India

Advertisement

Advertisement
From the foothills of the Himalayas to the backwaters of Kerala, the slums of Calcutta or the ashrams of Rishikesh, the ghats of Varanasi to the beaches of Goa . . . India will fascinate, shock and excite.

Fascinate with its myriad cultures, its penetrating smells and colours, its intensity of life, its many Gods and temples, the people, food, and religious fervor. Shock with its open sewers, poverty, noise, filth, scams, and stares. Excite with its chaotic traffic, tigers and lions, holy and un-holy men, its food, its drugs, its mountains and beaches, its jungles and deserts, and its religious and erotic temples.

India is a country of extremes where you will see the whole spectacle of life played out before your eyes, uncut, uncensored, and unashamed. You will encounter death, birth, possibly rebirth, and see people washing clothes, bathing, crying, laughing, and probably squatting for a bowel movement. All in the first day.

This country has a history dating back to time immortal, a religion that encompasses hundreds to thousands of Gods, and a population that will soon surpass China despite being less than half the latter’s size. It brought forth the romantic tale and architecture of the Taj Mahal, Ghandi, and the number zero, and let’s face it, the world would be a very different place if those three had never been.

There is no country as diverse as India, so strap on your seat belt for the wildest travelling roller coaster experience around this incredible sub-continent. You will love it or hate it, but you’ll not forget it.

India is spicy, it is dicey, and if you are not careful it will be very, very pricy. Beware of touts and scams!


Highlights from India
  • No visit to India is complete without visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra. Go at sunrise before the crowds!
  • To get a sense of Indian spirituality you have to go to Varanasi, India’s holiest city
  • The palaces and forts of Rajasthan are a must, if you have to pick three, Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer should be on top of that list
  • Head to the temples of Khajuraho with famously erotic carvings, which only represent a tenth of the intricate carvings on the walls.
  • Tired of temples and forts, go to Goa for dance, trance and beach partying
  • If things start heating up in the plains, it is time to make the trek to the Himalayas, to Ladakh with its Tibetan temples, Kashmir where you can laze away on a house-boat in Srinagar, or Darjeeling for a cuppa tea
  • Marvel at the exquisite art of the Ajanta and Ellora caves in Maharashtra
  • Take a safari to see the elusive tiger in Bandhavgarh National Park, or try and find the even more elusive Asiatic lion in Sasan Gir National Park
  • Join the pilgrims at the Golden Temple in Amritsar
  • Take a languid boat trip on the Keralan backwaters
Hints and Tips for India

Tot: 0.12s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 2; qc: 35; dbt: 0.0233s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.1mb