Terra & Tide
India
India rewards travelers who give it time — a single state can hold more variety than most countries manage in total. The Golden Triangle of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur is the classic introduction, but the backwaters of Kerala, the desert forts of Rajasthan, and the hill stations of the Himalayan foothills each pull in a completely different direction.
Trains are the backbone of getting around, and half the experience is watching the country change out the window — desert to farmland to jungle over the course of a day.
Highlights
- Watch the sunrise over the Taj Mahal in Agra
- Explore the pink-washed old city of Jaipur and its hilltop forts
- Drift through the backwaters of Kerala on a houseboat
- Wander the ghats of Varanasi at dawn
- Trek into the foothills of the Himalayas from Rishikesh or McLeod Ganj
