Andaman & Nicobar Islands This string of 300 richly forested tropical islands lies in the Bay of Bengal between India and Myanmar and stretches almost to the tip of Sumatra. Ethnically, the islands are not part of India and, until fairly recently, they were inhabited only by indigenous tribal people. The majority of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands are uninhabited, surrounded by coral reefs, and have white sandy beaches and incredibly clear water. This is an excellent place for snorkelling, scuba diving and lazing on the beach. Indian tourists may roam freely, but foreigners are constrained by a 30-day permit, allowing only limited travel. There are regular flights to Port Blair on South Andaman from Kolkata and Chennai (Madras); permits are issued at the airport on arrival. Infrequent boats from Kolkata and Chennai take four days to reach the islands; permits must be obtained in advance if arriving by boat. Darjeeling Straddling a ridge at an altitude of over 2100m (6890ft) in the far north of West Bengal, Darjeeling has been a favourite hill station of the British since they established it as an R 'n' R centre for their troops in the mid-1800s. The town remains as popular as ever and offers visits to Buddhist monasteries, tours to tea plantations, shopping in bustling bazaars and trekking in high-altitude spots to the north. Like many places in the Himalaya, half the fun is in getting there. Darjeeling has the unique attraction of the famous miniature train, which loops and switchbacks its way from the plains up to Darjeeling in a 10-hour grind of soot and smoke. Among the town's highlights is the Passenger Ropeway, the first chairlift to be constructed in India, which connects Darjeeling with Singla Bazaar on the Little Ranjit River far below. It's a superb excursion, though not an obvious choice for vertigo sufferers. Unfortunately, the ropeway is not always in use - phone in advance to see when it's running. Nearby is the Zoological Park, which houses Siberian tigers and rare red pandas in less than ideal conditions. The animals are prey to Indian tourists who show off by teasing and spitting at them mercilessly. The precious snow leopards are kept in a separate enclosure and get a much better deal. If you're interested in learning about the complex tea-producing process, call in at the Happy Valley Tea Estate; you can also savour some of the crop at the impressive Gymkhana Club, once the playpen of the Raj and now slouching reluctantly towards the 21st century. Flying is the easiest and most comfortable way to reach Darjeeling, although this will still only get you to within 90km (55km) of the city. The airport is situated on the flat plains near Siliguri, at Bagdogra, but there is a connecting bus from the airport to Darjeeling. Several bus lines also operate out of Darjeeling. Jaisalmer This desert fortress close to Rajasthan's border with Pakistan is straight out of an Arabian fairy tale. Founded in the 12th century as a staging post for camel trains travelling between India and Central Asia, Jaisalmer is a golden sandstone city with crenellated city walls, a magnificent fortress and a number of exquisitely carved stone and wooden havelis. Seen at sunset from afar, it glows with the luminescence of a mirage. Jaisalmer's impressive fort crowns an 80m (260ft) high hill, and about a quarter of the city's 40,000 inhabitants reside within its walls. Little has changed here for centuries, and if ever a record-breaking effort were made to pack as many houses, temples and palaces into a confined space, this would be the result. The fort is honeycombed with winding lanes, and has formidable gateways, a maharaja's palace, a ceremonial courtyard and beautifully carved Jain temples. The most beautiful of the havelis built by Jaisalmer's wealthy merchants are Patwon-ki-Haveli, Salim Singh-ki-Haveli and Nathmal-ki-Haveli. Despite its incredible picturesque qualities, you don't have to look very hard to realise that Jaisalmer is crumbling at an alarming rate. Its disintegration has finally brought local, governmental, tourist and archaelogical interest groups together and a 'Jaisalmer in Jeopardy' campaign has been launched in the UK. Camel trekking is big business in Jaisalmer and it's a great way to experience the desert. Make sure you know exactly what you're getting for your money, because there's ample opportunity to be disappointed. Most treks last three to four days. The best time to go is between October and February. Rajasthan has a reasonably reliable bus system and a fairly extensive railway system, so getting to the city of Jaisalmer isn't too much of a hardship. You may find that some of the railway lines have been disrupted by recent track works designed to