Spot some stripes
Conservation is the name of the game. With tiger populations falling to drastic levels, travel companies are working ever harder with the Indian government to protect the country’s wildlife heritage. Safari specialists CC Africa and Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces will create two new Taj Safari Lodges (tajsafaris.com) this year, both in Madhya Pradesh: Pashan Garh at Panna National Park and Banjaar Tola at Kanha National Park. greavesindia.com
Sample a fine vintage
Nashik, four hours northeast of Mumbai, is at the heart of India’s growing wine industry. The new Tiger Hills Vineyards Resort & Spa offers champagne showers, grape-seed-oil baths and body scrubs, and it’s the first of three planned hotels with vinotherapy spas, set to open later this year in Pune, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka. indagehotels.com
Hang out in Hyderabad
Thanks to an influx of global companies such as Microsoft and UBS, Hyderabad is fast becoming a buzzing city. Situated on the Musi River, in central India, it’s brimming with boutiques, coffee bars and stylish restaurants (try Fusion 9, +91 40 6557 7755, and Our Place, +91 40 2335 3422) while still retaining its old-fashioned cultural charm. And with a new airport and a direct BA route from October, Hyderabad is set to become the destination du jour.
See the pearl of the Punjab
Chandigarh, the dream city of India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, was built by the famous Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier and is set to become a Unesco World Heritage Site. Situated on the hot plains of the Punjab, it was completed in 1955 and soon became known as one of the best experiments in urban planning and modern architecture in 20th-century India. chandigarh.nic.in
Go designer in Delhi
Is Mumbai’s status as the capital of style under threat? Delhi would like to think so. The city is getting designer-fabulous with the opening of a plethora of big-name stores, including Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Hermès. And the new Aman Resort is set to open in September, the first city branch of this super-exclusive hotel chain. Ideal for footsore shoppers, it will be in a quiet location on the edge of New Delhi, close to Humayun’s Tomb. amanresorts.com
Chow down in Mumbai
Mumbai, however, isn’t showing any sign of slowing. A new Four Seasons opened last month in the central Worli district. With views over the Arabian Sea, the hotel has a chic restaurant and wine bar designed to lure in Mumbai’s discerning dining crowd. Expect tandoor kitchens, a wok station and an eight-seat chef’s table. Ambience comes from Indian jazz mixed by the hotel’s resident DJ. fourseasons.com
Do the rail thing
It’s the best free theatre on earth, not to mention one of the easiest ways to cover large distances in this huge country. A new rail link to the temple town of Khajuraho, a Unesco World Heritage Site famous for its 9th- and 12th-century erotic sculptures, will make this part of Madhya Pradesh more accessible than ever. indiarail.co.uk
Worship at Shiva’s shrine
Privacy can be hard to find in India, which makes the new Ahilya Fort boat trip even more magical. A maximum of four Ahilya hotel guests are driven to the island temple of Omkareshwar, Lord Shiva’s shrine. From there they sail to an exclusive riverside camp, and next morning to the village of Bakawa, where Shiva lingams (icons) are made. The trip costs around 26,000 rupees (£340) for up to four people. mahoutuk.com
