India Travel Advice

India travel advice will come quite handy to you if you are thinking of coming to India. Here are some common dos and Don'ts 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, traveler's 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.
• Don't 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.