India has so many cultural riches and such awesome diversity. Once you get here it is extremely inexpensive, and for these reasons and more, students love India for gap year travel, volunteer travel, and adventure tours. Where to start? How about Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay: Mumbai thrives on fashion and commerce, and it is also home to the legendary Bollywood, the Indian version of Hollywood, which really captures the eclectic, lively culture of the city. Bangalore, a.k.a. Bengaluru, is the hippest city in India. It dates back to the 9th century. These days students visiting Bangalore enjoy a huge bowling complex called Fun City, a fantastic amusement park, and water sports! Take advantage of student travel discounts and get ready for a vacation full of adventure by going to one of the oldest existing cities in the world, northern India’s largest city, Delhi. What used to be the capital of several ancient Indian empires has grown into a cosmopolitan city that is presently the cultural, political, and commercial center of India. In India you can get very lucky with hotel deals, especially when you are doing group travel here as many people are.
In Bangalore there are half-day and full-day bus tours of the city, a good idea for people who do not like to be on foot all day. The sights in Bangalore include several temples, parks, and the extravagant Bull Temple. Don’t forget to go to the zoo, but try to avoid it on Sundays when it becomes very crowded. One of the top student destinations in Delhi is the Red Fort, a brilliant red sandstone fort completed in 1648. It used to be the ruling palace of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. Try to visit Delhi’s three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Humayun’s Tomb. In Mumbai, one of the biggest though kinda strange attractions right now is a “Slum Tour” by Reality Tours and Travel. These are walk-through education tours of Dharivi, Asia’s largest slum; Dobi Ghat, the largest open air laundry in the world; and the red light district. They are very safe and powerful tour experiences, with (fortunately) many of the proceeds going to charity. Mumbai is also usually the first stop for Western pop and rock stars heading for a European tour. These include famous acts like U2 and Pantera. Mumbai also has great harbour cruises that usually leave every 30 minutes daily. Cruises are a wonderful way to relax while seeing all the shipping and exporting that Mumbai is famous for.