Beat The Heat This Summer By Travelling To Some Lesser-Known Lakes Across India

English Romantic poet, William Wordsworth was probably on to something when he said that a lake carries you into recesses of feeling that are otherwise impenetrable. The sounds of the waves crashing on the shore may be a delight but to look at the stillness of a lake with no one around you but yourself has to be a spiritual experience. As summer sets in, we crave to be around water bodies. If you wanna skip the heat this season at crowded, sunny beaches, we have a list of some chilly, offbeat, serene lakes that you can head to.

Chandratal Lake

Chandratal translating to 'Lake of the Moon', is a crescent-shaped lake in Spiti valley on the Samudra Tapu plateau of Himachal Pradesh. It's known for its turquoise blue water, majestic mountains and serene surroundings which makes it an apt place for camping. Perched at 4250 m above sea level, you can drive to the lake from the Kunzum Pass or do the 80-kilometre trek from Manali.

Nako Lake

Situated at an altitude of 2662 metres in the Hangrang Valley in Kinnaur near the Indo-China border, Nako lake lies near a small settlement of the same name and serves as a stopover for those travelling to Spiti. Seated on the slopes of the Reo Purgyil Mountain of the Srikhand range in the Himalayas of northern India, the village is full of monasteries. You can reach Nako by taking one of the two buses from Kinnaur or the bus that leaves for Kaza from Reckong Peo if you're coming from Manali.

Loktak Lake

Loktak, the largest freshwater lake in North East India is also known as the floating lake for the numerous 'phumdis' or masses of vegetation it supports. The phumdis float around on the lake’s surface due to decay from the bottom. Some are so large that the indigenous fishing folk 'Meiteis' have constructed makeshift floating huts locally known as 'phumsangs' on them. You can reach Loktak lake by taking a taxi or a cab from Imphal to Moirang.

Gadsar Lake

Translating to 'lake of fishes', the Gadsar lake is a natural habitat for  trout and other types of fishes cradled in a bowl of terraced, green hills and alpine meadows with wild n free alpine flowers. At an altitude of 3600 meters, this bluish-green lake of flowers flows in the Ganderbal district in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It can be reached by hiring a private vehicle from Srinagar to Naranag via Ganderbal, a distance of about 45 kilometers and then a 15 kilometre trek or horse ride.

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