In this India travel advice section,
we give you some dos and don'ts for Indian travel.
India travel advice will come quite handy to you if you are thinking
of coming to India. Here are some common dos and Donts for
Indian travel:
- Getting some background information on India and the particular
place that you are planning to visit is quite a good idea.
- Staying in India is not a big problem. There are a number of
4-star and 5-star hotels in India, measuring up to the international
standards. They will provide you the comfort and luxury comparable
to any other in the world.
- Foreigners are required to pay all their dues regarding the hotel
bills in foreign currency only, in the form of cash, travelers
checks or credit cards. Even concessional tickets like Youth fares,
Discover India Fares and Air Fares are to be paid for in foreign
exchange only.
- Never ever purchase air/ rail/ bus tickets through strangers or
unauthorized travel agents/ tour operators, also known as touts.
They are not at all reliable. Buy tickets from the authorized
centers only.
- It is advisable not to hire any type of transportation from
unlicensed operators.
- In case of taxis and auto-rickshaws, try to hire them from the
pre-paid booths, if possible. Otherwise, insist on going by the
meter and check the readings regularly to ensure that the fare is
correct. In case there are no meters or the meters are
dysfunctional, set a fare in advance to avoid being fleeced later
on.
- Make travel arrangements well in advance, especially if you are
traveling in the peak season (between October to March).
- English is spoken at almost tourist destination in India these
days. However, if you want, you may hire Government-trained and
approved guides who also speak German, French, Spanish, Japanese,
Italian or Russian.
- Indian people are quite hospitable and friendly. Do not feel
offended if they stare at you. It is just curiosity on their part.
Most of the people will also go out of the way to help tourists and
properly guide them.
- It is advisable for you to carry your own medicines. Almost all
medicines in India are locally manufactured and you may not find the
same brand names. However, you may easily set substitute products
here. But take the advice of reputed druggists or doctors for the
purpose.
- Make sure to remove your footwear when visiting a place of
worship or mausoleum. Some temples in India will not even allow you
to carry leather articles inside. You can deposit them in the temple
cloakroom and collect it on your way out.
- It is not entirely unsafe to travel in India. You just have to
take some precautions like avoiding isolated places, not going out
after its too late, etc.
- The electric current in India is 220/ 250 volts and 50 cycles. It
is AC practically everywhere. Carry converters if you have some
electric equipment with you.
- Dont feel offended if Indians ask you some personal
questions like how much do you earn, are you married, do you have
kids, etc. They are just a little curious and mean no offence. It is
just their way of getting friendly.
Just some general conventions to follow and then India is a
wonderful place to be. You will enjoy the scenic beauty, rich culture,
engrossing traditions and almost everything about India.