India is 2024’s hottest destination. Here’s why

Feeling drawn to India? You’re far from alone. Here are some of the many ways you could go on a dream subcontinental holiday.

“I never want to leave. And yet I can’t wait to get to the next amazing place, too.” On my first trip to India, I found myself saying this every single day.

I was constantly falling in love with my surroundings, while feeling like a kid before Christmas about our next stop. My senses had to click into another gear to process all the colours, sounds, scents and flavours I was experiencing for the first time in a land where everything feels heightened.

Now that I’ve had my first taste, I understand why travel to India is booming, with Abercrombie & Kent seeing a significant increase in bookings over the past 12 months ahead of what will be a record-breaking 2024.

My biggest challenge is choosing where to go next, with every corner of India having something extraordinary to share. Here’s where the compass points could take you.

NORTHERN INDIA

Like so many before me, my first trip to India took in some of the highlights of the north, including standing in awe in front of the Taj Mahal at sunrise, feeling the romance of the lake city of Udaipur, sleeping in a former palace in Jodhpur, and being captivated by new sights at every turn from World Heritage-Listed forts to intricate designs on colourful trucks.

Best known for being home to the Golden Triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur and the colourful magic of Rajasthan, in Northern India you can also take an evening boat ride on the Ganges at Varanasi, visit India’s summer capital, Shimla, in the Himalayan foothills, and look for Bengal tigers on a safari ride in Ranthambore National Park.

Go deeper in your yoga and meditation practice in the “world capital of yoga”, Rishikesh, on the banks of the sacred Ganges, or strap on your boots for a high-altitude hike visiting remote villages and ancient Buddhist monasteries in one of the highest regions in the world in the mountains of Ladakh.

Tip: Learn from my mistake and don’t book an indulgent massage after a delicious meal or you could make yourself sick in an unexpected way.

Tour: Abercrombie & Kent’s nine-day Splendours of Rajasthan tour includes sunset and sunrise at the Taj Mahal, exploring New and Old Delhi, a sunset boat ride in the lake city of Udaipur, and a stay in lodgings fit for royalty in the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur. From $5795 per person.

Live the high life at Rambagh Palace in Jaipur. Picture: Taj Hotels

WESTERN INDIA

Soft sandy beaches, cosmopolitan cities, lush forests and rock-cut architecture are some of the charms to be found in western India.

A Portuguese colony from 1510 to 1961, the state of Goa may be the smallest in India but it attracts everyone from backpackers to billionaires with its sun, sea, sand and spirit. Beach life in Goa can be picturesque and peaceful or party central, so do your research before booking a stay. Meanwhile in the capital, Panaji (also known as Panjim), highlights include strolling down lanes lined with colourful houses, and eclectic boutiques and bars in the Latin Quarter, Fontainhas.

In Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra, you can see historic sights including the Gateway of India, try to spot Bollywood stars on Juhu Beach, and go treasure hunting and street food sampling in open-air markets.

On Gharapuri Island, just off the coast of Mumbai, you can see the Elephanta Caves. This labyrinth of rock-cut cave temples dates back to the fifth century and houses Hindu and Buddhist monuments. There’s also a cave linked to the cult of Shiva.

Further inland, the city of Aurangabad has the Bibi Ka Maqbara – a strikingly similar, but not quite right take on the Taj Mahal, and is a good base to explore the Ajanta and Ellora Caves, where Hindu, Buddhist and Jain temples are cut into the rocks.

Tip: To join a four-day party, time your visit for the Goa Carnival. Held in February or March, the festival includes masquerade balls, parades and colourful street festivals.

Tour: That’s Why I Love India’s 15-day tour of Kerala and Goa includes curated food experiences and cooking classes, visiting a 400-year-old Goan mansion, seeing a traditional Goan feni liquor distillery, and time to simply relax on the beach and swim in the Arabian Sea, from $5924 per person.

Palolem beach is one of Goa's most popular beaches.

SOUTHERN INDIA

Eclectic and energetic, Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) is India’s hi-tech hub and home to more high-growth companies than anywhere else in the country. Feel the Bengaluru vibe as you dive into its craft beer and rooftop bar scene, and explore the cafes, restaurants and boutiques in ever-evolving neighbourhoods.

