india

Thanks to almost all major travel and lifestyle channels doing a lot of food and cooking based shows, and Indian cuisine getting its rightful place as among the world's favorite cuisines, Culinary Tourism to India is on the increase. At Trans India Holidays we've been planning, organizing, booking and handling culinary holidays for gourmets from across the world. from booking tables at renowned restaurants like the Bukhara in New Delhi to Indigo in Mumbai, we've actually come a long way as far as culinary tourism is concerned.

We've now been involved with booking cooking classes and cooking demonstrations almost across the country... .Cooking classes with Jyoti of Gourmet Desire in Delhi, which is focused on North Indian cuisine, cooking classes with Shashi in Udaipur, focused on Rajasthani food, with Nimmy and Paul in Cochin, focused on South Indian Coastal cuisine. Some of these only involve the actual cooking, others even involve visits to the local market to pick up the produce and the ingredients. Cooking classes and demos are also available in several other cities.
 

Wildlife tourism is very quickly becoming a very important part of the Indian tourism product. And I would guess rightly so, given the fact that, after Africa, India perhaps has the most species of endangered wildlife that one could see in the wild. The star attraction of India's National parks is, of course, the Royal Bengal tiger, and this majestic animal is certainly the main draw for the wildlife tourism in India.

India now has almost 40 notified tiger reserves spread across the country, from Kaziranga and Manas in the east to Tadoba in the west, from Corbett in the north to Periyar and Bandipur in the south. The big plus point of having so many Tiger reserves is that one can combine and include the nearest one into an India itinerary easily and even those not coming for a wildlife only focused trip, can easily fit in a few days at one India's many National parks.

Having been in the industry for almost 30 years now, I've been lucky to have had a chance to visit quite a few of the Tiger reserves, as well as interact with several wildlife enthusiasts from across the world. The general consensus is that the Tiger is definitely the most regal and majestic of all mammals, and irrespective of how many times one has seen a Tiger, the thrill of spotting a Tiger in the wild, remains and does not diminish with repeated sightings. After a recent trip to Africa, where we saw lions in the wild, I was actually wondering as to whether the Lion actually deserves its title of "King of the Jungle", in my view, and plenty of people actually agreed with me on this, that, the Tiger actually has a larger presence, and greater karishma.

The Indian wildlife experience is actually very different from the African safari experience, and it is extremely important for travelers to understand this fact. Africa has an abundance of wildlife, so a tourist traveling to lets say, Kruger, is sort of guaranteed sightings of all the big 5, perhaps within the first few hours of entering the reserve, whereas, even in Bandhavgarh, the National Park with a good Tiger population, it is possible to have done half a dozen safaris and still not having sighted the Tiger !!

In the last couple of months, there had been a lot of uncertainty regarding the opening of the National Parks, which was subject to the decision f the Indian Supreme Court. Fortunately, the Courts did allow the Parks to open, and it is now backing to business as usual. As a consequence of this, there have been some changes in the rules and regulations. The number of vehicles allowed into the Parks has been further curtailed, thereby making advance reservations all the more important, and also, the Central Indian reserves of Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Pench are now completely closed every Wednesday.

One of the other positives in recent times has been the opening of several boutique lodges in the vicinity of the National Parks. Unlike Africa, even the Luxury lodges are not situated within the forests, but are outside, but, there are now a few Jungle lodges and camps in India, that are at par with the finest in the world. In addition to the Taj Safari lodges in Pench, Kanha, and Bandhavgarh, others that stand out are, the Samode Safari Lodge in Bandhavgarh, Singinawa, Flame of the Forest and Shergarh in Kanha, Forsyth’s Lodge in Satpura, and there is, of course, the Sherbagh tented camp in Ranthambhore. 

The author, Kapil Goswamy, is the CEO/Managing Director of Trans India Holidays, in New Delhi, India.

It is certainly true that India as a tourist destination offers a whole lot more to tourists than most other destinations can, from the peaks of the Himalayas to the Tea Gardens of Assam to the backwaters of Kerala, to the white sandy beaches of Goa, and above all, monuments like the Taj Mahal, one of the wonders of the world--- India has all of this and much more , but sadly, India gets fewer tourists than most of its competing nations.

There are quite a few reasons as to why India only gets a minuscule percentage of the world’s tourists. Prominent amongst these are our lack of infrastructure, visa’s being difficult and expensive, the perception regarding lack of safety and security, etc.

