India, the land known for its diversity, is becoming one of the top destinations in the world, when it comes to a honeymoon trip. It is a mystical land that presents the traveller with amazing scenes and a bamboozling array of unforgettable experiences.

Hinduism, the prominent religion, is intimately woven into the fabric of everyday life, reflected in an extraordinary range of time-honored traditions. Apart from its ancient spiritual framework, India's vastness also challenges the imagination, being home to one sixth of the world's population.  Its intoxicatingly rich history can be traced back to at least 2500BC when the first known civilization settled along the Indus River.

India presents a wide variety amidst its tourist attractions, right from the beach state of Goa to the beautiful hill station of Kashmir to the backwaters-rich Kerala, the country witnesses a heavy rush of honeymooners every year. The hospitality of Indian people, who believe in 'Atithi Devo Bhava' (a guest is like god) only serves to add to the rush.

For all those who love to explore history, through the rich architectural legacy of a place, Rajasthan would prove to be the perfect honeymoon destination in India. Also known as the 'desert state of India', it abounds in forts, palaces, havelis and other structures of the bygone area, all of them providing a taste of the state's rich heritage. You can even stay in any of the heritage hotels of Rajasthan and get a real feel of the royal times. You can also undertake a tour of the sand dunes, explore the rich and varied wildlife and even go on a camel safari.

If you are one of those who would love to snuggle closer to each other, in chilly weather, then the hill stations in India will surely woo you. The options include Mussoorie, Dalhousie, Darjeeling, Ooty, Kodaikanal, Srinagar, Shimla, Nainital, Manali, Mount Abu and Gangtok.

Visit any of them and find yourself wandering along meandering hill roads and gazing at the refreshing greenery of forest-covered hills, and watch the clouds drift over the snow-capped mountains.

Beach lovers will also not be disapointed. Apart from the beach capital of Goa, you will find Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh dotted with picturesque beaches, offering the best combination of the sand and the sea. Many of them have not been explored by tourists much. So, you might find yourself walking on for miles, without sighting even a single other soul. There are also plenty of beaches that offer adventure sports, to thrill your senses.

Don't go to India expecting Tikka Masala or a Balti, those dishes were designed here in the UK. The cuisine of India is characterized by the use of various spices, herbs and other vegetables grown in India and also for the widespread practice of vegetarianism across many sections of its society. Each family of Indian cuisine is characterized by a wide assortment of dishes and cooking techniques. As a consequence, it varies from region to region, reflecting the varied demographics of the ethnically diverse Indian subcontinent.

India's religious beliefs and culture have played an influential role in the evolution of its cuisine.However, cuisine across India also evolved due to the subcontinent's large-scale cultural interactions with neighboring Persia, ancient Greece, Mongols and West Asia, making it a unique blend of various cuisines across Asia.

India is a large country, nearly half the size of the United States. It extends from 8° to 33°N, and includes vast plains like the Ganges valley and high mountains like the Himalayas - the highest in the world. The wide variety in the terrain makes for a wide variety of climatic conditions. These range from permanent snowfields to tropical coastlands; from areas of virtual desert in the northwest plains to fertile, intensively cultivated rice fields in the northeast.

From June to October the country is influenced by the moist, rain-bearing monsoon from the southwest. On some mountain ranges, facing the sea, rainfall can be very heavy indeed. The coolest, driest time over most of the country is from December to February, when light northerly winds bring clear skies and little rain. From March to May the climate becomes hotter and hotter and the drought continues. The rains only come when the wind turns again to the southwest.

On average, the arrival of the rains - the 'burst of the monsoon' as it is called - comes to the south of India during late May or early June. It will reach the north about six weeks later. In some years, the rains will be torrential; in other years they may be light or locally variable, in which case the monsoon will be said to have 'failed'. Results for food crops can, of course, be disastrous.

India can be conveniently divided into seven climatic regions: the northern mountains or Himalayas, the northern plains from the Ganges delta to just northwest of Delhi, the Rajasthan Desert, the Deccan plateau, the west coast, the southeast coastlands, and Assam in the extreme northeast of the country.