Practical Advice from an Experienced Traveler, or

"Everything You Need to Know to Have a Wonderful Time in India"

 

Getting an Indian Visa                                                                                               Page 1

 

Advice on Luggage                                                                                                    Page 1

 

Safeguarding Important Information                                                                        Page 3

 

Airport Security                                                                                                         Page 3

 

How to Travel Comfortably and Minimize Jet Lag                                                 Page 4

 

Indian Airports and Flights                                                                                        Page 6

 

Money Matters                                                                                                         Page 8

 

Coping with the Environment                                                                                    Page 10

 

Clothing for Comfort and Modesty                                                                           Page 12

 

Advice on Footwear                                                                                                   Page 14

 

Staying Healthy in India                                                                                            Page 14

 

Eating Well in India                                                                                                   Page 18

 

Hotel Expectations                                                                                                    Page 21

 

Personal Hygiene                                                                                                       Page 24

 

Daily Incidentals                                                                                                        Page 25

 

Getting Around                                                                                                          Page 26

 

Dealing with Beggars and Other Pests                                                                     Page 28

 

Making Yourself Understood                                                                                    Page 29

 

Gifts to Bring for Special People                                                                              Page 31

 

Shopping Advice                                                                                                        Page 32

 

Photography Tips                                                                                                       Page 34

 

Mail, Phones & E-mail                                                                                              Page 35

 

Getting an Indian Visa

In order to enter India, you need a tourist visa.  This can be obtained weeks in advance, since it is good for six months.  To get a visa, go to http://www.indianembassy.org and print out the visa application and instructions for obtaining a visa by mail.  Check to see which Indian consulate in the U.S.A. handles visas for people in your area.

 

About six weeks before your trip, complete the visa application and attach two passport pictures as instructed.  Get a postal money order in the amount required, including the fee for Express Mail return of your passport and visa.  Put your passport, application and money order in a sturdy envelope and send it by Express Mail to the appropriate consulate.  You should receive your visa (which will be attached to a page in your passport) within a week or two.

 

Advice on Luggage

Due to new restrictions on what you can take on board an aircraft, you will need to check a bag rather than carrying everything on.  Place your nail clipper, Swiss army knife, and any other prohibited carry-on items in your checked bag to get them to India safely. 

 

You do not need to purchase special luggage for your trip to India, but the very best combination is a small rolling suitcase to check, a school-size backpack to carry on, and a fanny pack or small shoulder bag for your most essential items.  Some people use muslin zipper bags that hang around their necks or sit inside the waistbands of their pants to hold their passports and travelers' checks, but these can become very uncomfortable in the Indian heat.   Definitely avoid leather bags if traveling during the monsoon, as your items are likely to get ruined in the rain.

 

You will also need a water bottle carrier, which can easily be purchased from Magellan's or Travelsmith.  You don't want to bring your own water bottle (of the type used for camping or cycling) because you will have no way to keep it clean on the trip.  The better alternative is purchasing bottled water in India and throwing away the bottles as you empty them.  The best kind of water bottle carrier has an adjustable strap and a lightweight insulated bottom made of soft plastic material.  The kind that require you to zipper the bottle in at the top are a pain in the neck, and the cloth insulation inside often gets damp and smelly by the end of your trip.

 

Your fanny pack or shoulder bag will probably sit on your lap (or near your feet) on the airplane.  When moving around India, it will be on your body at all times.  You will keep your passport, money, tickets and other small essentials in this bag.  There will be many times during the time you are in transit when you will have to quickly produce your tickets, boarding card, customs/immigration form, and/or passport.  Make sure that these items are in their own small bag or zipper compartment where they will be easy to find at all times.

 

Your backpack will go under the seat in front of you on the airplane.  It will hold all of the things you need to keep your comfortable and amused during the trip, as well as a complete change of clothes, all your medications, and enough toilet items to get you through a day or two without luggage.  (You'll use some of your toilet items to freshen up at your European stop).  Once you get to India, your backpack will be used on a daily basis to carry extra water bottles, snacks, comfort items, things you purchase, etc.

 

Make sure that you have a lock for each zipper on your backpack and rolling suitcase, and a tag on each item, including your fanny pack or shoulder bag and water bottle carrier.  The best kinds of locks (available in many stores and through Magellan's or Travelsmith) are small ones with a three-number combination that you can set.  You can use locks with keys, but you may find yourself flailing around to find the right key for each lock. 

 

Most important of all is a cable lock, which you can attach to the top of your checked bag when you are in transit.  These locks, which also have a 3-number combination you can set, have strong cables that stretch several feet.  If you have one, you will always have a way to lock all of your baggage together and attach it to a heavy piece of furniture.  This will enable you to safely leave your important stuff and valuables in your hotel room when you are away during the day.

