Holiday Ideas

ADVENTURE SPORTS

Blessed with snow-clad peaks, crystal glaciers, rolling meadows and ski slopes, beautiful valleys, meandering and roaring rivers, gushing waterfalls, thick forests rich in wildlife, swampy deltas, long coastlines and magical moonscapes - India has something for everyone looking for adventure.

WATER SPORTS

The Himalayas offer you some of the toughest and most exciting river runs in the world. River sports in the rapids are the most popular, throughout the summers and can really get your adrenaline pumping. The innumerable fresh water streams and lakes in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are ideal for angling and trout fishing. The coastal regions provide excellent opportunities for water sports like water skiing, wind surfing, yachting, snorkelling and scuba diving. The best months for water sports are October and March.

Scuba Diving : - The underwater world has always been a mystery for those who would like to touch the depths of the mysterious sea world. Diving is usually done at the destinations, which are unexplored and unspoiled, like a never-ending adventure. The tropical island destinations of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshwadeep in India are somewhat like this and are considered to be the most unique diving haunts of India. The third destinations that will catch a divers interest are the beaches of Goa. With numerous beach resorts and water sports club the beaches of Goa offer a unique opportunity to get a first hand experience of the underwater world inhabiting secluded sea shores of Goa.

Snorkelling : - Snorkelling in the shallow water can be quite a family activity for the kids and adults at a beach side, besides making a sand castle, while on a beach holiday. An easy way to visit and solve the mysteries of the underwater world, take a dip and you will be hooked! The snorkelling can be best done at the secluded beach island sites of Andaman & Nicobar and at Lakshwadeep Islands, where the beach beauty and the bio diversity of the ocean world is still intact. Still being a family sport, you can also check out the quiet and not so famous beach sites of Goa such as Colva or Diu beach near Gujarat.

Canoeing, Kayaking & Surfing : - Surfing is one of the best sports when it comes to making a splash in water and the craze of this water sport is catching up as a favorite beach water sport in India. If you like thrills, surfing is for you. What you need is a quick senses and a balancing act on the surfboard. Kayaking or surfing do remember that a lot depends on the water level and the weather. The beaches of the Indian western coast have quiet unpredictable surprises for a water sport lover. The major surfing and canoeing sites in India include, the beaches of Goa, Karnataka and Kerala, where numerous beach resorts are well equipped with excellent quality surfboards, Kayaks and canoes. These beaches also offer expert training offers for those who are new to these sports.

Water Skiing : - Skiing is considered to be one of the major extreme sports in the sport, but water skiing is something that gives a water sport lover the opportunity to make a splash at the watery depths of the sea world.

DIVING IN INDIA

Every destination is completely unique in its own way, and they all have widely different dive conditions and marine life. While Lakshadweep has the clear blue lagoons of coral atolls, Andaman and Nicobar are volcanic islands surrounded by deep, undisturbed waters that have an astounding bio-diversity. The third destination Goa has many exciting things to do, on land as well as in water.

TREKKING

You can trek for one day or one month; backpack all your gear and wonder off in the wilderness or stroll comfortably with just a shoulder bag, water bottle and camera whilst animals transport your camping gear, heavy baggage and logistic loads.

Kashmir, Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh, Leh Ladakh, Sikkim, Darjeeling, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa & Kerala has many treks for trekking.

ROCK CLIMBING

Rock climbing in India can be an enriching experience- quite apart from the exhilarating experience of climbing on virgin solid granite. In India, as in the other parts of the world, it started off as training for mountaineering. As a sport it took off only about 15 years ago. As the climbing standards reached greater heights in the rest of the world, India too was introduced to sticky rubber, chalk, modern protection and higher climbing standards and development of many superb climbing areas. Some of the areas are superb and can easily be compared to some world class climbing areas. The climbing areas usually being close to interesting historical sites and unique monuments can provide a pleasant distraction.

AERO SPORTS

Just like on the land, there are numerous adventure opportunities in the air too. Man has for times immemorial, yearned to glide and soar like a bird in the sky. Parasailing and Paragliding are indeed, experiences that combine the wonder of smooth sailing in the air and the thrill of soaring high above the ground. Once in the air, you experience the ethereal serenity of the sport. It is an experience that is, surprisingly, thrilling as well as becalming.

Paragliding : - Riding the warm thermal currents of the air on a Para glider is perhaps the closest man has ever come to sailing the skies as free as a bird. Almost at will, you dip and wheel high over the hills and valleys. Paragliding uses thermals as the driving force, and is the closest one can get, to being a bird. In perfect weather conditions you can stay aloft for over three hours and can soar to heights more than 3000 meters. In paragliding, the launch site for the gliders usually involve gentle hillsides but recently machine based takeoffs have made Para Gliding possible even in the flat lands of India. The flying season spans September to December and then March to June.