When it comes to infrastructure, sadly, we are way behind our neighboring countries or other Asian destinations – the drive from Delhi to Agra has improved and is now world-class, but, when you look at other highways, it’s a sad situation. The drive from Jaipur to Delhi, a distance of about 250 kms, could take up to 7 hours! Likewise, the drive from Bangalore to Mysore, a distance of only about 150 kms, could take up to 5 hours! It is just not the roads or the lack of them, it is basic facilities like clean toilets that are lacking in most of our highways.

Then there is air connectivity – while things have improved quite a bit in the last few years, our national carries Air India, unfortunately, hasn’t done much to improve connectivity to India from major tourism producing countries. Compare ourselves to Dubai or Singapore, where the national carriers because of their strength, network, and connections, bring in thousands of tourists.

A lot of tourists intending to travel to India are deterred by the high cost and the time taken to obtain a Visa for India. With short lead times and last minute vacation planning becoming more and more common, travelers obviously choose destinations that are easy to get to in terms of the visa. Competing destinations like Thailand, Singapore, Hongkong, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc, either require no visas at all or have visas that are available on arrival. Even countries like Turkey, that are serious about their tourism, have introduced e-visa that can be obtained on the internet.

As a country, we have so much to show, in terms of history and culture, but, unfortunately, greed and dishonesty seems to have crept in, and crept in so deep, that it mars the tourist’s good experiences too! Tourists visiting the Jama Masjid (the largest Mosque in India ) are forced to pay a camera fee when there is actually nothing to be paid. Tourists traveling in auto rickshaws often end up paying 3 or 4 times the usual fare!

We really need to get our act together , and the Government needs to understand the importance of tourism, both in terms of its cultural exchange value , and in terms of its economic value, and do things that will attract visitors to our shores--- getting our act together on the infrastructure front , lowering of taxes on tourism product ( taxes in Delhi for example constitute almost 40% of the Hotel costs) , ensuring the safety and security of tourists travelling (particularly female travellers), would be the first steps towards this .

We also need to have more leisure activities for tourists, travellers are very happy to see monuments, forts, and palaces, but a lot of them even want nightlife and evening entertainment, good golfing facilities, etc, facilities which sadly, most of our tourist destinations lack. For example, Goa, India’s most sought after beach holiday destination, does not till date, have a world-class Championship Golf course something that every other beach holiday destination offers.

Having said all of this, India certainly does have lots to attract tourists, monuments like the Taj Mahal, Tiger Reserves like Kanha and Bandhavgarh, the frozen deserts of Ladakh, the pristine backwaters of Kerala, the 400-year-old temples of Southern India, the list is actually endless !!!

1. The Connaught

Bordering the city center, Connaught Place, and is only a 3-minute walk away from the outer circle of Connaught Circus. Connaught Place is an old-style low rise shopping area, with plenty to offer by way of shopping, bars, and restaurants. As far as food and drinks are concerned, in Connaught Place, one would find everything from fine dining Indian restaurants like Veda, to fast food outlets like Saravana Bhawan (serving well priced Indian fast food), Mc Donalds, Costa Coffee, etc.

Bordering Connaught Place to the south, is Janpath, which is about a 10-minute walk from the Connaught hotel. It has small shops selling everything from artifacts, costume jewelry, silk, leather garments, and souvenirs. Janpath is a great place for tourists to test their bargaining skills too. Also, located on Janpath, is the Cottage Industries Emporium, a government-run departmental store style shopping complex, spread over 3 floors, with a good selection of Brassware, Handicrafts, Furniture, etc – and with an added attraction of having fixed sticker prices for everything.

A 5 minute walk away from the Connaught hotel is Baba Kharak Singh Marg, which houses a complete row of State Government Emporiums, which are also great places to shop, with fair and fixed prices.

For those seeking to do a bit of sightseeing on their own, India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhawan, as well as the National Museum are only about 3-4 kms away from The Connaught hotel.

2. The Park

Bordering the city center, Connaught Place, and is only a 2-minute walk away from the outer circle of Connaught Circus. Connaught Place is an old-style low rise shopping area, with plenty to offer by way of shopping, bars, and restaurants. As far as food and drink are concerned, in Connaught Place, one would find everything from fine dining Indian restaurants like Veda, to fast food outlets like Saravana Bhawan (serving well priced Indian fast food), Mc Donalds, Costa Coffee, etc.

