October 2021
Are you ready? Seriously, are you ready for this unique and magnificently fascinating experience that is India?
We hope so because you’re going to have an unforgettable time as you explore this country, the crafts and textiles, and everything in between. And the time is approaching quickly.
Very soon, the adventure shall begin!
Of course, before this trip begins, we do want to ensure that you’re as prepared as possible. This document will point out a few of the interesting aspects and challenges that visitors to India might face as well as other tips on how to get ready, both physically and mentally.
This India tour has an itinerary of course but at the same time, as this is India, surprises will surely come our way. We also want to make sure that there is room for you to have the kind of experience you really want to have. As a result, the plan always remains flexible and we can accommodate any needs or ideas you have during the trip.
The group will be staying at a variety of accommodations – good mid-range hotels, unique heritage properties, and rustic, well-appointed huts and more. Rooms will be simple at times but always comfortable and with attached bathrooms. Sure, the wifi might not work well and you might have to call the front desk to turn on the hot water, but all will be well as you’ll see. This is, after all, India 🙂
Traveling around the country, we’ll use two private vans for most of the trip, with two trusted drivers, one of whom we’ve worked with for 7 years. Driving around this country is not easy and they do an awesome job. We’ll also be taking some internal flights in order to save time as well as a train journey.
India is indeed a developing country, and as a result, much of what you experience will involve things that you might not be too familiar with having lived in other parts of the world. Some examples include extreme poverty, pollution, chaotic crowds, delays and unexpected obstacles, cows roaming the cities, an absence of traffic rules, lack of personal space, etc.
So let us briefly tackle these aspects…
As for the poverty, it can be difficult to digest at first, however, it’s important to keep in mind that life in India is simply not the same as life back home. Wages are often less than $1 USD per day, living conditions are often of very low-quality and in general, a majority of people in India are living below the poverty line.
For foreign travelers, witnessing these conditions can be quite an experience, although, it is not necessarily going to be a negative experience. In fact, I’ve found that some of the friendliest, happiest people I’ve ever met in India are often some of the poorest and I’ve had countless wonderful interactions with those who appear to be living in conditions that seem quite shocking.
The thing is, when a person’s goal in life is to have a roof over their head, to have enough food each day and to have one pair of clothes to wear, they will be quite happy when they achieve those reasonable goals. In fact, they can be happier than the Westerner that constantly dreams about being super-wealthy, owning three mansions and four Ferraris and never gets there.
So, keep an open mind at all times when it comes to poverty and I’m confident that you will also discover that things are not always as they appear.
Indeed there are. With over 1 billion inhabitants, it is only natural for there to be huge crowds and a complete lack of personal space. Also, just crossing the street can take twenty minutes because of all the people, not to mention the cars, buses, motorbikes, vegetable carts, cows, donkeys and dogs as well. (We promise though, it will be fun!)
Dealing with the lack of personal space is quite odd at first but once you adjust, we think you’ll have a good time with it. Give a quick smile and nod to those staring at you and the chance is high you’ll receive a smile back!
Everywhere you go, people will call out to you, asking you questions, trying to start a conversation, asking if you want to buy something, begging for a few rupees and so on. Yes, it can be a little challenging to handle, but it’s just how life works in this country given the very poor economic situation.
We would personally answer their questions quickly and make it clear from the start that I’m not interested. “Do you want to come to my shop?” — “No, not interested, thank you.” That kind of response usually works fine. What you don’t want to do is shut yourself off from everyone and refuse to speak to anyone at all. It’s far better to reply politely and keep on moving…and sometimes, these questions can actually lead to rewarding interactions as well!
Especially in the major cities, the air can be quite polluted in India. Again, it’s a part of any trip to India and while there’s no way to completely avoid pollution, we will do our best to avoid it as much as we can.
In India, you should be prepared for transportation delays and other changes due to any number of unforeseen circumstances during our trip. It’s just a part of the India experience and there’s certainly no reason to get frustrated when it happens. Just take it all as it comes, stay positive and you’ll see that every hiccup in the trip will turn into a rewarding adventure. It’s all about the mindset.
The question on many people’s minds when traveling to India is, ‘will I get a case of the Delhi belly?‘. My answer is… perhaps.
