India is a vast country with an abundance of appealing attractions -- mountains, desert, beaches, nature, temples, and history -- scattered from one side of its soil to the other. Therefore, planning an India vacation requires considerable thought as to the best places to go.
There are so many different things see and do, it's easy to want to fit as much as possible into one trip. However, traveling in India can be exhausting, particularly with the culture shock to deal with as well, and many people find themselves wishing for more relaxation time. That's why it's common for people to end up spending months at a time roaming around and exploring the country.
Of course, not everyone can afford to take months off work to travel. No one likes to waste valuable vacation time traveling between places either. Therefore, if you only have a limited time in India, it's a good idea to choose one region and focus on its highlights.
Fortunately, each region usually offers a range of different sights. For example, one of India's most popular tourist circuits, the Golden Triangle, covers Delhi, the Taj Mahal in Agra, and Jaipur in the Rajasthan desert. Those who also want to spend time amongst nature can take a short detour and visit Ranthambore National Park, also in Rajasthan.
As well as backwaters, Kerala has some wonderful clean beaches, ancient temple complexes, and national parks that are home to large herds of elephants.
For a dose of spirituality and history, Varanasi is one city that's high on visitors' lists. Some important historical and architectural sites such as the Khajuraho erotic temples, and national parks are also not too far away from there.
Browse the following pages for some of the highlights that India has to offer and where to find them.
