India Special Interest Tourism

(See respective sections for details.)

Trekking/mountain-biking/rafting/angling
Mountain Biking India, May to October is the best time in the Himalayan region for adventurerelated activities. The places in the Himalayan region where professionaloperators have set up permanent camps include Garhwal Himalayas, KumaonHills, Kullu Valley, Kangra Valley, Lahaul and Spiti, Zanskar and Ladakh,and the Eastern Himalayas.

Skiing and Heli-skiing
Skiing in India is popular in the places of Auli (Garhwal), Gulmarg(Kashmir), Manali, Solang and Narkanda (Himachal Pradesh). Skiing takesplace from mid-December to March. Heli-skiing takes place in the Solangvalley.

Safaris
Jeep Safaris Tours:
The trans- Himalayan jeep safaris on the Manali-Leh stretch takes placefrom mid-July to October. From October to April, the show shifts to thetourist paradise of Rajasthan.

Horse Safaris:
The thrilling horse safaris in Rajasthan passes through Rajputbattlegrounds, cenotaphs, villages, lakes, wildlife sanctuaries and castles.The safaris stop each night at a heritage hotel or in tents. From October toMarch, safaris are also operated along certain trails in Himachal Pradesh.

Camel Safaris:
Camel safaris take place in Rajasthan's desert regions around Jodhpur,Jaisalmer and Bikaner. Camel Safaris are regarded as the best means ofexploring the desert from close quarters.The safaris stop at welcomingvillages which also enables the participants to interact with the localpeople and enjoy their traditional folk music.

Wildlife Safaris Tours:
Indiahas a number of wildlife sanctuaries that are home to many varieties offlora and fauna. In northern India, Corbett National Park, named after theBritish hunter-writer Jim Corbett is famous for tigers. Dudhwa NationalPark, situated near the Indo-Nepal border is home to rhinos and elephants.Sariska National Park and Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan are famousfor tigers and birds respectively. Hundreds of migratory bird species cometo Bharatpur during winters. Ranthambore in Rajasthan is another wildlifesanctuary famous for tigers. In central India, Kanha and Bandhavgarh alsoshowcase the tiger. To the west of India is the Gir wildlife sanctuary inthe state of Gujrat. Gir is famous for its lion population. In southernIndia, elephants are found in large numbers in Bandipur, Nagarhole andMudumalai wildlife sanctuaries. Periyar wildlife sanctuary is a tiger andbird preserve. In India's north east, Kaziranga National Park is famous forits one-horned rhino.

Angling:
In the Himalayan region, angling may fetch tourists the rainbow or browntrout or masheer. Tourists who love deep sea fishing can go to the Malabarcoast or Lakshadweep islands. The angling season in the Himalayan region isfrom February to June and again from September to mid-November.

Scuba Diving and Snorkeling:
Scuba diving and Snorkeling is famous in the islands of Andaman &Nicobar and Lakshadweep.

Aero Sports:
In India, Wanderlust Travels offer hot-air ballooning over the Taj Mahal,Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Delhi, Himachal and Rajputana desert. Wanderlustalso organizes bungee-jumping in Delhi and some other metro cities of India.Hand- gliding and parasailing also takes place in the lower Himalayanranges. Participants from all over the world come to Kangra for an annualhand- gliding championship.

Mountaineering:
In the Himalayas, mountaineering treks are organized up to heights of25,000 ft. Tourists should go with specialized operators only.

Adventure Sports
Courses in trekking in Jammu; skiing at Patnitop; paragliding (Auli andPatnitop).

Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Jawahar Parbat, Darjeeling, WestBengal.

Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi, District Uttarkashi(Uttaranchal).

Western Himalayan Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali,Himachal Pradesh (also skiing and water sports courses).

Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering, Department of Tourism, C-1Hutments, Dalhousie Road, New Delhi, also in Jammu, Auli (Uttranchal) andNarkanda (Himachal).

National Institute of Water Sports, E-3 Dramila Apartments, Mangor Hill,Vasco da Gama 403 802 (also water skiing and scuba diving).