Table of Contents
Plan Your Trip
Welcome to India 6
India Map 8
India's Top Experiences 10
Need to Know 20
First Time India 22
What's New 24
Month by Month 26
Itineraries 30
Booking Trains 36
Yoga, Ayurveda & Spiritual Pursuits 38
Travel with Children 41
Regions at a Glance 44
On the Road
Delhi 51
Rajasthan 99
Jaipur 102
Bharatpur & Keoladeo National Park 121
Alwar 125
Sariska Tiger Reserve & National Park 127
Ajmer 128
Pushkar 131
Ranthambhore National Park 136
Bundi 139
Kota 143
Chittorgarh (Chittor) 144
Udaipur 148
Mt Abu 159
Nawalgarh 164
Jhunjhunu 166
Fatehpur 167
Mandawa 168
Jodhpur 169
Jaisalmer 178
Bikaner 188
Punjab & Haryana 195
Chandigarh 197
Morni Hills 205
Pinjore (Yadavindra) Gardens 205
Amritsar 205
Kapurthala 214
Faridkot 215
Bathinda 215
Patiala 216
Anandpur Sahib 217
Kurukshetra (Thanesar) 218
Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary 219
Kashmir & Ladakh 221
Leh 224
Markha Valley 243
Nubra Valley 245
Pangong Tso 249
Tso Moriri Loop 250
Leh to Kargil 251
Kargil & Zanskar 257
Srinagar 264
Pahalgam & Aru 271
Gulmarg 272
Naranag & Lake Gangabal 272
Sonamarg 273
South of Srinagar 274
Jammu 274
Himachal Pradesh 279
Shimla 282
Rampur 290
Sarahan 290
Sangla Valley 291
Rekong Peo 292
Kalpa 293
Mandi 295
Rewalsar 296
Tirthan & Banjar Valleys 297
Bhuntar 299
Parvati Valley 299
Kullu 304
Naggar 305
Manali 307
Dharamsala 317
McLeod Ganj 318
Dharamsala to Mandi 329
Chamba Valley 332
Lahaul 337
Spiti 340
Agra & The Taj Mahal 349
Agra 350
Fatehpur Sikri 367
Uttar Pradesh 373
Varanasi 376
Sarnath 389
Gorakhpur 390
Kushinagar 392
Sunauli & the Nepal Border 393
Lucknow 394
Ayodhya & Around 400
Prayagraj (Allahabad) 401
Western Uttar Pradesh 407
Uttarakhand 411
Rishikesh 413
Haridwar 420
Rajaji Tiger Reserve 424
Dehra Dun 425
Mussoorie 428
Yamunotri 431
Uttarkashi 431
Gangotri & Gaumukh Glacier 432
Kedarnath 434
Joshimath 435
Valley of Flowers & Hem Kund 436
Badrinath & Mana Village 438
Corbett Tiger Reserve 439
Nainttal 443
Almora 446
Around Almora 447
Kausani 449
Bageshwar 449
Munsyari 450
Kolkat (Calcutta) 453
West Bengal 487
Sundarbans Tiger Reserve 490
Up the Hooghly 490
Bishnupur 492
Shantiniketan 493
Murshidabad & Berhampore 495
Gaur & Pandua 495
Siliguri & New Jalpaiguri 496
Kurseong 498
Darjeeling 500
Singaiila Ridge 509
Kalimpong 511
Jaldapara National Park 517
Bihar & Jharkhand 519
Patna 521
Raxaul 526
Gaya 527
Bodhgaya 527
Rajgir 532
Naianda 533
Ranchi 535
Betla (Palamau) National Park 537
Sikkim 539
Gangtok 542
Rumtek 548
Mangan 550
Dzongu 550
Far North Sikkim 551
Namchi 553
Ravangla (Rabongla) 554
Felling 555
Khecheopalri (Kechuperi) Lake 557
Yuksom 558
Dzongri & Goecha La - the Khangchendzonga Trek 559
Tashiding 560
Kuluk & Rinchenpong 561
Northeast States 563
Assam 565
Arunachal Pradesh 576
Nagaland 583
Manipur 588
Mizoram 590
Tripura 592
Odisha 601
Bhubaneswar 603
Puri 611
Konark 616
Chilika Lake 618
Gopalpur-on-Sea 620
Koraput 621
Rayagada 623
Jeypore 624
Cuttack 624
Dhenkanal 625
Pusphagiri Ruins 626
Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary 627
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh 631
Gwalior 633
Orchha 638
