Most people around the world have probably seen at least one Star Wars movie in the series and that’s the first thing I thought of when visiting the Badami Caves in Karnataka, India. The Badami Caves are a series of ancient caves burrowed into towering iron-rich cliffs complete with carvings and paintings of Ganesh, Shiva and Hanuman (and many more). Far in the distance the Badami Cave temples are perched on the edge of 100 metre walls.

Goa is the Ibiza of India! Well... if you believe the hype! If you have expectations like Ibiza or Mykonos than some places in Goa can be pretty disappointing.

But there is this one place in the south that I really adore: Agonda Beach! A little North of the popular beach of Palolem there is a hidden gem, a small captivating beach town.

In this complete and up to date travel guide you will find everything you need to know before you visit Agonda Beach. Where to stay, where to eat, lovely hotels, hostels, yoga barns, things to do and day trips from Agonda Beach.

Stones, stones, stones and more stones, that's Hampi! But these stones have a meaning. With ruins dating back to the Middle Ages, impressive landscapes, hills of boulders, historical carvings and of course incredible temples. Hampi is not just another historical village, Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a must visit on your trip to India. In this Hampi travel guide you will read everything you need to know before you visit.

Are you traveling to India again? Why? That would never be appealing to me! Too crowded and too dirty, was a common reaction when I told people about the trip to India that was coming up. Those who follow my adventures for a long time should know better. India is not only about poverty, slumps and pollution!

To be honest I had never heard of the Trident chain before I checked in to the Trident Nariman Point Mumbai. The hotel is part of the Oberoi Group and therefore a high standards can be expected. I choose this hotel after roaming the internet and I stumbled upon a picture on Google Images. The room I saw had the most amazing view over Mumbai and guess where I ended up a couple weeks later, yes in the corner suite of the Trident Nariman Point.

This recently opened Taj property has the best location if you are looking for hotels near Mumbai domestic airport. Taj Santacruz opened its doors only a couple months ago and from the terminal you can walk right into the hotel lobby. Of course everything within the hotel is designed with a touch a Taj: luxury and class! I have been working with the Taj group around India and also stayed in some of their palaces: Umaid Bhawan Palace and Taj Lake Palace Udaipur.

I always tell people that India is the best country for food and my stay at the ITC Maratha Mumbai was another confirmation of this. The ITC Maratha Restaurants are rated among the best restaurants in Mumbai and staying here during the Indian Monsoon Season was a great pleasure. On the bright side of the grey and rainy days I had the chance to try out the a lot of food and create my own food tour all on the ground floor of the hotel.

During my recent trip to India I made my way to Udaipur, the city of lakes. I was invited by Taj Hotels to stay in one of their jewels: the Taj Lake Palace Udaipur. This hotel is as elegant as a building can get. Like a giant white swan floating gently in the middle of a lake this palace is not only a hotel it is one of the best places to visit in Udaipur.

Any idea what it would be like to stay in TripAdvisors best hotel in the world? I always thought that would only be possible in my dreams! But lately this dream became reality as I stayed in Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur Rajasthan. Recently this property of Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces has been voted as the ‘Best Hotel in the World’, the ‘Best Hotel in Asia’ and the ‘Best Hotel in India’ at the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2016. Am I really staying here for the next two nights?

Delhi is not the most popular tourist destination in India. According to some people there are only a few interesting tourist spots in Delhi. They are all relatively close to each other and can therefore easily be done in one day. A city with a population of 25 million there must be nice places to visit. In this guide I will point out the top tourist attractions and give you an itinerary for 1 day in Delhi.

Why Pushkar is the best city in India? I can come up with many reasons, but along my journey through the Northeast of India I have been advised to travel to Pushkar numerous times by fellow travellers. Travellers and locals recommended me to hit the road to Pushkar as soon as possible and drive to this peaceful sandy town in the province of Rajasthan. It has to be said, Pushkar definitely is among my favourite cities in India now and in 2017 I went back here again.

Dharamsala is surrounded by the beautiful Dhauladar mountain range and offers excellent hiking. Most visitors stay 4km uphill in the mountain village of McLeod-Gansj. From here there are many options to hike around and enjoy the serenity of the mountains. You don’t need a guide/porter since its very easy to navigate. Don’t take too much with you, though in the winter months make sure you have warm clothes for the freezing nights!

For a lot of travelers this little hill town overlooking Dharamsala feels like coming home. Loads of travelers call McLeod-Gansj their home for a couple months per year. It is not only the vibe that makes people visit this picturesque town. The historical background is also why a lot people make their way up here. It was the Dalai Lama that found refuge here after he was named persona non grata in China.

In his trace loads of monks followed him and everywhere in town you can find them. May be that’s one of the reasons this village radiates such a peaceful vibe. The monks are happy to take a picture with you or teach you about Buddhism if you are interested. Nowadays you can even find iMonks: the ones making pictures of the sunset with their iPads!

Life after Kashmir changed rapidly as we crossed the border into the next state. The Muslim culture changed into a Hindi culture, the military left the scene and best of all I was again connected to the outside world. Since it is impossible in Kashmir to connect to the local network with a prepaid Indian sim card and Wi-Fi is fairly impossible to find, I was cut off from the world for 6 consecutive days.

Is it safe to travel to Kashmir? Where exactly am I going and is it safe enough to go there? These kind of questions I asked myself only at the airport while waiting to board my flight to Srinagar, the capital of this disputable region. Not that I was really looking for an answer to those questions to be honest, but it did cross my mind while roaming Instagram for the best things to do in Kashmir.

When visiting a new country I don’t really research what to do, where to go and neither do I use a Lonely Planet anymore. The best thing is to keep your ears open and listen to what travellers around you have been doing. Though India is so freaking big, I at least had to have some kind of plan. Where to start? I had to fly to somewhere from Colombo! I chose New Delhi, cause if India was not my cup of tea the Taj Mahal would only be 3 hours away, I'd make a picture and fly out again! During my research though I stumbled upon many cool places to visit, all located in Rajasthan, the province southwest of Delhi. The more I found out about this region, the more excited I got about travelling in India. Finally!