India

You don't just visit India, you experience it. Home to over one billion people with a diversity of geography and cultures that have shaped its tumultuous and epic history, India is a country of extreme contrasts, both sacred and profane, traditional and contemporary. From the snow-covered Himalaya to the balmy, palm-fringed beaches of Goa; from the mesmerizing deserts and palaces of Rajasthan to the polychromatic temples and lush elephant-filled jungles of Tamil Nadu; from the languid backwaters of Kerala to the high-speed computer connections of Bengaluru (Bangalore); and from the timeless beauty of the Taj Mahal to the buzzing nightclubs ...

You don't just visit India, you experience it. Home to over one billion people with a diversity of geography and cultures that have shaped its tumultuous and epic history, India is a country of extreme contrasts, both sacred and profane, traditional and contemporary. From the snow-covered Himalaya to the balmy, palm-fringed beaches of Goa; from the mesmerizing deserts and palaces of Rajasthan to the polychromatic temples and lush elephant-filled jungles of Tamil Nadu; from the languid backwaters of Kerala to the high-speed computer connections of Bengaluru (Bangalore); and from the timeless beauty of the Taj Mahal to the buzzing nightclubs and boutiques of Mumbai (Bombay) - India has it all, and some more. If you've explored the enigmatic ruins of Hampi and Khajuraho, the beautiful painted caves at Ajanta and the tea plantations of Darjeeling, or joined the pilgrims on the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi, taken a camel trek around Jaisalmer or marveled at Amritsar's dazzling Golden Temple, then you've only scratched the surface. Whatever travel experience you want, it's there to be discovered in India, a land described by its first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru as "a bundle of contradictions held together by strong but invisible threads."

About the Expert

Simon Richmond has written Rough Guides to Malaysia and Japan; Lonely Planet guides to India and Russia; and adventure travel guides for Frommer's on Australia, India, South America, and Southeast Asia.