The Indian subcontinent makes things easy for you when it comes to navigating between the contrasts and the exoticism of these destinations in 2019.
Here are the most affordable places to visit in India
1. Allahabad
On January 15, the city of Allahabad, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, will be held at the largest pilgrimage in the world, Kumbh Mela. Designated as Unesco’s Intangible Heritage, this event also known as the “Sacred Jar Festival” revolves around Triveni Sangam, where the sacred rivers Yamuna and Ganges converge. A “bridge” that connects two worlds, that of the living and the spirits, inviting the faithful and curious to immerse themselves in the waters as the best form of rebirth.
2. Karnataka
The next great state of India as far as passenger circuits are concerned is called Karnataka and it is located in the southwest of the country. A space capable of bringing together in a single dream coffee microcosm like those of Chikmagalur, the monumental charm of Mysore (or City of Palaces), that Indian Silicon Valley called Bangalore but, especially, that set of 350 temples called Hampi.
3. Chitwan National Park
Nepal is set to close 2018 as the only country that, so far, has managed to double the number of tigers in its natural reserves. A triumph that finds its best representation in the Chitwan National Park, in the southern lands of Terai. Literally called “the heart of the jungle”, Chitwan is an exuberant paradise of diversity, swamps and eucalyptus among which move elephants, rhinos or tigers with March being the best month for animal sightings in Nepal.
4. Madhya Pradesh
While the Golden Triangle is India’s most famous attraction, there is a secret “wonderland” called Madhya Pradesh. Somewhere along the route, an ancient city called Omkareshwar stands on an island that forms the Buddhist symbol of Om, tigers and leopards are easily seen in the Satpura Reserve or you can see the oldest cave paintings in India ( Bhimbetka). Nuances that hatch in Sanchi, one of the oldest Buddhist stupas in the world declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1989
5. Assam
In a river dotted with lotuses and tropical birds, a man throws a net wrapped in the most precious of silences. And there, a little further, two children run between the palm trees to get to rough tea plantations. Assam not only consolidates as the most serene and clean state of India but as a great box of secrets travellers: from the Eastern Switzerland that evokes Haflong to Majuli, the largest fluvial island in the world, passing through the rhinoceroses of the Animal Kaziranga Sanctuary, this state of northeastern India is a delight for the senses, especially in a month of May in which the temperatures are mild and pleasant. Though assam is a beautiful place Mayong is one of the abandoned places, as its known as the black magic world.
6. Rishikesh
Famous after the presence of The Beatles in one of his ashrams in 1968, Rishikesh becomes the capital of yoga, especially in a month in which this famous Indian discipline celebrates its World Day on June 21. The perfect opportunity to get lost in a city where there are more yoga centres overlooking the Ganges river than restaurants or bars, confirming the potential of this city to escape in search of absolute relaxation.
7. Kerala
The monsoon in India is often seen as an obstacle by visitors who are unaware of the many benefits of this typical phenomenon of the subcontinent. And one of them is the cleanliness of an atmosphere that prepares you to succumb to the Ayurveda treatments that take place inside the jungles of Kerala. Located in South India, this tropical state famous for its thousands of coconut trees, fairytale canals or the birthplace of spices offers a whole display for lovers of ecological and health tourism in the form of cosy ecolodges and spaces filled with water and colour. Kerala is one of the best tourist spots in India where many international tourists come here to enjoy their vacations. It is adviced to US tourists to apply for Indian Visa before fixing their trip to India.
8. Sri Lanka
August is a month of beach and relaxation, elements that can be found anywhere in the Caribbean or the Mediterranean. However, few beach destinations also have elephant festivals like the Esala Perahera, which is held every summer in the Sri Lankan Kandy. On the occasion of the anniversary of the famous Buddha’s tooth, the entire city is reinvented in the form of dances, make-up elephants and plays of lights that make tropical Sri Lanka vibrate. No wonder Lonely Planet has named it the best country to travel in 2019.
9. Bhutan
From party to party we jump to Bhutan, the happiest country in the world. A nation of sacred stupas, temples trapped in the mountains or festivities as colourful as the tsechu , celebration whose greatest representative is that of the cities of Paro or Thimpu, where it takes place between the end of September and the beginning of October. A masked dance that unfolds a cloak of folklore and unique music, inviting the visitor to get lost in the unknown, in a world of harmony and hundreds of smiles.
10. Amritsar
The Sikh religion finds its main icon in the state of Punjab, in northern India. Better known as the Golden Temple of Amritsar, this golden monument stands on a “nectar pool” that during the month of October is filled with candles and good wishes coinciding with the celebration of a Diwali 2019 that will take place on October 27. Inscribed in the Unesco Indicative Heritage List, the also known as Harmandir Sahib is considered to be the most visited temple in the world as it is one of the great spiritual epicentres of the planet. It is one of the most popular travel destinations in India.
11. Gujarat
Trapped between Rajasthan and Maharastra, Gujarat is one of the states that has recently awaken the world, displaying countless nuances and attractions. The birthplace of Gandhi not only has World Heritage Sites like the walled city of Ahmedabad but historical monuments such as the Temple of the Sun Modhera or Rani ki Vav, one of the staggered wells largest nationwide. Historical triumphs that culminate with a stay between a luxury campsite and the magical sunsets that illuminate the Rann de Kutch, a white desert that the tides of the Indus river mould under his will resulting in a scenario as ephemeral as it is fascinating.
12. Maldives
With the arrival of December, the family gathers around a big feast and the gifts are opened. Pretty, right? Yes, but what if we do the same in a paradisiacal archipelago? The Maldives is not only a more suggestive destination in December for a price issue but for the potential to change cold for heat, firs for coconut trees or stoves for relaxation in a resort like Baros Maldives.