Bordering Connaught Place to the south is Janpath, which is a less than a 10-minute walk from the Park hotel. It has small shops selling everything from artifacts, costume jewelry, silk, and leather garments and souvenirs. Janpath is a great place for tourists to test their bargaining skills too. Also, located on Janpath, is the Cottage Industries Emporium, a government-run departmental store style shopping complex, spread over 3 floors, with a good selection of Brassware, Handicrafts, Furniture, etc – and with an added attraction of having fixed sticker prices for everything.

5 minute walk away from the Park hotel is Baba Kharak Singh Marg, which houses a complete row of State Government Emporiums, which are also great places to shop, with fair and fixed prices. For those seeking to do a bit of sightseeing on their own, India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhawan, as well as the National Museum are only about 3-4 kms away from The Park hotel.

3. The Shangri La & the Lalit

Both these hotels are just off the city center, Connaught Place, which is about a 10-minute walk away. Connaught Place is an old-style low rise shopping area, with plenty to offer by way of shopping, bars, and restaurants. As far as food and drinks are concerned, in Connaught Place, one would find everything from fine dining Indian restaurants like Veda, to fast food outlets like Saravana Bhawan (serving well priced Indian fast food), Mc Donalds, Costa Coffee, etc.

Bordering Connaught Place to the south is Janpath, which is about a 10-minute walk from these hotels. It has small shops selling everything from artifacts, costume jewelry, silk, and leather garments and souvenirs. Janpath is a great place for tourists to test their bargaining skills too. Also, located on Janpath, is the Cottage Industries Emporium, a government-run departmental store style shopping complex, spread over 3 floors, with a good selection of Brassware, Handicrafts, Furniture, etc – and with an added attraction of having fixed sticker prices for everything.

For those seeking to do a bit of sightseeing on their own, India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhawan, as well as the National Museum are less than 2 kms away from The Shangri La hotel, and less than 3-4 kms from the Lalit hotel.

4. The Imperial

Perhaps the best located amongst all of New Delhi’s hotels. It is located on Janpath, bordering the city center, Connaught Place, which is a less than a 5-minute walk away. Connaught Place is an old-style low rise shopping area, with plenty to offer by way of shopping, bars, and restaurants. As far as food and drink are concerned, in Connaught Place, one would find everything from fine dining Indian restaurants like Veda, to fast food outlets like Saravana Bhawan (serving well priced Indian fast food), Mc Donalds, Costa Coffee, etc.

The Imperial is located right next to the small stores on Janpath, which sell everything from artifacts, costume jewelry, silk, and leather garments and souvenirs. Janpath is a great place for tourists to test their bargaining skills too. Right across the road from The Imperial hotel, is the Cottage Industries Emporium, a government-run departmental store style shopping complex, spread over 3 floors, with a good selection of Brassware, Handicrafts, Furniture, etc – and with an added attraction of having fixed sticker prices for everything.

For those seeking to do a bit of sightseeing on their own, India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhawan, as well as the National Museum are less than 2 kms away from The Imperial hotel.

5. The Claridges  and The Taj Mahal Hotel

Located just south of the city center, the Claridges as well as the Taj Mahal Hotel are located only about a 10-minute walk away from Khan Market, a great place to shop, with small shops selling everything from books, to hi-fashion clothing, and everything in between. Khan Market also has a great selection of Indian and International Restaurants, as well as several bars and coffee shops. Another shopping area, that is less than 2-3 kms from both these hotels, is the Santushti Shopping Complex (opposite the Prime Minister’s residence), which is a calm green part of town, with boutiques set in beautiful surroundings.

Also, less than a 10-minute walk away from both these Hotels are the Lodi Gardens, an oasis of green in the heart of the city. Spread over about 100 acres of land, the Lodi Gardens are a great place to go for an early morning walk or a jog. The city center, Connaught Place is just a 5-minute drive away from both of these Hotels.

For those seeking to do a bit of sightseeing on their own, India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhawan, as well as the National Museum are less than 2 kms away from both these hotels.

