Canadian World Traveller Fallr 2016 issue American World Traveler Fall 2016 issue | Page 38

38

To u r s o f a L i f e t i m e

India, a feast for all five senses
Distant, exotic, steeped in history and culture
and just plain cool, India has long been a
traveller favourite for obvious reasons. With
cities that overflow with life, breath-taking
natural scenery, authentic spiritual heritage
and some of the world’s most beautiful
beaches, it’s not hard to understand why this
diverse and colourful country has become a
bucket list destination for travel junkies the
world over.
To celebrate the launch of its brand new 12day Indian itinerary entitled “The Eternal
India”, youth travel experts Contiki have
compiled a list of reasons why India is a feast
for all the senses, and somewhere everyone
should visit at least once.
Sight
Obviously India boasts some of the world’s
most breath-taking sites of natural and manmade beauty, but it’s not just the scenery that
will disarm you, everything from clothing to
food and cosmetics is bursting with colour.
Heck, there’s even the Holi festival of colour,
which has now been recreated by several
western cities. India is without a doubt one of
the most visually stunning travel destinations
in the world, a treat for the eyes as well as a
cultural, historical and spiritual travel experience.
Smell
India is known for its smells as much its
known for its temples, beaches and spirituali-

American World Traveler / Fall 2016

ty – some are good, others not so much, but
it’s all part and parcel of travelling India.
Evenings are a wonderful time to explore
India's streets as the smell of fresh spices waft
up from the roadside snack stalls, and people
light incense to attract Lakshmi, the Goddess
of wealth and prosperity, into their houses. As
you might expect, the olfactory system can
find the myriad of smells in India a bit of a
shock, but come prepared to endure the
occasional nose wrinkle and it will make the
enjoyment of evening spices, incense or
flower scent that much sweeter.
Sound
Whether it’s the sound of a cowbell, spices
being ground with stone, water lapping
against a boat in Kerala or traffic noise in
Delhi – the sounds of India are like nowhere
else in the world. When vis