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Relaxing, exotic and diverse, Goa is a smooth mix of Mediterranean and Asian cultures leads from a north teeming with spice shops, bars and brilliantly colourful local markets to a south of scattered fishing villages and more isolated tranquillity.
Elsewhere, the countryside is dotted with whitewashed churches, paddy fields and tropical plantations. A decidedly gentle introduction to India, Goa has become popular through its combination of picturesque beaches, accessible culture and a laid-back atmosphere, with real value for money.
Away from the coast, Goa is rich i ... [more] |
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India – incomparable, intoxicating and inviting. A bewildering array of sights and sounds, tastes and textures, cultures and civilisations, India is one of the most richly rewarding regions of the world to visit. A land whose wealth of great cities, palaces, temples, natural wonders and tropical beaches cannot fail to enchant and captivate the visitor.
A tour of India is the only real way to get a true feel for this amazing country, by combining the highlights of her culture, history, countryside and way of life. In some locations, tourism is relatively small-scale and f ... [more] |
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Rajasthan is the geographically largest state in northwestern India. It borders Pakistan to the west, Gujarat to the southwest, Madhya Pradesh to the southeast, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to the northeast and Punjab to the north.
The state capital is Jaipur, includes the Thar Desert in western Rajasthan and the termination of the Ghaggar River. One of the world's oldest mountain ranges, the Aravalli Range, cradles the only hill station of Rajasthan, Mount Abu, and its world famous Dilwara Temples.
Eastern Rajasthan has two national tiger reserves, Ranthambore and Saris ... [more] |
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Formerly known as Ceylon , the lovely island of Sri Lanka has known Portuguese, Dutch and English colonisation, and today still displays a fascinating blend of local and old colonial cultures in a landscape of upland tea plantations, jungle and a coastline of palm-fringed beaches. A short distance from Colombo, the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage will introduce you to baby elephants who will later become valuable working animals.
To discover the history of Sri Lanka, visit Anuradhapura, the 4th century BC cradle of Buddhism, here, a Bo tree grows, said to have been grown f ... [more] |
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Lying off the southern tip of India, the slender chain of coral islands known as the Maldives are strewn like a magical necklace across the shimmering azure waters of the Indian Ocean.
None of the islands are over 4 metres above sea level and less than 1% of the whole country is land! Some islands are no more than uninhabited sandbars peeping just above the waterline and embraced by brilliant blue lagoons.
Only a few have been developed to offer some of the most breathtaking exclusive hideaways. Here you will enter a world of pure escapism, a world where time stands ... [more] |
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Once home to the ill-fated dodo and uninhabited until the 16th century when it was colonised by the Dutch, Mauritius today is a thriving cosmopolitan polyglot, a true melting pot of cultures where a diversity of races blend into one that is unspoilt by mass tourism.
Driving across this spectacular island you see visions in saffron saris walking gracefully under the shade of banyan trees, lurid Hindu temples covered in writhing psychedelic deities rising out of fields shoulder high with sugar cane and sophisticated resort hotels that have staked their claim to this islan ... [more] |
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The seductive Seychelles offer unspoilt beauty in a natural setting where 86 islands cover just over 100 square miles of land, carpeted by rich vegetation and dominated by towering granite mountains. These tiny island hideaways with their coral sand beaches and takamaka-shaded lagoons, offer an irresistible invitation to the simple, castaway, lifestyle. Winding lanes meander through swaying coconut groves, crystal clear waters lap the shore where by night, you enjoy intimate candlelit dinners beneath the stars. Truly, when you visit the Seychelles you are a guest in a Rouss ... [more] |
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