India

India’s Golden Triangle is the starting point for many first-time travellers to India. Comprising of India’s capital city, Delhi; Agra, home to the Taj Mahal; and the Pink City of Jaipur in Rajasthan, where you’ll find some of India’s finest monuments. The must-see Taj Mahal is as mesmerising as you would hope to imagine, particularly when visited at sunrise, and a walking tour of Jaipur’s Old City is the perfect way to explore this bustling metropolis.

If time allows, travelling from Jaipur deeper into Rajasthan rewards you with some of the country’s most impressive hilltop forts and opulent palaces. Explore the blue city of Jodphur’s old town, take a boat ride on Lake Pichola in the romantic lake city of Udaipur, and enjoy a camel trek into the Thar Desert, perhaps with a night spent under the stars in a luxury tented camp. In Rajasthan you’ll see some of India’s finest traditional dress, taste some of its most mouth-waterng cuisine, and have the opportunity to stay in some world-class heritage hotels, many of which are found in converted forts and palaces.

If you are interested in wildlife and the chance of seeing a tiger, then Ranthambore National Park, a former hunting ground of the Maharajas of Jaipur,  is an easy detour between Agra and Jaipur. The park has a growing tiger population and the chances of seeing one here are good. Morning and evening game drives take you deep into the reserve where you’ll also get the chance to spot leopard, hyena, sambar deer and sloth bear to name just a few, and a rich variety of birdlife.

An equally popular destination, perfect as a stand-alone destination or combined with a trip to the North, is the southwestern state of Kerala. The pace in Kerala, in stark contrast to the cities of the North, is leisurely, and time can be spent relaxing on the coconut lined beaches, drifting through the waterways of the backwaters or exploring the forested hills of the Western Ghats. The architecture is a mix of Portuguese, Dutch and British and the history of the spice and pepper trade can be found in the fragrant cuisine.

Or perhaps head further north into the foothills of the Himalayas and the British hill station of Shimla. A highlight for many is the ‘toy train’ that transports you up the mountain to this town which exudes colonial charm. Visit the Viceregal Lodge, and wander through the charming streets where you’ll come across mock-Tudor buildings, the famous Gaiety Theatre and Christ Church standing tall over the town. The views are breath-taking, but to enjoy it to its full, set off on foot on one of the many walking trails. Shimla also combines nicely with a trip to Dharamsala, home to the Tibetan government in exile, and Amritsar where you’ll find the Sikh’s holiest shrine, the Golden Temple.