Top 5 Natural Wonders Of India

While you're out exploring the sights, sounds and smells of Incredible India, don't miss out on these 5 exquisite natural wonders of India! From the arid Chir Batti of Kuttch to the perpetually wet hills of Cherrapunji, Ladakh's hills that have some of the strongest magnetic properties to the royal Bengal tiger's home - Sundarbans; India is filled with sights that make you go into a trance. Read on to find out!

A seasonal marsh of salt that is located in the part of the Thar Desert, extends into the Kutch district of Gujarat. The Rann of Kutch is renowned for its dramatic white flatlands, barren beauty and eerily beautiful sunsets. At night, an unexplained phenomena known locally as Chir Batti (ghost light) occurs in the Rann. Chir Batti can be described as unexplained bright lights occurring on dark nights in colours that change from blue to red to yellow. The lights often resemble a moving sphere or pear shaped blob of fire which may move fast or stop and stay stationary. They say the lights can only be seen after 8pm on dark nights and are known to be harmless.

Cherrapunji, in the north eastern state of Meghalaya (literally meaning 'abode of the clouds') has the dubious distinction of being the wettest place of earth by sheer virtue of the amount of rainfall it receives every year. With a whopping 425 inches of rain annually on average, Cherrapunji is definitely one of the top natural wonders of India. To put this into perspective, consider that Hawaii receives an annual average of 63 inches of rain and Wales receives 115 inches in a rainy year! We highly recommend you carry your galoshes along on this trip!

Magnetic Hill is located about 30 km off the gorgeous town of Leh in Kashmir. At 14,000 feet above sea level, the hill is said to possess magnetic properties. When you park the car on the slope leading up to the hill, the hill pulls it at a speed of around 20 km/hour. The movement of a vehicle up a steep mountain with its ignition off is a truly unbelievable experience. Even airplanes and helicopters need to fly at higher speeds and altitudes to avoid the magnetic impact of the hills.

The Sundarbans make for a UNESCO World Heritage Site that span parts of east India and Bangladesh. It is the largest single block of tidal mangrove forest in the world! Covering over 10,000 sq kms in the delta of the Bay of Bengal, the Sundarbans is home to enormous species of flora and fauna including the elusive Royal Bengal tiger. An interconnected mesh of streams and water ways make almost every corner of the forest accessible by boat.

The young Himalayan mountain system is home to the world's highest peaks; the 8000 meter club including Mt. Everest, K2 and Kanchenjunga. To comprehend the scale of the Himalayas, consider that Mount Aconcagua, in the Andes, at 6,962 metres (22,841 ft) is the highest peak outside Asia. The Himalayan ranges however, include over 100 mountains exceeding 7,200 m (23,600 ft)!! The rivers that originate from the Himalayas drain down to 18 countries, helping make life possible for half the earth's opulation, i.e. 3 billion people.