Discover India by if Only...

Discover India The trip of a lifetime

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Travel made beautiful

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India – an exhilarating and mesmerising experience

India is a remarkable country and one that travellers fantasise about visiting or dream of returning to. Where exotic, romantic and ancient traditions are juxtaposed with a modern, booming and bustling culture.

Above Hawa Mahal Palace of the Winds, Jaipur

ancient and the contemporary blend in harmony, filled with once-in-a-lifetime experiences. It’s not just the places and sightseeing that visitors relish but also the festivals, arts, crafts, cuisine, heritage, shopping and of course the incredible warmth, friendliness and hospitality of the locals. Allow our destination experts guide you through this exciting country. Find our top travel tips and recommendations, along with first-hand experience and knowledge, and let If Only... help build your tailor-made India experience.

The resplendent forts and palaces are a reminder of the regal heritage and bygone eras of this historic country. Cities brimming with great religious importance and sites of spiritual pilgrimage sit side- by-side with dramatic coastlines and calming, mystic backwaters. With so much to see and do, India offers adventure and excitement in abundance for all who visit. India will enchant you with her beauty and diversity, delight you with her colourful pageantry, enrich you with her culture, embrace you with her warmth and overwhelm you with her hospitality. This is a land where the

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Why book with If Only...? If Only... is a luxury tour operator that focuses on 4 and 5 Star resorts, creating bespoke holidays in Arabia, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the USA, Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

Our dedicated India Reservations team are extremely knowledgeable on this exhilarating destination; from the airlines best suited to your itinerary to the hotels and their unique features, cultural distinctions and local knowledge that can only be gleaned from first-hand experience. Combined with this, we have a fantastic relationship with SITA our preferred partner in India, ensuring we always have the most competitive pricing, up-to-date product information and distinctive range of experiences. This allows us to provide bespoke, tailor-made itineraries worthy of showcasing incredible India.

Established in 2001, If Only... has grown from a “one man band” to a multi-award winning organisation with over 85 staff and collectively over 1,000 years of travel industry experience. Our company ethos centres around a simple principle – that our reservations consultants focus on one particular area of the world – developing expertise and product knowledge to confidently promote these destinations. Our luxury portfolio of hotels and tours, combined with our reputation for expertise and exceptional service means you’re in safe hands.

Above: Hiking in the Himalayas

When to travel? India is a vast and hugely varied country in many ways, its climate being no exception to this. Winter, summer and monsoon are the three distinctive seasons. The winter months from October to March are most commonly considered the best time to visit. During these months temperatures in the north are warm but pleasant, skies are clear and humidity is low. December and January experience a drop in temperature, especially in the evenings but this can be a great time to visit the beaches of Goa and travel into the southern states. In contrast to most areas, the ideal time to visit Ladakh in the far north is between June and September. Monsoon season, starting in the southern state of Kerala travels up through the subcontinent from June through September and while most of the country is clear of the heavy rains by the latter, a second wave generally hits the southern states around this time lasting until early December.

Above: Sunset on fisherman’s nets in Kochi

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Above: Hindu Gods at the Meenakshi temple, Tamil Nadu

Right: Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur

Left: Yoga on sunset beach in Goa

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Tourist Map of INDIA

National Capital State Headquarters Other Town Places of Tourist Interest International Airport Domestic Airport Wildlife Sanctuary / National Park International Boundary National Highway Major Road LEGEND

MAP RE F ERENC E S

Agra..............................C4 Allahabad.....................D4 Amritsar...................... B2 Aurangabad................ B6 Bangalore.....................C8 Belur.............................B8 Bharatpur.....................C4 Bhopal..........................C5 Bhubaneshwar............E6 Bodh Gaya....................E5 Chamba........................C2 Carry some socks In temples you will have to take off your shoes and the ground can be very hot. Tips for travel

Sarnath.........................E4 Shillong........................G4 Shimla..........................C3 Srinagar........................C2 Thanjavur.....................C9 ThiruvananthapuramC10 Tiruchirapalli...............C9 Udaipur........................B5 Udagamandalam.........C9 Vaishali.........................E4 Varanasi.......................E4 Carry a bottle of water It is a very warm and humid country and drinking water is not always readily available.

