78 August 2015 www.bahrainthismonth.com india independence Off the Beaten Track When we think of India, most non-Indians think of the Taj Mahal, the Golden Temple of Amritsar or the Amber Fort and Palace at Jaipur, but India is a land of huge contrasts and hidden places and there is much to be found away from the regular tourist trail. The Andaman Islands The Andaman Islands form an archipelago in the Bay of Bengal between India, to the west, and Myanmar, to the north and east. Most are part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Union Territory of India, while a small number in the north of the archipelago, including the Coco Islands, belong to Myanmar. Almost 1,400km from the Indian mainland and actually much closer to both Indonesia and Myanmar, the islands are home to the only known paleolithic people, the Sentinelese, who have had no contact with any other humans — in fact the tribal areas are still out of bounds to tourists. Known mainly for their legendary beaches, these islands are also popular for their world-class diving and their far-flung location makes them an ideal place to get away from it all. If you can tear yourself away from those famous beaches long enough, pay a visit to Ross Island, a city of Victorian English ruins now being reclaimed by the jungle, and don’t miss the Anthropological Museum to learn all about the fascinating indigenous tribes. Satpura National Park, Madhya Pradesh See big cats and plenty of other wildlife at this reserve which was created in 1981 but absent from guidebooks. The rugged and heavily forested national park is home to a diverse range of species including tiger, leopard, sambar, chital, Indian muntjac, nilgai, four-horned antelope, chinkara, gaur, wild boar, wild dog, bear, black buck, fox, porcupine, flying squirrel, mouse deer, Indian giant squirrel and there are plans to trap and relocate a group of endangered Bengal tigers from another park. There are a number of hotels and lodges located in and around the national park to cater for all budgets. It’s best to take a Jeep tour to make sure you experience the wildlife from safety. The Kerala Backwaters Unique to this region, the backwaters in Kerala is a network of 1,500 km of canals, both manmade and natural, 38 rivers and five big lakes extending from one end of Kerala to the other. Backwaters is one of the major tourism products of Kerala, but the idea of hiring a houseboat still seems to come as new to many. The backwaters can be explored by hiring a boat for one or several days. If you go for more than a day, the boat usually comes with a navigator and a cook, which provide you with various facilities when exploring the backwaters leaving you to enjoy the slowly passing scenery from a very different viewpoint. Andaman Islands TRAVEL INDIA Kerala Backwaters
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