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IndiaD
iscover
WITHPULL-OUT
MAP
1ST EDITIONPublished Nov 2011
USA $27.99UK £20.99AUS $49.99
p50 Delhi &the Taj Mahal
p108Mumbai &Around
p142Rajasthan
p190Goa & Around
p224 Kerala &South India
p286 Darjeeling, Varanasi& the Northeast
p338 Northern Mountains& Amritsar
Our promiseYou can trust our travel information because Lonely Planet authors visit the places we write about, each and every edition. We never accept freebies for positive coverage, so you can rely on us to tell it like it is.
Experience the best of IndiaThe Taj Mahal, Jaisalmer Fort, the beaches of Goa – we’ve selected the most iconic sights and incredible places so you can enjoy the real India with the minimum of fuss.
puts the streets of Delhi in your pocket
PULL-OUT MAP
recommend what not to miss
LOCAL EXPERTS
ITINERARIESmake planning your trip simpler than ever
reveal the must-see attractions and unbeatable experiences
HIGHLIGHTS
Experience the best of India
Discover
IndiaPULL-OUT MAP
HIGHLIGHTS
LOCAL EXPERTS
ITINERARIES
discover-india-1.indd 1 31/08/2011 12:14:25 PM
Discover
1 Sights
5 Eating
6 Drinking
4 Sleeping
8 Information
ContentsI
Throughout this book, we use these icons to highlight special recommendations:
These icons help you quickly identify reviews in the text and on the map:
Don’t MissA must-see – don’t go home until you’ve been there
If you like…Lesser-known alternatives to world-famous attractions
Local experts reveal their top picks and secret highlights
DetourSpecial places a little off the beaten track
The Best…Lists for everything from bars to wildlife – to make sure you don’t miss out
This edition written and researched by
Abigail Hole,Michael Benanav, Lindsay Brown, Mark Elliott,
Katja Gaskell, Kate James, Amy Karafi n, Anirban Mahapatra, Bradley Mayhew, Daniel McCrohan,
John Noble, Kevin Raub, Sarina Singh
India
00-contents-dc-ind1.indd 1 22/07/2011 11:52:02 AM
p50 Delhi &the Taj Mahal
p108Mumbai &Around
p142Rajasthan
p190Goa & Around
p224 Kerala &South India
p286 Darjeeling, Varanasi& the Northeast
p338 Northern Mountains& Amritsar
Delhi & the Taj MahalHighlights ................................ 54
Qutb Minar
Taj Mahal
Red Fort
Humayun’s Tomb
Hazrat Nizam-ud-din Dargah
Agra Fort
Fatehpur Sikri
Mumbai (Bombay) & AroundHighlights ...............................112
Mumbai’s Colonial-era Architecture
Eating in Mumbai
Girguam Chowpatty
Kailasa Temple, Ellora
Elephanta Island
Ajanta
RajasthanHighlights .............................. 146
Udaipur
Jaisalmer
Pushkar
Tiger-spotting, Ranthambhore
Boating in Udaipur
Jodhpur
Riding by elephant to Amber Fort
Kerala & South IndiaHighlights ..............................228
Sri Meenakshi Temple
Kerala Backwaters
Trekking Around Munnar
Staying in a Heritage Mansion in Fort Cochin
Wandering Mamallapuram at Sunset
Ayurveda in Varkala
Ooty
Darjeeling, Varanasi & the NortheastHighlights ..............................290
Darjeeling
Boat trips in Varanasi
Experiencing Kolkata Culture
Sunderbans Tiger Reserve
Khajuraho
Buddhist Sarnath
Northern Mountains & AmritsarHighlights ..............................342
Golden Temple
Gompas in Leh
Adrenaline-seeking in Manali
Corbett Tiger Reserve
Tibetan Buddhism in McLeod Ganj
Boating in Srinagar
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Contents
Goa & AroundHighlights .............................194
Goa Beaches
Old Goa
Yoga, Arambol
Dolphin-spotting, Baga
Braganza House, Chandor
Panaji
Delhi & the Taj Mahal 50Highlights ..................... 54Best… ............................ 60Delhi .............................. 64Jama Masjid ..................65Humayun’s Tomb ..........73Hazrat Nizam-ud-din Dargah ........................... 77Akshardham Temple ... 83
Greater Delhi ............... 96Uttar Pradesh .............. 99Agra .............................. 99Taj Museum .................102 Fatehpur Sikri .............105
Mumbai (Bombay) & Around 108Highlights .....................112Best… ........................... 116Mumbai (Bombay) .....120Elephanta Island ......... 135
Maharashtra ...............135Aurangabad ................135Ellora ............................ 137Ajanta ..........................139
This is India.....................6India Map .........................8India’s Top 25Experiences ..................10India’s Top Itineraries ......................32India Month by Month ............................ 42Get Inspired ..................47Need to Know .............. 48
On the RoadPlan Your Trip
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Contents
Kerala Folklore Museum .......................259Pardesi Synagogue & Jew Town .................... 260
Tamil Nadu .................264Chennai (Madras) ..... 264Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) ...... 270Arjuna’s Penance .......................274Puducherry (Pondicherry) .............275Madurai ...................... 279Sri Meenakshi Temple ........................ 282Ooty (Udhagamandalam) .. 283
Darjeeling, Varanasi & the Northeast 286Highlights ...................290Best… ..........................294Itineraries ................... 296West Bengal ............... 298Kolkata (Calcutta) ..... 298Darjeeling ....................310Sunderbans Tiger Reserve .........................311Khangchendzonga Views ............................ 315Darjeeling Himalayan Railway ........................ 316
Uttar Pradesh ............. 317Allahabad .................... 317Tea Tourism ................. 318
Calangute & Baga ..... 208Anjuna ........................ 209Arambol (Harmal) ......212
South Goa ...................214Margao (Madgaon) ....214Colva & Benaulim .......215Braganza House ......... 216Benaulim to Palolem..218Palolem & Around ......218Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary .................... 219
Karnataka ................... 222Hampi ......................... 222Vittala Temple ............ 223