Mysore.........................C9 Nainital........................D3 Nalanda........................E4 Panaji (Goa).................B8 Pondicherry.................D9 Port Blair......................H9 Pune.............................B7 Puri...............................E6 Rajgir............................F5 Rameswaram............D10 Rishikesh......................C3

Kochi.............................C9 Kodaikanal...................C9 Kolkata..........................F5 Konark..........................F6 Kovalam.....................C10 Kullu.............................C2 Leh................................C2 Lucknow......................D4 Mamallapuram...........D9 Mumbai........................B6 Mussoorie....................C3 Have an open mind India has so much to offer, get out of the cities and explore with local guides soaking up the culture and cuisine.

Halebid.........................C8 Hampi...........................C8 Haridwar .....................C3 Hyderabad...................C7 Jaipur............................C4 Jaisalmer......................A4 Jammu Tawi.................B2 Jodhpur........................B4 Kanchipuram...............D8 Kanyakumari.............C10 Khajuraho....................D5 Bring a scarf Ladies may need to cover up when entering certain places such as temples.

Chandigarh..................C3 Chennai........................D8 Chittaurgarh................B5 Dalhousie.....................C2 Darjeeling.....................E4 Dehradun.....................C3 Delhi.............................C3 Diu................................A6 Gangtok........................F4 Guwahati.....................G4 Gwalior.........................C2

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Maitreya Buddha in Nubra valley in Ladakh

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Festivals National, religious, spiritual or cultural – India is the land of festivals and every month will see a celebration taking place. Some of the most renowned are widely recognised, not just in India but around the world.

Young men celebrating Holi

Cuisine Delicious cuisine bursting with fragrant aromas, fresh spices and mouth-watering flavours is completely synonymous with India. The food enjoyed on a trip to this remarkable country is truly an experience in itself. With every region having its own specialities the variety is extraordinary and visitors should not expect all dishes to be ‘hot’ or labelled a ‘curry’. Dishes in India described as having a gravy are what westerners would consider a curry, they are prepared with different masalas which is a combination of spices and seasonings – exports which have brought traders to India for centuries. ‘Thali’ on a menu, usually pre-fixed with a region name, tells you that you are ordering a full traditional meal from that region, served on a large platter with accompaniments. Be ready to try a little of everything to fully enjoy the culinary experience India has to offer. Some traditional regional favourites include Butter Chicken – first created in Delhi, Rogan Josh made with Kashmir chillies and the fragrant, saffron smelling Biryani, a Hyderabadi speciality.

Diwali – Festival of Lights This Hindu festival of lights is celebrated to honour

Ramachandra, an incarnation of the god Vishnu. The festival date is determined by the Hindu calendar but normally takes place during October or November. Diwali is a five-day festival and celebrated with feasts, visiting family, oil lamps lit throughout the streets and fireworks. Varanasi, Delhi and Jaipur are amongst the best places to be during Diwali. Holi This spring-time festival is a true celebration of colour and love. This is a day to rejoice, forget bad feelings and celebrate with each other. The festival begins with a bonfire being lit the day before Holi to represent triumph of good over bad and on the day, people celebrate together in the streets amid a shower of coloured water and paint.

Vegetable market in Delhi

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Meet the team At If Only... we have a fantastic team of dedicated India specialists, here they have hand-picked some sample itineraries to provide a snapshot of what we can book, or just contact us to discuss any alternatives. Our team are happy to create bespoke itineraries perfectly suited to your needs. Below they share some of their favourite experiences of India.

