Hi, it’s Aakanksha 👋
I know SO many of you right now aren’t travelling abroad. Maybe you’re still saving up, maybe you’re waiting for the right time, maybe it’s just NOT the season for it. And I want to say this in the nicest way possible:
India has SO much to offer that you don’t actually need to wait!!
Here’s something most people don’t know about me…before I ever travelled outside India, I’d already lived across so many states WITHIN the country. My dad is in the army, so we moved ALMOST every two years growing up. And then the first year and a half between my job and university, I could only travel within India. So in a way, India is where my whole travel story actually began!!!!
And the thing is…nothing comes close. The culture, the food, the people, the sheer variety of landscapes within a few hours of each other. Aaaah 🩷🩷
So today I wanted to do something a little different. I usually share places I’ve already been to. But today I want to give you a sneak peek into MY BIG INDIAN BUCKET LIST…the places I’ve been saving, researching, slowly planning.
Some I’ve found through other creators. Some I found down a Reddit rabbit hole at 2am. And honestly? Maybe you’ll get there before I do…and if you do, I want you to come back and tell me everything!!!
Nothing in this newsletter is sponsored, all of them are my honest recommendations for you! 🩷 Go steal them hehe!!
🌿 My Great Indian Bucket List
1. Western Arunachal Pradesh
Northeast India is genuinely my favourite part of India. It feels like you’ve stepped into a completely different country…the way the communities there have held onto their culture and traditions is just so special. And Arunachal is one of the most untouched states in the entire Northeast, which is exactly why it’s at the top of my list 😭
The trip that’s caught my eye is Chalo Hoppo’s Meadows, Monasteries and Mountain Paths route. I LOVE Chalo Hoppo. I’ve travelled with them to Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Assam and had some of the best trips of my life every single time.
And the itinerary itself…I mean. Alpine hikes, glacier lakes, horses running through open meadows, massive waterfalls, meals with local families, meeting herders tribes…everyday sounds like a wild adventure!😭
Also worth knowing: Arunachal requires an Inner Line Permit for all Indians, and honestly that’s probably why it’s still so beautiful & untouched. If you’re going, go soon, go responsibly, and go with operators rooted in the community.
2. Sikkim
I know, another Northeast recommendation 😅 But I’ve been putting Sikkim off for years and then I watched Ronnie and Barty’s video and it jumped SO much higher on my list 😭
The reason Sikkim is really SPECIAL to me isn’t just the beauty…it’s what the state actually stands for. It’s the first 100% organic state in the WORLD. Not just India. WORLDWIDE. They’ve also banned plasticware, so roadside stalls literally serve food on plates made of leaves. I love going to places that give me a new perspective on what life could look like, and I’m sure Sikkim will inspire me to live and travel more sustainably.
Plus the café and music scene there is meant to be SO fun, and then there’s Gurudongmar Lake at 17,800 ft, one of the highest lakes in the world. Reason enough on its own, right?!
3. Miyar Valley Trek, Lahaul
I LOVE hiking. I’m obsessed with it. There’s a literal mountain goat in me that just wants to keep going up, and this trek is calling her name 😂
Lahaul in general is one of those places that just looks SO beautiful and untouched. And Miyar Valley specifically is one of the most offbeat treks in India. What blows my mind is how many different landscapes you get on this one trek…desert-like terrain on one stretch, then valleys full of wildflowers and orchids on another, ancient remote villages in between.
Miyar Valley Trek is exactly my kind of trip. Type 2 fun, with good views hehe. And if I’m doing this, I’m doing it with India Hikes! The guides are incredible, they’re genuinely sustainable (they carry their trash back down with them), and on a tough trek like this one you need a partner you can fully trust. Highly recommend.
4. Goa (but in July/August)
Okay technically Goa isn’t on my bucket list because I lived there for over three months 😂 But there are still SO many waterfalls in Goa that ARE.
Trust me: you don’t need to go to Indonesia or Croatia to find incredible waterfalls. You just need to go to Goa during the monsoons. The whole landscape turns this insane shade of green, hidden waterfalls (the kind that don’t exist outside the rains) come alive through the Western Ghats, and you’re trekking through dense forests, crossing streams, and ending at these massive thundering falls you can swim under.
I don’t talk about this often on Instagram because I’m scared it’ll go too viral & I don’t want that!! But I know I can trust my community here hehe!
Go with Yamare or Local Beat. Yamare runs hidden waterfall treks with local guides who feed you the most insane homemade Goan food after the hike. Local Beat does Goa with more of a “see it the way locals live it” lens. With both, it feels less like a tour and more like having two friends in a new city
5. Darma Valley, Uttarakhand
This one I discovered recently and it went straight on the list. Tanya’s post is what found it for me…a remote Himalayan valley with ancient villages, almost no tourism, and landscapes that look like they belong in another century.
The fact that almost nobody talks about Darma Valley is exactly why it’s still what it is. But, let’s please keep it a secret 🤐 so that we can maintain how pristine it is!
How to travel these places in a way that actually helps
A few things I genuinely try to do:
Book local. Not a chain resort. A family guesthouse, a locally run operator, a homestay. The money stays in the community and your experience is almost always better for it.
Ask before you photograph. Especially in tribal areas or culturally significant places. It takes two seconds and it really matters.
Stay longer, go fewer places. One week in one region gives you more than five destinations in five days for you AND for the place you’re visiting. The environmental footprint is lower, the experience is richer, and the local economy benefits from your longer stay.
Take your trash back: Especially on mountain treks. The trails in places like Miyar Valley are beautiful precisely because they’re still clean. Keep them that way.
If you want to fund more trips like these without spending a fortune the Travel Hacking Course is where I teach everything I know: flight hacks, going solo, how to get stays for free, how to travel more on the same budget. Link below 👇🏽
Unpacking Your Question 💌
HONESTLY Here’s where I’d start 🥹:
List every place you’ve been to. Don’t overthink it, just write them all down. That list is your whole content bank right there!!!
Then go find the best performing reels from those places on Instagram and YouTube Shorts. Save them as references. Now you know exactly what FORMATS and TOPICS are working for the destinations you’ve already visited.
You’ll quickly have a huge list of ideas ready…budget breakdowns, itineraries, things I wish I knew, hidden spots. All from trips you’ve actually taken😌
And finally…START thinking in SERIES. Instead of one random Mizoram reel, do Solo Backpacking in Mizoram Ep 1, Ep 2, Ep 3. People come back for the next episode. It’s honestly one of the best ways to grow right NOW 👀
You have way more to work with than you think. Start with the list and you should be good to go!🏃🏽♀️
One Cool Thing I Did This Week 💕
Drove down to Switzerland for a work trip, found a frozen lake in ENGELBERG, convinced Julian to jump in with me and the rest was history 😂
I LOVE how alive cold water makes me feeeel!!😭
What’s one place on YOUR India bucket list right now? The more offbeat the better.
Hit reply. I genuinely want to know 👇🏽
That’s it for this week’s Unpacked…see you next Wednesday with something new to unpack 👋🏽
Lots of love & sunshine,
Aakanksha
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