Travel Tips for India - The Introduction

A well-planned travel is not only blissful but lingers fresh in the memory for a long time. One obviously would love a hassle-free travel, as it is meant for rest and enjoyment and above all to escape from the daily ordeal of life. If on a travel too, one finds oneself running from pillar to post and making last-minute arrangements, one would love to forget the holiday and the horrifying memories associated with it. India is a tough country, in terms of temperament and terrain. Before venturing on a sojourn to India, one needs to follow some simple guidelines to make the stay a pleasant one. Follow the tips in earnest and put your best foot forth and come to India with a desire, and India promises that you will leave the land with an ardent wish to come back again.

India Travel - Do's and Don'ts

Follow these do's and don'ts while you are traveling in India and you will remain out of any trouble hopefully

Language - Make others understand what you are saying, speak slowly and repeat the things. Chances are that whatever you are saying is being misunderstood due to the differences in accent.

Permission for Photography - Take the necessary permissions and permits before photographing any government property, especially railways.

Beware - Never reply to a 'hello' of a common and never catch the eye of a professional beggar. Your simulated brutal indifference saves you energy and them time. No one pesters a hard touch when there are other tourists around.

Bargaining - Try to bargain as much possible, as most of the shopkeepers price the products well over the normal retail price.

Photography - Never buy camera film except from a recognized dealer. For places on higher altitude try using manual Indian cameras, as sophisticated automatic cameras might not be able to withstand extreme climates.

Beware of Dogs - Always give wide berth to the dogs that cross your path. The alternative may be two weeks of painful injections. Don't run away or show fear to a stray dog or monkey, hold your ground and they will back off.

Complaints - Always register a complaint or suggest and your voice would be heard. In India, you will find complaint registers everywhere and they seem to work.

India Travel - Essentials to be Carried Along

While traveling to India, it is understood that you will carry along all the documents like Passport, Visa, and your identity card. We are listing some more items that are very essential to carry along while you are on the travel in India.

First Aid Kit - Don't forget to keep the tablets of aspirin, paracetamol, and vitamins like the B-Complex. Check out with your doctor about the medicines you can use during your travel in India. Also try to keep in your first-aid kit, a pack of glucose powder, bandages, antiseptic creams or lotions, and Isabgol for abdominal problems.

Newspapers - Always buy a newspaper even if you are not going to read the news. They are very handy in relieving you of any boredom, work as a paper bag for shoes and fruits, help in stabilizing the rocking tables in a restaurant, sealing a window that rattles, swat flies, work as blotting paper, and will turn into paper airplanes.

Other Important Items - A small torch is an essential equipment as the lights are prone to power cuts. Always carry a small lock to double-lock the doors of the tourist bungalow or budget accommodation you are staying in. Also carry a string, if you have the urge to measure the length of everything in sight, an umbrella, which can be used as a walking stick, to scare off dogs, and to save yourself from raindrops.

India Travel - Navigation
To move around directionless in India can be a painful experience. Prepare yourself for your travel in India in advance. We have some tips for you that might help you in having a good time in India.

Maps - Maps are your best bet to prepare yourself for your future travel in India. The best place to check thousands of Indian maps (inclusive of one for you) is www.mapsofindia.com. They also sell exclusive Indian Maps CD that contains thousands of travel, city and other maps, distance calculators, road maps, and pin code searches.

Travel Guides - You don't need to go anywhere else to get comprehensive travel information on India. www.indianvisit.com should be your first and last point of reference for any travel information on India including destination information, travel rules, travel services, culture, geography, and others. In case, you are missing out on any information on India travel - contact Indianvisit through mail or phone. Your quest for India would not go unanswered.

India Travel - Weather

Summer in India - Summers (from April to Mid July) are generally hot and humid in the North Indian plains. The hills of Himalayas in the North India, Nilgris in the South India, and the small hill resorts of Western Ghat in the Western India are the best places to escape the heat wave. Bring with yourself light cotton clothes, plenty of glucose, sun screen lotion, and sunglasses if you are planning to tour North Indian plains during this time.

Monsoon in India - July, August, and Mid September are the month when Monsoon hits India. Heavy rain can be experienced and it could be fairly good idea to bring with yourself rain saving clothes like a raincoat and umbrella.

Winter in India - Winter is the most pleasant time of the year to tour North India. Nights are chilly with cold winds blowing in and continuous stretch of foggy mornings can be experienced. Snow laden hills of North India are good place to enjoy winter sports. Bring with yourself heavy woolen cloth to save yourself from the cold. Cold creams and moisturizers are also required to save your skin from the onslaught of cold wave. Southern India has moderate temperature throughout the winter and you don't need any special care to visit this region.

India Travel - Attire

Clothes - Wear your clothes decently, don't show off too much flesh, and respect the local traditions. You will be inviting unwanted attention in case you are not wearing full-length clothes in the rural areas. Following the local traditions of clothing will help you make more friends, as anyone in the advanced state of undress in India could be considered either too poor to buy a cloth or too shameless to wear it.

Shoes - Don't enter any religious place with your shoe on. To save yourself from the hassles of wearing in and off the shoes, try to wear sandals that would save you a lot of time and effort. While trekking, wear light shoes to save you from tiring before reaching the destination. Don't wear synthetic shocks, though they are much cheaper than the cotton ones.