Where would be a good place to start to get to know India. India is after all a very vast country with a great variety of cultures. For someone that is used to a more western culture would Goa be a good starting point?
Goa would be a great place to start! It's a beautiful location and there are great markets to visit for souvenirs. How long do you think you would like to spend in India? If you have at least a couple of weeks I would suggest getting an overnight train from Goa to Mumbai so that you can see both. It's quite a distance but if you get a sleeper train you can arrive reasonably well-rested.
Goa is one of the best place having western culture, foods, beaches. Mumbai is nearest city to goa. If you are looking for hill area then north india like Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh would be perfect.
According to me.You should first visit the famous places of india. For what india is known for.There is something called '' The Seven Wonders of India". Which includes places like 1] GOMATESHWARA in Shravanabelagola,Karnataka. 2] HARMANDIR SAHIB also known as THE GOLDEN TEMPLE in Amritsar,Punjab. 3] TAJ MAHAL in Agra,Uttar Pradesh. 4] HAMPI in Vijayanagara,Karnataka. 5] KONARK SUN TEMPLE in Konark,Odisha. 6] NALANDA in Patna,Bihar. 7] KHAJURAHO in Chhatarpur District,Madhya Pradesh. I would recommend you to mainly visit these places.
Can I ask where in India these are located? Surely you wouldn't be able to visit them all in one visit, or would you? Is it a case if ticking them off the list after a number of visits, or are they capable of being done in one holiday?
Would it be viable to visit all of these places in a single trip? How much time would it take to visit and enjoy these places? They sound like the "must see" places in India, from what I've gathered, so it would be great to visit them in a single trip, but I wonder if it would be viable in a trip of, say, 2 weeks.
i think you should start from northern region cause there are plenty of beautiful places there like dehradun,auli,shimla,kullu manali and if you are adventurous persons try leh and ladakh. and in the last u should go to goa for relaxation on the beach spa and stay in a beach side resort or hotel with a beautiful sea facing view.
It really depends on how much free time you have to spend in India. If you have under a week then go to the local landmarks and famous places. Then if you have more time than that visit small markets and villages. Try the local cuisine and eat the street food!
Thank you all for your responses. It certainly seems that hit the nail on the head when I mentioned Goa and the fact that it's code to Mumbai makes it the best place to start. I am also quit interested in the Kashmir region seeing as I have seen some pictures and it seems like a great place to visit. Kashmir is more famous for the tensions between India and Pakistan. Has the skirmish died down altogether or is it inadvisable for someone to go there?
It would not be possible to see all of these monuments on a single visit of two weeks duration, given that they are all scattered across the country. I would have suggested Kashmir before any other place, not because it is quintessentially Indian but simply because of the beauty of the place. The area has always been a little volatile due to the Indo-Pak tensions, but that has never stopped people from visiting. At the moment the situation is a little calmer than usual so it wouldn't be a bad time to visit. Kashmir is a quiet place, not one where you'll be shocked out of your Western comforts with too much Indian-ness at once. The people, despite belonging to such a tension prone area, are very helpful and hospitable. If you decide to visit there, I would recommend a trek up to the Vaishno Devi Temple in Jammu, not out of any religious reasons, but the views that you get on your way down, especially if you're lucky enough to make your downward trek at dawn, is not something you will ever ever EVER forget. the mountains rise so close before your face, you would feel humbled and awed at the same time. Other places to visit in Kashmir are Paharganj (the most beautiful village ever), Gulmarg, Sonmarg, Betaab Valley (the greenness will hurt your eyes!) and if you're up for some adventure, then head over to Leh and Ladakh Other places in the North are the many hill stations in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand...such as Manali, Kullu, Nainital, Dalhousie, Dharamshala, Shimla, etc.
I love travelling and to travel to India is one of my dream. Thank you for the informstion you provided. It is really informative. Taj Mahal is one of the famous sites in India. I would certainly love to visit that site including the other places you have indicated. Surely the sites would be worth going to.
I would like to suggest you the luxurious train of india Maharajas Express which will make your trip a memorable one
I have heard the Luxurious India Maharajas Express train. The sites you will discover will make for a most memorable experience to share for a lifetime.
Mumbai is a good place as the movie industry is based over there if you are into religion and into the Krishna temple which has mantras and chants and also it is commercialized as there are stores and even weddings that happen there, and donations are asked so be aware of these things around here. Colaba is a place in Mumbai which has markets and also you can get some cheap meals and see some good sights and can be nice to visit in the day or afternoon, for the women it can seem like a great place as jewelry or sarees are sold here which can be nice. I also think visiting Varanasi can be good as it is a old place and can visit the Ganga river which people bathe in and get purified for their sins which is amazing and this is a belief which is true to some people.
If I wanna spend some time off lying at the beach and swimming, I'd pick up Goa. Seems to be a very nice and warm place.
Oh man, this is an endless list! Some serious things to look into since you mentioned culture.. Mahabat Maqbara, in Jungadh, One of the craziest architectural buildings I've paid witness. It's a huge palace with complex designs from the ground up. Of course the well known 'Butter ball', Krishna's butter ball, that is in Mahabalipuram.. The city of caves in Gharapuri, with carved art on the inside, all of it thoroughly pure stone. For eating, there is a restaurant built on a cemetery. It is called The New Lucky. Ahmedabad would be the city.
It all depends on what you like to do while on vacation. Some people enjoy culture, while some people enjoy the night life more. Personally, I like to experience a good mixture of both. Keep in mind, you are probably not going to have enough time to see even half as much as you would like in one short vacation stay.
In terms of travelling and sightseeing I'd pick up New Delhi as the first destination on a list. There are so many great places, the presidential and governmetal buildings for example. They look real awesome. Waking around on of the most populous cities is kinda atmospheric too.
The best place to start your trip in India would be from the hear of India - Delhi. Delhi is one of the oldest sites in India that still holds to the vast heritage and culture. Also since people all over India move to Delhi, and have settled in Delhi from various regions within India, since it is the capital of the country you get to see and feel the diversity in cultures when it comes to food, festival celebrations and many more things, which I feel you will not be able to see in any other city. Have a safe trip!
If it's your first time in India, I would suggest New Delhi. Being India's capital and all, you can expect to see beautiful architecture! If you're into photography and/or sight-seeing, this could definitely be the best place for you the first time around. If it isn't, New Delhi definitely holds a lot of India's history, and it'd greatly enrich ones knowledge of India, itself. Beside all that, it's quite luxurious, and there are tons of amazing restaurants to visit.
