It was a strange thing to research cruises to India. After having read about hundreds of travellers sojourns to this revered country, there was an unusual trend forming.
For many, it seemed that the travellers who have made their way through the country had treated their first time crossing the Indian Ocean as an almost religious experience. Legions of backpackers have made their way along the Indian Coast and come home with a fine tan and finer stories.
The strange thing was this effect didn’t seem to dissipate for return travellers. Some had been travelling there for over 25 years, and still feel as passionately about India as they did when they made their very first journey to its shores. Such an allure is impressive in global tourism circuit which is becoming more and more similar – a franchise here, a hotel branch there.
It’s definitely not a place for the faint hearted, but it is undoubtedly a place for those who are looking for a little bit of wonder in a world which is becoming ever more explained away.
When it comes to cruises to India you can’t beat being introduced to the gorgeous coastline via the thriving port of Kochi. The history of this eternally busy township is alluring in itself, and it’s obvious from the moment you set foot upon the shore that this not what you’d typically expect from an Indian Cruise. Nowhere else in the country has the cultural heritage of Kochi, and it makes the landscape an incomparable blend of influences.
As one of the first major battlegrounds for the European powers in the 1800s, Kochi’s architecture is a glorious mish-mash of everything from Dutch colonial houses to 400-year old synagogues. Although the climate is unimaginably warmer, you’d be forgiven for thinking you had wandered into a central European city. That is, until you get to see the scenery.
If it’s beautiful landscapes you’re after, cruises to India never, ever disappoint. A series of islands and atolls, verdant and green lie just off the mainland proper, and even at height of the monsoon season it’s a balmy 25 degrees. Even this is one of the most important ports in India; the historical towns of Fort Cochin and Mattancherry are wonderfully secluded and quiet regardless of the height of the tourist season.
Moving swiftly along, Goa might be the smallest state in India, but that just means it an incredibly easy to place to explore. It’s location on the Western Ghats range has led to it being classified as biodiversity hotspot, so its flora and fauna is some of the best you’ll see on the entire Indian sub-continent.
Its excellent beaches, temples and coastal scenery combine with two famous world heritage sites to make it one of the finest places in India to make a sailing pilgrimage. The Bom Jesus Basilica, which is said to hold the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier, patron saint of Goa, should be the very first excursion you take upon reaching the region. In the middle of Old Goa’s baroque architecture, you’ll easily spot the Bascilia – a huge building adorned with carvings of every description. It’s one of the essential places to visit on cruises to India.
For further adventures, make sure to head to Mangalore and Karnataka, the brilliant gateways to the city of Bangalore. The inviting sands and the panoramic views sum up everything that cruises to India are about – natural wonders in unexpected places.
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