DelhiThrough a sweltering bazaar with each vendor crying out louder than the next, clamouring through a sweaty crowd, a beggar tugs at your shirt as the sticky stench of the city pierces your nostrils. Navigate your way across the road through a perennial traffic jam of blasting horns and angry shouts, and suddenly you'll find yourself stepping through the trees into a deserted courtyard, flanked by gurgling ponds below the huge glittering dome of an ornately patterned mosque.
This is
Delhi, city of contrasts, where an elephant can overtake an overheated Italian sports car on
the streets, where colonial mansion stands next to squatter slum, and where cows are revered, but musicians are labelled 'untouchable'. The city's pace is chaotic, yet fairly relaxed, and makes it ideal for exploring. You're certain to be confronted with some strange and exotic sights.
With a long and troubled history, Delhi is full of fascinating temples, museums, mosques and forts, each with a distinct architectural style. In Old Delhi, visitors will find a charming selection of colorful bazaars and narrow winding alleys. In comparison,
New Delhi - the city created to reflect the might of the British Empire - consists of tree-lined avenues, spacious parks and sombre-looking government buildings.
While Delhi itself could take a lifetime to explore, it's also ideal as a base for visiting the
Taj Mahal in
Agra, and it provides the best links for traveling to the hill stations of the North.
Getting Around: Fleets of metered taxis, auto-rickshaws and cycle-rickshaws clog the streets of Delhi providing transport for locals and visitors. Rates fluctuate, but drivers should have rate charts available and tourists should ensure the meter is reset, or a price negotiated before departure. A ring railway starts and ends at the Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station with trains running in both clockwise and anti-clockwise directions around the city.
Delhi Transport Corporation runs a large fleet of buses covering the entire city, but these are always overcrowded. The frequency of buses drops during the off-peak time between 1pm and 2.30pm. There are night service buses on selected routes and from the three main railway stations between 11pm and 5am. The first line of an ambitious Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) was recently opened covering 14 miles (22km) and18 stations between Shahdara, Tri Nagar and Rithala. A further two lines are under construction and the entire project is scheduled for completion by 2021.
Climate: The best time to visit Delhi is in October-November and in February-March, when the nights are cool and the days filled with mellow sunshine. December and January can be a little gloomy in Delhi while mid-summer (May, June and July) is very hot with temperatures over 45C; it is a dry heat and is sometimes accompanied by dusty desert winds. Most of the rain falls between July and September but they are not the tropical rains you'll experience in
India's coastal cities.
AgraThe last Lodi Sultan moved his capital to Agra in 1504, and although he was defeated in 1526 by Babur, the founder of the Mogul empire, it remained India's premier city for almost two centuries. The city's greatest days were during the reign of Babur's grandson, Akbar the Great (1556-1605) who built
Agra Fort, and although
Shah Jahan created a new Capital in Delhi his heart remained here. In 1631 he chose Agra as the spot to construct the world's greatest monument to love - the Taj Mahal.
For many, Agra represents the best and worst of India. The city is a daunting sensory experience for even the most hardened traveller; the streets are foul, the air polluted and, particularly in the alleyways around the Taj Mahal, you will come across the most persistent touts and rip-off merchants in the East. Despite this, its magnificent sights alone make a visit to India worthwhile.
Agra, along with Delhi and
Jaipur, forms the 'Golden Triangle', India's favorite tourist route. Situated just 125 miles (200km) south of Delhi, it makes an easy day trip by train. However it is worth spending at least a night here just to truly appreciate the wondrous Taj Mahal and its many moods; at dawn the mausoleum changes from grey to pink to brilliant-white.
UdaipurUdaipur was once the capital of the powerful state of Mewar and has great pride in being the only one of the seven major Rajput states to have upheld its Hindu allegiance in the face of Muslim invasions. The Mewar household is the longest lasting of all the ruling powers in
Rajasthan, and possibly the oldest surviving dynasty in the world. The current ruler is the seventy-sixth in an unbroken line of Mewar rulers dating back to 568 AD.
Undoubtedly the most romantic city in Rajasthan, and perhaps the world,
Udaipur is situated 200 miles (320km) southwest of Jaipur. The city is centered around Lake Pichola and has inevitably been dubbed the '
Venice of the East'. Two island palaces, Jagniwas and Jagmandir, sit on the lake - the former is now the luxurious
Lake Palace Hotel. The majestic City Palace towers over the lake and is bedecked by balconies, turrets and cupolas.
Despite the many attractions in and around the city, the real joy of Udaipur lies in soaking up its atmosphere - taking in the view from a rooftop, wandering around the relatively hassle free city, enjoying a drink on the edge of the lake, or taking a boat to Jagmandir Palace past the ghats (riverside landings) where washerwomen congregate.
JaipurSituated 190 miles (300km) southwest of Delhi, Jaipur is an essential stop in any tour of Rajasthan. The old walled section of the city is known as the Pink City; it was painted red (a lucky color in Hindu culture) to welcome
England's Prince Alfred in 1853 and the fading old buildings retain their hue. Jaipur is one of India's newer cities, founded in 1727, and was the creation of Jai Singh II, the Maharaja of the Kuchwaha Rajputs, who decided when Mogul power was on the decline to move from his outmoded hillside fortress at Amber to establish a new capital on the plains further south.
The Pink City was built in only eight years. Much of it was designed by Jai himself, including the City Palace and the
Jantar Mantar, a fascinating astronomical observatory with massive instruments used to predict the monsoon and identify the movements of the stars. Most impressive is a 27 meter high sundial that is accurate to the nearest two minutes. All seven gates into the old city remain, one of which leads into Johari Bazaar - the famous jewellers' market that has the best selection of precious stones in India.
