No shopping allowed

The gentle sound of the bell is clear and present. It lingers on the air and slowly fades into silence. That is the voice of a monastery in India. At beautiful Thiksey Monastery in Ladakh, you can enjoy the unique privilege of participating in the Morning Prayer ceremony at sunrise. The monastery also has a two-story statue of the Maitreya Buddha seated on a lotus, a stunning prayer room with handwritten and painted books, and a temple dedicated to goddess Tara that includes her 21 images placed on glass-covered wooden shelves.

It’s time to take a new look at the India that lies beyond… beyond the worn routes that focus on Agra, Delhi, Varanasi and Udaipur; beyond the endless shopping stops; beyond the predictable. After all, that represents a mere ten percent of the country. The size and scope of India means that there is simply so much more to discover in the wealth of cultures, history, nature and landscapes.

Exciting, uncrowded, unique – that is what your trip to India should be. Our goal is to give you something extraordinary like the monasteries in northern India and the magnificent Leh Palace. We want to open doors for you to embark on an adventurous journey through spectacular landscapes into the realm of the Balti Dynasty to the quaint village of Turtuk, the only place in India to witness Balti culture, and the northernmost village in India, one of the gateways to the Siachen Glacier.

To the south, we offer you the extraordinary temples of Belur and Halebid, two towns built in the early 12^th century by people of the Hoysala Empire. These stunning temples remain off the main tourist trails. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hampi on the south bank of Tungabhadra River features ruins dating from the 14^th century that are all that remain of the seat of the fabled city of Vijaynagar kings.

We introduce you to places such as ancient Gujuart’s Shatrunjay Hill with its more than 900 Jain holy temples, where you can savor a rare opportunity to join pilgrims on a climb to the top via more than 3,800 stone steps.

Even when it comes to the popular tiger parks, we take you off the beaten path to Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra state in central India. This is the state’s oldest and largest national park and one of India’s 50 “Project Tiger” reserves.

Whatever your interests are – nature, history, culture, religion, people… India has something that will make your journey a thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime adventure. To begin your exploration of this phenomenal destination, visit India today, or contact Big Five Tours today.