Not Munnar, not Ooty: Anand Mahindra's hilly hidden gem may be the alternative travellers need right now

The nation’s favourite tourist spots are gradually finding themselves struggling with an unfortunate consequence of their popularity – overcrowding.Endless traffic jams on mountain roads, crowded viewpoints, jammed parking lots, and queueing crowds around attractions have become typical sights during holidays and weekend excursions to such places that initially offered an escape from city life.Industrialist Anand Mahindra recently brought this point into the limelight via a post on X, stating that some of the best-known destinations for tourists in India have become victims of their own fame. While these tourist spots will definitely need to deal with increasing tourism, he stated that India was big enough to have many more amazing places that haven’t been recognized yet. Mahindra asked people to contribute such destinations in his posts so that he could help them reach everyone. To begin the conversation, he offered a suggestion of his own: Valparai in Tamil Nadu.Valparai is located in the Anamalai Hills of the Western Ghats and stands at a height of about 3,500 feet above sea level. In contrast to other popular hill stations in southern India, Valparai has maintained its tranquility. The route from Pollachi climbs through 40 hairpin bends, gradually revealing changing landscapes of forests, reservoirs, tea estates, and mountain vistas.The area lies within one of the world’s top biodiversity spots. The forests around the place are known for the rich variety of animals and birds, such as Asian elephants, gaur, sambar deer, and lion-tailed macaque (the latter is an endangered primate that is unique to the Western Ghats). Also, bird enthusiasts travel there hoping to see great and Malabar pied hornbills. Tea plantations dominate much of the landscape and have shaped Valparai's identity for more than a century. Unlike the tourism sites established by building entertainment centers and markets around them, this town has remained a place surrounded by tea plantations and forests.Tourists visiting Valparai will be able to visit the various viewpoints with a view of the dams and reservoirs like Aliyar Dam, Sholayar Dam, and Nallamudi Poonjolai. The Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park nearby add attraction for tourists. Mahindra likened Valparai to "the Munnar many of us wish we had seen 30 years ago.". This metaphor captures the feeling held by many travellers today who are increasingly looking for destinations where they can have their own space, take things slow, and connect with the environment rather than being on packed trips.As India continues to attract more tourists each year, it is only a matter of time before the issue of overtourism will come into sharper focus. Several destinations are currently struggling with infrastructure capacity and their ecosystems' ability to deal with growing tourist numbers. Shifting tourism to new areas would reduce the strain in crowded destinations while creating economic opportunities elsewhere.For the time being, Valparai can still keep its secrets away from social media and traveller checklists.