Things to do in India
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FEATURED
Highlights of India
14 days (Delhi to Kochi)
by G Adventures
North India or South? Do both! This 2-week tour combines the riot of Rajasthan’s colours with the calming greens of Kerala. You'll have time to immerse yourself…Not LP reviewed
from USD$2,599 - All things to do
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Yoga Training Centre
Yoga master Sunil Kumar runs two-hour classes three times a day (8am, 10am and 4pm; Rs200) at the Yoga Training Centre, on the 3rd floor of a small backstreet building near Meer Ghat. He teaches an integrated blend of hatha, Iyengar, pranayama and ashtanga, and serious students can continue on certificate and diploma courses. This place is highly recommended by travellers.
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Dreamland Trek & Tour
Reputable trek/tour operator.
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Mehrotra Silk Facto
Tucked away down a tiny alleyway near the Varanasi Junction train station, this pocket-sized, fixed-priced shop is a fun place to buy good-quality silk scarves (from Rs250), saris (from Rs1500) and bedspread sets (from Rs5000). Turn right out of the station, take the first major left turn, then turn left just before the iway Internet cafe and it’s down a small alleyway on your left.
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Baba Blacksheep
Another reasonable option for silk shopping, with similar prices to Mehrotra Silk Factory.
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Learn for Life Society
Learn for Life Society, which can be contacted through the nearby Brown Bread Bakery has established a small school for disadvantaged children, and travellers are welcome to turn up and help out. The charity also recently started a women’s empowerment group, offering fair-paid work to local women, some of whom are mothers of the school’s students. The women make produce such as jams and pickles which travellers can buy from Brown Bread Bakery. See the website for more details.
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Taj Mahal
The Taj can be accessed through the west, south and east gates, which all lead to an outer courtyard. The south gate is the main access and is easiest to reach from Taj Ganj, while the east gate generally has the shortest queues. The west gate gets very crowded with tour groups, but they don’t normally arrive until after 9am. There are separate queues for men and women. Prohibited items such as food, tobacco, matches, mobile phones and camera tripods can be left without charge in cloakrooms. Don’t forget to visit the cloakroom first to avoid queuing twice.
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Cream Centre
An excellent ice-cream parlour in a bright, slick interior. Oh, and real food, too: a pure-veg hodgepodge of Indian, Mexican and Middle Eastern.
reviewed
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German Bakery
Leafy and filled with prayer flags and jolly lights, this is a perfect place for a huge lunch chosen from an equally huge menu. Tofu balls in mustard sauce with parsley potatoes and salad is a piled-high winner at Rs150. Wi-fi is available for a fairly steep Rs100 per hour.
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Houseboat
Renting a houseboat designed like a kettuvallam (rice barge) could be one of your most expensive experiences in India, but it's worth every darned rupee. Drifting through quiet canals lined with coconut palms, eating deliciously authentic Keralan food, meeting local villagers and sleeping on the water under a galaxy of stars - it's a world away from the clamour of India.
Houseboats cater for groups (up to eight bunks) or couples (one or two double bedrooms). Food (and an onboard chef to cook it) is generally included in the quoted cost. Houseboats can be chartered through the DTPC in Kollam or Alleppey, or a multitude of private operators.
This is the biggest business in…
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Mehrangarh
Still run by the descendants of the Maharaja of Jodhpur, Mehrangarh is captivating. As you approach, the walls soar overhead in a mesmerising demonstration of the skills of the builders. Cast off your audio-tour prejudices, as this tour, covered by the foreign-visitor admission charge (which also includes camera fees), is terrific, with a mix of history, information and dramatically narrated anecdotes. It’s a real treat to wander around at your leisure, taking a fix of information when you feel like it. Personal guides are available for Rs150.
reviewed
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Brothers’ Dhaba
Amritsar is famous for its dhabas (snack bars) such as Brothers’ Dhaba which has (mainly Indian) meals averaging Rs80, and open early to late. Brothers’ is the current sweetheart, but only by a whisker.
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Brown Bread Bakery
Not only does this place lead the way socially and environmentally – it supports a local school, runs a women’s empowerment group, uses organic produce wherever possible, and refills your water bottles for you (Rs5) – but the food is also terrific. The fabulous menu includes more than 20 varieties of cheese and more than 30 types of bread, cookies and cakes as well as main courses from around the world. The ambience is spot on too, with seating on cushions around low tables and live classical music performances in the evenings. Admittedly, it’s pricier than most, but part of the profits go to the charity Learn for Life.
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Overland Escape
Reputable trek/tour operator.
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Big Chill
Khan Market has two film-poster-lined branches of BC, packed with chattering, well-manicured folk. The menu is a telephone directory of continental, Indian and other dishes. Have you ever seen so much cheesecake on a menu? Who’s to quibble when it’s this good?
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Sahara Travels
Sahara Travels, by the First Fort Gate, also gets good reviews for its camel tours, and is run by Mr Bissa, alias Mr Desert - he graces lots of Rajasthan Tourism posters.
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Open Hand
A cafe-cum-gift shop with fresh coffee and juices and a range of cakes and snacks plus a few main courses. There’s free wi-fi plus a large selection of gorgeous handi- crafts (jewellery, toys, clothing) made in the local community.
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Yoga Study Centre
According to locals, this is one of Rishikesh’s most highly regarded yoga schools and runs two- and three-week Iyengar yoga courses for all levels (payment by donation). It’s a small ashram on the river south of the town, off Haridwar Rd.
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Sri Meenakshi Temple
The Sri Meenakshi Temple is the abode of the triple-breasted, fish-eyed Goddess Meenakshi Amman (‘fish-eyed’ is an adjective for perfect eyes in classical Tamil poetry), is considered by many to be the height of South Indian temple architecture, as vital to the aesthetic heritage of this region as the Taj Mahal is to North India. It’s not so much a temple as a 6-hectare complex enclosed by 12 gopurams, the highest of which towers 52m over Madurai, and all of which are carved with a staggering array of gods, goddesses, demons and heroes.
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Saravana Bhavan
Massively popular, Tamil Saravana has a fast-food feel, but food is by no means junk: dosas, idlis and other southern specialities, accompanied by lovely fresh chutneys. Inventive sweets include cucumber-seed ladoos (sweet balls). Finish with a South Indian coffee. Arrive early or queue!
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Hari Om Jewellers
Following the famous footsteps of Hari Om, Roop Kishore Soni is a silversmith who makes delicate silver rings and bracelets. Visitors have commissioned personalised wedding rings here. There’s also a shop inside the fort, or visit this home address.
reviewed
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Maharaja Sawai Mansingh Sangeet Mahavidyalaya
This is an excellent music school located behind Tripolia Gate. Tuition (per month from Rs500) is given in dance and in Indian instruments such as tabla (pair of drums) and bakhawas (double-sided drum).
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JG Art & Crafts
Abhay Kumar is the proprietor of this excellent store, which has a cheap and reliable international courier service, and all kinds of handicrafts and fabrics.
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Vina Maharaj Music School
In Lakshman Jhula, Vina Maharaj Music School offers sitar, tabla, harmonium and flute lessons at Rs200 per hour, and organises concerts.
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Navjyoti Tailors
Pushkar is a good place to get clothes made and a reliable option is Navjyoti Tailors.
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Maharani Art Exporters
Maharani Art Exporters is one of the better bets for quality replica antiques.
reviewed