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City Sophistication It’s true that most Indians live in villages, but city people here had attained high planes of sophistication when classiness was just a glimmer in the West’s eye. India’s cities have great arts scenes, excellent restaurants and heaps of style. Mumbai Mumbai has it all – fashion, film, art, dining and a nightlife scene that’s just crazy – on an elaborate stage of fanciful architecture and water views (p719) Delhi Also an urban sophisticate, Delhi has Mughal attractions (gorgeous tombs and the awesome Jama Masjid, among others) to go with its exceedingly good shopping, museums and street food (p56) Kolkata Long known for its poetic and political tendencies, Kolkata also has colonial-era glam and sublime cuisine – while several prominent gods look on (p442) Hyderabad The ancient architecture of several excessively wealthy dynasties sits just across town from a refined restaurant, nightlife and arts scene (p905)
Bazaars
Beaches
Shoppers, get ready. Indian megamalls may be popping up like monsoon frogs, but the age-old bazaar – with its mix of crowds and spices, garbage and flowers, altars and underwear – is still where it’s at.
India’s coastlines are diverse and gorgeous, with lots of personality. Several beaches in Goa and Kerala are downright paradisiacal, while elsewhere, the shoreline is more tinselled and all about long strolls and snack carts.
Old Delhi Just about everything you can think of is for sale in the old Mughal-era bazaars. Some of India’s best street food – and oldest restaurants – are in Chandni Chowk, which translates to ‘moonlit square’ (p94)
Kerala Kovalam and Varkala, with their crescent-shaped white-sand beaches, palm trees, lighthouse (Kovalam) and dramatic cliffs (Varkala), are a vision (p919)
Goa Tourist flea markets have become huge events at several spots on the north coast, while the local bazaars of Panaji (Panjim) and, especially, Margao make for excellent wandering (p795)
Goa Everything they say about the beaches is true. Even when overrun with travellers, they’re still lovely somehow. Vagator and Palolem are two of the prettiest, as is Gokarna, just nearby in Karnataka (p795)
Mumbai The megalopolis has several old, characterful markets handily dedicated to themes: Mangaldas (fabric), Zaveri (jewellery), Crawford (meat and produce) and Chor (random antique things) (p748)
East Coast Puri, in Odisha, and Visakhapatnam, in Andhra Pradesh, are more fun than precious: think esplanades, balloon-wallahs and extended families on holiday kicking back and eating candy floss (p594 and p911)
Mysore Devaraja Market is about 125 years old and filled with about 125 million flowers, fruits and vegetables (p852)
Mumbai Beaches? In Bombay? We say yes. Hit Girguam Chowpatty, eat strange and exciting local delicacies, people-watch, and see how hot-pink the sunset can get (p727)
PL AN YOUR TRIP I F YO U L I K E
» Jama Masjid (p66), Delhi