Tourism in India

India's tourism industry is thriving due to an increase in foreign tourists arrivals and greater than before travel by Indians to domestic and abroad destinations. The visitors are pouring in from all over the world: Europe, Africa, Southeast Asia and Australia. At the same time, the number of Indians traveling has also increased.

India is probably the only country that offers various categories of tourism. These include history tourism, adventure tourism, medical tourism (ayurveda and other forms of Indian medications), spiritual tourism, beach tourism (India has the longest coastline in the East) etc.

Being an ancient country, India is a country of monuments. Just like the number, the variety is also varied in every sense. All in all these monuments spell the true colours of India and carry its very essence. But some incomparable monuments that form an integral part India's historical heritage are, the epitome of endless love - Taj Mahal, the Axis of Islam - Qutub Minar, the pride of free India - Red Fort, the Chariot temple of the Sun God - Konark, the mighty Mughal citadel - Agra Fort, the glorious island caveland of Lord Shiva - Elephanta; the cave site of numerous Chaityas and Viharas - Ajanta, the grand memorial of an Emperor - Humayun's tomb and last but not the least, the forgotten walled city of Fatehpur Sikri.

In recent years India's emergence as one of the most sought-after adventure destinations is a well-known fact. The country offers the variety of adventure opportunities. This diversity is remarkably amazing - from the white water rafting on the Ganga, Indus or Teesta to heli-skiing in the high Himalayas; from hang-gliding and ballooning over the Indian plains to camel-safaris in the vast Thar Desert of Rajasthan; from chasing the elusive tiger on the backs of mighty elephants to trekking in the Himalayan ranges - the choices are endless.

The distinctive feature about the Himalayan tourism is that traveler has the option of enjoying myriad adventure activities. If you travel to Kashmir you can indulge in trekking, travel on horseback, go trout fishing in its rivers or enjoy in a little bit of skiing or water sports in its transparent lakes. Of late, skiing has put India on a pedestal in Asia. As a matter of fact, skiing in India is less expensive compared to anywhere in the world. The facilities are meant for beginners as well as for seasoned skiers. The three states that boast of providing these facilities are Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. Heli-skiing has established as another prime attraction for travelers. The facility for Heli-skiing can be availed of at Manali in Himachal Pradesh. Water-rafting, kayaking and canoeing on the Ganga are becoming popular day by day.

50 cool summer destinations in 50 states

With the airlines adding high ‘fuel surcharges’ to the cost of expensive peak-season plane tickets, and an exchange rate situation that has gone from sad to downright embarrassing, many Americans are working on a Plan B for their vacations this summer. Okay, so spending two weeks skipping around Europe might be best saved for another year, but what to do?

If you get creative you’ll realize there are many ways of doing something new on your vacation this year. Those of us in the United States are lucky enough to live in one of the most amazing countries on Earth in terms of varied sights and natural beauty, but few of us have really explored some of the better attractions in our own parts of the country.

Partly as an experiment to show that our summer vacation options near home are almost endless, BootsnAll has gathered up one destination in each of the 50 states that could be a cool part of a summer trip. No matter which corner of the country you live in, something interesting is not far away. Some of these places are very famous, and others might be news to you, but either way we think these are interesting and worth a look for those who are struggling to find an affordable way to have a blast this summer.

New England

Mystic Seaport, Mystic CT

Connecticut
Mystic Seaport - This historic fishing village has an aquarium, a lovely downtown, and yes, Mystic Pizza


Maine
Bar Harbor - The postcard-perfect village is a summer playground and home to the gorgeous Acadia National Park


Massachusetts
Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield — Come see this perfectly restored 200-year-old historic village and look at Shaker life, but don’t stir your drinks!

New Hampshire
White Mountains — Excellent hiking, gorgeous scenery, and plenty of family activities to keep everyone busy


Rhode Island
Narragansett — Possibly the best beaches in New England are surrounded by plenty of summer recreation opportunities

Off the Long Trail, Vermont

Vermont
Long Trail - The oldest long-distance hiking trail in the country runs the length of the state

Mid-Atlantic

Delaware
Dewey Beach — This sandbar island is one huge beach party all summer long

Wild pony on Assateague Island, Maryland

Maryland
Assateague Island National Seashore - Take a wildlife tour of this unique island and see the wild ponies


New Jersey
Cape May — This historic Victorian town on the state’s southern tip was the country’s first seaside resort and maintains much charm today