 

It is a great idea to bring a small-to-medium-sized ripstop fabric duffel bag rolled up in your suitcase or backpack.  Make sure it has a lock and a tag on it, because this is what you'll use to bring home all your souvenirs and gifts when you return.  It only has to survive a couple of flights, so it doesn't have to be new or especially heavy-duty.  If you can't bring a duffel, you can always set aside Rs.600-800 or so ($13.33-$17.78) to purchase a cheap fabric or vinyl duffel in India.  If this is your plan, do tuck an extra lock and tag into your suitcase before you leave home.

 

Safeguarding Important Information

Buy a little notebook (or use pages in your travel journal, if you are bringing one) to record the following important information:

 

·        Your name, address, phone number, passport number and Indian visa number

·        Name, address and phone number for an emergency contact in the United States

·        Your traveler's check numbers, and the phone number to call for check replacement

·        Credit card numbers, and the phone numbers to call if your card is lost or stolen

·        PIN numbers for cash advances against your credit cards (keep these in code or in a place away from the card numbers for safety)

·        Flight details for all flights

·        Hotel confirmations for all destinations in India

·        Regular mail and email addresses for people you want to communicate with while you are away

·        Any other important data that you think you may need

 

If you are traveling with other family members, include their information with your own information.  Typically, you will keep your notebook or travel journal in your fanny pack or shoulder bag so it is with you all the time.  In case you and your bag become separated, it is important to have a second copy of this information in another location in your luggage.

 

Airport Security

Your checked bag will be x-rayed in the U.S.A. before being put on the plane.  In India, it will be x-rayed and sometimes it will be banded as well.  You will need a small pair of scissors (the ones on your Swiss army knife are perfect) to cut the bands upon arrival.  Don't forget to place the knife and any similar items in your checked bag whenever you travel by air.  Otherwise, they will be summarily confiscated.

 

You and your hand luggage will pass through airport security in the U.S.A., your European transit point, and in India.  Be prepared to have every pocket inspected and every zipper opened, multiple times.  It's a good idea to use ziploc bags to organize the stuff in your backpack, and if your fanny pack or shoulder bag doesn't have a lot of separate pockets and compartments, use ziploc bags there too.  Otherwise, you will end up with a huge jumble of stuff to organize each time you pass through security.

 

If you are bringing a camera and film, the x-rays used in airport security in the U.S.A., Europe and India will not harm your film unless it is faster than 400 ISO.  If you are planning to bring superfast film, you will need a lead bag to protect it, and you should plan on taking extra time at each security checkpoint to enable the guards to open the bag and dump out all the film for inspection.

 

In Indian airports, you and your hand luggage will be carefully searched TWICE before you get on any plane.  You need to pick up a paper tag from the airline counter for each of your carry-on items, including your water bottle carrier, when you check in for each flight.  These are then stamped by the security personnel to show that they have been searched.

 

Body searches are conducted in small booths using wands and hands.  A female officer searches women, and men are searched by a male officer.  The last search often occurs on the tarmac before you board your plane.  In that case, a small screen it set up to enable women to be searched privately.  Men and boys are searched in the open.  It is best to have a positive, cooperative attitude at all times, because these searches are important for your protection.

 

On many domestic flights in India, you will be asked to identify your checked baggage before it is put on the plane.  This is done to avoid placing a bag on the plane, which does not belong to any of the passengers.  Typically, you will be summoned to a door where you will line up to point to your bag on a small luggage cart, before returning to the waiting room until it's time to board.

 

How to Travel Comfortably and Minimize Jet Lag

Indian time is 10.5 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, and 11.5 hours ahead of Central Standard Time.  If you don't take care to minimize jet lag, you will be a zombie for several days after you arrive in India.

 

Note: If you take prescription medications that require carefully-timed dosing, you should think carefully about how you are going to space your doses during your long flights.  On the way to India, you will have what amounts to a very short day due to the time change.  On the way home, you will have a very long day.  If you need to, use pen and paper to align U.S. time with India time and determine when you plan to take your medication.  (Most medication gives you sufficient leeway in dosing, so this will only be required if you take medications that require careful balancing).

 

The most important advice for jet lag is to stay very well hydrated.  Pressurized airplane cabins are extremely dry, and while the flight attendants will offer liquids from time to time, you need to make additional efforts to drink constantly in order to avoid dehydration.  One alternative is to bring a water bottle with you on the plane in your water bottle carrier.  Otherwise, you'll need to get up frequently to ask for water or juice, which should be readily available in the nearest galley.  Never drink alcohol during any long flight, as this will dehydrate you more quickly.  If your airline offers free wine with dinner, you'll just have to skip it.  Your skin will also feel very chapped and dry, so do remember to tuck in a small tube of moisturizer when you're packing your carry-on luggage.

