Experience the magic and magnificence of India

A trip to India will change your life and your perspective [View in browser]( [facebook]( [instagram]( [TikTok]( PICTURE YOURSELF IN… India [Holi festival in India] Experience the multiverses of India I’m lucky to have experienced India across chapters of my life. Throughout my childhood, summers in Mumbai with my grandparents, the fury of the heat matched only by the ferocity of the monsoons. As a young woman wrestling with her Indian-American identity, my ancestral village in Kerala where I stood barefoot on the cool granite floor of the village temple where my great, great-grandmother worshiped as a child. Later as a newlywed, Lonely Planet’s India guidebook in hand, pilgrimages to Haridwar, Rishikesh, and the Taj Mahal described by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore as “a teardrop on the cheek of time.” And most recently as a mother trying to give some combination of all of that to two multiracial American children who ate their way through a near endless parade of fresh fruit, street food, and regional cuisine…plus riding auto rickshaws every chance they had. [Nitya Chambers in India as a child, in 2010, and 2023. ] Chambers in India through the years. I agree wholeheartedly with Elsewhere guide Pravin Tamang that the biggest planning mistake is to measure your trip to India in distance. The multiverses of India can’t be contained in volume rather it is meant to be measured and organized in sensory experiences – a country designed to be seen, to be heard, to be tasted, to be breathed, to be felt. [Nitya Chambers](   Nitya Chambers   Executive Editor       [Nikhil outside tan building with arches](   FEATURED STORY See Mumbai in detail With art deco and Gothic buildings side by side, there’s a lot to learn about Mumbai through its architecture. Perhaps that’s why one Mumbai architect’s Walkitecture tour of the city’s buildings is drawing both visitors and locals alike. [Read more](   Immerse yourself Elsewhere local expert, Pravin Tamang created an itinerary to appeal to your tastebuds, sense of adventure and spiritual awakening. Experience the mulitverse. Wander through alleyways of [Delhi]( on a street food walking tour. Enjoy mouth-watering Indian snacks and food from across North and South of India Fly to [Jaipur]( to see magnificent forts and palaces, blushed pink. In 2019, Unesco inscribed this place as the “Pink City of India” Sip tea and savor scones during high tea at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai. The experience comes with a view of the grand bay area of Mumbai sea lines. See your future in the stars by sitting for an astrology reading in [Varanasi](. Part of Indian culture for millennia, experience this tradition by sitting for a reading. Soak in the traditions and beauty of the Holy River Ganges with a boat ride. You’ll get the best view of the traditions and culture of this sacred area from the water.     Book a trip to India with Pravin Tamang and Elsewhere A buzzing destination with so many things to do and see, you’ll love having Elsewhere’s local expert Pravin Tamang and his travel planning team on your side to make sure seeing everything this country has to offer is a breeze. [Two people dressed in red with instruments. Mountains behind them. ]( [Book now](   Ask an Insider WIth more than 20 years of experience helping people plan their visits to India, Pravin Tamang shares some of his expert tips for planning a trip. What should people know before they visit India? India is a massive country, and because of the geography, one part of India is a desert. The other one is the Himalayas and the mountains, and then you go south, which is absolutely tropical. What do you think people shouldn’t miss? A street food tour. All the local people are over there. It’s cooked every evening. Everything is fresh, so I like to introduce them to culture and spices, and everything (with a street food tour). [Pravin Tamang bio image] “Don’t miss a street food tour. All the local people are there." - Pravin Tamang, Elsewhere local expert What would you recommend for someone who's coming back like for a second or third trip? You've done the major attractions. Now go deeper down to India. India has so much in terms of you know our geography, our history, and at the same time, people make India. Every 100 kilometers, the culture changes. Just imagine the opportunity over there. Are there any mistakes you think people make when trying to plan their trip to India? People think, “Okay, I want to do this, this and this. I want to add this within the 15 days or within the 7 days I have” – which is quite challenging. So I have to tell them the distances in India are much bigger. In terms of the road conditions, because of the culture and because of the traffic as well, in the US it might be a 2-hour drive but in India, for the same distance, it might take 5 hours to reach it. What souvenir should someone bring back? I have started to realize that fabric is a good choice. You can actually go to a workshop for the entire day. You print your own textile (to take home).   Love travel inspiration in your inbox? Share with a fellow travel-lover by forwarding to a friend. Did someone share this email with you? Subscribe by clicking [here](.   This email was sent to you by: Lonely Planet Publications Ltd. | 1101 Red Ventures Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29707 © 2023 Lonely Planet [Unsubscribe]( Policy](