is best defined by rock carvings, murals, and natural waterfalls that parents will definitely look forward to.

Mokokchung, Nagaland

Located at an altitude of 1,325 m, Makokchung in Nagaland is known for their exquisite tribal culture, handlooms and their Moatsu festival. One can head to Mokokchung, by taking a bus or car from the main city of Kohima. Boasting of  pleasant climate throughout the year, travellers can spend days here with the warm and local people of the Ao-Naga tribe. One of the oldest villages in Nagaland, this place has several clans residing here who speak in a singular dialect of Mongsen. When it’s safe to do so, one can also attend the Moatsü festival, celebrated to honour the creator of the Earth, where locals pray for a fruitful cultivation season.



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