Travel Destination: India

India is the seventh largest country in terms of landmass and second in terms of population. Like China, India's culture and civilization goes back since the beginning of known history. India is also the world's largest democracy. Historically, India was a trade route between several different civilizations, which means people of many different countries have passed through this vast country, and left their mark on its culture. However, as far as traveling to India for sightseeing is concerned, there are too many spots worth going to, in order to mention here. Therefore this article will stick with some of the more well known places to visit.

Being such a vast country India has just about everything to offer even for the most discerning traveler. As far as nature is concerned Mountains, hills, deserts, ocean and rainforests are some of the most visited areas of India. Other attractions include historical as well as religious monuments. India is actually a union of states, 28 to be precise. These do not include smaller territories such as some of the Islands found in the Indian Ocean. The following is a list of some of the most visited states in India for vacation purposes.

1. Kerala. The state of Kerala is located in southern most part of India. This state consistently makes to the top list in world as a must see and visit place! Last year Kerala was ranked the number one vacation destination In Asia. In fact, the National Geographic magazine has rated this place as one of the top 50 must see places. The three main reasons for this are Kerala's beautiful landscape which is filled with hills, rivers and plenty of greenery, pristine rainforests and white sand beaches.

2. Rajasthan. The state of Rajasthan is located in northwest part of the country. The claim to fame of this state is its deserts and monuments. Some of the main attractions of Rajasthan are pink city also known as Jaipur, a city surrounded by lakes such as Udaipur and two famous tiger or wildlife parks. Going for a camel ride in the desert is one of the highlights of visiting Gandhinagar.

3. Goa. Goa is situated in south western India. Like Kerala, it borders the Indian Ocean and the landscape is pretty similar also. However, the main attraction of Goa is its beaches. Great party atmosphere and nightlife are the main reasons why most tourists go to this vacation hot spot, from all over the world. Even though there are many beaches in Goa the three most popular ones are Varca, Calangute and Palolem Beach. A trip to Goa would be incomplete without a visit to one of these beaches.

4. Himachal Pradesh. Moving away from beaches and deserts we arrive in the mountains. And there are few other places to enjoy the mountains, especially the grandeur of the Himalayas as Himachal Pradesh. The name of the state itself means "the place located in the Himalayas" and as soon as you go there you will see why. The capital of this state is Shimla and it attracts visitors from all over India as well as the world. Camping, trekking and skiing trips are the main highlights of this state.