WEATHER AND CLIMATE

The weather is hot most of the year with variations from region to region.
The coolest weather lasts from around December to February.
The really hot weather, when it is dry, dusty and unpleasant, is between March and June.
Monsoon rains occur in most regions in summer anywhere between June and early October.

GETTING AROUND

India is a vast country but luckily for the traveller, it is extensively linked by public transport.
The best way to get around in India is the train but if you must, and sometimes you must, another way to get around in India is by bus.

ENTERTAINMENT

Nightlife: India has generally little nightlife as the term in understood in the West. In those cities with a flourising nightlife, expect to find swanky bars, nightclubs, and a vibrant performing arts scene.

Shopping: India has one of the world´s largest carpet industries and exquisite Persian rugs can be found natoinally.

Festivals:in India there are three National Festivals very important:

Gandhi Jayanti:

Celebrates the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi popularly known as the Father of the Nation. Born on the 2nd of October 1869 at Porbandar in Gujarat. He is known for his invaluable contribution in India's freedom struggle.

Independence Day:

15th August the red-letter day in the Indian calendar is celebrated as the Independence Day of India. The date commemorates the day when India achieved freedom from the British rule in the year 1947. It has been a long journey for India 1947. After more than two hundred years of British rule, India finally won backs its freedom on 15th August, 1947.

Republic Day of India:

On 26th of January every year India celebrates its Republic Day. It is one of the national holidays of India and regarded as the most important day in the Indian history as it was on this day in 1950 the constitution of India came into force and India became a truly sovereign state.

SIGTHSEEING

Bollywood and Bombay:

Escape Indian stereotypes in Mumbai (Bombay), the capital of Maharashtra, a bustling port and the country's commercial hub, with plate-glass skyscrapers and modern industry jostling alongside ramshackle bazaars and a hectic street life.

Delhi:

Encounter the two sides of Delhi: New Delhi is a modern city, offering Lutyens' architecture; ‘Old' Delhi is several centuries old, with narrow, winding streets, ancient shrines and rambunctious bazaars.

Kolkata:

Go east to Kolkata (Calcutta), capital of West Bengal and India's second most populous city (after Mumbai/Bombay), with its impressive colonial buildings. It is a major business centre with many markets and bazaars. Central Kolkata contains the Maidan, the central parkland.

Golden Triangle:

Discover the area known as the ‘Golden Triangle' with its many stunning attractions. Delhi sits at the heart of the area with Agra in the southeast with the iconic Taj Mahal.

India's beaches:

Mumbai (Bombay) has Juhu and Chowpatty, while Goa offers some of the nation's most sublime beaches and resorts.

Rajasthan:

Visit the most romantic city in Rajasthan, Udaipur, built around the lovely Lake Pichola and famed for its breathtaking Lake Palace Hotel, and dubbed the ‘Venice of the East'.

Ajanta:

Observe stunning rock-cut temples, such as the Buddhist cave temples at Ajanta, which date back at least 2,000 years. The caves at Ellora depict religious stories and are Hindu, Buddhist and Jain in origin.

Wildlife and parks:

The Indian tiger and the Asiatic elephant are still found in certain regions.

FOOD AND DRINK

National specialities:

-Dhal: curried lentils.
-Kulfi: ice cream.
-Gulab Jamuns: deep-fried dough balls in sweet syrup.
-Jalebi: circular-shaped deep-fried batter in sweet syrup.
-Paan: betel nut.

National drinks:

-Chai: tea.
-Coffe.
-Nimbu Pani: lemon water.