2018 has been announced as the year of adventure for Incredible India, with the tourist board launching an adventure tourism campaign and highlighting a host of new packages for activities across the country such as surfing, hiking, skiing, wildlife safari and scuba diving.
With travellers looking for ever more experiential holidays and off-the-beaten-track destinations to explore, India?s diverse landscape numerous adventure travel opportunities; from the towering peaks of the Himalayan range in the north to the beaches and tropical islands on the southern coast.
Surfing is set to be one of the biggest water sport trends in India for 2018 and with a 7,500km long coastline enthusiasts can hit the waves of the Indian Ocean in the southwest, Bay of Bengal in the southeast and the Laccadive Sea in the south. As India?s most established surf school Shaka, or ?take it easy?, can be found in the fishing village of Kodi Bengre, close to Mangalore airport, south of Mumbai. For travellers wanting to surf in other parts of India, there are a host of surf schools scattered along the coastline including Mantra Surfing Club in Mulki, near Mangalore, Kallialya Surf School in Pondicherry and Soul and Surf in Varkala, Kerala.
Visitors to the snowy, mountainous state of Sikkim, accessible by helicopter, can explore the region with various homestays or Shaki Himalaya, offering hikes and stays in authentic Village Houses. For 2018, it has launched a new carefully designed three-bedroom Village House, Hatti Dhunga. This new home will be a key stop on the Shakti Sikkim signature village walk itineraries for the 2018 season, opening up this part of India.
The latest adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book will hit cinema screens this autumn bringing to light the wide variety of species that can be seen on an Indian safari. Rainbow Tours has recently added India to its portfolio and amongst the new itineraries for travel in 2018 is the week-long ?Experience the Jungle Book? trip. The first three days are spent in Tadoba, spotting Bengal tigers alongside leopards, hyenas, deer, cobras and sloth bears. This is followed by time at Pench, the real-life inspiration for The Jungle Book, where guests will stay in a luxury tented camp and take further morning and evening safari drives. This eight-day trip costs from ?2,499 per person based on two travelling, including flights, transfers and wildlife watching.
For further information visit incredibleindia.org
