Indien

Enthralling, historical Jaipur, Rajasthan’s capital, is the gateway to India’s most flamboyant state.

Virginal Arunachal Pradesh appears as a giant patch of green on India’s map. The country's wildest and least explored state, Arunachal (literally, Land of Dawn-Lit Mountains) rises abruptly from the Assam plains as a mass of improbably steep and densely forested hills, culminating in snowcapped peaks along the Tibetan border. Arunachal lures travellers with the promise of adventurous journeys to remote mountain valleys and encounters with some of its 26 indigenous tribal peoples. Tourism infrastructure – such as hotels or even homestays – has yet to reach many areas; this is travel far beyond standard tourist trails.

Bikaner is a vibrant, dust-swirling desert town with a fabulous fort and an energising outpost feel. It’s less dominated by tourism than many other Rajasthan cities, though it has plenty of hotels and a busy camel-safari scene, which attracts plenty of travelers looking to avoid the crowding that occasionally occurs around Jaisalmer-based safaris.

The spotlight doesn’t hit Madhya Pradesh (MP) with quite the same brilliance as it shines on more celebrated neighboring states, so you can experience travel riches ranking with the best without that feeling of just following a tourist trail.

Stretching 600km along the Brahmaputra River Valley, with a spur down to the hilly southeast, Assam is the largest and most accessible of the Northeast States. Well known for its national parks abounding in rhinoceroses, elephants, deer and primates (with respectable tiger numbers too), it welcomes visitors with a subtly flavoured cuisine and a hospitable population with a vibrant artistic heritage. The archetypal Assamese landscape is a golden-green panorama of rice fields and manicured tea estates, framed by the blue mountains of Arunachal Pradesh in the north and the highlands of Meghalaya and Nagaland to the south. The birthplace of Indian tea, Assam has more than 3000 sq km of land carpeted in bright-green tea gardens, and visits to these estates are high on many travellers' itineraries.

With shimmering turquoise waters fringed by primeval jungle, fantastic diving, and sugar-white, sun-toasted beaches melting under flame-and-purple sunsets, the far-flung Andaman Islands are the perfect Indian escape.

Orchha could make towns many times its size green with jealousy. At heart, Orchha is nothing but a tiny, agricultural village that shouldn't really be of much interest to anyone, but it was blessed by history: for nearly 300 years it was one of the most important urban areas in this part of India. This has left the small town with a supreme display of Mughal-influenced Rajput architecture in the shape of spectacular palaces, temples and royal chhatris (cenotaphs). And thanks to an important temple dedicated to Rama, it's also a major pilgrimage and spiritual centre. Combine these with a laid-back atmosphere, some fabulous accommodation options, as well as opportunities to enjoy the surrounding pastoral countryside, with walking, cycling and rafting all on the agenda, and you'll understand why Orchha can be considered one of the highlights of Madhya Pradesh.

Unfairly overlooked by many travelers scurrying between Mumbai and Rajasthan, Gujarat is an easy, and highly rewarding, sidestep off the tourist trail. While its major city Ahmedabad can draw you in with its deep sense of culture and remarkable architecture, the countryside holds most of the state’s many treasures. Artisans in tribal villages weave, embroider, dye and print some of India’s finest textiles, and excellent parks harbour unique wildlife, including migratory birds, wild asses and growling prides of Asiatic lions. Sacred Jain and Hindu pilgrimage sites sit atop mountains that rise dramatically from vast flatlands. For lovers of sand and sea, the chilled-out, former Portuguese island enclave of Diu lies just off the state's southeastern coast.

North Goa is the Goa you might have heard all about: crowded beaches, upbeat nightlife, Goan trance, cosmopolitan cuisine, hippie markets and yoga retreats. If you like a fast pace and plenty of things to do, this is the place.

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