India, the land of diverse cultures and religions, attracts millions of tourists each year from across the world. It’s no more the ancient land of Maharajas, elephants, and snake charmers. While these are integral parts of India’s rich heritage, there’s a lot more to experience in this vast country. As you travel from one state to the other, you are bound to experience the vast array of scenery, beauty, culture, customs, dialect, and cuisine that India contains within itself.
While traveling in India with a “go with the flow” attitude sounds romantic and appealing, it’s not really a good idea to do so, especially if it’s your first visit or if you’re traveling alone. Don’t get me wrong – the people are wonderfully helpful and courteous for the most part, but it’s always a good idea to be plan well and be cautious. Better safe than sorry, right? So, keep the following tips in mind, and enjoy the breathtaking experience that India is.
Decide on your destination
Based on the duration of your trip, you need to plan your trip across India. Travelers come to India and take months to explore it from the east to west or even north to south. Decide which cities you want to visit and plan the activities you want to indulge in – expeditions, heritage walks, wildlife watch, or spiritual sojourn – there’s a lot to do and not enough time to do it in!
Know your destination
Find out when is the right season to visit your destination, what are the things to do, your accommodation options and so on. For instance, if you intend to go for adventure sports like river rafting, July-September would definitely not be the ideal months in north or north-east India for this sport.
Make advance bookings
It’s always better to book your reservations in advance to avoid last minute chaos. So get in touch with reliable tour operators/travel agents for prior bookings. Also look for package deals - sometimes they are cheaper and yet more comprehensive.
Check your health
Consult your doctor and get vaccinated (if advised) for Hepatitis A/B, Typhoid, Rabies and Tetanus. Also carry a first-aid kit that contains digestives, band-aids, and antiseptic lotion.
Keep emergency numbers handy
It’s wise to keep a record of your emergency numbers, whether it’s your relatives, friends, your doctor back home, or people you might know in India. Also make a note of toll-free help-lines in the country.
Eat at right places
Initially, it is best to stick to safe foods served in good hotels and restaurants. However, as your system adjusts to the water, you can try the local streetside fare like Chhole bhature or Aloo Parantha in Delhi, Vada Pav or Bhelpuri in Mumbai, and Masala Dosa in the southern part of the country. Keep those Tums handy!
Carry your own water or drink sealed mineral water
It’s better to buy sealed mineral water for personal consumption. And in case you venture into a remote area where this is not available, do remember to boil the water that’s available locally before drinking it.
Behavior in public
Indians are traditional when it comes to behaving in public. While greeting a guest or an elder, you fold your hands together, take a bow and say Namaste. While it’s become quite common for friends to embrace each other but you need to be cautious when greeting someone for the first time. You also need to take care of the way you dress. Majority of Indians still follow the conservative style of dressing. But for a female foreign traveler, a t-shirt and a pair of jeans would suffice. As you spend more days in the country, you are bound to observe the change in mindset from one city to the other. Dress accordingly and blend in.
Shopping for souvenirs
Each region in India has a unique talent/skill of art for which it has gained popularity over the years. Research these online so you know what souvenirs to pick up from where. For instance, miniature marble replicas of the Taj Mahal are popular memoirs that can be picked up in Agra, but you might want to pick up handlooms if you’re in the eastern part of the country.
Be prepared for the unexpected
In this land of a billion population and economic development all across, you are bound to face issues such as traffic snarls, flight delays, or car problems. The best way to face them is by not getting stressed but accounting for some extra time in your travel plan for undue delays.
Above all, don’t forget that each region has its own amazing story to tell provided you are willing to listen to it.
Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in March, 2010. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.
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—About our writer:
Suneha is an MBA in Marketing and a graduate in Business Economics. She works in the account management team of a top-notch multinational advertising company. In her current role she has worked for clients across the insurance, automobile and lifestyle sector. She has also worked with a leading multinational sports channel on projects related to new media, marketing strategies and contest ideation/management. To add variety to her kitty, she loves to write on lighter moments in life and travelogues.
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