I am not sure who first said it but it has been repeated by anyone who has ever visited and that is, ‘One lifetime isn’t enough to explore India.’ I can testify to that, I’ve been traveling India extensively for 25 years now and still the list of places I want to visit is longer than those I have. With 28 states (not counting union territories) encompassing mountains, beaches, jungles, deserts, cities, mangroves, a plethora of religions, cultures, languages and food, it’s hardly surprising!
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- Rajasthan
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- Sunrise Darjeeling
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- The School Run Kerala
However, if you can visit India just once, in one journey of a life time, what should you do and see? It was hard to narrow it down but, here is a collection of the 15 best destinations and experiences that I think should be included in order to create what can truly be considered, a-once-in-a-life-time trip. From the spiritual city of Varanasi to the back waters of Kerala, from the Golden Temple at Amritsar to the jungles of Madhya Pradesh, the erotic temples at Khajuraho to the British Hill Station of Darjeeling, the chaos of Calcutta to the calm of the romantic city of Udaipur, and beyond. I present to you a collection of fifteen incredible destinations and experiences which encompass what should be termed, The Grand India Tour.
Some of the experiences haven’t been restricted to destinations. For example, if you fancy spotting a tiger just because, well it’s India after all, then Ranthambhore would be for you as it fits in with the Golden Triangle, if you want a wildlife journey, then you might want to consider heading to Madhya Pradesh. If you want to learn about tea, but would like to be in the south, then you’d head to Munnar, if your interest is the NE, then Assam or Darjeeling. You see what I mean? It’s all the best experiences, but without restricting you as to where you ‘have,’ to go, apart from the must see destinations that is, and I’ve led with those.
- The most magnificent monument to love, the Taj Mahal. How can you not, it is quite magnificent and leaves many speechless. However, there’s also a lot more to see and do there, click here for more on discovering Agra differently.
- Amritsar, the Golden Temple and Wagah Border Beating Retreat Ceremony. In contrast to the Taj Mahal which is a mausoleum, the Golden Temple is a living, breathing Gurudwara. A hive of activity where tens of thousands of visitors are fed for free each day, the entire operation being manned by volunteers. It is also quite spectacular! Don’t miss the kitchens and the putting to away of the holy book ceremony in the evening. For more on Amritsar.
- The highlights of Rajasthan, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur. It’s impossible to reduce this to just one, and despite their being so much more to Rajasthan, these are the three cities that are the must visit destinations. Jaipur, the most easily accessible from Agra, the most modern and a hive of textiles and arts and crafts. Jodhpur has the most impressive fort of them all, the Mehrangarh extraordinary and a must do if you only have time for one fort. Udaipur is the most romantic, green and laid back, a city of lakes and palaces and a charming, less hectic Old Town with the best city palace of them all. Rajasthan Differently.
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- Soaring over Jaipur
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- View over Udaipur
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- Camels, Jodhpur Rajasthan
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- The famous erotic temples at Khajuraho. They are as extraordinary as they are erotic and are a must visit for a one-time trip. You can either stay in town and have a purely cultural experience or a mere half an hour away by road is Panna National Park, spend an extra night or two and combine tigers and temples – what’s not to love?
Landscape Sunrise and boatman Varanasi
- The evening aarti and a morning boat ride in the World’s oldest living and most spiritual city, Varanasi, what else can be said? Well, in the words of Brad Pitt, “I found Varanasi absolutely staggering. I have never seen anything like it before. The city just spills into the river Ganges… It’s really, really extraordinary!’ -Brad Pitt. Though personally I prefer, ”All India flocks thither on pilgrimage and pours its savings into the pockets of the priests in a generous stream, which never fails.” – Mark Twain. For more on Varanasi.
- Relax on the famed backwaters of Kerala. If I’m being honest, the houseboat experience is no longer what it once was. For the most authentic experience these days, either take a boat for 2 days and head away from the main drag, or stay in a resort on the backwaters and take country boat or kayaking excursions. That’s where the magic lies these days.
Backwaters of Kerala
- Cruise up the Hooghly and explore the former British Capital, Calcutta, now Kolkata. Calcutta is the most extraordinary city, it’s crazy and gentle at the same time, it’s traditional and charming and chaotic and the one destination I’ve always struggled to write about. I’ve been for 3 nights, 5 and 7 and no matter how many nights, it’s never been quite enough. For things to do in Calcutta.
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- Calcutta
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- Temples of Tamil Nadu. They are extraordinary, such phenomenal almost indescribable architecture, the quality of the carving and sculpture, the level of daily devotion, just how they were conceived over a millennia ago is, well, inconceivable. It was my first ever destination in India back in 1998 and one that never fails to astound. If you had to pick one? Well, from a logistics perspective then head to Madurai, though my personal favourite is in Tanjore.
