India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [13]
• Immortalize a Wild Tiger from the Back of an Elephant (Bandhavgarh and Kanha National Parks, Madhya Pradesh): With the densest population of tigers of any park in India, you are practically guaranteed a sighting at this relatively low-key, remote part of Madhya Pradesh. But it’s the approach that’s so exciting—elephant mahouts set off at dawn to track the royal cats. As soon as they’ve spotted one, you rendezvous with your pachyderm, which then takes you within striking distance of this most royal of cats. The tiger—unperturbed by the presence of an elephant—will then strike a pose of utter indifference for your camera. See chapter 10.
• Pick a Picture-Perfect Beach (Goa, Karnataka, and Kerala): India has some of the world’s best beaches, most of them on the Konkan and Malabar coasts which make up India’s western shore. Easily accessed, Asvem (northern Goa) is an idyllic haven, while just south of here, Morjim has been drawing Olive Ridley turtles to its shores for centuries. Both beaches were once well off the well-beaten tourist track, but now, like beautiful crescent-shaped Palolem in southern Goa, these lovely stretches have been well and truly discovered. If you’re looking for solitude in Goa, check out less-visited spots such as Agonda (just 7km/4 1⁄2 miles north of Palolem) and Galgibaga—another designated turtle breeding beach—a little further south. If you’re collecting special beach memories, you should head over the border to the sublime and, many believe, mystical Om Beach (Gokarna, Karnataka). In Kerala, the competition is equally stiff, but we award the picture-perfect prize to the seemingly endless virgin beach that stretches off for miles in either direction right in front of the pretty new Neeleshwar Hermitage in the still-undiscovered far north. But the absolute stunner, if you can get that far, is at Bangaram, one of the paradisiacal hideaways that comprise the truly unforgettable islands of Lakshadweep. See chapters 6 and 7.
• Find Divinity in Devbhumi, “Land of the Gods” (Kinnaur to Spiti, Himachal Pradesh): The stark, rust-colored, snowcapped slopes in the Indo-Tibetan regions of Kinnaur, Spiti, and Lahaul are the stuff adventurers’ dreams are made of, offering sublime mountainscapes, flower-filled valleys, terrifying roads, atmospheric Tibetan Buddhist gompas (monasteries), and high-altitude villages that seem to cling to the mountainsides. The region is one of the most profoundly beautiful in the world, but the drive is not for the fainthearted. See chapter 13.
• Get a Rush While Rafting Down the Zanskar (Ladakh): White-water rafting on the Zanskar is not only exhilarating and challenging, but you pass through the most incredibly desolate, scenic gorges and stupendous cliffs. A full river journey takes at least 12 days round-trip from Leh, so this is only for the truly committed—though there are slightly tamer options closer to Leh. See chapter 13.
6 The Best Eating & Drinking Experiences
• Street-snacking (Mumbai): You need to be cautious about where you stop to indulge your curiosity and sample the overwhelming variety of street snacks available just about anywhere in India. In Mumbai—surely one of the world’s great cities for street food—there are numerous casual eateries where you can sample mouth-watering, totally addictive pani puri (a crisp, deep-fried flour ball, hollowed-out and filled with taste-bud-tingling morsels) made with filtered water, and vada pav (a bun stuffed with spiced fried potato). And if dining street side is beyond you, you can always head to the Taj Mahal Palace’s Sea Lounge for high tea, when traditional street snacks form part of the formidable buffet. See chapter 5.
• Bumping into a Bollywood Idol (Mumbai): Nowhere in India is dining more rewarding than in Mumbai, where the streets are filled with literally thousands of restaurants representing every kind of Indian