Jaipur is now a thriving commercial city and at the last count it was home to two million people. Although some visitors are put off by the over zealous traders, most are enthralled and enchanted by this still-welcoming city.
VaranasiOne of the ancient seats of learning in India,
Varanasi is situated between Delhi and
Kolkata at a bend in the sacred
Ganges River. Home to some of the most ancient and revered monasteries in the world, Varanasi is the place where scholars still come to learn the ancient knowledge of the Vedas and debate on the nature of God.
For over 2,000 years it has been the religious capital of India, more revered and sacred than all the other places of pilgrimage put together. Hindus believe that to die in Varanasi is to be forgiven every sin, receive instant enlightenment and immediately be admitted to heaven, no matter who or what you are. As a result the elderly flock here to end their days, and cremation is big business on the ghats beside the Ganges.
Apart from its religious significance, it is also the hub of many traditional industries and is world famous for its silks - in particular, its silk brocades. The town does a roaring trade with pilgrims and tourists alike. Being the cultural center of India, it is home to many musicians, novelists and philosophers.
MumbaiSituated on a peninsula halfway up the west coast of India,
Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is India's economic powerhouse and home to more millionaires than any other city on the Indian sub-continent. As well as being the country's financial capital, Mumbai is also an important port, handling a third of all international trade, and a base for many of India's largest companies. However, among all this wealth and the Bollywood lifestyle are cases of extreme poverty with almost half of the population living in slums. In the last count the population was 15 million, and growing rapidly.
The Portuguese established this old Hindu city as a colony in 1509. In 1661 it passed to England as part of the dowry of
Catherine of Braganza when she married
Charles II, and became a vital trading base for the
East India Company and later the Crown. The center of Imperial Bombay, an area known as Fort, contains a breathtaking array of High Victorian buildings and is reminiscent of a prosperous 19th century English industrial city. The fascinating range of architectural styles reflects the British passion for the Gothic and demonstrates the wealth, panache and confidence of British Bombay. Prosperity has always been considered more important than religious homogeneity in Mumbai, and this is reflected in the range of places of worship throughout the city - churches and cathedrals sit alongside countless mosques, Hindu and Buddhist temples.
Like many Indian cities, the streets of Mumbai are congested with cattle, carts and motor vehicles and the air is thick with smog and the sound of horns, but despite this the city has much to offer and those en route to
Goa should take time to discover Mumbai's colorful and fascinating history and its vibrant, energetic and friendly people. At worst, the experience will make Goa's beaches seem even more peaceful.
Getting Around: The streets of Mumbai are chaotic and difficult to negotiate, but most attractions are fairly central and can be reached on foot. However, visitors generally opt for hiring a car with a driver by the day, which can be arranged at hotel desks. Rates are dependant on the type of vehicle hired. The city's public bus service is government run and consists of a fleet of red single and double-decker buses, usually hot and crowded.
Suburban electric trains connect to the outlying areas, but are crowded, particularly during rush hours. Auto rickshaws are not allowed to operate in the center of the city, but are cheaper than taxis and good for short distances. Metered taxis are plentiful all over the town and surrounds. A very fast air-conditioned hydrofoil service connects central Mumbai with many suburbs by water.
Climate: The winter months (November to February) are the best time to visit Mumbai, when temperatures range between 74°F (23°C) and 86°F (30°C). The spring and summer months are uncomfortably hot with humidity and temperatures often reaching 104°F (40°C). The monsoons arrive in July and August and these months should be avoided if possible.
GoaThis small state, halfway down India's west coast, was a Portuguese colony until 1961. This goes some way to explaining the alternative atmosphere here. Cut off from British India by a wall of mountains and vast alluvial plains Goa relied on trade with a declining Portuguese Empire, but what was lost in British trade it made up for in Portuguese attitude and it retains a distinctly laid-back feel today.
Goa was discovered by travelers in the late 60s who were relieved to have found somewhere away from the mainstream, where holidaying meant simply hanging out, smoking weed and partying on the beach, particularly at full moon. The state quickly grew a reputation for its hedonism and liberal attitude under a hot sun that sets in splendor every evening over the
Arabian Sea. In recent years the authorities have tried to discourage the hippies and budget backpackers, angling rather for clientele with fatter wallets, and Goa is trying to shake off its image as a hippy hangout.
Now with a quick rail link to Mumbai and charter flights from the UK, thousands of tourists flock here each winter to relax and enjoy the Goan cuisine - a blend of exotic Indian spices with the Latin love of meat and fish. Many hotels and resorts have popped up over the last few years to cater for this ever-popular destination, but with more than 25 miles of beautiful sandy beaches there is still plenty of tranquility to be found.
KeralaTucked away in the South West corner of India,
Kerala is a narrow strip of land between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountains. The name means 'land of coconuts,' and palms still shade almost the entire state from the tropical sun. The tropical landscape is criss-crossed by dozens of rivers and countless waterways and visitors can spend idle days riding small ferries through the backwater lagoons and see village life close-up in this, India's most populous state.
Kerala has some of India's best coastal resorts; among the finest is the much-photographed Kovalam, which many argue has the best beach in the country. Here visitors can take in Kerala's rich cultural and artistic life and enjoy the best vegetarian cuisine on the planet.
When the rest of India gets too hot to handle, Kerala is soothing and rejuvenating, whether you stick to the lowlands or head for the hills, passing through scenery dotted with churches and temples, past spice, tea, coffee and rubber plantations, enjoying natural forests with wildlife reserves filled with elephants.
Compared to the rest of India Kerala is short on monumental sights to see; the drawing card here, though, is the natural beauty. The countryside undulates westward from the mountains offering vistas of rich green valleys. Rivers glide across the plains towards the sea, creating attractions like the Athirampally Falls, ending in a linked chain of lagoons where the silence of the still waters is broken only by boats and canoes, seagulls and cranes.
