Mandasaru
Guarded by 14 hills and numerous valleys, the Mandasaru Gorge is a pint size ecological wonder of Odisha. You can hire a local guide, who can take you for a trek through the Landrika forest and the Mandasaru Gorge and make a round trip of Binguma Waterfall and Magnet Hill. Few cottages for overnight stay are available for tourists at Mandasaru.
Gundribari Forest
Home to the Giant Red Squirrels, this dense forest is located just 14 kms from Bhanjannagar Dam. Here, you can stay on a Tree House, perched nearly 30 feet atop a Ficus Tree which gives a close view of the Giant Red Squirrels nesting on the same tree.
Chermeria and Vetnai
This is truly the Blackbuck country. Here, you can stay in the Forest Resthouse and visit the Vetnai-Balipadar – Tanarda – Ramanda landscape which is home to more than 2000 Blackbucks. You would surely catch a glimpse of 40 to 50 Blackbucks in one herd.
Chilika
Chilika Lake is one of the largest brackish water lagoons, spread over 1000 sq. kms. covering the three districts of Odisha viz. Puri, Khurda and Ganjam. Located at the confluence of Daya River and Bay of Bengal it is home to nearly 160 species of migratory birds in winter. In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. Lake Chilika is also home to the rare Irrawady River Dolphins. You can take boat rides over Lake Chilika and visit the various islands within the Chilika Lake. There are two main entry points of Chilika lake – Rambha and Barkul. You would find a water sports complex run by OTDC in both these destinations and private as well as Govt. boats for tourists.
Gopalpur on Sea
During the British rule, this tiny seaside village of Gopalpur was made a major sea port on the sea trade route of Burma. However, the British fell in love with this quaint sea beach and made it a lovely seaside resort town, where they built their summer houses. You can still see the lighthouse and the ruins of the old sea port at Gopalpur. Today, you would find a number of resorts and a golden sea beach frequented by tourists. Gopalpur On Sea is also know for the fabulous sea side street food.
Monglajodi
This 100 sq. kms wetland area of Chilika Lake is a heaven for water birds. The marshy waters of this ‘Bird’s Paradise’ becomes home to more than 300000 birds in winters. Visitors can hire boats on hourly basis and enjoy bird watching to their heart’s content. There are few staying options at Monglajodi but most visitors stay at Barkul and visit Mongaljodi in day trips
Jirang
Odisha’s Little Tibet – Jirang and its adjacent village Chandragiri offered the Tibetan settlers a home when China invaded Tibet in 1959. The first batch of Tibetans arrived in Chandragiri on 01 May 1963 and since then they have been staying in this picturesque mountains of Eastern Ghats. The Tibetan’s have named this place “Phuntsokling”– which means land of plenty and happiness. The major attraction here is the Padma Sambhava Monastery which was inaugurated by His Holiness The Dalai Lama in 2010.