Breakaway Destination Guides (International)

The Republic of India is a country in South Asia which comprises most of the Indian subcontinent. India has a coastline which stretches for over seven thousand kilometers, and shares its borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan on the northwest, the People's Republic of China, Nepal, and Bhutan on the north, and Bangladesh and Myanmar on the east. On the Indian Ocean, it is also adjacent to the island nations of the Maldives on the southwest, Sri Lanka on the south, and Indonesia on the southeast. India is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of over one billion, and is the seventh largest country by geographical area.

India is home to some of the most ancient civilizations, and a center of important historic trade routes, including four major world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Formerly a major part of the British Empire before gaining independence in 1947.

Gujarat - The mangrove swamps and extinct volcano of this extraordinary region teems with wildlife.

Madhya Pradesh - On the Deccan plateau's northern edge two rock types meet, forming magical landscapes of cliffs and waterfalls.

The Golden Triangle - The land between Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra ahs some of India's finest Mughal architecture including the Taj Mahal.

Himalayas - In the crisp thin air of this most dramatic and forbidding of mountain ranges lies a land of ancient mysticism.

Ganges - India's most holy river brings life to the lowlands of northern India and Bangladesh.

Sundarbans National Park - Lying where the Ganges and Brahmaputra deltas join the Bay of Bengal the world's largest mangrove forest is a wildlife heaven.

Goa - Portuguese until 1961 the emerald land of Goa is a firm favorite among sun-seekers.

Kerala - Known as 'Heaven on Earth' this land of lush waterways and cashew and coconut plantations is steeped in history.

Kanchipuram - This temple city, a major center for religious pilgrimage is filled with carved architectural marvels that serve different Hindu sects.

Punt a kettuvallam boat through the labyrinthine backwaters of Kerala in South India.

Shower under a waterfall in the dense jungles of Madhya Pradesh.

Shop till you drop by bartering in the streets or suanter through Chennai's modern shopping center.

Attend a religious car festival in Puri east Orissa.

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