TIPS FOR THE FIRST TIME TRAVELER TO
INDIA
Visiting India can be a wee bit unnerving for the first-time
visitor. The lifestyle and culture is totally different from the West.
We've made a list of some important dos and don'ts for hassle-free and
enjoyable travel in these both countries.
A proper VISA to enter and stay in India & is a must.
Do not encourage beggars.
Don't trust strangers with money. Trust your hotel, but not people
you may bump into on the streets.
Don't offer bribes to get any job done. Bribe-taking and
bribe-giving are a common practice in India but they are intended to
speed up things or win a favor that you are not entitled to. Plan well
in advance. Use consultants or trade and industry associations. If you
expect favors, let them come free or not at all. Warn anyone (even in
government) who asks you for a bribe that you would report him to the
Anti-Corruption Bureau or the nearest police-station. If he persists,
do it discreetly so that he can be caught red-handed.
Indian English has its own delights especially to foreigners of
English nativity. Don't show amusement at the different Indian accents
and choice of words. This does not take away from the fact that many
Indians speak and write better English than many native English
speakers.
It is advisable to cover yourself with travel insurance for thefts,
loss and medi-claim.
Carry proper maps of the places proposed to visit in India/Nepal, as
signboards are often absent. Try to reach a station during daytime if
traveling on your own. In any case avoid persistent touts and
taxi-drivers at airport/stations/bus stand to help you find your
hotel. Always use tourist assistance desk for proper advice.
Women traveling alone in certain deserted places should avoid
walking at odd hours.
While changing money, insist on getting encashment certificate.
Do not checkout of the hotel in hurry. While checking out it has
been noticed in some hotels, the extras are unreasonably charged which
the guest hurriedly pays without cross-checking. Also check your
Passport , Air Tickets & Hotel Vouchers of another Destination before
checking out the room.
Do not leave your cash and valuables in your hotel rooms. Keep your
cash divided in different pockets.
Take care of proper disposal of your rubbish always whether you are
exploring desert, or Himalayas or beaches or anywhere else.
Don't accept offers of visiting anyone's home unless you are
confident of the person.
Use licensed guides for sightseeing.
Always use strong suitcases/baggage, as mishandling is common at
airports/stations.
Don't tip unreasonably and unnecessarily in a hotel. The NEWS soon
spreads in the hotel and by the time you checkout there will be a
group of them saluting you to expect something.
In Monsoon time avoid night stay in the desert while you do camel
safari.
SHOPPING
Don't buy antiques more than 100 years old. Selling and buying "shahtoosh"
shawls is a crime. The same goes for ivory and wildlife.
Buy at genuine shops only. Bargaining is a popular practice in India
and necessary too. Don't ever believe in lucrative offers of antique
dealers in which they offer you to carry a parcel of some other buyer
back home with your own margin described. Entire transaction should be
legal and transparent so that you may claim later if dissatisfied.
Guides & Taxi drivers often get commissions if you make any
shopping. Percentage of commission is depends on your bargaining
level, as more you bargain they get less commission.
TRAVELING IN TRAINS, BUSSES, CARS & FLIGHTS:--
While traveling, don't act confused. Keep a posture of a person
known to the region.
If you are traveling in the trains then you may have to reserve your
seats in advance, last time it will be not so easy to get confirm seat
reservation.
Buses are not as comfortable as trains.
Be careful about your luggage while you travel in train or in bus.
Trains and buses are the best and cheapest option if you are
traveling for more then one month holidays.
It is always better to arrive one hour before scheduled departure at
the train station.
Always chain and lock your luggage under your berth in a train.
Don't keep anything valuable near the window. Always carry plenty of
water, fluids in trains. A lone woman traveler may request to be
accommodated near other women travelers.
Don't eat anything offered by fellow travelers on train or road
travels. It might have sleeping pills. Always travel reserved class in
trains.
CAR - PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION FOR TRAVEL:-
Avoid driving in India unless you have been trained on Indian roads.
