TOURS WORTH TAKING
TAKE IT SLOW
The traffic, crowds and hustle of Rajasthan’s big cities can put first-time visitors off India forever. Far better to start in the countryside and travel slowly in open-sided jeeps to soak up the sounds, smells and colours of village life and enter the soul of India. Wild Frontiers runs small group tours that start in Udaipur, the most laid-back of Rajasthan’s big cities, and take in the palace hotel in Bijaipur, superb for walks and birdwatching, and Rudyard Kipling’s beloved Bundi (it’s claimed he penned Kim in the maharajah’s lakeside guesthouse). The massive fort palace has some of the country’s finest Rajput murals and the town retains its artisan communities, making it a delight to wander around on foot.
Wild Frontiers (020 3925 9845; wildfrontierstravel.com) offers a 15-day India in Slow Motion holiday from £3,145pp including all meals
MERRILY DOWN THE GANGES
The Assam Bengal Navigation company has pioneered river cruises on the Ganges, sailing upstream from Kolkata to visit the handloom weaving communities along the Hooghly. In August and September, when the river is high, it cruises the middle reaches between the Varanasi and Patna in Bihar, using a traditional 18-cabin riverboat, all teak and brass, with an open-air rooftop deck. The seven-night ‘Historic Hooghly’ cruise with ABN (0091 361 266 7871; assambengalnavigation.com) costs from £1,077pp. Solo travellers may prefer to opt for the Jules Verne (020 3733 9499; vjv.com) 11-night Holy Ganges cruise aboard the RV Rajmahal as there is no single supplement on some sailings. From £2,495pp including flights
FIND A SPIRITUAL CONNECTION
To get to grips with the pantheon of Hindu deities and their dramatic life stories visit Tamil Nadu where age-old rituals are central to daily life. Storytrails (storytrails.in), set up by a former Chennai banker dismayed by the quality of government-registered guides, runs superb tours in Chennai, Puducherry and Madurai focusing on deeply researched themes. Stay at CGH hotels (cghearth.com) in lovingly renovated historic buildings and take time out in the cool green hills at the Britishowned Rajakkad Estate.
Selective Asia (01273 670001; selectiveasia.com) can tailor tours to your interests using chauffeured cars. Its 15-night Essential Tamil Nadu & the Andamans tour costs from £2,139pp
LOST KINGDOMS FREE FROM CROWDS
For Indophiles who have seen the best of north and south India, a tour of the Deccan is a must, especially now that comfortable hotels have opened such as Evolve Back’s Kamalapura Palace in Hampi. From the 14th-century ruins of Hampi, the south’s last great Hindu capital in an extraordinary boulder-strewn landscape, to the intricate 7th-century shrines at Pattadakal, India’s central spine is rich in World Heritage Sites, but without the crowds. Muslim rulers left their mark here too in Bijapur where the dome of Gol Gumbaz mausoleum rivals St Peter’s in Rome.
Transindus (020 8566 3739; transindus. co.uk) offers a 16-day Hampi & the Deccan Plateau tour from £3,135pp, including flights
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE ANCIENTS
Follow in the footsteps of wandering holy men and traders on the ancient Silk Road from India to China as it passes through the former kingdom of Ladakh. The landscape is the star here: vivid green farming valleys hug the headwaters of the River Indus and highland deserts of sand and rock. There’s also the chance to see K2. In the villages, Buddhism is still a way of life and many are crowned by a medieval monastery. Corinthian Travel (020 3583 6089; corinthiantravel.co.uk) has a choice of tours including luxury camping and family-focused trips. Its The Himalayan Silk Road: Manali to Leh road trip costs from £2,795pp
lake in the village of Deogarh. A member of Relais & Chateaux, this boutique hotel does seemingly everything beautifully.