Top 10 reasons to visit India with Just You
India is bursting with treasures. The fascinating culture, architectural splendours and magnificent landscape cannot fail to inspire. Whether you visit the north and the treasures of the Golden Triangle or venture south to the fragrant and lush landscape of Kerala you’ll enjoy every moment on a Just You escorted holiday. Here are some of our favourite Indian experiences:
1. Delving into Old Delhi
In the company of a Just You Holiday Director and Local Guide we’ll discover a maze of crowded streets and thronging markets inside the ancient walled city. Colourful silk saris adorn store fronts and the fragrance of local spices fill the air. Look out for street-side barbers and dentists as we take a wander through this heady cocktail of daily life.
2. Lunch with the locals
Amidst the majestic surroundings of a historic haveli we’ll savour the tastes of Rajasthan with a traditional lunch and along with your Just You travelling companions, you'll enjoy the warm hospitality of our hosts whose family connections to this palatial home date back to the 17th Century.
3. The magic of the Taj Mahal
Nothing prepares you for your first sight of this shimmering white marble mausoleum. Our Just You Holiday Director will show us all the best photo spots. Don’t forget to look out from the elaborate archways of the imposing Agra Fort too; the views to the Taj are quite superb.
4. In search of big cats
Aboard open top canters we’ll seek out the natural splendours of Ranthambore National Park. Our Local Guide will ensure we experience all the rich diversity of flora and fauna, including many species of deer, Indian Gazelles and a dizzying variety of birdlife. Dawn and dusk are the perfect times for sightings of the magnificent but elusive tiger.
5. Mystical Khajuraho
The medieval temples of Khajuraho embody the golden age of a former royal dynasty and are famed for their erotic and explicit sculptures. As you wander through these mystical structures imagine the shock of an officer of the British Raj who discovered the deserted temples during the rather restrained reign of Queen Victoria.
6. Sunrise on the Ganges
As dawn breaks we’ll board a boat just as Varanasi and the sacred River Ganges comes alive. At each brightly painted ghat our Just You Local Guide will show us a different snapshot of life. We’ll see devout Hindus bathing and praying, chattering women pounding their laundry and bare-chested men twisting into mind-boggling yoga positions.
7. Cooking in Cochin
We’ll join a local chef at her home and enjoy a demonstration of typical Keralan dishes prepared with fragrant spices. We’ll learn how to use traditional cooking equipment and the proper methods of presentation. Food is generally served on banana leaves and is eaten with the right hand. Conversation is sure to turn to all things foodie as we enjoy lunch with our host and fellow single travellers.
8. A journey for the senses
We’ll travel through the Keralan landscape with the Western Ghats providing a glorious mountainous backdrop. This beautiful region is home to tea gardens, rice paddies, rubber estates and coffee and pepper plantations. In the company of a Just You Local Guide we’ll visit a spice garden and experience the tastes and aromas of an array of spices. Some of the finest pepper in the world is grown here and is known locally as ‘Black Gold'.
9. Drifting along the backwaters
An overnight stay on board a traditional houseboat really captures the true essence of Kerala. As we travel along the palm fringed canals and backwaters we’ll see that that rural life on the riverbanks has changed very little over the centuries. From the delivery of post and the transportation of everything from coconuts to buffaloes, all daily business is conducted by boat.
10. Chilling out at the beach
Relaxing on the beach and watching the local fishermen haul in their catch is the perfect way to spend the day in Kovalam. Here we can soak up the sunshine and reflect on all the wonderful sights we have seen in Kerala with our Just You travelling companions.
With a Holiday Director on hand throughout, the specialist knowledge of Local Guides and the company of fellow single travellers why not make India your next travelling adventure?