India Locations & Hotels

North India

India's northern region has some of the greatest sights for travellers in the world. Agra, with its ethereal Taj Mahal, Rajasthan's royal palaces, and the astonishing temples of Khajuraho and the Sikh Golden Temple of Amritsar, have awed and charmed visitors from all over the globe.

But North India's well-known sights are just the beginning. Some of the Himalayas most beautiful yet little known mountains are found north of Delhi in Hinduism's ' home of the gods', the Garhwal Himalaya. Still further north are former British hill stations like Shimla and Mussoorie, while beyond are the high altitude deserts of the Tibetan borderlands, Spiti and Ladakh.

Then there are the lush green forests of Kanha and Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh and the savanna grasslands of Ranthambore, national parks home to some of the world's last remaining tigers. There are also the ancient and holy cities like Varanasi or Allahabad often clinging to the banks of India's holiest river, the Ganges. In contrast is Delhi, centrally located in the region and well connected with all part of the country, with all the dynamism and facilities of a modern capital.

Rajasthan

Located on the north-west borders of India, Rajasthan stretches out in to the Thar Desert. Rajasthan, literally translated as the land of kings and princes, is the ultimate confluence of history, chivalry, romance, rugged natural beauty, art and crafts and colour. It is the land of colourful people and attire, who narrate amazing legends of heroism and romance. Legends which still resound from its equally amazing architecture standing erect, a witness to a glorious bygone era.

The magic of Rajasthan is unequalled in the world for its heritage, culture, safaris, sand dunes and lush green forests with its wildlife. Rajasthan is often expressed as a huge open-air museum with relic so well preserved for the travellers and the curious of the day. It is action-packed with outdoors too; take a safari on a horse, camel, elephant or even in a jeep around the Aravalis, India's oldest mountain range in the backdrop.

Alternatively, caress your eyes on the sand dunes, or trail a tiger or just watch birds on wetland. You can choose to pamper yourself in the lavish heritage properties and take part in the vibrant dances with swords and swirling skirts, with lamps and horses. Buy exclusive craft of mirror work embroidery, metal and leather craft. Exalt the beautiful miniature and pichwai paintings. Taste the distinct cuisine. Rajasthan has something for everyone, just choose your activity. Live like a prince in the land of kings and princes.

Delhi

Delhi is the capital city of the Federal Republic of India. It is one of India's fastest growing cities and has sprawled over the West Bank of the river Yamuna, straddling the river. The city has two distinct parts, Old Delhi and New Delhi. Delhi is the second most widely used entry point into the country, being on the route of most major airlines. It is well linked by rail, air and road to all parts of the country. It remains one of seven distinctive capital cities - among them are Shahjahanabad and Qutub Minar. Here, museums, art galleries and cultural centres attract the finest exhibitions.

Delhi blends a historic past and a vibrant present. Delhi has some of the finest museums in the country. Legend has it that the Pandavas, the august heroes of the epic Mahabharata, originally founded Delhi.

East India

The northern foothills of West Bengal's Himalaya are one of the great tea growing regions of the world. They can still be reached by the romantic steam-pulled 'toy train', now a World Heritage Site. Darjeeling, one of the picturesque hill stations imprinted with images of the Colonial inheritance, is overlooked by the everlasting snows of the great Kanchendzonga Range.

Haryana

To the south, in one of the world's most densely populated agricultural regions, Kolkata dominates the political, economic and cultural life of much of eastern India, a city which has fascinated, shocked and entranced, in almost equal measure, generations of visitors. The villages and towns which are scattered across the intensively cultivated rural landscape surrounding the city also have much to offer. In the border regions of Bangladesh are the remains of Muslim capitals of medieval eastern India and the remarkable terracotta temple of Bishnupur.

To the far south the humid mangroves of the Sunderbans, whose mudflats fade almost imperceptibly into the Bay of Bengal. Are still home to a sizable, though elusive, tiger population.

South India

Despite the continuous flow of people and ideas between North and South India over the last 4,000 years and more, the four states of South India - Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu - have a distinct identity. Each has its own major language, and the region has its own cultural traditions of literature, art, architecture and music. Some of Hinduism's most important schools of philosophy have had their origin in the far south, yet here Christianity pre-dates many of them, and in Kerala and Tamil Nadu makes a far more visible contributions to life than in most other parts of India.

As a backdrop to this cultural diversity is a great range of often beautiful scenery. The Nilgiris ('blue hills') may be thought of as only hills in comparison with the Himalaya, but soaring to over 2500 meters they often present a dramatic wall overlooking the plains of Tamil Nadu to the east or the narrow coastal strips of Kerala and Karnataka to the west.

Delightful hill stations - Kodaikanal, Coonoor, Munnar and the more popular Ooty - enjoy the best of a low latitude, high altitude climate. On the plains below are some of India's greatest cultural treasures, including the distinctive southern temples (at Madurai, Thanjour and Mamallapuram among many), while forts and palaces add another dimension to the visitors choices.

Goa

Goa lies on the west coast of India and is a land of swaying palms, miles of golden sands, lush greenery, an incredible cultural heritage, magnificent churches, temples and monuments. It is a unique cultural synthesis of the east and west.

West India

West India contains, at the same time, India's most dynamic city, Mumbai (Bombay), and some of its least disturbed rural landscapes. Stretching from the deserts bordering Pakistan to the tropical forested slopes of the Western Ghats, it also includes some of India's most important historical sites.

Maharashtra's Buddhist and Hindu cave painting and sculptures in Ajanta and Ellora caves are world famous, but many of its outstanding forts are virtually unknown, while the new Konkan railways to Goa and the South is opening up the undiscovered west coasts.

Gujarat has both beautiful and undisturbed beaches and magnificent Jain and Hindu temples, while Ahmedabad has some superb examples of Islamic architecture. But the history of Gujarat's people goes back long before the arrival of Islam. The port of Lothal on the Gulf of Khambhat served traders from the Mohenjo Daro civilization over 2,000 years before the birth of Christ.

Goa itself is one of the India's major tourist attractions, yet although its beaches are drawing increasing numbers of tourists, it too contains many fascinating places completely off the beaten track