India Tour Highlights

A former British cantonment town in the foothills of the Kumaon region, Almora has oodles of old-world atmosphere, a great mountain bazaar and magnificent views of the distant Himalayan ice giants to the north.

Kanyakumari is India’s Land’s End, where the peninsula narrows to a point and two seas and an ocean meet – a site sacred for thousands of years.

Trichy’s two great sights are its formidable Rock Fort and, on the opposite banks of the Kaveri River, the vast Chola temple at Srirangam, one of the mightiest and most revered of all Tamil shrines.

Nestled in this coffee-growing region amid the rolling uplands of southwest Karnataka are a scattering of exclusive hill lodges that make perfect bases for long, lazy weekends gazing across the tree tops – or more strenuous hill treks.

Ootacamund, or ‘Udhagamandalam’ to give it its official Tamil name, is the most visited hill station in the Nilgiris – a bustling resort best reached via the famous Blue Mountain Railway.

In the far south of Rajasthan, Mount Abu is northwestern India’s only hill station, renowned for its intricately carved Jain temples and superb views across the surrounding plains.

Delve into the rugged core of the Aravalli Hills, to the north of Udaipur, where Kumbalgarh Fort sits astride a high ridge surveying a vast sweep of spectacularly wild country.

Barely 1700 tigers survive in the wild, half of them amid the forests and grasslands of India – reason enough for many to travel to the subcontinent.

Thanjavur (formerly Tanjore) was the ancient capital of the Chola dynasty, whose principal temple, Brihadeswara, still dominates the city.

Sample the Gallic charms of the Coromandel coast’s former French colony, many of whose elegant merchants’ mansions have been converted into stylish heritage hotels and courtyard bistros.

Former capital of the Wadiyar Rajas, Mysore has long been a favourite destination for travellers to south. Its lavish 19th-century palace is the principal landmark, but the market area provides some great photo opportunities.

The sight of Sravanabelgola’s smooth-faced monolith, Gomatesvara, rising serenely from the crest of Indragiri Hill ranks among the most sublime in southern India.