Transcript
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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