SOUTH ASIA, also referred to as the Indian Subcontinent, is a landmass bordered by the Himalayas in the north, the Indian Ocean in the south, and the Ganges and Indus rivers in east and west.

From the Taj Mahal of India, the Himalayas of Nepal, and the beautiful beaches of Maldives, there is no shortage of exciting and adventurous things to do here.

Over the last two decades, South Asia has emerged as an attractive tourist destination due to its natural and cultural diversity, and its price competitiveness. India accounts for a majority of South Asia’s travel and tourism and has also been the preferred destination for tourists from within the region.

Over centuries, the Mughal emperors, the Rajputs, the Muslim sultanates, the Sikh empire, the British colonialists, all left their imprints on the land and the people. The result is that modern South Asia can be a bewildering patchwork to the outsider. The variety of religions and cultures in the region is staggering. More than 450 languages are spoken in India; the mountain kingdom of Bhutan, with a population of less than a million, has some two dozen languages of its own.

If it can be bewildering, it’s also exciting. The history, the geography, the arts, the cuisine and, it must be said, the rivalries, make the region endlessly fascinating.