What to do in India

What can we say about India’s cities? Bustling doesn’t even begin to describe them! They are fast, chaotic, colorful, vibrant, multicultural hives of activity. Each of India’s leading cities -Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore – has its unique atmosphere, but what they all have in common is the wonderful juxtaposition of old and new, unique architecture, their diversity, and of course, their cuisine. Ancient monuments sit next to towering skyscrapers; temples rub shoulders with gurudwaras and mosques; auto rickshaws sit alongside the latest Mercedes or Audi, the occasional camel, and the omnipresent cow. The rules of the road are unfathomable; it’s better to leave that to your driver as you watch and marvel at the extraordinary scene. One of the best ways to see these cities is to venture out on a walking tour run by locals passionate about showcasing their city to you.

India has unique wildlife not found anywhere else on the planet. Central India’s parks are the country’s most famous national: made famous by Rudyard Kipling, are now protected areas, and house a phenomenal array of wildlife. Their most famous predator is the Tiger, but there are also leopards and sloth bears, wild dogs, Jackals, deer, monkeys, and incredible birdlife. Surrounding these national parks are beautiful rural villages that remain untouched by time. It’s worthwhile spending an extra couple of days to visit these tribal markets and community projects. The wildlife parks in south India are where you’ll find Asian elephants and, in the Northeast, the one-horned Rhino. High in the Himalayas are brown bears and snow leopards, both difficult to spot, but both in remote areas of outstanding natural beauty. India also has wonderful wildlife conservation stories and unique locations such as Jawai, where Rabari tribes and leopards have lived harmoniously for centuries.

Festivals in India are vibrant, colorful, and often noisy affairs. Many are for religious purposes, while others can be for other specific reasons, such as cattle trading fairs. What most of them have in common is that they follow the lunar calendar meaning that the dates change every year.  The main festivals celebrated yearly are Holi, the festival of color (sometime in March), and Diwali, the festival of light (end of October to mid-November).  Don’t worry if your travel dates don’t coincide with an annual festival; throughout the country, there are daily ceremonies that take place, such as the eccentric Wagah Border Ceremony near the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the Ganga Aarti ceremonies in Haridwar and Rishikesh, and the putting to bed of the gods in Madurai. More recently, many new fairs have come up, The Jaipur Literary Festival, held in January, is now Asia’s most significant literary festival.

India’s coastline is 7500km long, so it stands to reason it has fabulous beaches. Goa, with smatterings of Portuguese still spoken on the streets, sun-dappled beaches, and shacks serving a variety of cuisines, is synonymous with good times. The beaches to the north tend to be busy, attracting the party crowd, while the shores of the south are more relaxed with more luxurious hotels.

Kerala offers a less developed beach scene, kilometers of sand, and few hotels…it’s all about the beach and relaxation. Also, being the home of that ancient Indian wellness treatment, ayurveda, many resorts have the opportunity for a spot of traditional pampering.

The Andamans, closer to Thailand but still a part of India, have the brilliant and beautiful white sand beaches we often dream about. Unique boutique resorts are scattered on clusters of islands in this archipelago. The diving here is also fantastic: Jacques Cousteau put it on the map!

A train journey in India gives a unique insight into the country and is a wonderful opportunity to observe or meet some of the local people who are usually quite curious about you too!

The routes that can easily be incorporated into an itinerary are between Delhi and Agra and Jaipur and Delhi. These 3-5 hour journeys give a great insight into India’s biggest employer, with over a million people employed to run the nationwide train network. But an enjoyable experience is to try one of the three “Toy Trains,’’ narrow gauge trains created by the British Raj to take them up to the hill stations during the summer months. 

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway opened in 1881 and was the first and is still the most outstanding example of a hill passenger railway. The Kalka Shimla Railway opened in 1903, and The Nilgiri Mountain Railway in Tamil Nadu was completed in 1908. All three railways are still fully operational, with journeys that wind up through the hills at an achingly slow pace, allowing you to take in the beautiful and often dramatic scenery.