Forget Jibhi Waterfall and Mini Thailand; This Is Where the Real Trend Is Heading

Search "things to do in Jibhi" and you'll get the same four results every time: Jibhi Waterfall, Mini Thailand, Chehni Kothi, Jalori Pass. They're worth doing once. But talk to anyone who's actually spent a few seasons in the Banjar and Tirthan valleys, and a different list comes up — the places travellers are now driving, hiking, and asking about once they've already ticked off the obvious ones. Here are the four that are actually trending next.

1. Gadagushaini — The Village Even Jibhi Regulars Haven't Reached

Gadagushaini sits barely 15 km from Jibhi, but the road there is narrow, unpaved in stretches, and shaky enough that most day-trippers turn back before they arrive — which is exactly why it's stayed untouched. It's part of the same Tirthan-GHNP ecosystem as Gushaini, but sees a fraction of the footfall, even from travellers who've already discovered Gushaini itself.

What's pulling people here now isn't a single landmark — it's the string of hamlets around it (Bathad, Galingcha, Mashiyar) connected by forest trails and a river crossing or two, with village life more or less untouched by tourism. It's the kind of place where locals still act as trekking guides by default, not as a business. If Jibhi felt "offbeat" to you in 2022, Gadagushaini is what offbeat looks like now.

Why it's trending: it's the natural next step for repeat Jibhi visitors who've outgrown the main village and want a version of the valley without other travellers in the frame.

2. Serolsar Lake — Beyond the Postcard, There's a Legend Worth Knowing

Serolsar shows up on every Jibhi itinerary as "a nice trek from Jalori Pass," which undersells it badly. The 5–6 km trail from Jalori Pass to the lake winds through dense oak and deodar forest, and the lake itself — sitting at roughly 3,100 m — is wrapped in a local legend that gives the whole hike a different weight.

The story: Budhi Nagin, the serpent goddess and mother of the region's Naga deities, is believed to reside beneath the lake in a golden palace. Local folklore holds that no leaf or stone can stay afloat on its surface — nature clears it within minutes, as though the lake itself enforces the myth. A small temple to Budhi Nagin sits on the shore, and nearby villages still make an annual pilgrimage — the Budhi Nagin Jatra — to offer milk and prayers at the site.