Travel in India

Central India, or the heart of India, where the tiger still roams free, offers an exciting contrast of destinations: the temples at Khajuraho which celebrate life & creation, the holy city of Varanasi, the fascinating and often overlooked city of Bhopal and excellent wildlife reserves at Kanha, Pench, Bandhavgarh and Panna.

The colorful state of Rajasthan is a mosaic of twenty-two feudal kingdoms, where the colors of life mingle with the shifting sands of the mighty Thar desert and where splendor and royalty are strewn in every walk of life. Truly a land of valiance and chivalry, Rajasthan is endowed with the invincible desert forts of Jodhpur and Kumbhalgarh, magnificent palaces of Udaipur and Jaipur and the undulating sand dunes in Jaisalmer and Bikaner.

The region of Agra, strategically located on the banks of the Yamuna, was the seat of the imperial Mughal court during the 16th & 17th centuries. The city is home to three World Heritage monuments; The Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. Agra is a vibrant centre of culture, art and religious philosophies that have enriched mankind and shaped human thought over centuries.

The Indian state of Kerala is an enchanting emerald green land, wedged between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats. Kerala is an intricate maze of paddy fields and backwaters with coconut palms dominating the landscape. Unexplored beaches of Mararikulam, quaint backwaters of Kumarakkom, a 16th century synagogue in Cochin, the tea gardens of Munnar and a tiger reserve in Periyar, truly makes this region God's own country.

Goa is a tiny emerald land on the western ghats of India in the coastal belt known as Konkan. Lavished with magnificent natural beauty, Goa is much more than just beaches and sea. Endowed with a soul that goes deep into history and a rich culture, Goa is the land of sun sand and the rhythm of the soul.

Covering an area of 300,000 sq km the varied landscape of Maharashtra encompasses the hills of the Western Ghats, the scenic Konkan Coast and famous UNESCO world heritage sites. Diverse in its culture, festivals that galvanize thousands into ferverant motion, innumerous forts that stand proud as sentinels to history, cave temples dating back to 2nd BC, a beautiful coastline that takes the breath away, Maharashtra is the vibrant and beautiful land where soak up the sun on soft sands or explore intriguing sights.

The Himalayan mountain range covers the entire northern part of India, nestling five major states of the country within it. The ancient Indian pilgrims who have traveled in the Himalayan mountains since time immemorial coined a Sanskrit word for the Himalayas meaning "Abode of Snow". The Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh fall in the Himalayan region.

Extending from the majestic Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, West Bengal lies in the eastern Gangetic plains. Offering a kaleidoscope of images the region has also been subject to a variety of influences from diverse cultures. With the culmination of these varied cultures along with Bengal's very own ever growing richness the unique Bengali culture was born and to date is identified by its colorful and significant contribution to all epochs of traditional and modern society.

The states in north east India are often called the seven sisters, comprising of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya and Mizoram. These states make up the most geographically isolated part of India. While the seven sisters are unique in their own way the major destinations here are Assam and the Himalayan destination of Arunachal Pradesh.

Gujarat is a state with varied landforms and different kinds of habitats which are home to some extremely rare wildlife; the Asiatic Lion found only in Gir, the Wild Ass in the Rann of Kutch, the rare great Indian bustard in the bird reserves, the world's only four-horned antelope and the Black Buck.

With a history dating back to more than a thousand years, where the ancient comes alive in its monuments and temples, Tamil Nadu located in the extreme south of peninsular India is the land where tradition and culture blend and continue to live in harmony. Its unique cultural features, like Tanjore paintings, Bharatanatyam (a dance form) and Tamil architecture, give Tamil Nadu a heritage to be proud of.

The course of Karnataka's history and culture dates back to pre-historic times.With monuments ranging from the 6th-8th century Hindu temples at Badami, Pattadakal and Aihole, to the 18th century European style island fort at Srirangapattana, and the magnificent early 20th century palace in Mysore, the many great dynasties who ruled over this land left their imprint upon the aesthetic development of Karnataka's art form. The medieval citadels of the Deccan sultans of Bijapur, Gulbarga and Bidar are situated in North Karnataka.

Founded in 1590 Hyderabad is the sixth largest city in India. The grand palaces of its erstwhile rulers, the Nizams of Hyderabad, and the colorful bazaars and mosques of the old city give Hyderabad a unique old world charm. Grown well beyond the confines of the walled city, the satellite town Secunderabad, a burgeoning high tech city is nicknamed "Cyberabad".

The first Himalayan state of India, Kashmir's summer capital is Srinagar and Jammu is the winter capital. Famous for its houseboats on the picturesque Dal Lake, Kashmir is not all about lying on board; the adventure opportunities can be segregated into trekking, mountaineering and a trans -Himalayan jeep safari.

The Indian Ocean, third largest of the earth's four oceans, is divided by the Indian peninsula into the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. India's two island chains are - the Andaman and Nicobar group on the Bay of Bengal and the Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea.

The Kingdom of Nepal is a landlocked Himalayan country in South Asia, bordering the People's Republic of China to the north and India to the south, east and west. Over 80% of its people follow are Hindu's. Nepal is a land of natural beauty that metaphors cannot delineate its real picture.

The state of Bhutan is nestled in the Eastern Himalayas, between China (Tibet) and India. Bhutan called by its people Druk Yul , "the Land of the Thunder Dragon" - is home to a remarkable variety of people, climates, and ecosystems. Bhutan's development strategy centers around the unique concept of the Maximization of Gross National Happiness.

The Island of Paradise - Sri Lanka is well known for its coastal tropical beach resorts, the fascinating eco tourism attractions of nature parks, rain forests, vast lakes, reservoirs, protected wild life and the greenish hill country with its natural attractions.