Kerala & South India 224Highlights ................... 228Best… .......................... 234Itineraries ................... 236Kerala .......................... 238Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) ............. 238Kovalam....................... 241Varkala ....................... 243Alappuzha (Alleppey) ................... 245Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary .................. 249Munnar ....................... 252Around Munnar ......... 255Kochi (Cochin) .......... 256Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary ....................257
Rajasthan 142Highlights ....................146Best… ...........................152Itineraries ....................154Eastern Rajasthan .....156Jaipur ...........................156Iswari Minar Swarga Sal ................................ 157 Chokhi Dhani ............... 162Pushkar .......................165Amber Fort .................. 167Ranthambhore National Park ..............168
Southern Rajasthan ....................170Udaipur ........................ 170
Western Rajasthan .................... 177Jodhpur ....................... 177Jaisalmer .....................183
Goa & Around 190Highlights ....................194Best… ...........................198Itineraries ...................200Central Goa ................ 202Panaji (Panjim) .......... 202Dudhsagar Falls ......... 206Old Goa ....................... 207Museum of Christian Art ............................... 208
North Goa ...................208
00-contents-dc-ind1.indd 4 22/07/2011 11:52:08 AM
India Today ................. 392History ........................394Family Travel ..............406The Way of Life ..........408Festive India ................412Delicious India ............414Art & Architecture .....418Landscape & Wildlife ........................ 422
Directory ....................426Accommodation ........ 426Activities .................... 427Business Hours ......... 427Customs Regulations ................ 428Electricity ................... 429Gay & Lesbian Travellers .................... 429Health ......................... 430Insurance ................... 432Internet Access ......... 433Legal Matters............. 433Money ......................... 434Public Holidays .......... 436Safe Travel ................. 437Telephone .................. 437Time ............................ 439Tourist Information ... 439Travellers with Disabilities.................. 439Visas ...........................440
Transport ....................440Getting There & Away ...........................440Getting Around ...........441
Language ....................448Behind the Scenes....450Index ............................ 452Legend .........................461Our Writers .................464
Varanasi ......................319Sarnath ....................... 329
Madhya Pradesh .......330Khajuraho ................... 330
Northern Mountains & Amritsar 338Highlights ................... 342Best… ..........................346Itineraries ...................348Uttarakhand ............... 350Mussoorie .................. 350Rishikesh .................... 352Ananda Spa .................357Corbett Tiger Reserve ...................... 357
Himachal Pradesh .... 359Shimla ......................... 359Shimla Toy Train ........ 362Manali ......................... 363McLeod Ganj .............. 368Norbulingka Institute .......................373
Jammu & Kashmir .....374Srinagar .......................374Dal Lake .......................375Leh .............................. 379
Punjab ..........................387Golden Temple ........... 386Amritsar ..................... 387
Survival GuideIn Focus
00-contents-dc-ind1.indd 5 22/07/2011 11:52:08 AM
This is India
India fi res the
imagination and stirs
the soul like nowhere
else.
Bamboozling. No other word better captures the enigma that is India. With its ability to inspire, frustrate, thrill and confound all at once, India presents an extraor-dinary spectrum of encounters for the traveller. From rural serenity to big-city swirls of colour, from dizzyingly intricate carved temples to musicians playing ragas in the desert, from harlequin-bright elephants to gourmet restaurants in stylish cities, India will jostle your entire being, and no matter where you go or what you do, it’s a place that fires the imagination and stirs the soul like nowhere else on Earth.
India is arguably the world’s most multidimensional nation. Even a fleeting visit there could encompass snow-dusted mountains, sun-washed beaches, lantern-lit villages and software-su-premo cities. For those seeking spiritual sustenance, India has sacrosanct sites and thought-provoking philosophies galore. For those in search of a different kind of nourish-ment – you’re about to jump on board one of the wildest culinary trips of your life! Frying, simmering, sizzling, kneading and flipping a deliciously diverse variety of re-gional dishes, feasting your way through the subcontinent is certainly one hell of a ride. History buffs will stumble upon gems from the past almost everywhere –from grand vestiges of former empires serenely peering over swarming streets, to crumbling fortresses looming high above plunging ravines. Meanwhile, aficionados of the great outdoors can paddle in the shimmering waters of one of many beautiful beaches, scout for big jungle cats on blood-pumping wildlife safaris or simply inhale pine-scented air on meditative forest walks.
With such a feast of opportunities, you’re bound to find many more things to fascinate in this astounding, confounding country. And even on a short trip you can go surprisingly in-depth and experience a remark-able range of wonders.
Visitors entering Mehrangarh Fort (p 177 ), JodphurIZZET KERIBAR/LONELY PLANET IMAGES ©
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