Inspirational India
From the moment you set foot in India, the traditional ‘Namaste’ gesture - two hands joined together in welcome - will greet you. This greeting encapsulates the warmth, hospitality and culture that make a journey to India so memorable. Home to 38 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, endless variety is the leitmotif of India. The complex cultures of this 5,000-year-old civilization fire the imagination. With its ancient customs that peacefully co-exist with ultra-modern technology, India is a true melting pot of people, languages, religions and cultures. The fascinating diversity continues through dramatic deserts and palm-fringed beaches, verdant valleys, magnificent mountains, wild jungles, intricately planned Mughal gardens, fairytale palaces and soaring skyscrapers, quaint bazaars and opulent malls.
Northern India is a ‘jewel’ in India’s crown and offers visitors a scenic and cultural wealth they would not find in a single region anywhere else in the world. From lush forests and valleys to majestic mountains, deserts to royal cities, palaces, parks, ancient monuments and temples, northern India is a traveler’s dream destination. The journey begins in the capital city of Delhi and continues to the south-east, the setting for the renowned Taj Mahal. Westwards stretches the vast deserts of Rajasthan and its vibrant princely heritage in Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur. Eastwards lie the temples of Khajuraho and the holy city of Varanasi.
Mumbai and Chennai form the gateways to exploring the south - a more tropical, slower, relaxed and exotic India. From the garden city of Bangalore and historic Mysore, to the picturesque Kerala, the quaint hill station of Ooty and Kochi, the oldest European settlement in India and the starting point for the tranquil backwaters of Kerala’s canals and rivers, South India is a wonderful melting pot of beautiful architecture, temples, beaches, Ayurvedic therapies, ancient martial arts, dances and a variety of mouth-watering cuisines.
