GoldenTwine Informatics: Indian Sites > Travel & Tourism - India
India is one of the popular tourist destinations in Asia. Bounded by the
Himalayan ranges in the north, and surrounded on three sides by water (the
Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean), with a long history and
diverse culture, India offers a wide array of places to see and things to do. In
2004, foreign tourists visiting India spent US$ 15.4 billion - the ninth highest
in the world. India is also ranked among the top 3 adventure tourism destinations.
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Travel & Tourism in India
INDIA is one of the oldest civilisations in the world with a rich cultural heritage. India is the seventh largest country (2.42%) in the world. This is the largest democracy in the world and occupies a strategic position in Asia.
Location:
Geographically, the Himalayan ranges keeps India apart from the rest of Asia and is called the Indian Subcontinent. It extends from the snow-covered Himalayas in the north to the tropical rain forests of the south. At the Tropic of Cancer, it tapers off into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west. Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea are parts of India.
Geographic Coordinates:
Lying entirely in the Northern Hemisphere, the Country extends between 8° 4' and 37° 6' latitudes north of the Equator, and 68°7' and 97°25' longitudes east of it.
Size:
It covers an area of 32,87,263 sq km. Land measures 3,214 kilometres north to south between the extreme latitudes and about 2,933 kilometres east to west between the extreme longitudes. It has a land frontier of 15,200km.
Terrain:
The mainland comprises of four regions, namely the great mountain zone, plains of the Ganga and the Indus, the desert region, and the southern peninsula.
Coastline:
7,516.6 km encompassing the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Border Countries:
Afghanistan and Pakistan to the north-west; Bhutan, China and Nepal to the north; Myanmar to the east; and Bangladesh to the east of West Bengal. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea, formed by Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar.
Administrative Divisions:
Administratively, India is divided into 29 provinces (including National Capital Territory of Delhi) and 6 Union Territories.
Ethnic Groups:
All the five major racial types - Australoid, Mongoloid, Europoid, Caucasian, and Negroid find representation among the people of India.
Religions:
According to the 2001 census, out of the total population of 1.028 million in the Country, Hindus constituted the majority with 80.5 %, Muslims came second at 13.4%, followed by Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and others.
Languages:
22 languages have been recognized by the Constitution of India, of which Hindi is the official national language. Besides these, there are 844 different dialects that are practiced in various parts of the Country.
Climate:
The climate of India can broadly be classified as a tropical monsoon one. But, in spite of much of the northern part of India lying beyond the tropical zone, the entire country has a tropical climate marked by relatively high temperatures and dry winters. There are four seasons - winter (December-February), (ii) summer (March-June), (iii) south-west monsoon season (June-September), and (iv) post monsoon season (October- November).
Time Zone: IST (GMT +5:30)
Calling Code: +91
Wildlife in India:
India is home to several well known large mammals including the Asian
Elephant, Bengal Tiger, Asiatic Lion, Leopard and Indian Rhinoceros, often
engrained culturally and religiously often being associated with deities. Other
well known large Indian mammals include ungulates such as the Water Buffalo,
Nilgai, Gaur and several species of deer and antelope. Some members of the dog
family such as the Indian Wolf, Bengal Fox, Golden Jackal and the Dhole or Wild
Dogs are also widely distributed. It is also home to the Striped Hyaena,
Macaques, Langurs and Mongoose species. India also has a large variety of
protected wildlife. The country's protected wilderness consists of 75 National
parks of India and 421 Sanctuaries, of which 19 fall under the purview of
Project Tiger. Its climatic and geographic diversity makes it the home of over
350 mammals and 1200 bird species, many of which are unique to the subcontinent.
Some well known national wildlife sanctuaries include Bharatpur, Corbett,
Kanha, Kaziranga, Periyar, Ranthambore and Sariska. The world's largest mangrove
forest Sundarbans is located in southern West Bengal
Hill Stations:
Several hill stations served as summer capitals of Indian provinces,
princely states, or, in the case of Simla, of British India itself. Since Indian
Independence, the role of these hill stations as summer capitals has largely
ended, but many hill stations remain popular summer resorts. Most famous hill
stations are:
Beaches of India:
Thousands of sun-deprived tourists visit India because it incredibly has
the most diverse varieties of beaches anywhere in the world. Placid backwaters
and lagoons, bays and rough lava-rocked seas, marine estuaries with fish,
crashing surf, powdery golden sand or palm fringed shores - Incredible India has
them all.
The West Coast with the Arabian Sea and the East Coast with the Bay of
Bengal offer many a verdant vistas to the traveller. The coasts of India have
their own seafood cuisine, relaxing spas, diving and water sports and great
places to stay for a balmy holiday.
Kovalam undoubtedly is one of India's best sea resorts. The long coastline
lined with swaying coconut palm trees dotted with an occasional fishing hamlet
is fast developing into one of the world's finest string of beaches. The sea
applauds the beach temple in Mahabalipuram, gloriously silhouetted against the
spectrum of the seven colours in the sky. Puri, on the East Coast, is surely one
of the world's most picturesque beaches. And then there is Digha, a three-hour
drive out of Kolkata, a beautiful beach, splendid in its isolation.
The beach holiday to beat them all is in the Isles of Andaman and Nicobar
and Lakshadweep, where you can see the myriad colours of the flashy fish in the
coral reefs from above the green waters.
