India

The Taj Mahal, of course, sums up the legend that is India, a land of maharajas that travellers dream about. But from north to south, from east to west, its vast, bustling cities, packed with rickshaws, reveal the multitude of this huge country’s different faces. In the capital, New Delhi, Hindu temples live alongside India’s Muslim jewels, like the Jama Masjid Mosque. In Mumbai, the endless skyscrapers tower over charming old colonial houses and Bollywood studios that export a heightened version of India’s romanticism to the rest of the world. Varanasi, formerly known as Benares, on the banks of the Ganges, celebrates Hindu culture, while Madurai is the cradle of the Tamils. Then, surprisingly, there’s Chandigarh, designed by Le Corbusier. Lastly, Udaipur is a quieter destination, and one of the most beautiful cities in Rajasthan. The “Land of Kings” boasts picture postcard landscapes, and its spectacular panoramas of dunes and jungles are home to some amazing wildlife, where you can take the opportunity to try a tiger safari in Ranthambore National Park. From the seaside resorts of Kerala to the mountains of Karnataka, via the long sandy beaches of Goa, the old French colony of Pondicherry or Himachal Pradesh, from where the Himalayas emerge, India and all its faces are well worth exploring.