India has something to offer everyone it is simply crazy, wonderful, beautiful, chaotic, perhaps daunting and a little overwhelming but genuinely fantastic.
Sadly you will never be able to fit everything that India has to offer you into one trip. Which ultimately means you’ll have the pleasure of having to visit more than once. Depending on what interests you and what you like you can tailor make a trip that is ideal for you. It is vital that you are realistic with how much you can squeeze into your trip. Rather than trying to see the whole country, you may find it more useful to concentrate on the north or the south of the country. However, if you do wish to have a two centre holiday internal flights are inexpensive.
The most popular tour in India is the all-time classic Golden Triangle. This trip covers an introduction to three of India’s top destinations, Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, and you can squeeze it into a week if you are happy to move along every few days. You can start in Delhi, seeing Humayun’s Tomb and the Red Fort, before moving onto Agra and touring the stunning Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. From there move onto Jaipur to explore the Pink City and the fort at Amber, before returning to Delhi’s city.
Sharjah, the UAE’s capital of culture, is host to five festivals where you can really experience local culture and way of life. These include: the Light Festival, Sharjah Biennial (the art showcase), Sharjah international book fair, Sharjah World Championship Week (power boat spectacular) and the Sharjah World Music Festival.
If religion and temples are your thing you will be completely spoilt for choice everywhere but especially in northern and central India. There’s the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Konark’s rock-carved Sun Temple, and a great many of exquisitely hewn milk-white-marble Jain temples in Rajasthan and Gujarat. In the south the temples differ with impressive towering, statue-covered gopuram towers. Varanasi reigns supreme, with its ancient funeral ghats where Hindus pay their last respects to the dead beside the sacred River Ganges. From Deli to the ashrams of Rishikesh you can become involved in yoga and meditation classes.
For fans of Islamic architecture, there are spectacular monuments in Delhi, home to the Red Fort, the mosques and minarets of the Qutb Minar complex. Nearby you can revel in graceful Mughal splendour at Fatehpur Sikri and Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, whilst exploring a captivating collection of Mughal forts.
Jet off to the south to enjoy India’s finest beaches. Relax on one of the Goan beaches – Arambol, Vagator, and Palolem– or try the black sand beaches of Kovalam and Varkala in Kerala. Kerala is also famous for its meandering backwaters, where you can hire a houseboat or a canoe and glide along the gentle waters.
Your best chances of spotting a tiger are in the national parks of Madhya Pradesh or Rajasthan, but there are national reserves all over India where you can track down plenty of exotic wildlife. For something different you can hop on a camel for treks through the desert from Jaisalmer or Bikaner in Rajasthan.
The north is great for thrill seekers, with pretty much every outdoor activity imaginable on offer in the Kullu Valley and the high reaches of Uttarkhand and Himachal Pradesh, from treks to skiing and white-water rafting. For excitement set off from Manali for the epic two-day journey to Leh in Ladakh, whose towering mountain peaks are criss-crossed by epic hiking trails.
How do I get the best out of my trip?
Try and slow down your pace and have realistic time frames for your trip. Concentrate your efforts on visiting a few places rather than trying to see everything and appreciate what you see and experience for its beauty.
India is certainly crowded. The hustle and bustle can be fun, particularly if there’s a festival in town, however you can have too much of a good time. Fortunately, India has plenty of quiet retreats, so ensure you allow for some downtime during your trip. Try alternating days in a city followed by some time in the countryside or a small town.
No one wants to be poorly during a trip. Ensure you take steps to avoid a dodgy tummy. Never drink tap water and avoid foods that may have been washed in it. Many Indians are vegetarian, so the country offers a great choice of vegetarian food. When out and about ensure you carry antibacterial wipes and gel in your bag for cleaning pre- eating.
Despite all of India’s beauty it does have a reputation for scams and other hassles. There are ways you can reduce the chances of being overcharged or scammed, so keep your wits about you and if something sounds too good to be true it probably is.
The best bit of advice on going to India is go, enjoy and plan sensibly before you leave but ultimately have fun and enjoy everything India has to offer.
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