India Travel Guide

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Top Things to See

Beautiful Kashmir
Wonder at Kashmir's flower-spangled meadows, icy mountain peaks and clear rivers. Jammu is the railhead for Srinagar, the ancient Mughal capital. Lake Dal has houseboats where visitors can live surrounded by scenery so beautiful it is known as ‘paradise on earth'.

Bollywood and Bombay
Escape Indian stereotypes in Mumbai (Bombay), the capital of Maharashtra, a bustling port and the country's commercial hub, with plate-glass skyscrapers and modern industry jostling alongside ramshackle bazaars and a hectic street life. The city is also the home of the prolific film industry. Welcome to 'Bollywood'!

Experience Delhi
Encounter the two sides of Delhi: New Delhi is a modern city, offering Lutyens' architecture; ‘Old' Delhi is several centuries old, with narrow, winding streets, ancient shrines and rambunctious bazaars. See the Red Fort, the nearby Jama Masjid (India's largest mosque) and the Qutab Minar's soaring tower.

Explore Kolkata
Go east to Kolkata (Calcutta), capital of West Bengal and India's second most populous city (after Mumbai/Bombay), with its impressive colonial buildings. It is a major business center with many markets and bazaars. Central Kolkata contains the Maidan, the central parkland.

Golden Triangle
Discover the area known as the ‘Golden Triangle' with its many stunning attractions. Delhi sits at the heart of the area with Agra in the southeast with the iconic Taj Mahal. To the southwest, in Rajasthan, is Jaipur, the vibrant ‘Pink City'. Visit the Amber Fort and the Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds). To the southeast of the triangle lies Khajuraho with its famous erotic friezes.

Hill Stations
Enjoy the cool Hill Stations as a retreat from the heat of the plains. Some of the most renowned hill stations include Shimla (Himachal Pradesh), Darjeeling (West Bengal), Ooty (Tamil Nadu) and Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu).

Holy temples
Orissa state is famous for temples. Bhubaneswar has some particularly notable temples, including the Lingaraj Temple. The city of Puri, a holy Hindu place of pilgrimage, stages Rath Yatra in June/July, where icons of gods are drawn on massive chariots. Konarak is known for its striking ‘Sun Temple '.

India's beaches
Mumbai (Bombay) has Juhu and Chowpatty, while Goa offers some of the nation's most sublime beaches and resorts. Marina Beach in Chennai (Madras) is the second largest in the world. The lush state of Kerala includes the famous beach at Kovalam.

River Ganges
Gaze at the sacred River Ganges. Along its bank is the wondrous city of Varanasi, one of India's holiest Hindu locations with its ghats which, at dawn, are thronged with pilgrims and holy men performing ritual ablutions and prayers.

Romantic Rajasthan
Visit the most romantic city in Rajasthan, Udaipur, built around the lovely Lake Pichola and famed for its breathtaking Lake Palace Hotel, and dubbed the ‘Venice of the East'.

Temples of Ajanta
Observe stunning rock-cut temples, such as the Buddhist cave temples at Ajanta, which date back at least 2,000 years. The caves at Ellora depict religious stories and are Hindu, Buddhist and Jain in origin.

Wildlife and parks
Check out the wildlife in over 93 national parks, 486 wildlife sanctuaries and 14 biosphere reserves. The Indian tiger and the Asiatic elephant are still found in certain regions. Among the best known reserves are Keoladeo Ghana National Park (Rajasthan), Ranthambore National Park (Rajasthan), Kanha National Park (Madhya Pradesh), Corbett Tiger Reserve (Uttarakhand) and Sunderbans Tiger Reserve (West Bengal).

Top Things to Do

Durga Puja
Take part in the Durga Puja (September/October) in Kolkata (Calcutta). One of the biggest Hindu religious festivals in India, it is full of color and noise, held in honor of the goddess Durga.

Explore the sea life
Snorkel in the Andaman Islands, in the Bay of Bengal - a lushly forested archipelago that has exotic plant life and a wide variety of corals and tropical fish.

Goa Carnival
Attend the spectacular Carnival in Goa, held on the three days leading up to Ash Wednesday. This colorful festival is jam-packed with bustling fun, as crowds throng to watch the lavish floats pass by and dance to the lively music.

Golf in Gulmarg
Play golf on the highest golf course in the world, at Gulmarg. From here there are good views of Nanga Parbat, one of the highest mountains on earth. In winter, Gulmarg is transformed into a lively ski resort (www.skihimalaya.com).

Hike and trek
Go mountaineering or trekking in the pristine landscape of Sikkim. Shimla, in Himachal Pradesh, is the base for treks into the beautiful Kullu Valley, while Kodaikanal is a popular base for treks in Tamil Nadu.

Kerala cruise
Cruise along the tropical backwaters of Kerala, pausing en route to visit sleepy villages and assorted tourist sites.

Majestic deserts
Experience India's sprawling deserts at one of the annual festivals. Jaisalmer, in Rajasthan, holds the Desert Festival in January/February each year and Pushkar hosts the fascinating Camel Fair in October.

Music and dance
Listen to the evocative instruments of Indian music, such as the sitar, sarod and the subtle rhythm of the tabla. There is also a variety of dance forms to marvel at, each with its own costumes and elaborate language of gestures.

Party in Goa
Although much less mellow than in the heady days of the 1960s, there are still some fabulous full moon parties in places such as Anjuna.

Scenic train ride
Take the ‘Toy Train' to Darjeeling through fragrant tea gardens and pine forest. Darjeeling commands fine views of Khangchendzonga (Kanchenjunga), the third-highest mountain in the world. The area is home to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and is also a world-renowned tea-growing center.