Six Indian Destinations to Celebrate the Festival of Colour
To enjoy one of the world’s most colourful countries at its most vibrant time, visit India during the spring festival of Holi. Known as the Festival of Colours, the riotous celebrations involve flinging rainbow-dyed powder in every direction while dancing in the street.
For this year’s event, falling on Monday, 13 March, Booking.com, the global leader in connecting travellers with the most incredible places to stay, dug into its internal data to find the Indian cities that are most booked for Holi. Then, the data analysts found what each of these cities was best known for, from ambiance and culture to sunsets and local food.
Udaipur
Udaipur is a city full of beautiful landscapes and cultural richness. From the pristine lakes to religious temples and vast forts, it’s managed to keep a balance between protecting traditions of the past while keeping in step with today’s modern day lifestyle and advancements. Top endorsements for Udaipur include:
- Temples
- Boating
- Romance
- Sunsets
- Atmosphere
Cochin
Cochin (also known as Kochi) is a bustling commercial port that embraces a cosmopolitan culture with a lot of influence from its historical trading partners such as the British, Portuguese, Dutch, Arab, Chinese and Japanese. Top endorsements for Cochin include:
- Churches
- Friendly people
- Atmosphere
- Shopping
- Ambiance
Mumbai
As India’s largest city and home to 12 million people, Mumbai (formerly called Bombay) is a vibrant epicentre that offers a diverse, cosmopolitan lifestyle with a variety of food, music, theatre and nightlife. It’s also the heart of the famous Bollywood film industry. Top endorsements for Mumbai include:
- Shopping
- Markets
- Sightseeing
- Seafood
- Nightlife
New Delhi
New Delhi is a crazed mosaic of diplomatic subdivisions, sprawling neighbourhoods and idyllic parkland. It’s a place where ancient temples clash with modern mega-malls and bazaars, where bombastic festivals fill the streets with light and music, and sizzling street food wafts at every turn. Top endorsements for New Delhi include:
- Sightseeing
- Ancient landmarks
- Culture
- Shopping
- Local food
Jaipur
Known the Pink City because of its distinctly coloured buildings, Jaipur is also exceptionally regal thanks to a royal family that historically ruled the region. As part of the Golden triangle (along with Delhi and Agra), Jaipur welcomes Indian and international travellers alike, and for good reason! It is home to various religious temples, historic monuments, royal palaces, theatres, museums, bazaars and more. Top endorsements for Jaipur include:
- Shopping for accessories
- Tourism
- Monuments
- Temples
- Culturally diverse food
Agra
Agra is best known as the home to the impressive Taj Mahal and no trip to India is complete without at least one visit to this stunning mausoleum. Additionally, Agra houses two additional UNESCO World Heritage sites including Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri as well as many tombs from Agra’s days as the capital of the Mughal Empire. Top endorsements for Agra include:
- UNESCO sites (Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri)
- Tourism
- Ancient landmarks
- Monuments
- Architecture