6. The Oberoi, New Delhi

The Oberoi is about a 10-minute drive away from the city center, Connaught Place, and only about a 5 or 7 minutes walk away from the Sunder Nagar Market, which houses a few fashionable boutiques as well as restaurants. The Oberoi Hotel actually overlooks the Delhi Golf Club, an 18 hole Championship Course, which is less than 2 minutes' walk away.

7. The Leela Kempinski, Gurgaon

Located in the suburb of Gurgaon, just a 15-minute drive from the International Airport, The Leela Kempinski is actually connected by the walkway to one of India’s largest shopping mall, the Ambience Mall. The Mall offers excellent International and Indian branded shopping as well as over a dozen great bars and restaurants .

India, undoubtedly, is a land of wonders! There are many off-beat destinations that are unexplored, unknown and unspoken of! Many of them have made a mark on the world’s map owing to their unique perspective. They stand different when compared to cliche destinations and hence should be visited once for an enthralling and exciting experience.

Here we unravel a few unconventional travel options which might offer splendid joys if you are an inquisitive traveller. The journey to the top 10 off-beat wonders starts here:

1. Muzhappilangad Beach in Kannur, Kerala, is the longest drive-in beach in Asia

Imagine a long stretch of sandy land and blue waves hitting the black rocks while you drive on the seashore. This visual experience becomes a reality when you reach Muzhappilangad Beach in Kannur. It’s the longest drive-in beach in Asia, where you can drive or bike along the 4 km pristine stretch. There are clusters of green trees on the other side which make the scene all the more appealing. To add more to its beauty is the amazing view of the sunset.

How to reach:

By air: The nearest airport is Kozhikode International Airport which is 100 km from Kannur.
By rail: Nearest Railway Station is Kannur-15 km.
By road: Kannur is 155 km south of Mangalore.

2. Drass is the second coldest inhabited place in the world

India is home to the second coldest inhabited place in the world! Surprised? But yes, it is a true fact. Drass in Jammu and Kashmir enjoys the credit of being the second coldest inhabited place in the world! The temperature here dips to -50 degrees and the snow layer touches the height of 35ft. River Indus gets its water from this glacier.

How to reach:

By air: The nearest airport is Srinagar Airport (SXR) 98 km away.
By train: Drass does not have any train station. The nearest option is Udhampur which is 176 km from Drass.
By road: The driving distance between Srinagar and Drass is 151 km.

3. Nohkalikai Falls, Meghalaya, is the tallest plunge waterfall in India

You might have enjoyed the beauty of several cascading waterfalls but are you aware which one of them is the tallest plunge waterfall and in which part of India is it located?
It’s Nohkalikai Falls located near Cherrapunji, which is a 3-hour drive from Shillong and is said to be the tallest waterfall plunge of India. The gushing water cascades from a height of 1115 feet (340 metres) from this waterfall.

How to reach:
By air: The nearest airport is Guwahati airport which is128 kms from the site.
By road:  From Guwahati, it’s a 4-hour journey to Shillong, which is about 54 kms distance to Cherrapunji. From Cherrapunji main town, it’s a 10 mins journey to the falls. One can also hire a taxi to reach the falls.

4. Mawlynnong Village in Meghalaya, the cleanest village in Asia

At a time when the Clean India campaign has made waves across the nation, not many of us might be aware that one of the north-eastern states houses the cleanest village in Asia.

You can visit Mawlynnong Village and can trust your eyes by looking at this “Cleanest village in Asia”. Tucked in the East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, this place is also known as ‘God’s Own Garden’. The credit of attaining such a high quotient of cleanliness goes to the local community which has made an honest attempt to maintain its pristine ambiance. The narration of this place goes incomplete without mentioning about the Living Root Bridge, which is yet another wonder.

How to reach:
By air: The nearest airport is Shillong Airport in Umroi, Meghalaya.
By train: The nearest railway station is Guwahati (120 kms).
By road: Mawlynnong is 90 kms southwards of Shillong.

5. Bhimbetka, Madhya Pradesh, where the earliest rock paintings took shape

This is the place where a new era started! Bhimbetka marks the beginning of the South Asian Stone Age. Declared as the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003, it contains the earliest rock paintings. These are as old as 30,000 years old and are the first proof of human life in the Indian subcontinent.

How to reach:
By air: The nearest airport is Bhopal airport which is 55-km from the site.
By train: Bhopal railway station. You can find a taxi service easily.
By Road: You can reach Bhopal by road which is well-connected by road.