New York
Yankee Stadium — This is the last year to visit the authentic New York City house that Ruth built before they tear it down


Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Dutch Country - The fascinating Amish locals don't actually like outsiders so try your best to blend in

The South

Alabama
Gulf Shores - This pretty beach town hosts the National Shrimp Festival in October


Arkansas
Hot Springs National Park - Historic district of Bathhouse Row is an interesting look at the spa scene from 100 years ago

A beach on Key West, Florida

Florida
Key West — The long drive starting at Key Largo feels like half the fun, but there’s plenty to see once you actually arrive


Georgia
Stone Mountain - Huge park in the Atlanta suburbs has tons of interesting things to do


Kentucky
Mammoth Cave National Park - The world's longest cave system is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site


Louisiana
New Orleans — The city is open for business and crowds and prices are down in this post-Katrina era


Mississippi
Vicksburg - A historic downtown, civil war sites, and a whole bunch of casinos will keep you busy


North Carolina
Great Smoky Mountains National Park - The most visited national park in the country is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site


South Carolina
Myrtle Beach - Golf heaven and great for beachgoers along the regions famous Grand Strand

Graceland in Memphis, TN

Tennessee
Graceland — This Memphis attraction is always packed, but it’s the kind of place everyone has to experience once anyway


Virginia
Colonial Williamsburg — There’s the living history, but also golf courses and spas to balance things out nicely


West Virginia
Blackwater Falls State Park - The water in this gorgeous park isn't exactly black, but it is an interesting shade and only one of the many attractions

Midwest

Architecture of Galena, Illinois

Illinois
Galena — This small town is packed with history and classic architecture, but also golf courses and resorts


Indiana
Wyandotte Caves — This is the most popular of 4 completely unique cave systems in this part of the state


Iowa
Amana Colonies - These 7 mysterious villages keep up their European traditions, but they also have endless summer festivals and events to enjoy.

Kansas
Dodge City - The Boot Hill Museum is one of dozens of attractions dedicated to the Old West history of this legendary town


Michigan
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore - This park is a combination of stunning sand dunes, beaches, forests, and ancient glacial phenomena

Mississippi River headwaters in Itasca, MN

Minnesota
Itasca State Park - No end of things to do in this scenic area, including seeing where the Mississippi River begins as just a stream


Missouri
Branson - Entertainment galore for most people, but also with loads of irony for hipsters


Nebraska
Scotts Bluff National Monument - Stunning scenery and plenty of interesting exhibits about the history of the settlers and the Oregon Trail that passed right by

Scotts Bluff, Nebraska

North Dakota
Devil's Lake - The state's largest natural lake has unlimited summer recreation possibilities, and there's even a casino nearby for fun after dark.


Ohio
Lake Erie Islands - Take a car ferry out to one of these resort islands in the lake and leave your cares behind


South Dakota
Mount Rushmore — The sculpture is as breathtaking as you’d expect, but the surrounding park is worthwhile as well


Wisconsin
Door County — This lovely area between Lake Michigan and Sturgeon Bay booms with recreational opportunities every summer

Southwest

Arizona
Sedona - Whether you believe in energy vortexes or not, this city is stunning to see and pleasant to visit

St. Francis Cathedral, Santa Fe, New Mexico

New Mexico
Santa Fe - This 400-year-old city offers amazing views and history mixed with great museums and a thriving art gallery scene

Oklahoma
National Cowboy Hall of Fame - This Oklahoma City attraction is the biggest of its kind and holds a big sale and exhibition each June

Texas
South Padre Island - More famous for Spring Break, this place is an ideal spot for a Texas summer beach trip

West

Glacier Bay, Alaska

Alaska
Glacier Bay National Park - The massive glaciers are only one part of the charm of this park filled with wildlife and recreational opportunities

California
Yosemite National Park - One of the most famous and scenic of the national parks is also a UNESCO World Heritage site with excellent facilities throughout and plenty of places to hide from the crowds

Colorado

Mesa Verde, Colorado

Mesa Verde National Park - The famous and well-preserved cliff dwellings here make this one of the most important archaeological sites in the country


Hawaii
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park - In addition to the volcano there is also rare and exotic flora and fauna and many other things to see and do


Idaho
City of Rocks National Reserve - Climbers and hikers flock to this scenic collection of granite columns that reach up to 600 feet high


Montana
Yellowstone National Park - The world's first national park is spread over 3 states, and Old Faithful is only one of hundreds of things to see and do here


