Top 5 Things to do on Holiday in India
By Kieron Sellens
India is an amazing land, full of fascinating attractions a
world away from the holiday destinations of the west. But
perhaps the most impressive thing about this remarkable country
is just how varied the attractions are. There is something for
everyone, from the outstanding food (you should be warned,
curries have been cooled considerably for western palettes!) to
the spectacular wildlife to the fascinating culture and history.
Narrowing a list of recommendations for your luxury holiday to
India down to just five items was tricky, but hopefully this
will give you an idea of just how varied and exciting a tour of
India can be. And just to be awkward, I haven’t included the Taj
Mahal – which is of course a must-see!
Valley of Flowers
One of the most beautiful places on the planet, the Valley of
Flowers is located high in West Himalaya and boasts over 500
varieties of flower. The national park is only open between June
and October (on account of it being snow covered for the rest of
the year), but in this short window, the sheer beauty of the
flora cannot be questioned. On top of this, the fauna is also
fascinating, and the park is home to many types of animal – most
notably the Himalayan black bear and the beautiful snow leopard.
Sundarbans National Park
If you want to see Indian wildlife in its natural habitat, the
Sundarbans National Park is a must. As well as being one of the
largest reserves of the famous Bengal tiger, the park contains a
huge selection of wildlife including fishing cats, macaques,
wild boar, flying fox, pangolin, chital, olive ridley turtles,
estuarian crocodiles and gangetic dolphins. Wildlife lovers
looking to tour India should make the Sundarbans National Park a
priority!
Goa Trance Parties
Although they won’t be on everybody’s list of highlights when
taking a tour of India, Goa trance parties have reached
legendary status. While you can now attend similarly themed
events around the globe, you can’t beat heading to the source!
Although nowadays it’s more common to find them centred around
bars, rather than the beaches and forests that they were in
their 1990s heyday. If you have the chance, heading there around
new year brings the most bustling parties, with people from all
walks of life joining the celebrations – from all over the
world.
Darjeeling Toy Train
Although it’s universally nick-named the toy train, the
Darjeeling-Himalayan railway is actually a narrow gauge train
route traversing nearly 90 kilometres of the Himalayas. The toy
train provides a romantic view of the Himalayas, and allows you
to explore the different regions; taking is some outstanding
views of the mountain peaks. This is something that everybody
should do on a luxury holiday to India.
Relax in Ladakh
Lying between the Kunlun mountain range to the north and the
Himalayas to the south, this is one of the least populated
regions in India. It’s renowned for its remote mountain beauty
and there are few places in the world more tranquil. An absolute
must to visit on your luxury holiday to India.
I could go on. The truth is that narrowing this list down to
five things to do on a tour of India has been incredibly hard.
Go take a luxury holiday in India yourself, and prepare to be
amazed by the diversity of this wonderful country.
About the Author: Kieron Sellens is the marketing manager of
the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AiTO). With
AITO’s India holidays
http://www.aito.co.uk/south-asia-holiday.asp you can
tailor-make the dream holiday.
