-Northern India-
Old desert caravans carried goods eastward from the Himalayas through an historic Mughal empire landscape.

Indian Himalayas
Where the Macedonians marched, the Guptas ruled, and the British raj fled to escape New Delhi's oppressive summer heat. The Himalayan foothills of northeastern India have terraced hillsides carved out of dense forests; its upper regions are mighty and snowcapped.

Ananada
Narendra Nagar
Tehri Garhwal, Uttar Pradesh, India
T: +91 13 782 7500. 75 rooms. $275- 
www.anandaspa.com
Turn of the century palace built by the Maharajah of Tehri Garhwal and used by the British viceroy as an escape from the summer heat, dust and noise of New Delhi. Now expanded into a spa retreat offering austere luxury and a place to meditate and practice Ayurveda and yoga in the land where it first began. Ananda overlooks the Ganges River, 3,280 feet below.

Chapslee
Shimla, Himachal Pradesh,
T: +91 177 280-2542. 6 rooms. $125- 
www.chapslee.com
Shimla, the beautiful capital of Himachal Pradesh, was once the British Raj's summer capital.Here Rudyard Kipling wrote, and Nehru and Gandhi plotted independence. Today the "Queen of the Hill Stations" still has remnants of colonial architecture. The Oberoi Group has several fine hotels here but to experience an authentic Raj experience, stay at Chapslee, former summer home of a Rajah and now operated by his grandson as a hotel.

Glenburn Tea Estate
Nr. Darjeeling Town
T: +91 33 2288 5630. 4 Suites in Burra Bungalow. $400, incl. meals.
www.glenburnteaestate.com
Stay in luxury suites with four poster beds and teak club chairs. With breathtaking views of the Kanchenjunga Mountain Range, Glenburn stretches from an elevation of 3,700 feet down into a Himalayan river valley in the heart of Darjeeling tea country. Originally a 19th century British planter's house and estate, Glenburn has been meticulously restored by one of India's pioneering tea families, the Prakashes, who now own it.


Agra
17th and 18th century Mughal Emperors made Agra the capital of  India. The area contains superb Mughal monuments, including the magnificent Agra Fort. It also the "most extravagant monument ever built for love", India's Taj Mahal, one of the most romantic places in the world. Located in central Northern India.

Amarvilas
Taj East Gate Road, Taj Nagri Scheme, Agra
T: +91 562 231515. 105 rooms. US$ 370-
www.oberoihotels.com
From every room, a view of the Taj Mahal.


-Western India-

Rajasthan
Grand palaces and majestic forts along northwest India's ancient silk route and its Mughul-ruled lands. Stay in a thakur's (a gentleman
land-owner, the equivalent of an English lord) home, now open to paying guests.

Rohet Garh
Nr. Jodhpur, District Pali
Rajasthan, India
T: +91 291 311611. US$ 36-
www.rohetgarh.com
A palace fortress, immensely old and having seen better and grander days, today a fully staffed home of a young thakur couple. Old photographs of tiger shoots and bejeweled maharajas usher you into the fairy-tale world of pre-independence days. 
 
Samode Palace
District Jaipur
Rajasthan, Samode, India
T: +91 142 3240 014. 43 rooms. US$ 165-
www.samode.com
An intimate thakur palace, run by the thakur's daughter and her husband. It is often used as a film set.

Vanyavilas
Ranthambhore Rd., Sawai Madhopur
Rajasthan, India
T: +91 7462 23999. 29 tents. US$ 500-
www.oberoihotels.com
India's first jungle resort is located near the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve—formerly the private hunting grounds of the maharahajs of Jaipur—and now one of the best places on earth to view tigers in the wild. The luxury tents are decorated with breezy sari fabrics, Burmese teak furniture and tiger-striped carpets.


-Southern India-
Popular beaches line the coast.

Kerala
The land of surf, spices and coconuts, Kerala is located on a sliver of land between the blue Adriatic Sea and the dramatic Western Ghats mountains on India's southernmost tip. Kerala is a popular destination with Europeans seeking Ayurvedic de-toxing treatments.

Coconut Lagoon
Kumarakom, Kottayam
Kerala, India
T: +91 481 524491. 42 cottages. US$ 105-
www.cghearth.com
Guests stay in tharawads (traditional wooden cottages) and travel by kettu-vallam (rice boat) in this tropical region of inland waterways, rivers, and lakes.

Green Magic Nature Resort
Vythiri
Kerala, India
T: +91 471 331 507. 3 tree houses. US$ 150  
www.tourindiakerala.com/treehouse
Stay in a stylish palm-thatched tree house located in a banyam tree 100 feet above the ground. Luggage arrives on an elephant's back and the house soap is made of pulverized bark and leave.

Malabar House
Fort Cochin, Malabar Coast
Kerala, India  
T: +91 484 216 666 
www.malabarhouse.com
Containing a stylish mix of antiques and modern furnishings, the former colonial mansion is located in the historical district of Fort Cochin.


Lakshaweep Archipelago
Located 200 miles off the coast of Kerala, these coral islands are India's smallest union territory. Only 1,500 visitors come a year because of the government's conservative initiative.

Bangaram Island Resort
Lakshadweep Islands
T: +91 484 266 8221. 30 rooms. US$ 290-
www.cghearth.com
34 teak beach huts on 128 island acres featuring turquoise blue lagoons, silvery beaches and lush green coconut palms. A total escape from the world: no t.v. or phones.


-Indian Ocean Islands-

Maldives
A necklace of balmy islands southwest of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, favored by Europeans.

Soneva Fushi
Kundfunadhoo Island
Baa Atoll, Maldives
T: +960-230 304/5. 48 rooms. US$ 205- 
http://www.six-senses.com/soneva-fushi
Environmentally sympathetic with a luxurious and natural rustic sensibility, this fashionable retreat was created by the scion of a wealthy Indian family and his Swedish wife, a former model.


Seychelles   
The Seychelles are among the world's most enchantingly remote romantic places: Indian Ocean islands with spotless beaches, rare birds, giant palms, warm water swimming and snorkeling.

Chateau de Feuilles
Pointe Cabris - Baie Sainte-Anne
Ile de Praslin, Seychelles
T: +248 233 316. 10 rooms. US$ 400-
 www.chateau.com.sc/
Rooms with views of the ocean and neighboring islands.

The Andaman Islands
These 572 islands are located in the Bay of Bengal and form the western perimeter of the Andaman Sea. While the eastern fringes of the Andaman Sea are famous for the upscale beach resort islands of Phuket and Langkawi, the Andaman Islands still retain the original wild and untamed character of this pocket of South East Asia. Only a few Andaman Islands permit tourism.

Barefoot at Havelock
Beach No. 7, Havelock Island
Andaman Islands
T: +91 319 228-2151.18 thatched-roof cottages. US$ 100-
www.barefootindia.com
Take a two hour flight from Mumbai, a one hour boat ride, and 30 minute drive on a primitive road to reach one of the most beautiful white sand beaches in Asia. 15 nearby dive spots are filled with exotic fish but nothing beat a swim with Rajan, the hotel's tusked male elephant.