As a driver, you always have one person with you to help you and
your luggage is always safe.
Best time to Travel by Car is 9.00 A.M till 6.00 P.M Evening time.
RELIGIONS
Do not visit places which encourage orthodoxy, social injustice and
inhuman practices (like visiting a sati temple).
Politics can be freely discussed in India and most people will have
an opinion which they will not mind being contradicted. But avoid
discussing religion.
Avoid offers of spiritual salvation and magic remedies from saints,
god men and quacks. There may be some spiritually elevated people in
India, but there is no way you can distinguish the genuine ones from
the crooks. If you are seriously interested in these aspects of India,
take help from someone you know or visit one of the respected
spiritual organizations in India.
Don't ever enter a temple, mosque, tomb, dargah or Gurudwara ( Sikh
Temple) with shoes on and/or scantily dressed. One should cover
his/her head with a cloth while in a Gurudwara or Dargah. Parikrama or
walking around the sanctum sanctorum should always be in clockwise
direction. Also should use your full pantaloon.
FOOD & WATER
Take care of contamination of water and food problem. Always drink
safe mineral water and take well-cooked food.
Drink bottled water only. Even many Indians who have lived out of
India for a few years sometimes suffer stomach upsets on drinking
local tap water. If there is no alternative to tap water, ensure it is
boiled. Most famous brand is Bislery, Aqua Fina and Himalaya,
Avoid eating buffet meals, even in expensive hotels. The food may
become contaminated due to over-exposure
If you are buying from roadside stalls or hawkers, bargain you must.
Start by offering half the price they ask for and settle for 70 - 80
per cent. Don't bargain in proper shops especially those that display
"Fixed Price" signs: that will be seen as bad manners.
Never buy food from roadside stalls or mobile canteens. Not that
they are bad, but your system may not be accustomed to such delicacies
and you might end up spending more time in the loo than normal.
Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Tikka, Chicken Curry and Naan these are
the most famous dishes eaten by western people and they like them very
much.
King fisher Lager bear is one of the most general alcoholic drink
taken by any western tourist.
Lassi & water is one of the most general non alcoholic drink taken
by any western tourist.
SOCIETY & TRENDS
Participating in a social occasion or visiting a home requires
conservative dress codes. Do not shake hands with ladies. Always pick
up a thing and eat with your right hand. Take only as much as you can
eat, do not leave anything uneaten over the dish.
Do not point your finger at any person. It is taken as a sign of
annoyance.
Be careful of cultural and social sensitivities of the regions.
There is no single rule for that, the best way is to observe and
follow.
The NAMASTAY is a local form of greeting. It involves the joining
of your palms as during prayer in church well, not exactly, but it
can pass (in church, the two thumbs are crossed, in the Indian
NAMASTAY , the thumbs join but remain parallel to each other: this
is only for information as the difference is not visible to the person
in front of you).
If you find the lady is not extending a hand shake, go for the
NAMASTAY , Even with men, the NAMASTAY can be an excellent little
PR gimmick! Follow it up with a AAP KAISE HAIN (how are you?) and
you have broken the first block of ice if one there was!
If somebody has invited you home for dinner, carry with you a box of
sweets or at least a chocolate bar for the kid.
Many Indians are in the habit of shaking their head in the course of
conversation or taking instructions. Don't show amusement if you
witness this.
Don't photograph women without permission.
Indian weddings are one of the most famous social ceremony liked by
western people.
TERRORISM
Avoid visiting Kashmir in the extreme north as well as areas in the
extreme north-east. Foreigners, especially West Europeans ands
Americans, are at risk to hostage-taking by terrorists in those areas.
The rest of India is safe haven for everybody.
Drugs: In India Consuming or Possession of Drugs is a Non-Bail able
offence.
At the time of Trouble: It is always advisable to first let your
Travel Planner know about the problem you are facing then discuss with
others.
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