India

Brimming with regional diversity, you can dodge florescent dye at Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, one day and practice yoga in the Himalayas the next. A blend of distinct historical influences, from regional Medieval kingdoms to 18th century European outposts, the cultural differences are as vast as its geographic diversity. Travelers in India find themselves on journey of the senses.

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Overview

Planning your trip

Use these articles, resources, and guides to plan and inspire your next trip to India.

Related guides
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Read Before You Go
Hotels
Afar’s resident hotel expert shares the summer 2024 openings that are worth a special trip.
Omer Acar, the CEO Raffles and Fairmont, shares his vision behind the recent growth of both luxury hotel brands and talks about what great hospitality truly means. (Spoiler alert: It’s all about people.)
AFAR’s picks for the 31 best new hotels in the world.
If you’re looking for serenity in 2024, check out these top destination spas.
One of Rajasthan’s most celebrated hotels is grand in both scale and design—and surprisingly family friendly.
The first Raffles hotel in India sits on its own private island on Udaipur’s Udai Sagar Lake.
Resources to help plan your trip
Here are eight places for experiencing the paranormal, from centuries-old castles to an island of decaying dolls.
Everything you need to know about one of the world’s most populous cities.
By focusing on farmers, queer-owned, BIPOC-led Diaspora Co. is changing the spice industry for the better.
Whether you’re a wildlife-watcher, hiker, or a plain-old sun-worshipper, there’s a gorgeous beach waiting for you somewhere on the globe.
Some of the best memories and connections are forged when we travel as a family. These are our top picks for places to go when we’re traveling with everyone from tiny tots and teens to a multigenerational group that spans many ages and stages.
Before this festival begins, there are several things to keep in mind.
In India’s holiest city, an ancient community of handloom weavers faces an electrically powered future.
Following ancient matrilineal custom, Kongthong residents traditionally don’t use words for names—they use song.
Cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa have been relocated to India, where the population died out seven decades ago.
You needn’t look far to find the sources of Kerala’s cuisine, only as far as those green fields and forests and the proximity of the ocean. Restaurant and teahouse tables are laden with fresh fish and vegetables, local teas, and rice grown nearby. To your health!
The country’s vastness means opportunities abound to better see the stars.
Situated between China, Tibet, and Pakistan in the northern tip of India, the Ladakh region offers travelers a fascinating mix of cultures, sparsely populated landscapes, and the world’s highest road.
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