These two Indian places are among TIME’s ‘World's greatest destinations 2023’ (2024)

In TIME magazine’s ‘50 extraordinary destinations to explore’ list, two Indian places namely Ladakh and Odisha’s Mayurbhanj were included. The magazine noted that the list was made from ‘solicited nominations of places from their international network of correspondents and contributors, with an eye toward those offering new and exciting experiences.’

The full list of ‘extraordinary destinations to explore’ in 2023:

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1. Tampa, Florida

2. Willamette Valley, Oregon

3. Rio Grande, P. R.

4. Tucson, Arizona

5. Yosemite National Park, California

6. Bozeman, Montana

7. Washington, D.C.

8. Vancouver

9. Churchill, Manitoba

10. Dijon, France

11. Pantelleria, Italy

12. Naples, Italy

13. Aarhus, Denmark

14. St. Moritz, Switzerland

15. Barcelona

16. Timisoara, Romania

17. Sylt, Germany

18. Berat, Albania

19. Budapest

20. Vienna

21. Brisbane, Australia

22. Kangaroo Island, Australia

23. Dominica

24. Mexico City

25. Guadalajara, Mexico

26. Torres del Paine National Park, Chile

27. Pantanal, Brazil

28. Medellín, Colombia

29. Ollantaytambo, Peru

30. Roatán, Honduras

31. Ladakh, India

32. Mayurbhanj, India

33. Kyoto

34. Nagoya, Japan

35. Isan, Thailand

36. phu*ket, Thailand

37. Jeju Island, South Korea

38. Luang Prabang, Laos

39. Giza and Saqqara, Egypt

40. Chyulu Hills, Kenya

41. Musanze, Rwanda

42. Rabat, Morocco

43. Dakar, Senegal

44. Loango National Park, Gabon

45. Freetown Peninsula, Sierra Leone

46. The Red Sea, Saudi Arabia

47. Aqaba, Jordan

48. Jerusalem

49. Sharjah, UAE

50. Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia

On Ladakh, the TIME said, “with its astonishing alpine landscapes and Tibetan Buddhist culture, Ladakh—in the farthest-flung part of North India—has enough wonders to warrant multiple visits.”

In 2023, India designated its first Dark Sky Reserve, in Hanle village, about 168 miles southeast of Leh, Ladakh’s capital. The village has roughly 270 clear nights a year, making it ideal for astronomical splendor, it added.

While listing Mayurbhanj, the magazine noted, “the only place on earth to spot the exceedingly rare black tiger is open to visitors again. Similipal National Park in Mayurbhanj, an under-the-radar region in India’s eastern state of Odisha, reopened in November with strict restrictions to the number of daily visitors—only 60 vehicle entry permits are available each day—in order to safeguard its sprawling delicate ecosystem, home to over 40 mammals including Asian elephants and Bengal tigers.”