Indien

Some travelers see Goa as one big beach resort, but the central region – with few beaches of note – is the state’s historic and cultural heart and soul. Wedged between Goa’s two biggest rivers, the Mandovi and the Zuari, this region is home to the state capital, Panaji, the glorious churches of Old Goa, inland islands, bird sanctuaries, spice plantations and the wilds of the Western Ghats.

Separated from fertile Lahaul by the soaring 4551m Kunzum Pass, the trans-Himalayan region of Spiti is another chunk of Tibet marooned within India, a kind of 'mini-Ladakh' with fewer tourists. The scattered villages in this serrated moonscape arrive like mirages while the turquoise-grey ribbon of the Spiti River is your near-constant companion, albeit sometimes way below in precipitous gorges.

There are few states more quintessentially Indian than Uttar Pradesh. The subcontinent's historic and religious roots – Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic and secular – intertwine in this land of sacred rivers and vast plains, manifesting in sights of profound importance.

A sliver of fertile and densely populated land running from the tea-draped Himalayan foothills to the steamy mangroves of the Bay of Bengal, West Bengal presents a remarkable range of destinations and experiences within a single state. In the tropical southern areas, the wildlife-rich, mangrove-lined waterways of the Sundarbans vie for attention with Bishnupur's ornate terracotta Hindu temples and the cultured, arty vibes of Shantiniketan. Upstream from Kolkata (Calcutta) on the Hooghly River (a branch of the Ganges) you'll reach old European trading towns and three former Bengali capitals at Murshidabad, Gaur and Pandua. The cool northern hills are home not just to British colonialist hill stations like bustling Darjeeling and more laid-back Kalimpong, but also to fantastic vistas of massive Khangchendzonga, rolling green tea estates, some great hiking and the huffing and puffing 'toy trains' of the almost 140-year-old Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.

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.

For many visitors, particularly cashed-up young Indian tourists from Bangalore and Mumbai plus Europeans on package holidays, this is Goa’s party strip, where the raves and hippies have made way for modern thumping nightclubs and wall-to-wall drinking. The Calangute market area and the main Baga road can get very busy but everything you could ask for – from a Thai massage to a tattoo – is in close proximity and the beach is lined with an excellent selection of increasingly sophisticated restaurant shacks with sunbeds, wi-fi and attentive service.

The quiet, leafy, largely affluent neighborhood of South Delhi is where many expats and middle-class Delhiites choose to make their homes. For tourists, it makes a nice escape from the mayhem of the city centre, with most visitors focusing their attentions on the boutique shops, cafes and restaurants of Hauz Khas or Shahpur Jat Village.

Steeped in history, thronged with people and buzzing with commerce, the Old City of Hyderabad is one of India's most evocative ancient quarters. Exploring the lanes of this district, with its chai shops and spice merchants, you'll encounter a teeming urban masala of colour and commerce. Looming over the Old City is some of Islamic India's most impressive architecture, in varying states of repair. Most visitors concentrate their time in this area, though the magnificent Golconda Fort should not be missed either.

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.

Nestled amid evergreen hills that line the southernmost edge of Karnataka is the luscious Kodagu (Coorg) region, gifted with emerald landscapes and hectares of plantations. A major centre for coffee and spice production, this rural expanse is also home to the Kodava people, who are divided into 1000 clans. The uneven terrain and cool climate make it a fantastic area for trekking, birdwatching or lazily ambling down little-trodden paths winding around carpeted hills. All in all, Kodagu is rejuvenation guaranteed.