Further south, the tropical state of Kerala stretches almost 600km along the southwest coast and is where you can visit tea plantations, Hindu temples, the red cliffs town of Varkala, and wildlife sanctuaries in the dense forests of the Western Gnats.

Over on the southeast coast in Puducherry (Pondicherry) in the state of Tamil Nadu, you can give your dusty French a twirl in the former French colony where French is still spoken and found on street signs. A couple of hours north in the bohemian beach town of Mahabalipuram, the Group of Monuments is an outstanding collection of rock-cut cave temples, monolithic temples and giant open-air reliefs that date back to the seventh and eighth centuries.

Tip: In Kerala, explore the winding backwaters in beautiful traditional houseboats known as kettuvallam, which have been gliding along these waters since ancient times.

Tour: Wendy Wu’s Kerala & the Southern Highlights tour is an 18-day journey that includes looking for tigers, leopards and elephants at the Periyar Wildlife Reserve, seeing the traditional Kerala martial art Kalaripayattu in action, and going on a kettuvallam cruise, from $7680 per person.

Cruising Kerala's Backwaters on a kettuvallam house boat.

EASTERN INDIA

Darjeeling and Assam are familiar names to any tea lover, and in East India, they’re worthy additions to an itinerary, too. In the Himalayan foothills of West Bengal, Darjeeling was originally built as a summer retreat for British officials. The city is a mix of colonial architecture and rolling green tea plantations looking up at the snowy peaks of the third highest mountain in the world, Kanchenjunga.

In the state of Assam, you can mix visits to tea gardens with temples and tigers. On the banks of the Brahmaputra River, Assam’s capital city Guwahati is also known as the City of Temples, and includes the Kamakhya Mandir, dedicated to the goddess of desire. From Guwahati it’s about 200km to Kaziranga National Park, where the world’s largest population of greater one-horned rhinos roams with elephants, tigers, leopards, water buffalo, sloth bears and more.

The former capital of British India, Kolkata (Calcutta) is a mix of British, Mughal and Bengali architecture, and home to the oldest and largest museum in India, the Indian Museum, and the oldest cricket stadium in India, the massive Eden Gardens.

Tip: Kolkata’s New Market dates back to 1874 and has about 3000 shops selling clothes, handicrafts, snacks, flowers, fresh food and much more.

Tour: Intrepid’s 16-day Sikkim, Assam and Nagaland tour includes wildlife spotting in Kaziranga National Park, riding the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, and visiting a traditional Naga village in the mountainous area that borders Myanmar, from $4245 per person.

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, known as the Toy Train.

CENTRAL SCENES

The setting for Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book can be traced to what is now the Pench and Kanha national parks in Madhya Pradesh. One-hundred-and-thirty years later, you might still spot the tigers, wolves, panthers and sloth bears that were the inspiration for the book’s characters. You don’t have to be raised by wolves to spend the night. The Pench Tree Lodge offers stays in tree houses and cottages where you can join jeep safaris and bush dinners under the stars.

In the ancient city of Khajuraho, erotic sculptures carved into temple walls around 1000 years ago can be shocking for some and a drawcard for others, and make up around 10 per cent of the scenes.

Meanwhile in Chhattisgarh, the state that is shaped like a seahorse, 70 per cent of the population in the Bastar region are tribal communities. Visit tribal markets where people from different villages come together to sell their unique wares. Then feel the power of the Chitrakote Waterfall – the “Niagara Falls of India” – which becomes the widest in India at about 300m in monsoon season.

Tip: Book safari drives in Madhya Pradesh as soon as you plan your trip, to secure a spot, and try to do three or four a day to maximise your wildlife spotting chances.

Tour: Pugdundee Safaris’ 10-day Kipling Trails tour includes morning and evening jeep safaris in Pench and Kanha national parks, and walking and jeep safaris in Satpura Tiger Reserve, with lodge stays including Pench Tree Lodge, from $2925 per person.

Originally published as India is 2024’s hottest destination. Here’s why