Language: Hindi    |    Currency: Rupees (₹)    |    Local time: IST   |    Avg. Flight time: 8.5 hrs

A religious and cultural mélange

It’s hard to compare India with anywhere else – the country has 22 officially-recognised languages, its people follow every major religion and you’ll find a vast range of different ethnicities.

This can seem overwhelming at first, but cheap package holidays to India can solve the riddle of planning an itinerary by handling some of the details for you. Keep an eye out for some excellent holiday deals in 2017.

Sands of time

People don’t often think of beach holidays and India at the same time. After all, there is so much to see and do inland.

However, some of the best all-inclusive holiday deals in India put you on the sands of Goa, the doyenne of the Indian beach scene. The location offers a bonanza of great side-trip options to places such as Mumbai, Hampi or the magnificent Ellora and Ajanta cave temples. Goa was Portugal’s main Indian colony, and this is still evident in the churches and ruined fortresses along the coast.

For more adventurous holidays in India, head to Havelock or Neil Islands. Part of the Andaman Islands, the beaches here resemble those of Thailand or Malaysia and are actually closer to both countries than to India. You won’t find any big hotels here, though – most accommodation consists of wooden beach cabins.

When to go 

Monsoon season typically lasts from June to September, but affects different regions at different times. Visit the north of India right after the monsoon season, from September, when everything is fresh and vibrant. Further south, the monsoon runs from September to October.

Despite conventional wisdom, some believe a trip to Kerala is best during the monsoon, when prices are cheap for package trips. 

Events for your diary

It seems as though every day there’s a religious festival, as diversity is celebrated and largely respected across the country.

The vast majority of people in India are Hindu, thus Diwali, the festival of lights, is one of the most memorable of the year. The date is different each year but in 2017 it will take place on October 18 in most of the country.