6. Lonar Crater Lake in Maharashtra created by a meteor impact

Many years back, the mysterious Lonar Crater Lake was created by a meteor impact. This is a saline soda lake which is one of the most interesting offbeat places to visit in India. Besides scientists, the Lonar Crater Lake also attracts numerous travellers. The lake is also surrounded by diversified flora and fauna, which makes it a lot more exciting!

How to reach:
Air: Nearest Airport is Aurangabad which is 122 km from the site.
Rail: Nearest Railhead is Malkapur on the Mumbai-Bhusawal line or Jalna 90 km.
Road: Lonar is well connected by regular bus service from Malkapur, Khamgaon, Aurangabad, Ajanta, Buldhana, Jalgaon & Mumbai in Maharashtra.

7. Borra Caves in Andhra Pradesh making yet another natural wonder in India

Borra Caves in Andhra Pradesh is yet another wonder in Incredible India! They date back to over a million years. Discovered by Willian King George in 1807, these caves originated from river Gosthani owing to its continuous flow over the limestone terrain. The presence of mercury, sodium vapor, and halogen illuminates the Borra Caves. Situated at a height of nearly 4265 feet above sea level and around 95 kms away from Vishakhapatnam, these caves are the biggest in India considering the geographical area they are spread on.

How to reach:
By air: The nearest international airport is Visakhapatnam Airport, 76 km (47.2 mi) from Borra caves and 12 km from the Visakhapatnam city center. 
By road: You can reach Vishakapatnam which is 90 km away from the site
By train: The train journey is over a distance of 100 km (62.1 mi) from the Vishkapatanam railway station. It takes about 5 hrs to the railway station near the caves called the Borra Guhalu Railway station.

8. Loktak Lake in Manipur, the only floating lake in the world!

Another incredible fact in Incredible India! The country is home to the one and only floating lake existing in the world. Besides, Loktak Lake is also the largest freshwater lake in northeast India. It got its name as the floating lake due to a large number of phumdis present on the surface. Phumdis are a heterogeneous mass of organic matter that has solidified over the years. This ancient lake also has the only floating park in the world.

How to reach:
By air: The closest airport to Phumdi, Loktak Lake is Imphal Tulihal Airport
By rail: The closest junction to Phumdi, Loktak Lake is Dimapur railway station
By road: Phumdi, Loktak Lake is easily accessible by using Manipur State Road Transport Corporation and some private bus services from all major towns of Manipur and surrounding areas.

9. Gurudongmar Lake in Sikkim is one of the highest lakes in the world!

Situated at a height of 17,000 feet above sea level, Gurudongmar Lake enjoys the credit of being one of the highest lakes in the world. Throughout the year, the lake water looks milky. And the view of water merging with mist is quite stunning here.

Gurudongmar Lake also enjoys religious significance and is considered sacred by the Hindus and Buddhists as well. During winters, the entire lake freezes except for one side which people believe is blessed by Guru Padmasambhava.

How to reach:
By air: The nearest airport is Bagdogra near Siliguri, which is at a distance of 124 km from Gangtok
By road: It is a 7-8 hour journey from Gangtok through lush greenery and waterfalls as one reaches the Lachen village, which is the base for the trip to Gurudongmar.
By Train: The nearest railhead is New Jalpaiguri which is well-connected to most of the major cities in India.

10. Barren Island in the Andamans is the only active volcano in South Asia!

The Andaman & Nicobar Islands in the East houses the little Barren island, which is home to South Asia's only active volcano. It is basically composed of the volcano and its debris.

The volcano's last eruption was reported on July 19, 2009 and to date, it continues to exhale clouds of ash. This island was uninhabited a few years back, however, many wild goats have secretly made it their home. You will be surprised to see them going down to the sea to drink saltwater.

How to reach:
The only way to reach Barren Island is by Ship. A passenger ship with a capacity of 75 pax goes to Barren Island from Phoenix Bay Jetty, Port Blair every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of the week. It starts from Port Blair at 09.00 pm and comes back next day at 11.00 am.

Tickets are issued from Inter-Island Ticketing Counter between 1400 hrs. to 1500 hrs. on the day of sailing.

Author Bio: Archana Sharma is freelance writer who is passionate about her profession. Travelling is something which excites her. She has been in the creative field for over 15 years and has been writing for print media and digital media.