From mighty Himalayan peaks to paradise islands, from teeming colourful cities to sleepy hill stations, the Indian subcontinent has diversity like no other place on Earth.

It is difficult to describe in words the experience that is India. It’s sheer diversity and cultural strength cannot fail to impress even the most seasoned of travellers. It involves colour, shape, warmth, light - the smell of incense burning at dawn, the sun sinking behind the mountains - feelings and sensations that don't easily translate. It can be noisy and eventful, bizarre and exotic or calm, quiet and peaceful. It can be both frustratingly disappointing and breathtakingly wonderful.

The bustling cities filled with people, animals and the ever-present smell of spice contrast with the natural grandeur of the Himalayan foothills, dotted with tranquil villages, where glacial snowmelt begins its journey to the Ganges and the East. The sweeping dunes of Rajasthan, with its grand forts and palaces linked by camel caravans and blown by desert winds, are a far cry from the seething Hindu temples of Tamil Nadu. Dense green jungles are home to mighty Bengal tigers while the languid slow-flowing Keralan backwaters give vivid insights into rural Indian life.

 

 

No one could possibly describe India as just another holiday destination. Few return without having experienced more than just a break from their usual routine. With a population of 1 billion, 15 main languages and many different religions India has often been described as more of a continent that a subcontinent. And you cannot travel in this country without being touched by the spirit and individuality of humanity and by the beauty and diversity of the landscape.