AS the winter months take a firm grip on Bulgaria it is easy to dream of a warm, exotic location to take the chill out of our bones. The sub-continent of India with all its diversity presents an attractive escape. A vast and varied country with a population over one billion, India offers 100 emotions a day and continues to be a popular travel destination for tourists from all over the world, in all age groups.

From the mountains of Sikkim to the backwaters in Kerala and the famous beaches in Goa, there is something for everyone. The young and carefree can spend months backpacking the country surviving on a small budget. For others, organised travel with overnights in mid- to top-range hotels is more attractive. One thing is for sure, there is no way that one can sample all India has to offer in a single visit. Itineraries should be made according to season and destination interests but it is generally accepted that the best time to travel to India is between October and March.

We decided to start our tour in Delhi, the capital, and spent two weeks discovering the northeast of the country, taking in some of India's most famous and spectacular sights. We later continued on to Kolkata (Calcutta) and the family home in a West Bengal village before spending our last week in Mumbai, topping up the sunbathing at a five-star hotel on Juhu Beach. Our whole trip to India was a wonderful experience enjoyed by all in our party (aged seven - 78), but it was our round trip of Rajasthan that was the impressive introduction.

Here are just briefly some of the impressions and highlights of our trip.

Old and new Delhi lie in stark contrast to each other and both offer plenty for the visitor to see. Narrow crowded lanes versus grand majestic boulevards like the Rajpath (part of Lutyen's design for New Delhi), bustling markets (Chandani Chowk) and large open park spaces (Raj Ghat where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated). Our hotel (JP Siddharth) was conveniently located near to one of the new metro stations just a couple of stops from Connaught Place, centre of New Delhi and the perfect place for shopping. Two days in Delhi, with organised half-day sightseeing tours, gave us enough time to visit the largest mosque in India (Jama Masjid), Humayun's Tomb (referred to as the predecessor of the Taj Mahal) and Qutb Minar dating back to the beginning of Islamic rule in India.

It took us nearly five hours to travel the 200km to our next stop, Agra, home to the world famous Taj Mahal. Although extremely commercialised (one cannot help but feel that everyone is trying to fleece you) it does not detract from the splendour of this great `monument of love' built by the emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved wife Mumtaz. Heavy security precautions are in place, not only to protect the monument from terrorist attacks, but also to help preserve the area (no mobile phones, tobacco, gum etc).

Another five hours (250km) on the road brought us to Jaipur, the pink city, capital of Rajasthan. En route we had stopped off to visit Fatehpur Sikri, the ghost town built by the emperor Akbar in gratitude for the birth of a son.

The 54 metre high victory gate is believed to be the largest in Asia.

Jaipur itself is as busy and vibrant as any of India's big cities and is surrounded by splendid sights with some great shopping thrown in. Tourists make their way on elephant back up to the magnificent Amber Fort before being dragged off to view the showroom of one of the many jewellery and gem dealers.

Day seven brought us Ranthambore (200km from Jaipur) and a change of scenery which was very welcome at this point. The national park with its tiger conservation programme is introducing a new aspect of tourism generated income to the local community, although sadly it is still not sinking in that a `live' tiger is worth more in the long run. Some statistics claim that as many as 22 tigers have been poached in the last three years!

Although many people we spoke to were fortunate enough to see a tiger up close, we only briefly saw one moving in the tall grass, but the overall tranquility and beauty of the park adequately compensated. The small privately owned Dev Vilas hotel was definitely one of the finest we stayed in throughout our trip.

Another 200km further south, Bundi was the great surprise! We didn't know much about it apart from the fact that Rudyard Kipling is said to have written the Jungle Book here. We loved the charm and innocence of the town. Although the imposing palace is in desperate need of restoration, one cannot but be impressed by the splendour of the fading artwork.

Our next stop at the Bassi Fort Palace hotel was equally delightful. The Kawar (part of the 400-year-old ruling family) and his wife make the guests of this small 17-room hotel feel more than welcome, sitting in the evening around an open fire in the garden drinking and chatting. They happily oblige anyone who would like to try to wrap a majestic turban with 9 metres of cloth.

Chittorgarh, the largest fort in Rajasthan, is just 25km from Bassi and can easily be visited in an afternoon or en route to Udaipur. Various temples and palaces testify to the once significant role played by the fort and part of its current charm is that it isn't overrun with western tourists.

Day 13 brought us to our final destination in Rajasthan, the lake city of Udaipur, whose contemporary fame includes the location shooting of the James Bond Octopussy movie. The opulent city palace leaves you in no doubt as to the historic wealth and power of the city's rulers long before 007. The narrow twisting lanes around the city palace are crammed with intriguing shops making us sorry that we only had one night in this beautiful city.

After the family's first taste of India they are now all ready to go back for more!

Our travel itinerary was custom made for us by Transatlantic Travel here in Sofia (www.transatlantic-travel.com) and we have nothing but the highest praise for them and their Indian partner. Their choice of destinations was perfectly matched to our interests and all the accommodation was of the highest standard. Having our private mini bus (with guide and driver) made the whole journey a pleasant and memorable experience.