India is an assault on the senses. The colour, noise and vitality is overwhelming. It is a country of infinite contrasts - as vast as it is crowded, as luxurious as it is squalid; it is often said that India is not a country, but a continent.India: Taj Mahal sunset
How much does it cost?
You can spend almost as little or as much as you want in India but as a guide, flights cost from £300-£450. Package trips to Goa are good value: around £350 half-board for seven nights in November.
Local hotels are cheap, from £20 upwards a night, but a more Western-style two-week coach and air tour taking in Old Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Khajuraho and Varanasi will set you back around £1,800.
When should I go?
Climatic conditions vary hugely across such a vast country but in general there are three seasons: hot, wet and cool - in that order.
Most people visit during the winter (November to March), when the weather is neither too hot nor too humid.
In Delhi, for example, temperatures can still be as warm as 30C (86F), dropping to between 10C and 20C in December and January; rising to 30C (86F) in November and March.
April to August are unbearably hot (up to 50C/122F) unless you are travelling to the northern Himalayan regions, when this is the best time to visit.
