Delhi-Agra-Jaipur - the well-known Golden Triangle of India - has witnessed great tourism patronage. In fact, it became a must on every holidaymaker's itinerary.

No doubt, for a first timer, this is the best possible itinerary to introduce the country with its historic cities of Delhi built and re-built seven times - the ruins of these seven cities can be seen even now; Agra with the Taj Mahal which is synonymous with India and the glamorous palaces and forts of Rajasthan.

But India is beyond this golden triangle. There are many more holiday options - each offering a different experience and this reconfirms the claim that India is one country with countless destinations.

Where are these options? It is every part of India - whether the North or South, East or West. These are based on the existing popular centres. It could be thematic to your interest. India is a country for all seasons and all reasons.

All holiday options can be centred around the entry points - the known Gateways to India - Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Kochi, Calicut, Hyderabad and Trivandrum which are connected by air from the Gulf.

Given below are some suggested and known holiday options:

Delhi - Corbett National Park - Nainital - Almora - Ranikhet - Kausani (Uttaranchal): This is to beat the heat in the plains and be in the cool ambiance in the Himalayas. It is for clear air, clean water, to have a real eco-friendly holiday. Ten to 12 days are necessary for this package.

Travel agents can tailor-make it for you with transport/accommodation; most of the journey can be done by car. The village fair, village market, local cuisine, local folk art are really unique and add a personal touch to your holiday package. April-September is a good time to visit.

Similarly, centering around Delhi, 10-days itinerary covering Agra - Gwalior - Shivpuri - Orch-ha - Khajuraho - Bandhavgarh Wildlife - Jhansi - Delhi (Madhya Pradesh), will provide an experience of palaces, forts, wildlife, architecture and adventure.

Accommodation of international standard/budget group is available. Further extension on this itinerary can include - Bhopal - Indore - Mandu -tourist sites of Central India. Convenient rail-road packages will make this holiday programme very enjoyable.

Alternatively, Delhi - Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary - Jaipur - Samod Palace - Mandawa - Shekawati - Ajmer - Delhi (Rajasthan) will present a new heritage of Rajasthan. If time permits, one can extend the tour by covering Udaipur - Jodhpur - Jaisalmer - Bikaner or Udaipur - Jodhpur - Aurangabad - Mumbai.

The first part covering Delhi - Jaipur - Ajmer - Delhi can be comfortably covered by special superfast train or by road from Delhi and extended tour from Udaipur to Mumbai by air.

No doubt, with normalcy now being restored to the Jammu and Kashmir state, a ten days holiday in the state with Srinagar - Gulmarg - Sonemarg - Pahalgam - Wular Lake etc., will be very enjoyable. A bit of trekking in and around the Kashmir hills provides an adventure thrill.

Shopping is a must here as the handicrafts, carpets, and semi-precious stone jewellery are good bargains.

For those with limited time at their disposal, Delhi - Hardwar - Dehradun – Mussorie (Uttran-chal) or Delhi - Shimla - Kufri - Chail (Himachal Pradesh) could be a good summer break in the cool Himalayan region.

The Shatabdi Express train will take you to Dehradun and the rest of the places can be covered by car or to Kalka for Shimla (5 hours journey by train). It is advisable to travel by car as many smaller places en route can also be visited leisurely. Good accommodation facilities are available in these sectors.

Thus the options are enormous. These are only the areas around the entry point in Delhi. Similar short breaks or long holidays can be worked out from Mumbai: Mumbai- Aurangabad - Ajanta - Ellora - Aurangabad - Mumbai- Pune - Goa - Mumbai, or even Mumbai - Goa - Bangalore - Mysore - Ooty - Coimbatore - Kochi - Trivandrum.

The author is regional director of the India Regional Tourist Office in Dubai.