 

Of course, if you are drinking sufficiently, you will need to get up and use the restrooms frequently during the flight.  This isn't a whole lot of fun, as the bathrooms quickly become nasty en route.  If it makes you feel better, use the paper seat covers provided, and clean up with an antiseptic wipe when you get back to your seat.  Don't let this stop you from drinking constantly during any period when you are not asleep.

 

Speaking of sleep, one of the best ways to minimize jet lag is to sleep as much as possible during your flight.  On transcontinental flights, all passengers are allotted a blanket and pillow each, which you will need to make you comfortable for sleeping.  It is impossible to get restful sleep if your neck isn't supported, so you will definitely need to bring an inflatable neck pillow in your carry-on bag.   It may take some experimentation to figure out the right position and degree of inflation, but once you bet the hang of it, you'll be able to enjoy several hours of good sleep en route.

 

Airline cabins are typically darkened for several hours on long flights, to facilitate sleep.  Of course, you may end up with a neighbor who insists on keeping his window shade up (if it's light outside) or using his reading light throughout the flight.  You may also end up next to a small child who insists on wailing for hours during the flight.  If you are not the kind of person who falls asleep easily in these circumstances, you might consider bringing an eyeshade and earplugs to enable you to rest more comfortably.

 

The airline will offer meals every few hours, and you should try to eat something each time food is served.  However, you don't need to eat everything on your tray if you don't feel like it.  Just drink all the liquids you can consume, avoiding tea and coffee unless you are quite sure they will not keep you awake.  At most meals on India-bound flights, you will have a choice of "Continental non-vegetarian" or "Asian vegetarian", the latter being Indian-style food.  If you like Indian food, by all means try the "Asian vegetarian", but don't expect a gourmet feast no matter which you choose.

 

Airline food and water is completely safe on your outbound journey, but when you are returning from India, you should continue your dietary precautions, drinking only your own bottled water or beverages from aseptic containers (without ice), and avoiding all fresh fruits and vegetables until you take off from your European transit point.  At that point, the plane will have been stocked with European food and water, and you will be able to eat and drink without worries.

 

Movies and variety programming are typically shown after meals on transcontinental flights.  There are monitors throughout the cabin and headphones are handed out at the start of each flight.  To minimize jet lag, you are strongly advised to ignore the movies entirely, at the risk of becoming engrossed and missing the opportunity to sleep.  Even if you aren't sleepy, you can spend the same hours resting with your eyes closed, getting some of the benefit of sleep.

 

Flights to India are always 100% full, so don't expect to have an empty seat next to you to sack out on.  Most of the travelers on the Europe-to-India leg will be Indian people, and you may enjoy striking up a conversation with your neighbor to pass the time.  However, don't let this cut into your rest time, as you will definitely regret it later.

 

A key part of your anti-jet lag regimen is the use of melatonin to help your body's internal clock readjust itself.  Melatonin can be purchased wherever a good range of vitamins is sold.  It has no side effects and you will not feel anything when you take it.  However, it will make a world of difference in how you cope with jet lag (indeed, airline pilots and flight attendants swear by it, since it has proven effective in a number of scientific studies).

 

Upon getting into your first airline seat, immediately set your watch for India time.  Then, when you reach your normal bedtime in India (say, 10:00), take two tablets or capsules of melatonin.  This won't make you sleepy, but it will help shift your body clock much more rapidly.  When you reach India, try to get some morning sun on your face, and try to avoid the afternoon sun the first day.  Continue taking your melatonin at bedtime throughout your stay in India.

 

When returning to the U.S.A., follow the same procedure by setting your watch to American time as soon as you get on your international flight.  This time, try to avoid getting morning sun on your face, and do your best to get some afternoon sun if you can.  Continue taking the melatonin for a few days after you get home.

 

When you reach India, you will be truly exhausted.  If you don't have an immediate flight, check in at a hotel near the airport to rest, shower and eat before returning to the airport.  With any luck, your flight will arrive on time around midnight, and you'll get to your hotel room by 3 a.m. or so.  It shouldn't be hard to fall right asleep, but don't sleep too late or you'll perpetuate your jet lag.  So, set your travel alarm for 10 a.m. (don't rely on wake-up calls in a country that is notoriously unpunctual) and enjoy a long, hot shower instead of another hour of sleep.  On your first night, try to get to bed early, but try to stay up until at least 10 p.m. if you can.  Don't forget the melatonin!

 

Indian Airports and Flights

Indian airports are definitely smaller and less fancy than airports in the west.  When you come to an Indian airport to take a flight, you should be able to find a small trolley on which to place your baggage.  However, it never hurts to be able to manage your stuff without a trolley if necessary.  In some airports, you may be assaulted by "porters" who grab your stuff, put it on a trolley, and take off at a fast clip.  Typically, these people are not trying to steal your stuff, but they do expect to be paid when you get to the door of the airport.  The typical tip is Rs.10-20 depending on how much stuff you have.