Hang Gliding : - The sport of hang gliding involves hanging suspended by a harness from a large flying instrument- a kind of kite shaped vehicle called a hang glider. A hang glider is piloted by shifting one's weight. Flight is dependent on the existence of rising columns of warm air called thermals. Take off involves running off moderate slopes till the glider inflates. Tandem flights use a wing large enough to hold two people, the pilot and a passenger. Though a relatively recent entrant in adventure sports, hang gliding has really caught on with clubs coming up in cities such as Pune, Delhi, Chandigarh, Shimla, Mumbai and Bangalore.

Skydiving: - Skydiving's a fairly expensive sport to indulge in, but the Air Force Adventure Foundation organises training and flights where civilians can participate. A selected number of adventure sports specialists in large metros like Delhi and Mumbai can also help if you're interested in skydiving.

Ballooning : - About 50,000 cubic feet of hot air fills a giant nylon balloon to which a basket is attached. Hot air ballooning is becoming a great adventure option in India. To learn to pilot a hot-air balloon you need to be at least 16 years of age and physically fit. Depending on how quickly you master it, training takes three to six months.

SKIING

A comparatively new sport in India, skiing has gained immense popularity all over the world. The vast open spaces above the snowline have flung open to the skiing enthusiasts, a plethora of ski locales in Jammu and Kashmir, the hills of Kumaon, Himachal Pradesh and the eastern states.

Auli is the Mecca of skiing in India. It is the site where enthusiasts throng in large numbers as this is one of the places with the best infrastructure next only to Gulmarg. Auli is the venue of the Indian winter games in the country. The Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam conducts courses here and one must book months in advance to avoid disappointment. The popular skiing destinations the following are worth exploring: -

1. Himachal Pradesh - Manali, Kufri, Narkanda, Shoja, Triund
2. Uttaranchal - Auli, Dayara Bugyal, Mundali, Munsiyari
3. Jammu and Kashmir - Gulmarg

Heli Skiing : The For High Mountain thrills perhaps nothing can surpass the magic of Heli-skiing. Under a deep blue sky, the skiers are carried by helicopter to a snow-draped peak. And after that there is nothing except steadily distancing whirr of rotor blades, the sky and the snow. It is a thrilling experience as the skier rapidly zooms down the slopes.

The sport is available in the area abound by the Hanuman Tibba, Rohtang Pass, Deo Tibba and Chanderkhani Pass near Manali. A major feature is the compactness of the heli-skiing area. A sortie of ten minutes can carry the skiers to the top of a 14,000-feet high slope. Gulmarg was the first Asian destination to start Heli-skiing. A helicopter takes the skier's up to the Apherwat peak from where one can choose one's own descent route. Also available in Gulmarg during winter are toboggans, sledges and snow cycles.

BIKING

Cycling is one of the best ways to see India. It isn't difficult and provides the cyclist with glimpses of India denied to the traveller whizzing past on four wheelers. Riding a bike is always a pleasure for a person who loves adventure and sports. Mountain biking isn't like participating in Tour De France. It's like climbing on a mountain with the help of a bike. Whether you are riding on a smooth surface or a hard one, mountain biking provides you a superb drive, so conquering the countless climbs and drop- offs is a matter of pure skill, strength & nerve. If you are looking for the excitement of challenging climbs and some of the best downhill in the world, set amongst ever-changing scenery, are present in our very own Himalayan ranges and this trip is hard to beat. In general, mountain biking trips focus on those who are born to be wild. A great way of sight seeing in India and its environs is on bicycle, as it gives an independence and intimacy with the people, culture and landscape that is unparalleled. Cycling allows one limitless possibilities of routes and in India is delightful through the year with routes are tailor-made on less frequented drives.

BUNGEE JUMPING

Supposedly a sport which originated somewhere in the Pacific Islands, where daring islanders leaped off a cliff face with vines tied to their ankles, bungee jumping is a hot favourite in many parts of the world. It's still not caught on in India, largely because high quality infrastructure is hard to come by. It isn't non-existent, though, and a few adventure-tour specialists in Mumbai and Delhi offer opportunities for bungee jumping.

MOTOR SPORTS

Bike Safaris : - If you are the kinds who love to explore on two wheels, India is just about the perfect destination to indulge in your passion. A combination of good roads, cross country options, dirt tracks, back country roads make exploring the country on two wheels a wonderful experience.

Mountain Biking : - One of the finest places for mountain biking is Dandeli forests. The innumerable trails in the forests offer excellent conditions for such an adventure sport. Giorgio Meneghetti of Italy offers you the biking experience of a lifetime. The program includes a training session to familiarize you with the bike and its functions. The is an easy trail for beginners & a Tough Trail for the more experienced.

Car Rallies : - With a terrain that shifts from hill roads to forest tracks, desert trails to beach routes, India tests the mettle of both man and machine in motor rallies. Several championship rallies are held in India every year. Picturesque vintage car rallies are also held in some of the metros like Kolkata's Annual Statesman Vintage Car Rally. One of the most challenging Motor rallies is the Himalayan Car rally.