Khajuraho 643
Panna Tiger Reserve 653
Bhopal 654
Sanchi 658
On the Road
Pachmarhi 663
Indore 667
Ujjain 669
Mandu 672
Maheshwar 677
Omkareshwar 678
Jabalpur 680
Kanha Tiger Reserve 682
Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve 684
Perch Tiger Reserve 687
Raipur 688
Jagdalpur 689
Gujarat & Diu 693
Ahmedabad (Amdavad) 695
Vadodara (Baroda) 707
Bhavnagar 711
Velavadar Blackbuck National Park 712
Palitana 712
Din 714
Somnath 718
Gir National Park & Wildlife Sanctuary 720
Junagadh 722
Gondal 725
Jamnagar 726
Rajkot 729
Kachchh (Kutch) 731
Bhuj 731
Little Rann of Kachchh (Kutch) 738
Mumbai (Bombay) 741
Maharashtra 779
Nashik 781
Aurangabad 785
Ellora 789
Ajanta 792
Jalgaon 795
Nagpur 796
Konkan Coast 798
Matheran 802
Lonavla 804
Pune 805
Kolhapur 811
Mahabaleshwar 813
Goa 815
Panaji 818
Old Goa 824
Mapusa 825
Candolim 826
Calangute & Baga 829
Anjuna 834
Assagao 838
Vagator & Chapora 839
Morjim 842
Asvem 843
Mandrem 844
Arambol (Harmal) 845
Margao 847
Colva 849
Benaulim 850
Agonda 851
Palolem 852
Patnem 857
Karnataka 861
Bengaluru (Bangalore) 863
Hesaraghatta 879
Mysuru (Mysore) 879
Bandipur National Park 890
Nagarhole National Park 891
Kodagu (Coorg) Region 892
Hassan 894
Belur 895
Halebid 895
Sravanabelagola 896
Mangaluru (Mangalore) 896
Dharmasthala 899
Udupi 899
Malpe 900
Gokarna 900
Hampi 903
Anegundi 910
Hosapete (Hospet) 911
Hubballi (Hubli) 911
Badami 911
Vijapura (Bijapur) 913
Bidar 917
Telangana & Andhra Pradesh 919
Hyderabad 921
Bhongir 939
Warangal 939
Palampet 940
Vijayawada 940
Amaravathi 942
Nagarjunakonda 942
Visakhapatnam 943
Tirumaia & Tirupati 947
Kerala 951
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) 953
Kovalam 958
Varkala 962
Koliam (Quilon) 968
Aiappuzha (Alleppey) 970
Marari & Kattoor 975
Kottayam 975
Kumarakom 978
Periyar Tiger Reserve 979
Munnar 983
Kochi (Cochin) 987
Thrissur (Trichur) 1002
Kozhikode (Calicut) 1005
Kannur & Around 1010
Bekal & Around 1012
Lakshadweep 1014
Tamil Nadu 1017
Chennai (Madras) 1020
East Coast Road 1037
Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) 1038
Kanchipuram 1044
Tiruvannamalai 1046
Puducherry (Pondicherry) 1049
Auroville 1057
Chidambaram 1058
Tharangambadi (Tranquebar) 1059
Kumbakonam 1059
Thanjavur (Tanjore) 1061
Trichy (Tiruchirappaili) 1065
Chettinadu 1070
Madurai 1072
Rameswaram 1077
Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin) 1078
Kodaikanal (Kodai) 1082
Coimbatore 1087
Coonoor 1089
Kotagiri 1091
Ooty (Udhagamandaiam) 1092
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve 1097
Anamalai Tiger Reserve 1098
Andaman Islands 1101
Port Blair 1105
Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) 1111
Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) 1116
Little Andaman 1121
Understand
History 1124
The Way of Life 1141
Spiritual India 1148
Delicious India 1156
The Great Indian Bazaar 1166
The Arts 1174
Sacred Architecture 1179
Wildlife & Parks 1184
Survival Guide
Scams 1190
Women & Solo Travellers 1192
Directory A-Z 1194
Transport 1207
Health 1218
Language 1225
Index 1239
Special Features
Red Fort 56
Taj Mahal 352
Fatehpur Sikri 368
Khajuraho Temples 648
Mysuru Palace 880