Karnataka

Occupying much of south-central India, as well as a large stretch of India’s southwestern coastline, the relatively unexplored state of Karnataka was carved out of the Madras Presidency after India’s independence and offers a profusion of cultural riches as well as much scenic beauty. Bangalore, the preferred gateway to Karnataka, is renowned as India’s Silicon Valley and is a thriving cosmopolitan city with appealing colonial architecture.

To the south, Mysore was once the capital of one of India’s wealthiest maharajahs and is home to the spectacular Henry Irwin-designed Amba Vilas Palace. Nearby, the remarkable ruins of the Indo-Islamic island fortress at Srirangapatna reveal myriad stories involving the notorious Tipu Sultan and his defeat at the hands of General George Harris in 1799. To the south-west, the attractive Nagarhole and Bandipur National Parks provide shelter to herds of wild elephants and tigers and offer exciting up-close wildlife encounters, while Coorg, to Mysore’s north-west, with its scenic coffee estates and tropical rainforests, is a convenient base from which to go on soft treks.

A northbound drive to the ancient cities of Belur and Halebid showcases the outstanding ‘Jewel Box’ temples built by the mighty Hoysala Kings in the 12th century. Separating southern Karnataka from the former Deccan Sultanates is Karnataka’s premier attraction: Hampi – a boulder-strewn landscape scattered with the hugely impressive ruins of the Vijayanagar Kingdom.