Quiet Places To Stay In India

India for Introverts: 5 Destinations To Avoid The Crowds And Follow Your Bliss

One of the biggest complaints I hear from foreigners who travel to India is that the crowds and noise can be distressing. This can be even more overwhelming if you’re an introvert, like me. People and noise drain my energy and tire me out very quickly.

But India is not all crowds, noise and beggars. If you hate these, then I recommend you avoid all Indian cities, except as layovers, because you will find these three things in abundance in most cities.

Even though Indians are not known to have a concept of personal space, it’s possible for introverts to find destinations, in this vast country, where they’ll get nothing but peace and quiet. I know, because I found some of these places by actively looking for them.

So, if you love a quiet holiday, whether by the beach or in the mountains or the forests, here are five delightful destinations where you can avoid the crowds and follow your bliss.

  1. Talpona Beach, Goa

I went to Talpona Beach, Goa, in May 2018, because I wanted to take a road trip with my family and my two Labradors. I know Goa pretty well, having lived there for two years when I was completing my Masters at Goa University.

Sunset at Talpona beach

I thought I’d seen almost every beach in Goa worth seeing, until I chanced upon the perfect family accommodation at Talpona beach, in Canacona district at the very south of Goa. We stayed there for a week in a quiet little cottage with our dogs.

There were very few people, mostly locals, on the beach and the few creatures we encountered were stray dogs, cows and crows. With excellent food, Wifi and only my family around, it turned out to be a very restful and relaxing vacation, in spite of the road trip.

Read about my visit to Talpona Beach here.

  1. McLeodganj, Himachal Pradesh

I went to McLeodganj a number of years ago to do a 5-day Introduction to Buddhism course at the Tushita Meditation Center. McLeodganj is a little town near Dharamshala – the Dalai Lama’s summer capital – in Himachal Pradesh.

View of the snow caps from McLeodganj

We spent hardly any time in the town itself and, except for my classmates, there were no crowds to disturb the serenity of our experience. The meditation sessions were an introvert’s dream. To sit in silence and contemplate was just what I needed at that point in my life.

The main meditation hall at Tushita. Image by Jaypee – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

But you don’t have to stay at a meditation centre to find peace and quiet here. You can use AirBnB to book a quiet little cottage or room with stunning mountain views in the hills of McLeodganj.

Read about my visit to McLeodganj here.

India: Get Your Guide

  1. Pahalgam, Kashmir

Pahalgam is a sleepy little town in Kashmir with scenic locales and sights that would be perfect in a Bollywood movie (and many have been filmed here, too).

We went to Kashmir on a 10-day trip in 2011 and Pahalgam turned out to be one of my favourite places ever. Walking along the quiet banks of the Lidder River, listening to only the sound of gushing water, was one of my favourite things to do.

The beautiful Lidder River
The beautiful Lidder River

There were no crowds and the only people we met in the tiny market were locals going about their business. We saw no other tourists on our visit there – none where we were staying, at least.

I envisioned myself staying for a week in a little cottage by the river, enjoying the spectacular view of the pine trees and water gushing by my front door. Oh, Heaven! Accommodation in Pahalgam is also very cheap, so perhaps I’ll do that one day.

Cottage on the banks of Lidder River Pahalgam
My dream cottage on the banks of Lidder River Pahalgam

Read about my visit to Pahalgam here.

  1. Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra

Mahabaleshwar is a pretty popular tourist spot near Pune, so it’s not a place an introvert would think of as peaceful and quiet. No, for that you have to avoid staying in the town and instead book yourself a room at Club Mahindra Sherwood Mahabaleshwar.

Our room at Club Mahindra Sherwood Mahabaleshwar

This quiet luxury resort is located in a forest where you’ll see very few humans around, except when you venture into the dining room for your meals. The only people who’ll disturb you are the people who come to clean your room.

You may see a monkey or two and a few forest creatures, but these are welcome distractions. The resort is pretty far from the town (most of Club Mahindra’s resorts are), so you don’t have to go to any touristy places unless you want to.

Read about my visit to Mahableshwar here.

  1. Pangong Tso, Ladakh

This remote destination is an introvert’s delight. A high-altitude mountain lake with spectacular views and few people to disturb your reverie… What more could one ask for?

