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India

Your Travel Guide about India

Colourful and varied: Any trip to India is always going to be special. This country is home to endless stunning beaches, pulsating cities and wonderful landscapes containing exotic animals and plants. Countless people have had their lives enriched by immersing themselves in India’s culture. You too will be amazed by the country of a thousand colours!

Highlights in India

The Taj Mahal is probably India's most renowned sight. The mausoleum is built on the banks of the Yamuna River. The white marble building was built for the favourite wife of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan after she died. The Taj Mahal is one of the new 7 wonders of the world and is definitely a “Must-See” place.
The Rajasthan region has a lot to offer. Numerous beautiful desert cities invite you to immerse yourself into the colourful world of India. Here you can visit the red city of Jaipur, the “Blue City” Jodhpur or the “City of Lakes” Udaipur. Outside the cities you can ride through the desert with camels and spend the night under the starry sky.
If you are looking for adventures in the wild, you can choose between one of the 85 official national parks of India. The first national park was the Corbett National Park. It lies at the foot of the Himalayas and has the largest and oldest tiger reserve in the country. Accompanied by a trained nature guide you can explore the park by off-road vehicle or by foot.

Geography of India

The Indian subcontinent takes up 3,300,000 km² of the continent of Asia, and is the seventh largest country on the planet. It is bordered by Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh. The capital of the country is New Delhi, which has approximately 16.3 million residents. Lofty mountain ranges dominate India’s landscape in several areas. The Himalayas form the natural border with the rest of Asia and stand astride the landscape of the the north of India. This mountain range contains a total of eight peaks in excess of 8000 m. India’s highest peak is Kangchenjunga, which reaches a remarkable 8598 m. The source of the Ganges, India’s most famous river, is in the southwestern part of the Himalayas. The river crosses India before flowing into the Bay of Bengal. Alongside the Himalayas, India is also home to the lowlands of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, as well as the Highlands of Dekkan. The lowlands of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers are also known as the North Indian Plain or the Great Plains. This area contains both a fertile landscape and the Thar desert to the west, which is the driest region in India. The Highlands of Dekkan cover the entire southern region of India. They are located to the south of the Ganges lowlands. The Highlands of Dekkan also contain the well-known mountain range of the Western Ghats, which runs all the way to the coast.

Geomorphology/Geology

The mountain range of the Westghats extends up to 1,600 km through the states Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Its mean elevation is 900 m and its highest point with 2,695 m is called Anamudi. As a natural barrier, the water from heavy clouds comes down on the west side of its slopes. In consequence the climate in this area is tropical and hot. Moreover many short rivers and larger rivers like the Godavari and the Krishna arise from the east and west of the mountain range.

Travel Tipps and Trivia for India

- Rickshaw/Tuk-Tuk: Cities and towns are full of those tricycles that get you around easily and for low prices. Be prepared for damaged roads and therefore very uneven rides.
- Taxi: Especially for longer distances you can take a taxi as a slightly more expensive alternative. Private taxis should be avoided for safety reasons. Choose your own taxi and negotiate about the price before you get in the car. It is also possible that the driver stops at a store where they want to sell products to tourists. In that case – stay calm and friendly and refuse if you do not want to do so.
- Train: If you have enough time and want to travel around the country, you should consider taking the train. You can book sleeping wagons or your own compartment in different classes at relatively low prices.
- January 26: Republic Day
- August 15: Independence Day
Do
- Schedule your planned activities with enough time, as everything takes a while in India (also bring patience).
- Always negotiate about the price – you do not need to be shy.
- Try the local food.
Don’t
- Do not put off your shoes in religious institutions and put on long clothes (no naked skin or short pants/shirts allowed).
- Do not dress too revealing as a woman.
- Do not drink tap water or bottled water with broken seals.
- Do not treat books and literature disrespectfully or touch them with your feet as they are directed to the goddess of education.

Climate in India

As India is a huge country and its topography is quite irregular, also the climate varies a lot. Temperatures in the subtropical northern regions and central India change from 10-15°C in winter to about 40-50°C in summer. The tropical south is mostly influenced by the sea and temperatures are quite high throughout the year. In general India´s climate is majorly influenced by the Indian monsoon which brings rain from June to September and especially heavy rainfall to the west coast and the mountain slopes of the Himalaya in the northeast. On the contrary, the Thar desert is the driest region in India.

Flora and Fauna in India

India's biodiversity is as variable as its landscape and habitats. You can find tropical rainforest, bamboo forests and mangroves in the south, grassy steppes in dryer regions or mountain forests in the higher regions of the Himalaya. India is home to big cats like the Bengal tiger, the Indian leopard and also to the critically endangered Asiatic lion.
In contrast to those cats, crocodiles, numerous parrots, peacocks and kingfishers as well as several species of monkeys and in particular many langurs can be seen in the whole country. The tropical rainforests of the southern region are home to Indian elephants and also different species of snakes.

Social Geography of India

In India there is no official national language. As over 100 languages are spoken and about 544 different dialects exist in this huge country, the languages can be subdivided into different language families. About 77% of the population speaks languages from the Indo-Aryan family and about 20% from Dravidian family. Languages from the Austroasiatic and the Tibeto-Burman families are spoken by about 1% each. Also English and Arabic is spoken.