Nevada
Lake Mead — This huge man-made lake south of Las Vegas is scenic and jammed with water recreation to cool you off


Oregon
Hood River - This popular recreation area not far from Portland offers windsurfing, kiteboarding, hiking, and even wine tasting

Canyonlands, Utah

Utah
Canyonlands National Park - The breathtaking scenery at this place competes well with the state’s many amazing parks and monuments


Washington
North Cascades National Park - This favorite among hikers and mountain climbers contains over 300 glaciers, but don't wait to long to visit

Wyoming

Devil's Tower, Wyoming

Devils Tower National Monument - This 'Close Encounters' natural monolith is only one of many amazing formations and parks in this area in addition to Yellowstone

20 world geography facts that might surprise you

Many years ago I heard the astonishing bit of trivia that Reno, Nevada is actually west of Los Angeles. It doesn’t seem possible until you actually look carefully at a map, but in fact Reno is about 80 miles closer to the International Dateline than is LA. I’ve always remembered this odd fact, and when I look at the world atlas hanging on the wall in front of my work area I occasionally stumble upon other nuggets that seem hard to believe on the surface, but are undeniably true when you look closely.

I think many of us keep a simplistic version of a world map stored in our brains, but sometimes it’s a little too simple. The best example might be the notion that Europe lies directly east of the United States. Thanks to the Gulf Stream ocean currents, the climate of the Eastern U.S. is very similar to the climate of Western Europe, so it seems logical they must be similar distances from the Equator. But only the southernmost corners of Europe actually line up with the United States, and the majority of it is directly east of Canada. And it turns out that places don’t have to be across oceans to be in places some of us might find unexpected.

Here are 20 world geography facts that you might find surprising or interesting:

1. Portland, Oregon, where it rarely snows, is about 130 miles farther north than Toronto, and over 200 miles farther north than Boston.
2. On France’s southern Mediterranean coast, Cannes, the sunny summer playground of the rich, which is sometimes incorrectly called ‘tropical’, is about 10 miles farther north than Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
3. 

   Sydney, Australia
   Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, Cape Town, and Sydney are each thousands of miles apart and are known for having unusually pleasant year-round climates, and they are all almost identical distances from the Equator.
4. San Francisco and Melbourne, Australia are both known for mild and fast-changing climates, and they are identical distances from the Equator.
5. Estcourt Station with a population of 4 is in the northernmost tip of Maine, and it sounds like it’s probably snowed-in all winter, and yet London, England is still almost 300 miles farther north.
6. The 49th Parallel, which makes up the long and straight US/Canada border in the west, is about 120 miles north of Estcourt Station, Maine.
7. 

   Reykjavik, Iceland
   Glasgow is about 280 miles north of London. Keep going another 250 miles north for Stockholm, another 370 miles north to reach Reykjavik, and 413 miles north to reach Hammerfest, Norway, which is almost 5,000 miles north of the Equator.
8. The entire country of England, with over 50 million residents, is a wee bit smaller than the state of Louisiana.
9. If you combine England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, then together they are a bit smaller than the deceivingly large state of Michigan.
10. France is about 30% larger than the state of California.
11. Crescent City, California is about 15 miles south of the Oregon border, but it’s about 10 miles farther north than Newport, Rhode Island. In other words, you can still be in California and be farther north than coastal Rhode Island.
12. 

    Madrid, Spain
    Madrid, with summers so blazing hot that most people take a long break from work every afternoon, is about 10 miles farther north than Salt Lake City, Utah.
13. About two-thirds of Africa is in the Northern Hemisphere.
14. Rome, which is located in the center of Italy, is located at the exact same latitude as Chicago.
15. Tehran, Iran, with its scorching summers, is located on the exact same latitude as relatively mild Tokyo, Japan.
16. About 90% of the world’s population lives in the Northern Hemisphere.
17. 

    Tahiti, French Polynesia
    The incredibly remote island of Tahiti is slightly east of Anchorage, Alaska, which is slightly east of Hawaii. In other words, Hawaii is closer to the 180° longitude the International Date Line is based on than is Tahiti.
18. If you are trying to get a handle on the climate of India it helps to know its northern border is the same as the northern border of Mexico in Tijuana, and the southern border is about the same as the southern border of Panama.
19. Sunny and just-barely-tropical Rio de Janeiro is about 25 miles farther from the equator than Hong Kong.
20. Scientists recently discovered that Florida and Hudson Bay in Canada are getting about 1 inch closer every 36 years. Pass the SPF-30, eh?