Pangong Tso Panorama

On a trip to Ladakh in May 2016, we stayed for a night in a tented camp at Pangong Tso (Lake). I wished I could have stayed longer, never mind that it was freezing cold and the food and amenities were pretty basic.

Pangong Lake Tented Camps

For that matter, almost anywhere you go in Ladakh, you’ll find almost no crowds, and the only thing that will assail your ears is the wind blowing through the rugged snowy peaks.

If sadhus and holy men are the ultimate introverts, it’s no surprise that they choose such remote places for their reflections.

Read about my trip to Ladakh here.

India: Get Your Guide

I hope that, with these 5 locations for introverts in India, I’ve done my bit to change your vision of India as a place filled with crowds and noise.

Peace and quiet can be had in many places in India if you know where to look. These 5 travel destinations will help you find it.

Quiet Places To Stay In India

Priya Florence Shah

36 thoughts on “India for Introverts: 5 Destinations To Avoid The Crowds And Follow Your Bliss”

  1. Wow I wish I knew about the beach in Goa. My husbands family is from there. We normally visit North. The sunset does look amazing. I am hoping to do a tour of India so thank you for these tips. Will definitely try and incorporate these in. It’s nice to see there is a range of places from beach to mountain.

  2. Hi Priya, Great post. My husband is an introvert and he hates crowded places, on the other hand, being an extrovert, I like few people around when I am travelling. This causes a great deal of dilemma while choosing the destinations and I know my husband ultimately gives in to me.

    1. Poor guy. I know how he feels. 😀 Introverts usually give in to their more extroverted mates. It’s not entirely a bad thing. Sometimes we introverts need an extrovert to get us to try new things and get out of our self-imposed solitude.

  3. This is a good post also because I’ve never been in India but I always wanted to plan a trip here! I’d like to explore Pahalgam because it looks like the kind of natural place I adore 🙂 – Paolo

  4. Nice list! We prefer less-crowded destinations than places that are swarmed with tourists. These destinations allow you to really feel and immerse with genuine local culture. We’re planning to hike in the Lower Himalayas. On the way home, we plan to stop by some nice places in India. I think we’ll pick one or two from this list.

  5. I too love places where it is less crowded as peacefully relaxation is high on my list when I go for holidays. You have given beautiful list of Indian destinations which are less crowded. I would love to visit Mc Deolaganj and Pangong Lake as I love hills and mountains.

  6. hey these places are so good to beat the crowd.I visited pahalgam and I loved there so much.It is one of my favorite place I visited till date. Great compilation.

  7. This is interesting as I may use this for my next trip to India. Hard to find places for introverts but this helps. Thanks

  8. To be honest India has always been a country that was at the bottom of my list because of the crowds. But your article made me change my mind. Your top 5 really made a difference in my point of view of India. If I every go there I will definitely make sure to check out these places. Thanks for this!

    1. I’m so glad I made you change your mind, Marlies. There are a lot of beautiful places in India where you can find solitude. I hate crowds too, so I keep looking for new places to enjoy some peace and quiet.

  9. I’ve always put off going to India because of the crowds. This list may help me to change my mind. I wouldn’t mind spending some time on Talpona Beach.

  10. Such a unique and interesting take on traveling in India! I’ve always been overwhelmed by the idea of going to India, so this post might be perfect for me

  11. You made a good point right in the beginning…about avoiding Indian cities except as a layover. Introvert or not, seclusion is great for peace and connecting with oneself. I’m all for quieter destinations. Not many people that India has endless options like the ones you mention above.

  12. I love the big city life but I too love being an introvert and having a peace of mind. I really love if I could visit #3 and #5. But for #5, I definitely couldn’t stay in a tent and be cold. Great post!

  13. I love having a peace of mind and getting away from it all. Hate working and living in big cities and I really do try hard to avoid these. Havent been to India yet so still not sure what to expect when I get into the big cities.

  14. Great post! I live in one of India’s crowded cities, and for vacations, we always take off to less populated places. The north east of India – Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal are great places for some quiet time, and highly recommend them too.

    1. I have never been to the North-East because of the dangers of travelling there, but I have heard so much about its beauty that I know I just have to go there someday. I just know so little about it, not sure where to start.

  15. Hey, thanks for sharing this interesting post. These places are really very beautiful to spend the vacation. I would like to share it with my sister as she is an introvert but loves to explore places as well. Keep sharing such wonderful places with the readers.

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