*Summer Travel Wish List: India

Image from Song Bird Echoes via Pinterest

In Manchester currently it's 28 degrees Celsius and it's been like this for over a week now and it doesn't seem to be ending soon...can it be autumn now? The unusually Mediterranean weather has been making me wish I could travel the world, sadly I can't so todays post is one of my travel wish lists, the list is quite long. I've only travelled around Europe (which I adore) but I'd love to travel elsewhere including Canada, America and a few more exotic locations including the colourful country of India.

New Delhi

When I was about two years old my dad travelled to India for a month for work and he brought me back a few gifts including an amazing Aladdin style outfit and an adorable carved wooden elephant which I still have on my bookcase. Since then I have definitely been intrigued by India, especially the wildlife and main sites such as the Taj Mahal. One city that I'd like to visit is the capital, New Delhi which includes sites such as The Red Fort, India Gate and Qutb Minar, the latter is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Jaipur

One of the most beautiful cities has to be Jaipur as it's not only filled with historic buildings, forts and palaces but it's also named the pink city - we all know that's my aesthetic. Jaipur is such a historic city within India and it contains some of the most beautiful, unique architecture including the Hawa Mahal, Amer fort and the Jantar Mantar which is a 18th century park and heritage site. One of the most famous landmarks within Jaipur is the City Palace which is actually home to the current royal family of Jaipur. The more I learn about India, the most I realise how many gaps there are in my knowledge!

Image from Champagne and Paper Planes via Pinterest

Agra

Agra is a city within the state of Uttar Pradesh which is home to the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Akbar's Tomb and the Tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah which is described as the baby Taj. As well as the plethora of historic buildings, it's also contains Mugal-era mosques, grand gardens and woodland. The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum completed in 1653 for Mumtaz Mahal, the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan's favourite wife. There are so many iconic structures and buildings within the world such as the Eiffel Tower, Buckingham Palace and the Colosseum but one of the most unique and beautiful has to be the Taj Mahal.

Periyar National Park

For something a little different the Periyar National Park is one of the largest national parks in India with options for various hiking and walking trails as well as a tiger trail! The park is a wildlife sanctuary home to an abundant elephant and bengal tiger population in additional to macaques, sambar deer, leopards and Indian bison so it's naturally a place I'd love to visit! While I love city sightseeing, I'd love to see some of India's naturally stunning landscape and fascinating wildlife.

Goa

If you're looking for a a city with a stunning combination of wildlife, woodland, historic buildings and beaches then look no further than Goa. Goa is has a long history connected to Portuguese rule and that's reflected in the gorgeous churches and architecture including Fort Aguada, Se Cathedral and the Basilica Of Bom Jesus which is a incredibly beautiful baroque Catholic Church which was opened in 1605.

While I've never visited India, gifts from my dad's month long trip to India were a constant while I was growing up and I still love the carved wooden elephant from Calcutta. Unlike countries within Europe, India is a country that I thought I knew but there's so much more to it than I previously understood. It looks like an incredibly vibrant, colourful and exotic country home to a controversial colonial history, a mixture of European-style architecture and unique Mughal-era buildings, wonderful natural landscapes and adorable (and sometimes deadly) wildlife.

Have have visited India? If not, do you want to? 

*This is a collaborative post
*Images from Pinterest