PULL-OUT MAP

Discover

IndiaExperience the best of India

p51 Delhi &the Taj Mahal

p109Mumbai (Bombay)& Around

p137Rajasthan

p187Goa & Around

p221 Kerala &South India

p287 Darjeeling, Varanasi& the Northeast

p337 Northern Mountains& Amritsar

Experience the best of IndiaNow it’s even easier to plan the perfect trip

Must-see sights and all the best experiences

HIGHLIGHTSGreat trip ideas to make your planning easy

ITINERARIESGet advice from people who know the place

LOCAL EXPERTS

Marvel at the Taj Mahal’s symmetry

Walk Mumbai’s Victorian streets

Ride a camel in the moonlit desert

Laze on Goa’s golden beaches

Cruise the backwaters of Kerala

Discover this and more inside…

2ND EDITION

Choose Lonely Planet because…Our job is to make amazing travel experiences happen. We visit the places we write about each and every edition. We never take freebies for positive coverage, so you can always rely on us to tell it like it is.

Published Dec 2013First Published Nov 2011

USA $27.99UK £20.99

I SBN 978 -1 -74220 -566 -3

9 781742 205663

99725

India D

iscover

PULL-OUTMAP

discover-india-2-cover.indd 1 28/08/2013 3:04:03 PM

IContents

Discover

This edition written and researched by

Daniel McCrohan,Michael Benanav, Joe Bindloss, Lindsay Brown,

Mark Elliott, Paul Harding, Trent Holden, Amy Karafi n, Bradley Mayhew, Kate Morgan, John Noble,

Kevin Raub, Sarina Singh

Experience the best of India

India

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p51 Delhi &the Taj Mahal

p109Mumbai (Bombay)& Around

p137Rajasthan

p187Goa & Around

p221 Kerala &South India

p287 Darjeeling, Varanasi& the Northeast

p337 Northern Mountains& Amritsar

Kerala & South India

Highlights................................224

Kerala Backwaters

Meenakshi Amman Temple

Munnar

Fort Cochin

Mysore Palace

Darjeeling, Varanasi &

the Northeast Highlights................................290

Darjeeling

Boat Ride in Varanasi

Experiencing Kolkata Culture

Khajuraho

Sunderbans Tiger Reserve

Northern Mountains &

Amritsar Highlights................................340

Golden Temple

Adrenaline-Seeking in Manali

Corbett Tiger Reserve

Tibetan Buddhism in McLeod Ganj

Rishikesh

Delhi & the Taj Mahal

Highlights................................54

Taj Mahal

Red Fort

Old Delhi's Bazaars

Humayun’s Tomb

Qutb Minar

Mumbai (Bombay) &

Around Highlights................................112

Mumbai’s Colonial-Era Architecture

Eating in Mumbai

Girgaum Chowpatty

Cave Temples at Ellora & Ajanta

Elephanta Island

RajasthanHighlights...............................140

Jaisalmer Fort

Udaipur

Pushkar

Jodhpur

Tiger-spotting, Ranthambhore National Park

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Contents

This is India ...................6India Map .......................8India’s Top 25Experiences .................10India’s Top Itineraries ................... 32IndiaMonth by Month ........ 42Get Inspired ................47Need to Know ........... 48

Delhi & the Taj Mahal 51Highlights ................... 54Best… ........................... 56Walking Tour .............. 58Delhi .............................60Sights............................ 60Jama Masjid .................. 61New Delhi & Around .... 68Humayun’s Tomb ..........69Activities .......................70Courses .........................70Tours .............................. 71Sleeping ........................72Eating.............................77Hazrat Nizam-ud-din Dargah ...........................78 Drinking ....................... 84Entertainment ............. 85Shopping ...................... 86Uttar Pradesh & the Taj Mahal ............. 93Agra ...............................93Fatehpur Sikri ............. 101

Mumbai (Bombay) & Around 109Highlights .................. 112Best… ..........................114Walking Tour ............. 116Mumbai (Bombay) ...118

Discover IndiaPlan Your Trip

Goa & AroundHighlights...............................190

Beaches

Panaji (Panjim)

Old Goa

Anjuna Flea Market

Yoga in Arambol (Harmal)

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Contents

Pardesi Synagogue .....249Cherai Beach .............. 250Southern Karnataka .................258Mysore ........................ 258Tamil Nadu ...............266Chennai (Madras) ..... 266Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) .......272Puducherry (Pondicherry) .............277Madurai .......................281

Darjeeling, Varanasi & the Northeast 287Highlights .................290Best… .........................292Itineraries .................294Kolkata (Calcutta) ..296Sights.......................... 296

Tours ........................... 298

Sleeping .....................300

Eating...........................301

Shopping ....................306

Sunderbans Tiger Reserve ....................... 306Darjeeling..................309Sights..........................309

