Attractions of India

Keoladeo National Park, a former duck-hunting reserve of the Maharajas, is an important wintering area and breeding ground for large numbers of aquatic birds from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and Siberia. Some 364 species of bird have been recorded in the park, including the rare Siberian crane.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Keoladeo National Park

Located high in the Himalayas, the Valley of Flowers National Parks is renowned for its beauty with meadows of endemic alpine flowers and some rare and endangered animals including Asiatic black bear, snow leopard, brown bear and blue sheep. Nandi Devi National Park is a rugged mountain wilderness which includes India's second highest peak.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks

A camel safari through the Thar Desert in Rajasthan is a great opportunity to experience the traditional Rajasthani desert lifestyle and evoke the atmosphere of the ancient trading camel caravans. You'll pass small villages inhabited by nomadic and pastoral tribes, see herds of sheep and goats and other desert fauna and flora and camp out in the desert underneath the stars.

The legendary road from Leh to Manali across the Great Himalayan Range is one of the great road journeys in the world. Passing through the spectacular mountain scenery of Ladakh and the Himalayas, it is a long and difficult journey, with the road closed for several months each year. From Leh, the road follows the Indus valley before turning to climb Taglang La Pass - at 5,328 metres the second highest road pass in the world. The high altitude Morey Plains are home to the hardy Changpa nomads with herds of yaks and kiang (Tibetan wild ass) likely to be seen. After the Nakli and Lachlang passes comes the Gata Loops, an amazing series of 22 hairpin bends, followed by the Baralacha Pass at 4,845 metres which offers stunning views of the Himalayas. After the final mountain pass, Rhotang La at 3,985 metres, the road descends to the green and fertile Kulu Valley before reaching Manali.

A former hill station of the Bengal government during the British Raj, the town of Darjeeling is located at 2124 metres overlooked by Kanchenjunga, the world's third highest mountain at 8586 metres, with spectacular views of the Himalayas from Tiger Hill, just outside the town. The Himalayan Zoological Park attempts to breed snow leopard, Tibetan wolf and Red panda while the Botanical Gardens has a unique collection of Himalayan plants, flowers, and orchids. The Mountaineering Institute's Everest Museum is dedicated to climbers of the Himalayas. The Tibetan Refugee Centre was established in 1958 by Tibetans fleeing the Chinese invasion and sells Tibetan handicrafts. Other attractions include nearby Tibetan monasteries (particularly Ghoom Gompa), tea plantations and some colourful markets.

Gangtok is the capital of Sikkim, located between Nepal and Bhutan, which was annexed by India in 1975. Steeped in Tibetan culture, the town offers spectacular views of the Himalayan peaks. Its attractions include the Drodul Chorten surrounded by 108 prayer wheels which commemorates the victory of good over evil, the Institute of Tibetology which contains numerous priceless religious paintings (thangkas), statues and Buddhist books and manuscripts and the Rumtek Monastery outside of town, the largest in Sikkim and the headquarters of the Kagyupa sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

Sundarbans National Park is located in the land and waters of the Ganges delta adjacent to the Bangladesh border. Including the Sundarbans forest in Bangladesh, it covers over 10,000 km² and forms the world's largest mangrove forest. The park is home to a number of rare and endangered species, including the Bengal tiger and birds, reptiles and aquatic mammals.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Sundarbans National Park

Kerala Backwaters

A cruise along the backwaters of Kerala is one of the quintessential travel experiences in southern India. The Malabar backwaters are a vast network of lagoons, lakes, rivers and canals between the Western Ghats and the Indian Ocean. Fringed by lush tropical vegetation, small traditional villages and rice paddies, a slow meandering cruise allows you to witness Keralan village life and appreciate the stunning landscapes. You'll pass pearl divers fishing for oysters, coconut workers on the shores, rice barges and other traditional vessels. There are two main options for exploring the backwaters. You can hire houseboats, converted from kettuvallam (or rice barges) and made from Anjili wood and bamboo, which are up to 25 metres long with full amenities and a crew of three of four and will cruise for several days between Kochi and Kollam. Alternatively a quicker and cheaper option is taking a modern vessel that sails for eight hours on the main Kollam to Allepey route.

Keralan Beaches

Some of India's best beaches lie on the Keralan coast of south-west India, away from the package holiday hordes further north in Goa. Furthest south, Kovalam has become quite popular with stunning beaches in a protected bay. North of Trivandrum, Varkala has several beaches underneath red laterite cliffs from which you can watch the Arabian Sea sunset, see fisherman pulling their nets from the sea and taste the their produce in delicious Keralan style.

The Western Ghats mountain chain is older than the Himalaya mountains and moderates the tropical climate of the region by influencing the Indian monsoon weather pattern. It has an exceptionally high level of biological diversity and endemism and is recognized as one of the world’s eight ‘hottest hotspots’ of biological diversity, home to at least 325 globally threatened flora, fauna, bird, amphibian, reptile and fish species.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Western Ghats