Highlights
Bustling Cities - Mumbai - modern and bustling home of Bollywood, and the famous Gate of India; Delhi - capital and administrative centre with the bustling Connaught Circus and stepping off point to the Golden Triangle of the Taj Mahal and Jaipur; Chennai - gateway to the south; Calcutta - crowded, colourful home to rickshaws, the Kali temple and Mother Therese’s voluntary network.
Ruins of Forts/Palaces - These pepper the landscape over much of India, especially around Delhi you will find many forts, palaces and mausaleums that you will love to explore.
Wildlife - Nature lovers can see anything from elephants, tigers, leopards and lions and rhinos….to rare and exotic birdlife.
India has over 80 wildlife parks. Popular ones are Corbett, Rajaji and Dudhwa (Uttar Pradesh), Kanha, Pench (Madhya Pradesh) and Sasan Gir (Gujarat). Keoladeo Ghana, Bharatpur (Rajasthan) is a famous bird sanctuary.
Beaches - from Kerala to Goa and the south tip, beaches are particularly Indian - crowded and cheerful, sometimes dirty. Then there is of course the beautiful Andaman Islands.
Pilgrimage Journeys
- follow the Buddha’s steps to Sarnath, Bodhgaya, Nalanda, Rajgir, Kushinagar, Lumbini
- visit the world heritage site of Ajanta / Ellora caves, with its Buddhist/Hindu meditation caves from the 2nd Century
- Andhra Pradesh has over 140 listed Buddhist sites, which provide a panoramic view of the history of Buddhism from 3rd century B.C. to 14th century A.D.
- Hyderabad - Nagarjunasagar - Nagarjuna Sagar - Vijayawada - A Hindu pilgrimage journey
Healing - Yoga, Ayurveda and Meditation centres can be found all over India.
Adventure - Paragliding and rafting in Himachaal, Trekking in the northeast and the Himalayas, Bike tours on the plains or mountain bike tours in the high Himalayas.
Spiriitual Centres - Osho’s centre in Pune, Aurobindo and the Mother’s ashram in Pondicherry, Yoga centres in Hardiwar and Rishikesh, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet home in Dharamsala, The Golden Temple at Amritsar, Sai Baba’s ashram in Puttaparthi, Andhara Pradesh and Amma’s (the hugging saint mother) ashram at Amritapuri, Kerala.
Hill Stations - Simla, Kassauli, Manali, Musoorie, Darjeeling and Kalimpong - Indians flock to these higher areas when the heat of the plains escalates.
Himalayas - From the lower foothills of Himachaal Pradesh ( including Dharamsala and surrounds), all the way up the Rothang pass to the remote areas of Lahoul, Spiti, Ladakh, Zanskar, Jammu and Kashmir, this is the Indian Himalayas. We have dedicated an entire section to this wonderful region. In that section you will also find the Indian North East (Sikkim, Darjeeling and Kalimpong) and the state of Arunachal Pradesh.. Click here
Spices - the south is famous for these sensual delights. Spice plantations are captivating. Pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, and nutmeg, are just some of the spices grown and harvested.
Festivals and Celebrations - Pushkar camel fair (November), Holi, the festival of colours where coloured powders are thrown (March) , Diwali - festival of lights where fireworks are lit and sweets given (November 2010), Kumba Mela where once every 12 years saints and yogis gather to bless and amaze (October 2010). In addition there are always many local festivals throughout India.
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