Top Highlights
Delhi
Delhi – with its tenacious touts and crush of mechanical and human traffic – can be downright confronting and confounding for the first-time visitor. But don’t let petulant first impressions muddy the plus points of this truly multidimensional metropolis. Scratch beyond the gritty surface and you’ll swiftly discover that India’s capital is sprinkled with glittering gems: captivating ancient monuments, magnificent museums, a vivacious performing-arts scene and some of the subcontinent’s yummiest places to eat.
A vibrant melting pot, you’ll hear a jumble of vernaculars spoken in Delhi, the most common being Hindi, English, Punjabi and Urdu. In terms of its layout, Delhi encapsulates two very different worlds, the ‘old’ and the ‘new’, each presenting deliciously different experiences. Spacious New Delhi was built as the imperial capital of India by the British; rambunctious Old Delhi served as the capital of Islamic India. Visitors can easily dip into both, spending half the day immersing themselves in history at the dramatic Red Fort, Jama Masjid and medieval-flavoured bazaars of Old Delhi, and the other half reviving themselves over frothy cappuccinos or frosty cocktails at one of New Delhi’s swanky cafés and bars.
Mumbai
Measure out: one part Hollywood; six parts traffic; a bunch of rich power-moguls; stir in half a dozen colonial relics (use big ones); pour in six heaped cups of poverty; add a smattering of swish bars and restaurants (don’t skimp on quality here for best results); equal parts of mayhem and order; as many ancient bazaars as you have lying around; a handful of Hinduism; a dash of Islam; fold in your mixture with equal parts; throw it all in a blender on high (adding generous helpings of pollution to taste) and presto: Mumbai.
Kerala
Kerala is where India slips down into second gear, stops to smell the roses and always talks to strangers. A strip of land between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats, its perfect climate flirts unabashedly with the fertile soil, and everything glows. An easy-going and successful socialist state, Kerala has a liberal hospitality that stands out as its most laudable achievement.
Resting on low hills in Southern Kerala is the capital Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), used as a gateway to nearby resorts by many but boasting some of its very own attractions and dreadlocked faithfuls. North of the capital is Varkala with its stunning cliffs. The emerald jewel in South India’s crown are the backwaters that meander throughout Kerala. Here, spindly networks of rivers, canals and lagoons nourish a seemingly infinite number of rice paddies and coconut groves, while sleek houseboats cruise the water highways from one village to another. Along the coast, slices of perfect, sandy beach beckon the sun-worshipping crowd, and far inland the mountainous Ghats are covered in vast plantations of spices and tea. Exotic wildlife also thrives in the hills.
This flourishing land isn’t good at keeping its secret: adventurers and traders have been in on it for years. The serene Fort Cochin pays homage to its colonial past, each building whispering a tale of Chinese visitors, Portuguese traders, Jewish settlers, Syrian Christians and Muslim merchants. Yet even with its colonial distractions, Kerala manages to cling to its vibrant traditions: Kathakali – a blend of religious play and dance; kalarippayat – a gravity-defying martial art; and theyyam – a trance-induced ritual.
Varanasi
Few places in India are as colourful, charismatic or spiritual as the bathing ghats lining the Ganges in Varanasi. The city of Shiva is one of the holiest places in India, where Hindu pilgrims come to wash away a lifetime of sins in the Ganges or to cremate their loved ones. Varanasi has always been an auspicious place to die, since expiring here offers moksha (liberation from the cycle of birth and death). The city is the beating heart of the Hindu universe, and the Ganges is viewed as a … river of salvation. The accessibility to the practices of an ancient but still living religious tradition is what captivates many visitors, and a walk along the ghats or a boat ride on the river is one of India’s most absorbing experiences.
Rajasthan
From the cackle of its colour-charged cities to the luminous splendour of its sun-kissed desert, Rajasthan is romantic India wrapped in gaudy royal robes. Here the fearsome Rajput warrior clans ruled with gilt-edged swords, plundered wealth and blood-thick chivalrous codes.
A vast and wonder-laced state with treasures more sublime than those of fable, the Land of the Kings paints a bold image. Compiling a must-see list in Rajasthan can cripple the fussy traveller: Meherangarh looming over bright blue Jodhpur, the giant gold sandcastle at Jaisalmer, the palaces and pageantry of Udaipur, Pushkar’s reverent yet carnival charm, the storybook whimsy of Bundi and the havelis (traditional, ornately decorated residences) sprinkled through Shekhawati. Like a microcosm of Mother India, there’s also abundant wildlife and warm people, glitz and camels, soulful music, glittering saris, tottering turbans and a surprisingly rich cuisine.
The state is diagonally divided into the hilly southeastern region and the barren northwestern Great Thar Desert, which extends across the border into Pakistan – now accessible via train. The highest point is reached at the pleasant hill station of Mt Abu.
