India travel guide

India guide

Awesome India is one of the ultimate travel experiences. Surely no other country possesses the diversity and depth of this mesmerizing land. The engrossing culture is stunningly exotic and rich. The land varies wildly, from sweltering tropics to the unforgiving icy extremes of the mighty Himalayas. And the turbulent wake of ethnic variation, eventful history and political strife has led to an equally disparate people, filling every possible niche of human existence. India overflows with beauty and toil. The sights, sounds, smell and tastes will push your senses to their very limits.

India as we know it was born of the legacy of British colonial rule. Formerly a patchwork of feuding princely states, the subcontinent became the jewel in the crown of the British Empire. The independence movement led by world-shaker Mahatma Gandhi sounded the death knell for European colonialism around the globe, and the partition that accompanied the forced British withdrawal still drags on today. The largest democracy on the planet is barely holding together a most complicated nation, and the traditional caste system, although formerly outlawed, has ingrained the social strata. The miniscule elite's vast wealth is contradicted by overwhelming poverty. Age-old religious tensions are fuelled by fundamentalism and irresponsible elements in the political arena. Although immensely rewarding travelling around India is hard

Baha'l Temple, New Delhi

going. The nation grapples with widespread illiteracy, poor infrastructure and a distinct lack of services. Unless backpacking (and India is one of the most fascinating backpacking destinations), then flying is the only comfortable and practical way to traverse the subcontinent. The rail network takes most of the strain, but has seen slow modernisation. Car provides an acceptable alternative but take a driver, as the roads will test even the steeliest nerves.

With a population of more than a billion, India is second to China as the most populous country on earth. Yet you will hear few investors referring to India as "the world's second-biggest market" with the same salivating optimism as with China. Business practices can be frustrating with corruption undermining what ought to be an industrial powerhouse. International hotel chains often invest in new properties only to have local partners sneakily edge them out. Standards inevitably slip and the result is that the quality of the hotels varies wildly. Star ratings are not always reliable and, relative to the rest of Asia, are typically inflated, so it pays to do your research before you check-in. Generally speaking Indian hotels are bad(some are horrendous!) but glowing exceptions do exist. A few prominent chains are fittingly represented and India's better heritage hotels possess a magic that you cannot get elsewhere.

Despite the challenges and head-scratching contradictions, the country is laden with wondrous sights to captivate the visitor. It is liberally dressed with incredible temples and forts and inspired colonial structures. Spirituality courses through the nation's veins, not surprising as India gave rise to both Hinduism and Buddhism. Sprawling Delhi and Mumbai (Bombay) are traditional gateways but both are worth escaping for the jewels that lie within. Agra hosts the exquisite white marble Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and to the south are the striking spires of Sri Meenakshi temple in Madurai. The golden shores of Goa were first colonised by the Portuguese, then later by long-haired hippies, and although it is slowly heading upmarket it retains much of its original appeal. Rajasthan, though, is most visitors' highlight – Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaiselmer, Udaipur and Puskar provide an enthralling variety of palaces, forts, havelis and bazaars.

The Indian climate is as diverse as the country itself, from the searing heat of Chennai (Madras) to the cool hill stations of Shimla. The seasons are loosely divided into the hot (February to May), the wet (June to October) and the most temperate season, the cool (November to January). With a slice of humour, adventurous travellers who are willing to invest a little time and effort will find India to be one of the pinnacles of travel. And the gentle, unflappable Indians, with their alternative outlook on life have the inane ability to make you laugh, or at other times, cry.

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