get you from point A to point B faster, so check local timetables for updates and changes. If you want to experience how the other half lives, you can book yourself onto the Palace on Wheels which passes through Jaisalmer on its regal route. It's a mobile hotel on wheels decked out like a traditional maharaja's state carriage. Expensive but luxurious. Jaisalmer is 795km (490mi) from Delhi Kanha National Park Kanha is one of India's largest and most remote national parks, covering a plethora of forest and lightly wooded grasslands supported by an extensive network of rivers and streams. The setting of Kipling's Jungle Book, it has an excellent variety of wildlife including leopards, chital, sambar and, most famously, the tiger. It's possible to make elephant-back excursions into the park in the early morning and evening, though opportunities to see tigers may be decreasing because of the work of poaching gangs. Although wildlife can be seen throughout the season, sightings increase during the hotter months of March and April, because the animals move out of the tree cover in search of water. The park is closed from 1 July to 31 October. There are direct state transport buses from Jabalpur, twice daily. They are ramshackle old buses with space being at a premium (at least until after Mandla) so don't overload yourself with baggage. The nearest railway station is just under two hours away by bus, but if you're a rail enthusiast the trip is worth it. Kerala Backwaters The complex network of lagoons, lakes, rivers and canals fringing the coast of Kerala forms the basis of a distinct regional lifestyle, and travelling by boat along these backwaters is one of the highlights of a visit to the state. The boats cross shallow, palm-fringed lakes studded with Chinese fishing nets, and along narrow, shady canals where coir (coconut fibre), copra and cashews are loaded onto boats. Stops are made at small settlements where people live on carefully cultivated narrow spits of land only a few metres wide, and there's the chance to see traditional boats with huge sails, and prows carved into the shape of dragons. The most popular backwater trip is the eight-hour voyage between Kollam and Alappuzha, but most of your fellow passengers on this route will be Western travellers. If you want a local experience, or you simply feel like a shorter trip, there are local boats from Alappuzha to Kottayam and Changanassery. Kollam is on the well-serviced Thiruvananthapuram-Ernakulum bus route, as well as being fortuitously placed on no less than four different railway lines. Getting there from any number of the major southern cities is no problem but it's a long, long way from Delhi; 2756km (1708mi) to be exact. Khajuraho This quiet, genial, dusty village in northern Madhya Pradesh is awash with temples. Temples for everything - sun gods, sacred bulls and, more memorably and most prominently, sex. The erotic possibilities suggested by the stone figures in the numerous temples have contributed to Khajuraho's international fame. Another prime feature of the temple craftmanship is that they are liberally embellished with some of the finest handiwork of the Chandela period, a dynasty which survived for five centuries before falling to the onslaught of Islam. Visitors are also drawn to a dance festival, celebrated in March, which attracts some of the best classical dancers in the country - the floodlit temples provide a spectacular backdrop during the event. The largest and most important temples are in the attractively landscaped Western Group. Externally, the temples consist of curvilinear towers with clusters of lesser turrets clinging to them, suggestive of rising mountain peaks (ahem) converging round a great central peak. Round the exterior walls are two, sometimes three, superimposed rows of gods, goddesses, kings and heroes, courtesans, couples in carnal embrace and, in some cases, friezes depicting various forms of bestiality. The interiors are just as ornate, with an open portico leading into a main hall, then a vestibule beyond which is an inner sanctum containing the free-standing cult image. In fact, the sculpture and architecture blend so perfectly that each building appears to have been conceived by a single - and highly sexed - mastermind. Getting to Khajuraho can be a major problem. It's really on the road to nowhere and involves long bus trips over small country roads. Flying is a better option: Indian Airlines have a daily Delhi-Agra-Khajuraho-Varanasi flight, but it's usually booked solid so book as far in advance as possible. Buses run from Agra, Ghansi, and Jhansi, and if going by rail you'll need to get off at Jhansi and continue by bus to Khajuraho.

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