Karen – Destination Specialist My favourite place in India has to be Chettinad in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. I love all the colourful mansions and the people are so friendly. There is a really lovely feel to the area and it’s also very famous for its cuisine. My favourite hotel here is the Visalam. Anoushka – Destination Specialist Among the numerous delicacies of Indian cuisine ‘Goan Fish Thali’ is one of my favourites and also a really popular highlight of Goan culture. Best places to eat authentic Goan Fish Thali would be the spice plantations or homestays. I enjoy the heavenly aroma of all the spices when it’s cooked authentically in earthen pots. It definitely is a must have when visiting Goa. lakeside at the Sheesh Mahal in Udaipur. As it was Diwali, all the colourful fireworks filled the sky and reflected on the lake’s surface, which was incredible sight to see. Satyan – Destination Specialist For me it is hard to pick a favourite place in India, however for a completely profound experience visit Varanasi, a place of pilgrimage since time immemorial. My favoruite memory in India was dining

Kuljit – Team Leader My favourite place in India is Punjab and my favourite dish has to be a Saag with a nice crisp Roti. The Taj Mahal is probably on everyones ‘must see’ list of places to visit in India, and rightly so, it is spectacular! However, to make it extra special, I would recommend planning a visit at sunrise. celebration in the streets. We could see wedding parties everywhere and Pramood encouraged us to join in with the music and dancing through the streets. It was an incredible experience. Anoop – Destination Specialist Amritsar is a fascinating combination of experiences – while the Golden Temple is the main highlight, the experiences within and around the temple like walking through Langar (the community kitchen), the night ceremony and the markets are not to be missed! Alison – Product Manager One of my favourite memories of India was being in Agra on the ‘luckiest day of the year.’ Our guide, Pramood, told us that according to the Hindu calendar it is believed that all the stars were aligned and anything that you did on that day would bring you immense luck and for that reason, thousands of weddings would be taking place throughout the country. He drove us through Agra and the entire city seemed to be having a huge

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Gadi Sagar Lake, Jaipur

Discover Boutique Rajasthan Visit Rajasthan and become enthralled with its grand forts, royal palaces, captivating heritage and colourful landscape – this is the India of imaginations.

Day 1 Arrive into Udaipur via Mumbai. Check-in to Bujera Fort for a two night stay. Afternoon is at leisure to relax after the journey or enjoy the stunning surroundings of the Aravalli Range and views of the City Palace, Lake Palace and Monsoon Palace. Day 2 City sightseeing tour including a boat ride on Lake Pichola. Day 3 Drive north to the municipality of Deogarh. Overnight stay at the luxury boutique property Dev Shree. Day 4 Morning at leisure, spend the afternoon exploring the local area with your hosts. Day 5 Morning drive to Jodhpur. Check-in to Vivanta Hari Mahal for a two night stay and spend the afternoon at leisure. Day 6 Morning city tour visiting Mehrangarh Fort, the famous Jodhpur landmark.

Day 7 Drive through the Thar Desert today to the Golden City of Jaisalmer. Spend two nights at Suryagarh Jaisalmer. Day 8 Full day tour of the desert city, exploring the captivating local heritage and spectacular Jain temples. Day 9 Drive from Jaisalmer to Nagaur and spend a two night stay at Ranvas, a restored 18th century garden palace. Day 10 Explore the local area, afternoon is free to relax in the grounds of the hotel, a former fort, dating back to the 12th-century. Day 11 Drive from Nagaur to Jaipur and check-in for a two night stay at Samode Palace.

Day 12 Spend the full day exploring Jaipur where you will see the Amber Fort, UNESCO World Heritage listed Jantar Mantar and the City Palace. Day 13 Day is at leisure and to prepare for your flight homeward from Delhi.

£ 2 , 715 Price per person from

Includes all flights, 12 nights accommodation and breakfast meal plan. Price is based on 2 adults sharing. For full itinerary details and inclusions, please speak to your local travel agent.

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