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

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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

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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

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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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