India Travel Guides & Information

India is a place that overwhelms in every way, a whirlwind of colours, sounds, tastes and smells that is as enchanting as it is confounding. There isn’t a single part of the country that doesn’t grasp at your attention, from the turbulent streets of Delhi to the dazzling film sets of Mumbai, from the wailing hawkers of Jaipur to the fiery curries of Kerala, from the erratic auto-rickshaw drivers that choke every highway to the sacred cows that clog every road.

But for all that India throws at the senses, it throws as much at the heart, and you’ll struggle to find anywhere else on the planet quite as spiritually or romantically moving. The Taj Mahal is perhaps the greatest exemplification of this, an unutterably majestic tomb that is India’s most recognisable sight, but there are also the smoky Ghats of Varanasi, the floating spectacle of Amritsar’s Golden Temple, the tranquil hills of Darjeeling, and the glorious beaches of Goa.

It’d be false to claim that everyone falls for India as soon as they arrive; for many, the experience is too intense, the poverty too real, and the people too abundant to appreciate until the benefit of hindsight has been gained. But at least this is a country that is emotionally bold, and it won’t let any of its guests forget it.

• India is the second-most populous country in the world with over 1.2 billion people.
• Although only 13.4% of the population practices Islam, India is home to the most active mosques in the world, with over 300,000.
• India experiences six seasons; summer, autumn, winter, spring, summer monsoon, and winter monsoon.
• India is the biggest exporter of bananas in the world.
• India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world, (with a total of 155,333) and the world’s highest Post Office, Hikkim, at an elevation of 15,500ft.