Treasures of India from Mumbai

Mumbai, a fascinating city located on the Arabian Sea, will give you a real immersion in Hindu culture. You will be able to discover the Elephanta Caves that are home to collection of rock art typical of the cult of Shiva. Don’t miss out on visiting the Gandhi Museum and House, dedicated to the memory of the man who played a vital role in the emancipation and independence of India, or the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station (formerly known as Victoria Terminus), the finest example of Victorian architecture in India. In the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya museum, you will find very fine collections of sculptures, miniatures and portraits of the man who would become King George V.

Mormugao is a sub-district of South Goa located in the state of Goa, in India. This is where the state’s main maritime port is to be found. Renowned around the world for its climate, the beauty of its beaches, its rice paddies and its waterfalls, Goa will surprise you with the cultural and religious heritage of its old town. It has a great many 16th- and 17th-century churches, making up a UNESCO World Heritage Site, including the Basilica of Bom Jesus but also Hindu temples and mosques. The Goa Chitra Museum, Goa’s main ethnographic museum, is also worth a visit.

An important port in the South-West of India, Cochin (Kochi) is one of the most beautiful on the Malabar Coast where the scent of cardamom mingles with cloves. It was here that Vasco de Gama disembarked over 500 years ago. But how many Phoenicians, Greeks, Arabs and Romans dropped anchor before him in the turquoise waters of the Arabian Sea? So many nations, at a time when pepper from Malabar was almost as precious as gold, left these shores laden with precious spices. Today, the city, a surprising metropolis with multiple identities, has a rich cultural and natural heritage combining former colonial residences, ancestral fishing methods and charming landscapes in the backwaters.

An important port in the South-West of India, Cochin (Kochi) is one of the most beautiful on the Malabar Coast where the scent of cardamom mingles with cloves. It was here that Vasco de Gama disembarked over 500 years ago. But how many Phoenicians, Greeks, Arabs and Romans dropped anchor before him in the turquoise waters of the Arabian Sea? So many nations, at a time when pepper from Malabar was almost as precious as gold, left these shores laden with precious spices. Today, the city, a surprising metropolis with multiple identities, has a rich cultural and natural heritage combining former colonial residences, ancestral fishing methods and charming landscapes in the backwaters.

Europeans came here for the spice trade and the legacy they left behind is most impressive in Galle. This magnificent natural port on the southern tip of Sri Lanka has preserved intact the ramparts and residences built by the Dutch in the 17th century. Considered to be the largest Dutch fortress in the world, the one in Galle is listed as a unESCO World Heritage site.

Hambantota is the main town in Hambantota District, Southern Province, Sri Lanka. This underdeveloped area was hit hard by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and is undergoing a number of major development projects including the construction of a new sea port.

Picture postcard scenery and a paradise found, the beaches of Trincomalee stretch lazily along the south-west coast of Sri Lanka. Dazzling white sand and a heavenly blue sea ensure that Trincomalee Bay is one of the most beautiful in the world. Indeed it has long been an object of desire, the 80 km² stretch of water having harboured Danish, Portuguese, Dutch, French and English fleets over its long history. The white carpet of nilaveli beach extends 4 km along the shore as far as a warm water lagoon harbouring thousands of fish.

Like a pearl that has dropped off the Indian peninsula, Sri Lanka is an island of luscious vegetation and highly original monuments influenced by the teachings of Buddha. Often dubbed the “happy” or “radiant” island, Sri Lanka was a former trading post on the silk and spice route and its capital Colombo offers a wonderful sight of picturesque streets in the old centre. There is also a chance to visit Kandi, the kingdom’s last capital and since the 16th century home to the famous “Relic of the Buddha’s Tooth”.