India travel guide

The small village of Orccha has not yet been discovered by mass tourism, probably because there is not that terribly much to see here. Since there are not many tourists, there are not many places to stay either. However, the town has some beautiful old temples and palaces built in the 16th and 17th centuries, towering beautifully and distinctively in the landscape. Together with the villagers and other pilgrims you can witness sacred ceremonies in the evening in the Rama temple in the city center or stroll around in the small town. And if you're lucky, you might run into a movie set with extras in colonial uniforms....

Pushkar is one of India's oldest cities. There are lots of temples in the city - but the main attraction is the large lake, that has approx. 50 "Ghats" - ie. stairs, which go down to the water's edge. It is interesting to observe both local and Hindu pilgrims, who wash their clothes and bathe in the holy water. Please note that it is not allowed to photograph people who bathe. You should also dress with respect, which means that you must not show knees or shoulders. The rest of the town consists of narrow alleys with camels and stalls from where locals sell exotic food, puppets, orange flowers and white sugar cubes, that Hindus sacrifice to the gods. Traders are fortunately not that aggressive here, so as a tourist you can walk around in peace and quiet.

Apart from touring the ancient temples of the city, there's not much else to do in Khajuraho. But around 20 km outside the town, there is a special waterfall, which water level is completely dependent on the monsoon. This means that there is only a bit of water at the bottom of the approx 30 meters deep fall, when it is outside wet season. The place is still interesting to visit without the water, though - and you can clearly see the different stone types including pink sandstone and black lava rock in the deep rock formations. The waterfall is also surrounded by a national park, where you can take a guided safari tour.

Travelling India can be stressful at times. It is understandable you might need to get away and just chill for a bit. Perhaps even align some seriously chi issues. On the banks of the Ganges, at the foothills of the Himalayas, restively sits the town of Rishikesh. Spiritual retreats, by the name of Ashrams, literally litter the pint sized town where you can either learn or perfect your yoga mastery. Or you can head down to the river at sunset for the Aarti ceremony and be part of collective prayer. But if that ain't doing it for you, Rishikesh has jumped on the adventure sport bandwagon and you can go rafting or bungy-jumping or zip-lining. Depending how you like your life, you can either cool it down or ramp it up in Rishikesh.

When you are not on tiger game drives in Ranthambore National Park, visit the nearby town of Sawai Madhopur. Here, the entire city is virtually one big market, and there are stalls with citrus fruits en masse, sugarcanes are crushed into cold drinks, and colorful food markets are found, when you walk into some of the smaller lanes. People are being shaved in the streets, men sit and sew outside their fabric shops, women sit on the ground and sort groundnuts and weave baskets, while longhaired black pigs roll in mud and dirt on the roadside. There are not many tourists here - but the village is worth visiting, if you are in the area anyway.

In the heart of New Delhi, the important Sikh temple Gurudwaras Bangla Sahib is located. It is open both day and evening, and there are not that many tourists here. You cannot wear shoes, and both outside and inside the temple you have to wear a headscarf covering your hair. (This applies to both men and women). At the entrance there is a very efficient system/wardrobe, where you put your shoes and get back a wardrobe number. At the foot of the stairs to the temple, there is a low basin with holy water, where you have to wash your feet before entering. Inside the temple there is a chanting priest, who is surrounded by an audience, who sit quietly on the floor. Behind the priest people queue to offer sacrifices to the gods. Even though it is a sikh temple, it seems almost muslim in some ways.

Sometimes, travelling is more than just visiting a new place, but it's about transporting yourself back in time. A few cities around the world have somehow got stuck in a time vortex and seem unchanged from days-gone-by. Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, is one of those places. Wandering the back alleys of the old town is a wonderful experience. Magnificently intricate balconies and window frames hand-carved from local walnut tress dazzle the eyes, while cute little sweets shops or bakery are a feast for the nose. Mosques, shrines and temples dazzle the banks of the Jhelum River. And best of all, with so little tourism, you're likely to have the place all to yourself.

When you visit the Taj Mahal, it is obvious why the monument is on the list of The Seven Wonders of the World, and you'll be amazed at how large the old mausoleum actually is. It took approx. 22 years to build it, and it was completed in the year of 1653. The Taj Mahal was built by the Moghul Emperor Shah Jahan in honor of his third wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to the couple's 14th child. Her coffin was placed in the middle of the monument, and when the Emperor died approx. 20 years later, his coffin was placed next to hers. So besides that it is a beautiful and impressive building, it also has a romantic history. There are always lots of tourists, but the area is so big that it does not spoil the experience.

Christians have St. Peter's Basilica. Muslims have the Kaaba. So what about Sikhs? Well, in the northern state of Punjab in the holy city of Amritsar, lies the stunning Golden Temple. The centre of the Sikh religion, it is a centre of pilgrimage and tourism alike. As if the golden facade was not enough, the entire building is surrounding by a reflecting pool used for the faithful to wash away their sins. Constant chants, prayers and song fill the air. The clang of pots and pans echo through the massive feeding halls. And there's even a museum in the complex. This is certainly the one-stop-shop for insight into the 9th target religion in the world.

Ranthambore National Park is one of the largest national parks in North India, and this is where you have the best chances of spotting the endangered tiger. Besides wildlife such as crocodiles, monkeys, various species of deer, wild pigs, jackals, leopards, birds and peacocks, there are also ruins of an old fort in the park. There is a lot of control over how many jeeps are allowed in the park per day – what times they may drive around and what routes jeeps may take. It is therefore a good idea to pre-book space in a vehicle. Safari here is not like going on safari in Africa, where there are large groups of game, so if you do not spot a tiger on a game drive, a safari here can be quite disappointing. But when one of the large animals suddenly appears in the middle of the road, it is very exciting!