IndiaAhmedabadAhmedabad is Gujarat’s biggest city, and the natural start and end point for most trips through the state. But this is no get-in, get-out junction town. Ahmedabad has it all – including World Heritage status – plus a little extra Delhi doesn’t have: a bit of peace and quiet. Overview Trip ideas Experiences Regions Best time to visit Accommodation Back to all places in Mumbai & Central India Part of what makes Ahmedabad such a pleasure to visit (and why it tops so many quality of life polls) is the attitude of the Ahmedabadis. ‘Chaalse, bhaavse, faavse’ is the local phrase. Translating as something like ‘anything works for me’, it’s illustrative of a deep-rooted, laid-back philosophy. Even the sultans, who took control in 1511, seem to have taken an uncharacteristically live-and-let-live approach to conquest. Visiting their beautiful mosques today, you’ll see animals and heroes from Hindu myths, inscriptions in Sanskrit, and numerous other details usually absent in Islamic art and architecture.Ahmedabad is a city of two very distinct halves. On one side of the river is the old town, where dwellings are packed into ‘pols’: dense blocks of traditional houses between tiny, winding alleyways and chocka-block markets. It’s hectic and buzzy, but never pushy. Tourists are still a novelty, so you might be called over for a chat and a selfie, but it’s a far cry from the wheeling and dealing of Jaipur or Agra.Cross the river and it’s a totally different atmosphere – like someone’s opened a window to let in the breeze. This is Ahmedabad’s new town, home of state-of-the-art science museums, lakeside walks, leafy gardens, and one of the best textile museums in the world (tours are seriously in-depth – only die-hard cloth fanciers need apply).It gets more peaceful still at Gandhi’s ashram, which provides a fresh perspective on the Indian story, and there are some stonking World Heritage sites (including stepwells, sun temples and Indus Valley ruins) within easy day-trip reach.This is all to say, we love Ahmedabad as an entry point to India. Where Delhi can overwhelm you – and not always in a good way – it’s smaller, easier, more manageable: the perfect introduction. Other destinations in this region India Aurangabad, Ajanta & ElloraKnown for their rock-cut temples built over a millennium, the caves of Ajanta & Ellora are among the greatest masterpieces of the ancient world. India BandhavgarhSmaller and busier than Madhya Pradesh's other national parks, Bandhavgarh is hilly, rugged, beautiful – and has the best rate of tiger sightings in India. India BhopalOne of our favourite unsung cities, Bhopal’s lakeside setting, Islamic old town and history of feisty female rulers are just a few of its draws. India BhujMughal palaces and sunbaked desert are the backdrop to laid-back Bhuj, where old-fashioned workshops produce some of the finest textiles in the world. India GwaliorJust a stone’s throw from the Golden Triangle, little-visited Gwalior boasts one of the most ostentatious palaces and the finest pre-Mughal fort in India. India KanhaKanha is absolutely magical. Covering a huge swathe of Madhya Pradesh's highlands with sal forest and grassy savanna, it’s one of our favourite national parks in India. India KhajurahoA collection of World Heritage temples dating back over a thousand years, remarkable for being covered from top to toe in stunningly intricate carvings. India Little Rann of KutchA unique salt desert with diverse wildlife, engrossing local culture, and a history stretching back to the Indus Valley Civilisations. India MaheshwarStay at a converted fort with the descendants of a famous Maratha queen, and enjoy the magic of the Maheshwar countryside's ghats and riverside temples. India MumbaiHome of Bollywood, city of dreams, of haves and have-nots: Mumbai is extreme in every sense, and there’s no better people-watching on Earth. India OrchhaHidden for years in tangled scrub forest, Orchha’s tumbledown palaces, temples and cenotaphs hark back to the heyday of the once-great Bundela clan. India PannaA beautiful, little-visited national park, with open grasslands, deciduous forests, increasingly good tiger sightings and absolutely world-class bird-watching. Load More