Top India Hotels
Awesome India is one of the ultimate travel experiences. Surely no other country possesses the diversity and depth of this mesmerizing land. The engrossing culture is stunningly exotic and rich. The land varies wildly, from sweltering tropics to the unforgiving icy extremes of the mighty Himalayas. And the turbulent wake of ethnic variation, eventful history and political strife has led to an equally disparate people, filling every possible niche of human existence. India overflows with beauty and toil. The sights, sounds, smell and tastes will push your senses to their very limits.
India as we know it was bo rn of the legacy of British colonial rule. Formerly a patchwork of feuding princely states, the subcontinent became the jewel in the crown of the British Empire. The independence movement led by world-shaker Mahatma Gandhi sounded the death knell for European colonialism around the globe, and the partition that accompanied the forced British withdrawal still drags on today. The largest democracy on the planet is barely holding together a most complicated nation, and the traditional caste system, although formerly outlawed, has ingrained the social strata. The miniscule elite's vast wealth is contradicted by overwhelming poverty. Age-old religious tensions are fuelled by fundamentalism and irresponsible elements in the political arena. Although immensely rewarding travelling around India is hard going. The nation grapples with widespread illiteracy, poor infrastructure and a distinct lack of services. Unless backpacking (and India is one of the most fascinating backpacking destinations), then flying is the only comfortable and practical way to traverse the subcontinent. The rail network takes most of the strain, but has seen slow modernisation. Car provides an acceptable alternative but take a driver, as the roads will test even the steeliest nerves.
With a population of more than a billion, India is second to China as the most populous country on earth. Yet you will hear few investors referring to India as "the world's second-biggest market" with the same salivating optimism as with China. Business practices can be frustrating with corruption undermining what ought to be an industrial powerhouse. International hotel chains often invest in new properties only to have local partners sneakily edge them out. Standards inevitably slip and the result is that the quality of the hotels varies wildly. Star ratings are not always reliable and, relative to the rest of Asia, are typically inflated, so it pays to do your research before you check-in. Generally speaking Indian hotels are bad(some are horrendous!) but glowing exceptions do exist. A few prominent chains are fittingly represented and India's better heritage hotels possess a magic that you cannot get elsewhere.
Despite the challenges and head-scratching contradictions, the country is laden with wondrous sights to captivate the visitor. It is liberally dressed with incredible temples and forts and inspired colonial structures. Spirituality courses through the nation's veins, not surprising as India gave rise to both Hinduism and Buddhism. Sprawling Delhi and Mumbai (Bombay) are traditional gateways but both are worth escaping for the jewels that lie within. Agra hosts the exquisite white marble Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and to the south are the striking spires of Sri Meenakshi temple in Madurai. The golden shores of Goa were first colonised by the Portuguese, then later by long-haired hippies, and although it is slowly heading upmarket it retains much of its original appeal. Rajasthan, though, is most visitors' highlight - Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaiselmer, Udaipur and Puskar provide an enthralling variety of palaces, forts, havelis and bazaars.
The Indian climate is as diverse as the country itself, from the searing heat of Chennai (Madras) to the cool hill stations of Shimla. The seasons are loosely divided into the hot (February to May), the wet (June to October) and the most temperate season, the cool (November to January). With a slice of humour, adventurous travellers who are willing to invest a little time and effort will find India to be one of the pinnacles of travel. And the gentle, unflappable Indians, with their alternative outlook on life have the inane ability to make you laugh, or at other times, cry.
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Featured India Hotels
The Park Hotel New Delhi
Connaught Place, India
Location Located in the heart of the business, shopping and entertainment centres of... More...
Hotel Midland Mumbai
Airport: Chhatarpati Shivaji Int'l (BOM), India
Location Hotel Midland Mumbai enjoys a stunning position, strategically located to... More...
Clarks Shiraz Hotel Agra
City, India
Location Located in the heart of Agra, the Clarks Shiraz Hotel is 2 kilometres from... More...
The Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai
City: Gateway of India, India
Location The Taj Mahal Palace is located 13 kilometres from Chhatrapati Shivaji... More...
Jaypee Palace Hotel Agra
Taj Mahal, India
Location Located in the main tourist district of Agra, on Fatehabad Road, the Jaypee... More...
Maidens Hotel New Delhi
Old Delhi, India
Location Situated in the residential area of North Delhi, Maidens Hotel is close to... More...
ITC Mughal Agra Hotel
City, India
Location Situated close to the city centre, the Mughal Sheraton Hotel Agra is on 35... More...
Taj Bengal Hotel Kolkata
Alipore, India
Location The property is located in an exclusive and green area in Alipore in the... More...
The Park Kolkata
City Centre, India
Location Located in the heart of business and entertainment centre of the city, this... More...
Umaid Bhawan Hotel Jaipur
City, India
Location Umaid Bhawan Hotel is located in a quiet residential colony in Jaipur, the... More...
