Government emporia are the safest bet if you’re looking to purchase heavy fabrics and artifacts. Prices are reasonable and are fixed, so there’s no risk of being duped. The by lanes and markets of Rajasthan offer more such treasures, but be prepared to engage in loud and stubborn haggling. A tip: Ask the shopkeeper to name his price, slash it by 50 percent and begin your haggling from there. Don’t be embarrassed – bargaining is part of the street shopping experience in India.

Mumbai offers some of the best street shopping experiences in the country. From fake leather goods, cheap cotton clothes, and costume jewelry to footwear, there’s nothing that hasn’t been marked down on Mumbai’s streets. The city’s Chor Bazaar literally translated as Thieves Market, is great if you have the patience to sift through old lithographs and paintings, antique cookware and even ornate ceiling fans from the days of the British Raj. Tucked away among the junk, you’re likely to find fine colonial period porcelain, paintings and furniture salvaged from the country’s heritage homes. Goa’s weekly flea markets are popular haunts for beaded jewelry, CDs, cotton apparel, handicrafts, jute and leather footwear and embroidered bags, most of it made by the hippies who’ve made the beach paradise their home.

For art and artifacts, visit the galleries of Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai. You’re assured of genuine goods, although prices might be on the heavier side. Make sure that you have the required permission to take the artifacts abroad.

The Indian fascination with gold is well documented – India is the world’s largest consumer of gold – and the shops of Mumbai offer contemporary and traditional designs in 22 carat gold.

Related posts:

1. Reese Witherspoon Does Some Holiday Shopping Reese Witherspoon clearly isn’t letting her break-up with Jake...
2. Kim And Khloe Kardashian Did Some Interesting Shopping Kim and Khloe Kardashian reportedly did some shopping while...
3. Tori Spelling & Family Go Shopping Tori Spelling and her husband Dean McDermott take Liam...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Moderately priced hotels that cost $40 per night and upwards can be found in almost all major tourist towns and cities. You’re assured of clean and comfortable rooms, TV, your own bath (without bathtub), and little else. Don’t expect too many frills, but rooms are comfortable and safe.

At the higher end of the scale are the boutique hotels and five star properties. Boutique hotels are a recent trend in India. These smaller, more intimate hotels boast of designer touches in their décor, and a cozier, yet plush living experience for guests. Most of the major Indian cities have boutique hotels, where the prices are affordable to the Western traveler, and amenities are excellent. Plus, there’s a certain comfort level in living in a smaller hotel with a limited number of guests, where the doorman and the desk clerk are familiar with you and give you personalized attention.

Most of the major hotel chains have set up presence in India. 21st century India is in the midst of an economic boom, and hoteliers haven’t been far behind catering to the increased numbers of business travelers coming in.

As far as amenities and perks go, most of these properties are almost self contained, and you’ll probably never need to step out of the hotel for dining or entertainment, stocked as they are with a choice of Continental, Chinese and Indian restaurants, nightclubs, shopping arcades, fitness centers and health clubs, spas and saunas, and more.

India’s palace hotels form the highest tier in terms of price. These former royal residences turned hotels in many cases have the royal occupants still living within the property. A $600 a night and upwards suite could include breakfast with a true blue maharajah, royal entertainment on the grounds of the palace and a chance to spend the night in an ornate four poster that’s seen many regal occupants in the past!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The Mughals who ruled the country for over 300 years left India with a treasure trove of architectural beauties – the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb were all built during this period. They also influenced much of the cuisine of the northern part of the country, and traces of these influences remain in the North West Frontier cuisine that’s popular in cities like New Delhi. A novel method of cooking in this part of the country is Dum Pukht cooking. Meats, spices, rice and vegetables are all stuffed in a large pot, and covered with a tight lid to prevent steam from escaping. The pot is then buried in a large clay oven, and coal placed on all sides of the oven from outside. The meat is cooked slowly in its own juices. Because of the elaborateness of the preparation, this is mainly available at five star restaurants in cities like Mumbai and New Delhi.

The food gets lighter, healthier and markedly different in texture and ingredients as you head down south. The Southern cuisine of the country consists of mainly rice in the form of cakes, pancakes and as a main dish. Cakes and pancakes are steamed or roasted in contrast to the north where oils and clarified butter rule.

South Indian cuisine is big on accompaniments and dips – freshly ground coconut and mint chutneys, mango and lime pickles, roasted papadums, all form an essential part of every meal. This type of cuisine is also known for its unique method of dining on plantain leaves. South Indian restaurants specialize in this kind of all you can eat dining where a single washed plantain leaf is piled high with rice, Indian breads, curries and vegetables, all to be washed down with thin spiced buttermilk. Portions are unlimited, and waiters walk around the diner with large steel buckets of curries and rice, pouring and piling where ever they see a leaf looking a little bare for comfort!

The coastal region of the country including Mumbai, Goa and Kerala is justifiably famous for its seafood, and restaurants in Chennai are famed for their catch of the day specials, where you walk in, pick your choice of seafood from ice boxes piled high with fish and sit back while the chef grills up your meal.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.