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- The extraordinary temple architecture of Tamil Nadu
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- Holy Man in Tamil Nadu
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- Jeep safaris in search of the magnificent Royal Bengal Tiger. To see a tiger in the wild is a privilege and an incredible experience. What most people fail to consider is that they can be quite hard to spot and, therefore, I’d also recommend developing an interest in India’s other natural heritage, its other flora, fauna and birdlife. It will make each safari so much more rewarding. For a chance to see a tiger whilst on a more mainstream tour, which this collection is all about, then Ranthambhore logistically makes more sense. For a more wildlife (and tiger) focussed trip, then it has to be Madhya Pradesh. Bandhavgarh has a high density of tigers, but Kanha is my favourite park. Though for a wildlife experience that is just WOW, then it has to be Kaziranga. Wildlife of India.
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- One-horned Rhino, Kaziranga
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- Desert Fox, Gujarat
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- Wildlife: Tiger courtesy of Varun Narain mathur
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- Snow Leopard, Ladakh
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- On Safari
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- Wild Ass, Gujarat
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- Sip the finest teas of India and learn all about how it is produced whilst exploring further in these charming hill stations. They say that Darjeeling is the champagne of teas and Darjeeling is the queen of the hill stations, there’s also a Himalayan Railway Toy Train, it ticks a lot of boxes. But there’s also famous tea and wonderful plantations in Assam and Munnar if you ‘d like to be able to claim to have been to the highest tea plantation in India! Don’t like tea? There’s coffee plantations too! Tea!
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- Tea plantations Munnar
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- Glenburn Darjeeling
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- The modern face of tea tourism
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- Ride a Himalayan Railway Toy Train. Built by the British to get to the summer hill stations, they abound in nostalgia as well as being a economical, sustainable and slow way to travel. There’s one to Darjeeling, another to Simla and down south, one to Ooty. Oh, and you don’t have to do the full journey, shorter sections for the experience are possible.
- Food glorious food! India is a smorgasbord of different cuisines, each as varied as each part of India. The food is a reflection of the topography, religion, spices, and personal preferences. For me, Indian breakfasts are the way to go, but from biryani (done well they are exquisite) to a Goan vindaloo (not to be confused with the British version) to poha to dosa to tribal fayre cooked in bamboo, the variety of food is as diverse as it is delectable! A bit about Indian breakfasts.
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- Plain dosa, Kerala
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- Gariahat Food market
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- Indian wellbeing. Try yoga or ayurveda. Yes, India is the birthplace of both! Yoga is available the length and breadth of the land, you can’t avoid it, unless you’re me, I’ve perfected the art, it’s one of the few Indian things I just can’t get on board with. Ayurveda, an ancient medicine system based on cause rather than symptom is also around the same age, around 5000 years old and something I’ve tried on multiple occasions. You really should give it a go, whether a single massage from the comfort of a luxury spa (I mean, why on earth not?) to an all in 14 day experience that I can promise you, won’t be quite what you expect, but you will have fabulous results. For more on wellness in India.
Health and wellbeing and yoga.
- Trekking: India really loses out to Nepal when it comes to trekking and yet, there are five states crossing the north of this great landmass that are basically all Himalaya! From one to two days to seriously hard core treks, there’s something from everyone. Some with luxury accommodation, some where you camp out in basic tents, and all with one thing in common, stunning mountain vistas and mountain people (oh, that’s two) but both well worth the mention. And, if you like walking as part of your daily routine, it is also possible to fit day hikes into many mainstream destinations including Jaipur and Udaipur. There’s loads down south too!
Trekking in off the grid Corbett National Park.
- Head off beat! Seriously, this is the best advice I can offer. Forget the cities and head to somewhere wonderfully rural. This is where the true heart of India lies, in it’s off beat and rural destinations. Slow the trip down, and ensure that at least 2 of your destinations are offbeat and that you spend at least three nights in them both. Trust me, try it, you’ll thank me. For more on offbeat travel in India.
One more point, no matter where you travel, think about supporting a community project or an NGO, and try to seek out local experiences where the benefit goes directly back into the local community. I’m happy to advise.
A bit about me. I’ve been a specialist in travel to India since 1998 and have always been passionate about showcasing ‘A Different India,’ beyond the mainstream destinations. I am the author of Escape to India and have contributed to the Times of India travel website, http://www.happytrips.com as well as for their print publication.
Contact: Philippa@indianexperiences.com
Whatsapp: +447966025330