Agra
The Taj Mahal - described as the most extravagant monument ever built for love was constructed by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Purely decorative white minarets grace each corner of the platform. Closed Friday. Also worth visiting is the red sand stone Agra Fort on the bank of the Yamuna River. Fatehpur Sikri, 40km west of the city, is a magnificent fortified ghost city. Due to the durable red sandstone, the city remains a perfectly preserved example of a Mughal city at the height of the empire’s splendour.
Jaipur:
The capital of Rajasthan, this vibrant town is known as ‘the Pink City’ because of the pink-coloured buildings in its old city. Jaipur is situated on a dry lake bed in an arid landscape, surrounded by barren hills and forts.
The walled Old City in the north-east of Jaipur is where you will find most of the tourist attractions - the Johari Bazaar (the jewellers’ market); the Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds); Jantar Mantar (observatory).
Eleven kms to the north of Jaipur is Amber, the ancient capital of Jaipur state where on a hillside overlooking a lake, a fort-palace was built.
Udaipur:
A romantic city, known as the ‘Venice of the East’, Udaipur is full of palaces, temples and havelis (houses of rich merchants) ranging from the modest to the extravagant. The largest palace complex in Rajasthan is the City Palace, which towers over the lake, is a mix of balconies, towers and cupolas and is now a Museum.
Wildlife
Bharatpur is renowned for its UNESCO World Heritage-listed bird sanctuary, the Keoladeo Ghana National Park. The best time to visit is between October and late February, when many migratory birds can be seen, including the highly endangered Siberian crane.
Ranthambore National Park is where you are most likely to spot a tiger on safari. Best time to visit is between October and April and safaris take place early morning and late afternoon. Corbett Tiger Reserve, established in 1936 as India’s first national park, Corbett is famous for its wide variety of wildlife and its beautiful location in the foothills of the Himalaya by the Ramganga River. The best time to visit is between April to mid June. Wildlife at the park includes tigers, elephants, langur monkeys, rhesus macaques, peacocks, deer, sambar, hog deer and barking deer. It is also a bird watcher’s paradise; best time to view is mid-December to the end of March. South India’s Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary has an artificial lake and is home to bison, antelopes, sambar, wild board, langur, elephants, tigers and forests.
Palace on Wheels
Train journeys operate weekly and depart from Delhi every Wednesday, between September and April. The trip takes in Jaipur, Chittogarh, Udaipur, Sawai, Madhopur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bharatpur and Agra. A mobile hotel, featuring two dining cars with bar service. Each coach, attended by a costumed captain and attendant contains four air-conditioned coupes (double or twin share) with bathrooms.
Pushkar & Camel Fair
Situated on the edge of the desert, Pushkar is only 11km from Ajmer. Best known for its Camel Fair which takes place in November - a massive congregation of camels, cattle, livestock traders, pilgrims and tourists. Around 200,000 people converge on this small town, bringing some 50,000 camels and cattle for several days of pilgrimage, livestock trading and festivities.
More highlights
Darjeeling, the hill station sprawls over a ridge at 2134m and is surrounded by tea plantations. Darjeeling is host to Buddhist monasteries (like the well-known Ghoom Gompa), tea plantations, colourful markets and handicraft shops. Tea is Darjeeling’s most famous export and the tea plantation Margaret’s Hope produces tea for Buckingham Palace.
Khajuraho is known for its temples with liberally embellished decorations of gods and goddess, warriors, animals and erotic posturing.
Mumbai (Bombay) is an island, connected by bridges to the mainland. It is India’s financial centre and is the heart of the Hindi film industry. India’s giant film studios are located in Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad. The Gateway of India (an arch) is a popular emblem of the city and nearby is where boats depart for Elephanta Island (known for its rock-cut temples).
Ellora Caves, these World Heritage Listed cave temples are about 30 km from Aurangabad. Over five centuries, generations of monks carved monasteries, chapels and temples from a 2km-long escarpment and decorated them with detailed sculptures. There are 34 rock-cut caves, and the masterpiece is the Kailasa Temple, dedicated to Shiva.
The Buddhist caves of Ajanta, 105 km northeast of Aurangabad, date from around 200 BC to AD 650. The 30 caves are cut into the steep face of a horseshoe-shaped rock gorge on the Waghore River.
Goa with its miles of golden sand beaches has its very own unique character and its landscape is made up of white-washed churches, a maze of narrow-winding streets, paddy fields, coconut-palm groves and crumbling forts.
The Kerala Backwaters are a vast network of lagoons, lakes, rivers and canals that wind far inland from the coast. Travelling the backwaters is a highlight of any visit to Kerala, as you cross shallow, palm-fringed lakes and cruise past small settlements.
Kochi (Cochin) is where you find India’s oldest church, winding streets with mosques and 500-year old Portuguese houses, a 16th century Synagogue and a palace built by the Portuguese.