India Hotels

India is a wild ride for any foreigner! The customs and traditions are very different in this country and although the land remained under British rule for some time, the culture hasn't really opened itself to western influence. Most people is still conservative so proper etiquette should be minded at all times. When you comply to these unwritten rules, the wild ride will strip you of your worries and take you on a breathtaking mystical journey.

The Indian subcontinent looks like an extension from Asia on the map. India occupies almost all of this subcontinent and reaches up north to the highest mountain ranges of the world, The Himalayas. Nowadays home to a population of more than a million, this beautiful and rich land has been home to a great cultures for thousands of years. This accumulated heritage shapes today's culture and society.

The most spread religion of India is Hinduism, second to that is Islam. These two religions have great influences on today's society. Hinduism originates from the Vedic civilization that lived in this land between 2000 and 1000 BC. Most rituals of today were shaped in that period. Various empires thrived and collapsed until the 6th century. Muslim influence started appearing in 8th century due to raids from the west. The most significant of Muslim governments, the Mughals, managed to rule all of the subcontinent. The era under Muslim rule left great monuments most important of which is the Taj Mahal. The European traders reached these lands in the sixteenth century. By 19th century, the land came under British control. Non violent resistance of Gandhi led to independence in the middle of 20th century. However conflicts between Muslim and Hindu that has been carried out to this date appeared after the independence from GB. In today's world, one side of India is a modern, rising economy, very strong on IT and supplying outsourcing service to the west world. The other side of the medallion is a quarter of the population living under poverty. The caste system (which is like a social status ladder) never really disappeared. The big question of today is, whether India will outdo China in economic growth and prosperity.

There is much to explore in this vast land and the rich ancient culture. A country this large of course shows great variety in itself too. While the west was open to influence of Islam, the beautiful Himalayan North stayed secluded. Today, the northern regions are popular for both natural, and spiritual tourism with the stunning environment and ancient temples. The sacred river of Ganga starts from the Himalayas, and gives life to the central plains. These plains were always inhabited and witnessed the most important events in Indian history. Eastern regions of India were mostly influenced by Asian cultures. All along the coastline of India, there are stunning beaches open for tourism. Because of the geographical position, the weather is mostly tropical. Temperatures never drop low and that provides good opportunities for summer tourists. There are two rainy season, called the Monsoons; one between June and September and the other between October and February. To sum it up, in this vast land, there are beaches that you can enjoy to the full extent of the sea&sun combination, hills, valleys and tropical rainforests where you can find opportunities for every kind of natura tourism; from mountain climbing to hiking. National Parks and wildlife reserves, snow covered mountains, hill stations, pastoral villages that combine basic technology like TV with traditional methods of farming, ancient temples and monuments hidden away in the emerald green... You will even spot war torn fortresses.

The people are normally very friendly. Although, some of them can be more than annoying in their "sometimes not so honest" attempts against tourists. You will often find people in the street, recommending you shops and hotels, some even go too far and try some "unique to this land" scams such as talking you into believing that the hotel you booked went out of the business and they of course, have their recommendation for you! If you want to enjoy India, first you have to get yourself ready for such occurrences. Other than that, proper etiquette should be minded, for example, it is customary to remove footwear before entering most areas of worship. Also, revealing clothes might create problems in conservative regions. Just go with the flock, and you will be fine...

Shopping options in India include mostly traditional arts and crafts such as clothing. Indian fabrics are known for their top quality and exclusivity, you will find great bargains too. Weather you are shopping at a street stall or an old bazaar, you are expected to haggle, it's the tradition here. That may or may not apply to non traditional boutiques or malls in the big cities, again it should be safe to go with the flock. "Asking price" is usually at least two times the "buying price". As well as weavery; wood and stone carvings, paintings and jewelery are highly recommended shopping options.

Indian restaurants are globally spread nowadays, however, variety offered at those restaurants are just the tip of iceberg! Two things loved here, chili and curry. Spices turn out to be more important than main ingredients. It takes some time, maybe a few weeks, to get used to such degrees of hot for people that are unused to it. You can always ask for not spicy. The cuisine is as diverse as the culture. Different regions have very different approaches. Cuisine of eastern regions for example, are influenced with Asian traditions while the grain depot regions of north depend more on wheat, rice, roti and lentil. Indian breads are unique too. Overall, meat is widely used. Beef is forbidden in Hinduism and pork is forbidden in Islam, so it's very unlikely that you'll come across either. Mutton or chicken is widely used. Again thanks to Hindu customs, vegetarians will find great variety in the restaurants, more so than anywhere else in the world! India's most important fruit is mango, other than mango, oranges, pineapple, pomegranate, melons, coconut, grapes, peaches and berries are common too. When choosing a restaurant, most important thing to mind is the sanitation. The outsiders' metabolism might not accept what locals are used to so try to choose your restaurant carefully. Tap water should be avoided too.

From the high buzzing metropolitans to low slung slums, perfect beaches to snowy mountains, India offers more variety than anywhere else in the world. There is much to explore here as long as you keep an open mind and heart.