The Toy Train ..............310

Tours ............................313

Sleeping ......................313

Eating & Drinking .......314

Tea Tourism ................. 315Varanasi .................... 316

Itineraries ................. 194Central Goa .............. 196Panaji (Panjim) ...........196Old Goa ........................201Museum of Christian Art .............................. 202North Goa .................203Anjuna ........................ 203Arambol (Harmal) ..... 206South Goa .................208Margao (Madgaon) ... 208Chandor .......................210Colva & Benaulim ....... 211Benaulim to Agonda ..213Palolem & Around ......214Karnataka ..................217Hampi .......................... 217Vittala Temple ............. 218

Kerala & South India 221Highlights .................224Best… .........................226Itineraries .................228Kerala .........................230Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) ............ 230Kovalam...................... 234Varkala ....................... 236Alappuzha(Alleppey) ................... 238Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary .................. 242Munnar ....................... 246Kochi (Cochin) ........... 248

Sights........................... 118Tours ............................ 121Sleeping ...................... 121Eating...........................123Elephanta Island ......... 123Drinking & Nightlife ....128Entertainment ............128Shopping .....................129

Rajasthan 137Highlights ................. 140Best… ......................... 142Itineraries ................. 144Eastern Rajasthan .. 146Jaipur ...........................146Amber Fort .................. 147Pushkar .......................158Pushkar Camel Fair ............................... 159Ranthambhore National Park ...............161Southern Rajasthan .................. 163Udaipur ........................163Western Rajasthan ..172Jodhpur ....................... 172Jaisalmer ..................... 178

Goa & Around 187Highlights ................. 190Best… ..........................192

Discover India

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Directory .................. 408Accommodation ........408Activities ....................409Business Hours .........409Customs Regulations ................409Electricity ...................409Gay & Lesbian Travellers ....................409Health .......................... 411Insurance ....................414Internet Access ..........414Legal Matters..............414Money ..........................415Public Holidays ........... 417Safe Travel ..................418Telephone ...................418Time ............................ 420Tourist Information ....420Travellers with Disabilities.................. 420Visas ........................... 420

Transport .................. 421Getting There & Away ............................421Getting Around ...........421

Language .................. 427

Behind the Scenes .......................429

Index ......................... 430

How to Use This Book ..................437

Our Writers .............. 440

India Today ............... 378 History .......................380Family Travel ..............391The Way of Life .......393Hinduism ...................396Delicious India .........398 Architecture & the Arts ..................... 401Landscape & Wildlife ..................... 404

Sights...........................318Activities .....................319Tours ........................... 320Sleeping ..................... 320Sarnath ....................... 323Eating.......................... 324Drinking & Nightlife ... 326Shopping .................... 326Madhya Pradesh......328Khajuraho ................... 328

Northern Mountains & Amritsar 337Highlights ................ 340Best… .........................342Itineraries ................ 344Uttarakhand .............346Mussoorie .................. 346Rishikesh .................... 348Corbett Tiger Reserve ...................... 352Himachal Pradesh ...354Shimla ......................... 354Manali ......................... 359McLeod Ganj .............. 364Norbulingka Institute ...................... 366Punjab .........................371Amritsar ...................... 371

Survival GuideIn Focus

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This is India

Fiery India

will blaze in your

memory long after

you’ve left its shores.

India fires the imagination and stirs the soul like no other place on earth, bristling with a mind-stirring mix of land-scapes and cultural traditions. Your journey through India, no matter how fleeting, will blaze in your memory long after you’ve left its shores.

Famously chaotic, India doesn’t have to be intimidating. True, the big cities can be bedlam, and the markets border on feverish, but there’s a bounty of laid-back charms to explore too, from idyllic palm-fringed beaches and tranquil backwaters to sweeping deserts, snow-brushed mountains and lush green tea plantations.

Natural beauty abounds, but man-made gems also the dot the land. India’s history is one of the world’s most epic tales, and it has carved its incredible, indelible mark throughout the sub-continent. Temples hide in forests, fortresses rise from the desert, and palaces, mausoleums and more line the banks of the holy rivers that feed India’s deeply sacred essence.

Spirituality is the common thread that weaves its way through India. Religion is alive, and thriving. It’s woven into almost every aspect of daily life and it enriches your experiences at every turn. Follow pilgrims on a temple trail, place an offering on a road-side shrine, smell wafts of incense and feel the well-worn stone of the temple floor beneath your bare feet.

Nourishment of a different nature awaits you at restaurant tables every-where. You’re about to jump on board one of the wildest culinary trips of your travelling life. Frying, simmering, sizzling, kneading, roasting and flipping a deliciously diverse repertoire of dishes, feasting your way through the subcontinent is a tongue-teasing ride to remember.

India is indeed a feast of opportunities. And even on a short trip you can go surprisingly in-depth and experience a remarkable range of wonders. Just try not to fit too much onto your plate. It’s more rewarding to experience a small amount more fully; so slow down, relax and above all enjoy the phenomenon that is India.

Priest at a Jain temple in Ranakpur (p 166 ), RajasthanBOISVIEUX CHRISTOPHE/HEMIS.FR/GETTY IMAGES ©

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