The northeast’s main gateway city isn’t beautiful, but green, temple-topped hillocks rise curiously above Guwahati’s noisy smog, and its tanks (artificial lakes) and riverbanks are pleasant. Come here to arrange tours to other northeast states then move on swiftly.
Author: WorldTravelDB.com
About 52km southwest of Srinagar, the pine-fringed meadow at Gulmarg – literally ‘Meadow of Flowers’ – is a busy ski resort in winter and a popular walking resort in summer. The Alpine landscape is a marked contrast to the flat, poplar-lined fields that cover the bottom of the Kashmir Valley, but don’t expect a quiet retreat. Gulmarg is packed with domestic tourists year-round and most of the meadow is given over to a golf course that doubles as a training slope during the ski season.
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Gujarat India Travel
Gujarat is a dazzlingly diverse state that shakes up the know-it-all Indophile, and reveals treasures hidden from the tourist hordes. Gujaratis are renowned for their entrepreneurial nous, both home and abroad. Encounter an Indian anywhere, from Wall Street to Wellington, and there’s a good chance they hail from this wealthy, resourceful state.
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Greater Delhi Delhi India Travel
There are some terrific day trips in the Greater Delhi area. Visit the walled city of Tughlaqabad or head to Qutb Minar for an excellent example of early Afghan architecture.
This 750-sq-km national park (01902-265320; www.greathimalayannationalpark.com; per day Indian/foreigner Rs 10/200, camera Rs 50/150) provides a home to 180 species of birds and rare mammals, such as black bears, brown bears, musk deer and the ever-elusive snow leopard. As well as conserving wildlife, the park runs programmes that provide a sustainable living for people living on the periphery of the conservation area.
Gorakhphur is uniquely placed at the crossroad between where the Buddha was born (Lumbini in Nepal) and died (Kushinagar), although for many travellers it’s merely a waystation on the road between Varanasi and Nepal. As such it’s a busy transport hub and well set up to accommodate travellers. There are no major tourist attractions in the city, although a Buddhist museum is near the lake on the southern outskirts and the Gorakhnath Temple, devoted to Guru Gorakhnath, is 4km west of the station.
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Gopalpur On Sea Orissa India Travel
Gopalpur-on-Sea is a seaside town the British left to slide into history until Bengali holidaymakers discovered its attractions in the 1980s. Prior to this, it had a noble history as a seaport with connections to Southeast Asia.
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Gondal Gujarat India Travel
Gondal is a small, leafy town, 38km south of Rajkot, that sports a string of palaces on a gentle river. Once capital of a 1000-sq-km princely state, it was run by the Jadeja Rajputs, later overtaken by the Mughals, then recovered in the 1650s. Maharaja Bhagwat Singhji ruled in the 19th century and was a progressive social reformer who, among other things, introduced compulsory education for both sexes.
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Gokarna Karnataka India Travel
Sun worshippers and Hindu pilgrims rub shoulders in the low-key village of Gokarna (Cow’s Ear), 50km south of Karwar. The quaint village is a holy place, which you should bear in mind if sunbaking is your objective. Modesty is your best policy; keep shoulders and knees covered, and take your parties to the out-of-town beaches.
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Goa India Travel
Those who haven’t visited Goa tend to imagine it as some kind of Indian Costa Brava but with more cosmic karma and, thanks to this image, many people vow never to set foot there. However, Goa, like everywhere in India, is never quite what you expect. In places the infamous hash-fuelled days of Goa’s golden hippy years are still alive and kicking, especially around Vagator & Chopora, while in others, like Calangute & Baga, the all-inclusive package holiday is king. But these are two very narrow sides of the Goan experience and anyone who spends much time here will discover that Goa contains more variety and vitality than almost anywhere else in India. Head into Panaji (Panjim), one of India’s smallest and most likeable state capitals, and, instead of self-contained tourist resorts and trinket-selling dreadlocks, you’ll discover a Portuguese pantry of flaking architectural delicacies spiced up with Indian exuberance. Inland, you can stand in greener-than-green fields picking vanilla pods, bathe with elephants or visit market towns like Mapusa.