India Holiday Guides

It is difficult to fairly and accurately paint a picture of India. Bordered by the staggeringly high Himalayas in the north and fringed by the Bay of Bengal in the southeast and the Arabian Sea in the southwest, the country covers an extensive landmass of 1.2 million square miles. But what we can safely say about India, is that it is a deeply spiritual destination. As it is the birthplace of religions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism, the presence of religion is more palpable here than in other societies. This is visible not simply in the people, whose rituals - be it Hindu or Sikh - make up a rich tapestry of modern and traditional life, but the dazzling array of architecture.

A visit to India will allow you to experience the entrenched sense of pride that comes from the locals' connection to their history and spirituality. When you consider a holiday in India, the smooth curves and perfect symmetry of the Taj Mahal might come to mind. Perhaps even at sunrise. But the diverse country is also home to an array of ornately embellished structures, including Amritsar’s Golden Temple with its spiritual bathing pools, Jaipur’s other-worldly Amber Fort, and Abhaneri's Baori, a dazzling 13-storey stepwell. These buildings are not only a sight to behold but a lesson in India’s complex, multi-faceted culture.

Aside from the built world, nature abounds in India. From the backwaters of Kerala, the stunning Himalayan hill-state of Himachal-Pradesh, there is plenty for nature-lovers to savour in this South Asian nation. Of course, you cannot go past Ranthambore National Park. Rumoured to be the inspiration for Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book, the park is one of northern India’s largest. An escorted tour through Ranthambore will allow you to get up close and personal (but don’t worry, not too close) with leopards, tigers, Indian foxes, mongoose, and even 300 species of birds, including owls, eagles, and waterfowl.