India Travellers Tales
Visited Taj-hotel provided golf cart for transportation; Agra Fort and most other sites. Tour guide recommended by hotel was very informative. Did shopping for wool carpet, handicrafts etc.
Madras is a good starting point for visiting South India. Many shops and malls. Famous are the silks of Kanchipooram which are sold in Madras too.
Rickshaws and taxis in front of hotel can take you to more distant locations, otherwise shopping and dining is literally steps away. A fun upscale bowling alley and arcade immediately behind hotel, as well as movie theater 1.5 blocks away, make up somewhat for lacking pool, if looking for entertainment options.
Don''t hire a car in Chennai unless you have a driver with it, the traffic is mad. If there is an inch of space on the road, someone will claim it and rules of the road do not exist, unless its ''first come first served!''
If you are planning to visit the temple please procure entry cards well in advance or you may have to spend more days than you have planned for. A number to tourist attractions are available in and around Tirupati. The travel service at the hotel can assist you to organise tours.
Went to the Wagah border post betwean India and Pakistan. Great fun !! Its about 30 Kms. Booked through the reception at the hotel. ost about 1000 rupees each.They run the tour every evening at dusk. Hundreds of people there. Singing, chanting etc. The golden temple is the main reason for visiting Amtitsar. We went on a Sunday and as you would expect it was packed. Got a TukTuk which was fun.We were the only westerners that we saw. Worth visiting the Food Hall where upto 30,000 people are fed every day for free.Just to see the process. Where they prepare the food and clean up all the plates is amazing. Worth going just to see that. The temple is quite small but beautiful surrounded by a moat within white ornate buildings. Just down the road within walking distance is the place where the British massacre took place.( Jallianwala Bagh) Being British I felt very uneasy here. Don''t think I would go again. As the only westerners we got a lot of hostile looks. As you would expect. I thought it was just a memorial garden but it turned out to be much more than that. In fact we got quite a lot of hostile looks at the Golden Temple as well as if we weren''t welcome there. It was the only place in India that I felt this and I was pleased to leave Amritsar. There were very few westerners that we saw and I''m not sure if they get too many tourists other than Indians. There aren''t any 5 star hotels there so that may say something. Eating out was difficult. We ate in the hotel for two of the nights and it was very good. The other place that we found was a Pizza Hut in Lawrence St (a 10 minute walk away)which was very good and the staff were so pleased to see us. As were the customers. We were quite a novelty. After 3 weeks in India a Pizza was great. There are a lot of internet places which are very cheap (25 rupees per hour) about 30 pence. You can also phone from these places and to the UK it was only 4 rupees per minute. At the time we were there we got 89 rupees to the pound.
We were in Khajuraho for 2 days. The town was perhaps the most touristy of all the places that we have been. We got pestered constantly and it was a relief to get back to the hotel. Went to Raja''s Cafe as recommended in the lonely planet,don''t bother. It said it was owned by a Swiss woman. Possibly a long time ago,dirty and grim.There didn''t seem like too many places to eat apart from the hotels unless you want the cheapest places. We were there for a short time so just ate in the hotel. It''s so cheap anyway, approx £2-3 for a main course at a 4-5 star hotel. I''ve been to India 5 times and found the safest way is to eat in the best hotels unless you are a backpacker. The overall cost is minimal. We went to the light show at the Temples at 7.30 pm. It lasted for about an hour but half that time would''ve been better. The temples are right in the town centre (its a very small town-a village really)I thought they were fantastic. Architecturally and visually. Mostly in very good condition.In a lovely park setting, a complete contrast to the town. You can easily walk around them in a couple of hours. We walked round the town in about an hour tops. Mostly small shops (tourist types) and tailors. You could get most things made here. I ordered a dress and blouse from the hotel shop before coming into the town. In the hotel there was no hassle I probably paid more but I was happy with the result. The rickshaw drivers were the most persistent of anywhere that I''ve been but probably the poorest I have seen. There weren''t too many tourists but it still doesn''t make it very pleasant to walk around with the constant hassle.
Agra and in particular the Taj Mahal were beautiful. However, there isn''t much else to do in Agra so don''t spend more than a day here. Also don''t waste your money getting a guided tour for the day - the only attractions worth seeing are the Taj Mahal are perhaps the Agra Fort (if you haven''t already seen the Red Fort in Delhi).
Mumbai was stinky, dirty and on the whole we found it not to be the most interesting place in India. There are much nicer places in India to spend your time and money in. Ellora caves and Ajanta caves which are about 6 hours from Mumbai are beautiful.
Jaipur is a great place and a must visit for anyone going to India. It is worth taking a tour as there is many sights to see. I organised a tour through the RTDC, which can be booked at a couple of RTDC offices and RTDC hotels. It only cost 100 rupees for a half day tour and 150 rupees for a full day tour, both with an english speaking guide. I found a great vegetarian restaurant called "The Parantha Hut'' in the new city, which served clean and very tasty food (I went back several times).