With Goa snoozing on her shoulder and Kerala resting at her feet, Karnataka can often be overlooked despite the beaches along the Konkan coast and the waterways within the Western Ghats, which more than match the alternatives. Hill stations, such as Madikeri and Coorg, sit surrounded by coffee and spice estates, offering respite from summer temps, and forest trails leading to hidden waterfalls and misty mountain lookouts. Explore amongst the temples, aqueducts and elephant enclosures in the UNESCO village of Hampi and you’ll find the vehemence of the Vijayanagara Empire, frozen in time, with a guide book all that’s required to shed light on fascinating 14th century facts. Wildlife abounds along the Kabini River and the national parks of Nagarhole, Bandipur and Mudumalai; although, don’t expect wild nights out as this is Karnataka, not Goa, so get some shut eye and make the most of southwest India’s hidden heartland.

Read on in our Karnataka travel guide.

Karnataka slots into southwest India as one of six sister states which feature the better known siblings Goa, to the northwest, and Kerala, to the southwest, which are often visited on Karnataka holidays as part of an organised tour. Being the middle child does have its advantages and Karnataka benefits from 300km of coastline as well as the Western Ghats which include the spice estates of Coorg, on its eastern flanks. Head east of Coorg for Mysore, and a further 150km to the northeast for the urban belch of Bangalore, before a day's drive north of the capital takes you to the UNESCO sites of Hampi and Hospet whereupon another 250km north finds you in Bijapur, from where you can venture out of Karnataka if you choose to end your holiday on the beaches Goa.