Escape to India for your next holiday

If you think about India you may think of the Taj Mahal and probably the Bengal Tiger but there is so much more to discover in India.

There are Asiatic lions in the Gir Forest in Gujarat and rare one-horned rhinos in Kaziranga. You can ski in Gulmarg or go white water rafting in Rishikesh, trek in Ladakh or chillout on a houseboat cruising the canals of Kerala. Watch the sunrise from a boat on the Ganges at Varanasi as Hindus perform their morning prayers on the ghats by the river. Take a camel ride into the Thar desert in Rajasthan to watch the sun set amongst the dunes.

India is a land of contrasts.

The buzz of Calcutta or Delhi with their crowded streets and noise blend with the calm serenity of the Himalayas or the slow pace of life in a sleepy fishing village in Tamil Nadu. And everywhere there is a riot of colour!

In Rajasthan women work in fields wearing saris of vibrant cerise and peacock blue and men wear turbans of many colours. Sadhus, holy men in their robes of saffron, meander through the streets. Fields of orange marigolds, yellow mustard seed and green paddy. Even the cities are renowned for their colour.

Rising up from the sweltering desert is the blue city of Jodhpur, with its magnificent Meherangarh Fort.

The pink city of Jaipur with its mysterious Hawa Mahal where the ladies of the royal court could watch city life below without being seen themselves or the fascinating Jantar Mantar, an observatory begun in 1728.

The golden city of Jaisalmer, once a flourishing trade centre, located on the busy caravan route between Afghanistan and Central Asia. Still retains beautiful havelis once owned by rich merchants and a fort which looks like a giant sandcastle.

Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, a building which changes colour as the day unfolds. Silver grey in the morning mists of January . Dazzling white in the seering midday heat of the Indian summer. Bathed in lilac hues as the sun sets. It is also possible to see it by moonlight. A magical, spiritual experience not shared by bus loads of tourists!

India is at her best at either end of the day.

Across the country small fires are lit in the misty dawn for morning chai (tea) and people come to bathe in rivers and wash their clothes.

As dusk approaches, poetically called gau dholi, which means “cow dust hour,” farmers drive their cattle back home along village tracks, kicking up clouds of dust as they go.

Experience the evening aarti celebrated throughout India when priests chant prayers, chime bells and light candles in a mesmerising ceremony which concludes with a blessing and the offering of a candle to float on the river or throw marigold petals in the Ganges.

These are memories which make a trip to India so special, unique and totally unforgettable. During my visits I have seen these things and been moved by them. I have had just a
taste of the INDIAN experience,
there is so much more to share.