Now fully developed as an international beach resort, Goa offers the best
holiday villages on its beaches. Everything about Goa is spellbinding from the
landscape dotted with Portuguese architecture, to the way of life that exudes an
irresistible Old World charm. Anjuna or Calangute Beach, and Miramar Bay in
Panjim are quieter. Beach vendors sell all manner of kitsch in Anjuna and
Calangute. You can rent beach mats and mattresses, sunglasses, and the usual
tourist paraphernalia. You can even get all sorts of spaghetti, German bread and
Italian food. The beach at Calangute is rocky. At Anjuna the waters are gentle
and offer opportunities for boat rides, sea scooter rides, spot-the-dolphins
rides, and motorboat rides. Colva and Benaulim are quieter and less crowded than
Anjuna. The Fort Aguada beach offers gorgeous views that merit a visit.
Sinquerim and Candolim are also quiet beaches that afford anonymity.
Whether it's the isolated horizons of the Konkan Coast or the Arabian Sea;
the golden sands or the water drenched seashores, every beach in India makes a
picture perfect holiday destination.
Some of the tourist beaches are:
* Beaches of Goa
* Kovalam Beach in Kerala
* Marina Beach, Chennai
* Beach Temples of Mahabalipuram
* Andaman and Nicobar Islands
* Beaches in Mumbai
Adventure Tourism:
* River rafting and kayaking in Himalayas.
* Mountain climbing in Himalayas
* Rock climbing
* Skiing in Gulmarg
Travel & Tourism - Enjoy Indian Destinations
A Guide to Popular Tourist Destinations in India
Come and explore the fascinating places in India that will make you fall in love with the country and its people.
We will try to bring you as many popular tourist destinations in India and neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bhutan. We are presenting them region wise for your convenience. We will add more and more places of interest every week.
We have divided India into 5 regions. Make a choice which part of India you would like to have your vacation. Click your state below for many tourist places in that part of India:
Northern Region: The Ganges river basin and the massive mountain barrier of the Himalayas define this region's landscape. The Himalayas extend eastwards over 2400km, from the parallel ranges running through Jammu & Kashmir.
This region consists of seven Indian states: Delhi (National Capital Territory), Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
Central Region:
Eastern Region: The Ganges and Brahmaputra river basins and the massive mountain barrier of the Himalayas define this region's landscape. River Ganges meets the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh to form an immense delta
before flowing into the Bay of Bengal.
Southern Region: The undulating Deccan Plateau underlies most of southern India; it slopes gently down towards the east and is largely enclosed by the Ghats coastal hill ranges. The Western Ghats run continuously along the Arabian Sea coast, while the Eastern Ghats are interrupted by rivers which flow the slope of the plateau and flow across broad lowlands into the Bay of Bengal.
Western Region: The Thar Desert occupies the southwest.
This region consists of four Indian states: Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, and two Union Territories of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.
The Western part of India has some of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Rajasthan, for instance is one of the states that foreign tourists always visit, for there is hardly anyone who has not heard of its magnificent palaces, lakes and colourful bazaars. Other must-see in this region is Goa, known for its beaches and fine cuisine. These are just a few places, in the western zone that are popular with the tourists. Travel to the forts and palaces of Rajasthan, stay at a heritage hotel, enjoy a camel safari, watch folk dancers perform under a moonlit sky at a desert festival, try on the colourful clothes of Rajasthan and Gujarat, decorated with mirrors and embroidery. See tigers in Ranthambore in Rajasthan and lions in the Gir forest in Gujarat on tours to Western India.
Browse Tourist Destinations by Region or City of your Interest
Indian Railways - Nationwide Rail Enquiry
A Common Countrywide Enquiry Number - just Dial 139
24x7 Services available on 139
from any BSNL, MTNL, Vodafone & Spice phones (other TSPs to be commissioned shortly). Avail the Railway Enquiry Basic Services in Hindi, English, and Regional languages on
- Arrival / Departure of Trains
- PNR Status
- Fare Enquiry
- Accommodation availability
Quick Enquiry (for Delhi & Mumbai customers)
For PNR: Dial 139 + 10 Digit PNR Number
For Train Arrival / Departure: Dial 139 + 4 Digit Train Number
Forthcoming Services on New Numbers: Premium Services - SMS Alerts / Fax & Call Back facility; Value Added Services: Rail Reservations, Car Rentals, Booking Tourism Products, Hotel Booking
Dress code on-air
A coat/jacket with an outside pocket for the ID and boarding pass. Shoes with laces. Your feet are bound to swell so no boots. Nice underwear for the rare strip search. Lip balm and moisturiser to combat the dryness of aircraft cabins. Before landing, apply a fresh coat of lipstick and eyeliner, dab some perfume and run a comb through your hair.
Baggage (Amendment) Rules, 2006 (Baggage Rules'98)
CLEARANCE OF INCOMING PASSENGERS (GREEN AND RED CHANNELS)
For the purpose of Customs clearance of arriving passengers, a two channel system has been adopted
- Green Channel for passengers not having any dutiable goods.
- Red Channel for passengers having dutiable goods.
However,
- All the passengers shall ensure to file correct declaration of their baggage.
- Green channel passengers must deposit the customs portion of the disembarkation card to the custom official at the gate before leaving the terminal.
- Declaration of foreign exchange/currency has be made before the custom officers in the following cases:
- where the value of foreign currency notes exceed US $ 5000 or equivalent
- where the aggregate value of foreign exchange including currency exceeds US $ 10,000 or equivalent
Passengers walking through the Green Channel with dutiable / prohibited goods are liable to prosecution/penalty and confiscation of goods.
Trafficking of Narcotics and Psychotropic substances is a serious offence and is punishable with imprisonment.