Luckily, it’s not a guarantee, but it certainly does happen to some travelers. Here’s the thing…on this tour, you’ll be eating at places where the food will be well-prepared and you won’t have to worry about it sitting in pots for two weeks prior to being served. Fruits and vegetables will always be washed in filtered water as well. Usually, a stomach bug is caused by contact with a little tap water (brushing teeth, left on a plate that was cleaned with tap water, etc.) or because our systems are simply not used to the ingredients used in the food. Even if you eat a lot of Indian food at home, it’s quite different when you’re actually in India!
Probiotics: We highly recommend taking probiotics starting at least two weeks prior to the trip (if you don’t start two weeks prior, they are not so useful) as this greatly reduces the risk of having stomach issues from the food/water.
*Please drink only bottled water and to be extra cautious, it’s best to use bottled water to brush your teeth as well.
We’ll go over this again once you arrive in India but it’s nothing to be worried about. India’s hygiene standards are improving rapidly and it’s almost impossible to find even an extremely local restaurant that doesn’t use filtered water these days.
During this trip, we can expect relatively consistent weather. February is an ideal time to visit India, with very little rain and pleasant temperatures. Here are the February average temperatures of each destination we will visit:
Delhi: 75F/24C high – 53F/12C low
Ranthambore: 80F/26C high – 68F/20C low
Bundi: 78F/25C high – 68F/20C low
Udaipur: 86F/30C high – 75F/23C low
Kutch: 86F/30C high – 54F/13C low
Taking comfortable, light clothing is the best idea, especially clothes that you’re not particularly attached to. It’s a fact that some of the items you bring probably won’t make it back home with you as travel in India can be hard on your clothes.
For women, long, lightweight pants and loose-fitting shirts that cover part of the arm is a good idea as Indian women dress rather conservatively and more western attire (skirts, tight clothing, tank-tops, etc.) tends to draw unwanted attention.
*Laundry – Every hotel offers laundry service and it usually costs around 20 Indian Rupees (30 US cents) per piece.
Pants (2 pairs – comfortable, lightweight, dark colors)
Shirts (4-5 short-sleeve shirts, 2 long-sleeve shirts – loose fit, comfortable)
Shorts (1 pair)
Underwear/Socks
Shoes (sneakers) & Sandals
Warm Clothing (1 sweater and light jacket for cool nights)
Toiletries (keep in mind that anything you need can be bought in India)
Medicines (bring sufficient amounts of any medication you take)
Small Day-pack
Gadgets & Chargers (camera, laptop, Kindle, mobile phone, etc)
Ear plugs (if you’re a light sleeper, bring a few pairs)
Sunglasses
Suncreeen
Hat
Shawl (used to cover your hair, this is needed for females when entering certain religious sites)
Water bottle (you can fill up your own bottle from the large containers of filtered water that we will have in the van)
Suitcase or a backpack? Either one works. The most important thing is that you don’t overpack as moving around India with your luggage can be tiresome and the less stuff you have, the more thankful you’ll be once the tour begins.
This trip to India does not require any vaccinations apart from the standard vaccinations you would get for travel to any country. These include hepatitis A and B, measles, mumps, diphtheria and tetanus. Some doctors recommend rabies, Japanese encephalytis, typhoid and other vaccinations but they are not required as the risk is extremely low. Also, the region that we will travel to has a very low risk of malaria and it’s not generally considered a concern.
India is a lot safer than most people think. The chances of anything happening are very slim as long as you use the same common sense you would use at home.
Watch your stuff – Always keep an eye on your stuff and avoid putting a wallet or phone in your back pocket. Keep your purse or shoulder bag on your front hip and make sure the zippers are zipped on your backpack. Simple as that! You can also leave valuables in your room while out and about each day as the hotels we use are all very safe.
Scams – Most ‘scams’ in India are nothing major. People will approach, ask where you’re from, compliment your shoes or ask how long you’ve been in India and then simply try to get you to a shop where they earn a commission. Or they might tell you the place you’re looking for is closed and try to redirect you somewhere else. If it doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t. But they’re never aggressive. A simple ‘no, thank you’ usually works. Life here is difficult for many and people try all sorts of ways to earn extra money as a way to survive. If you start talking to those who approach, typically you’ll find they are nice people and easy to talk to.
Beggars – Beggars are common given the economic situation. However, almost all begging is organized and money you give will go to a mafia boss that controls that area. Women holding a baby might approach and say, “No money, only milk for baby.” They want you to buy powdered milk, which they sell back to the store for cash (to give to the mafia). If you want to donate money to help people in India, we can provide a list of reputable organizations.
Don’t be shy – Even though some Indians approach with some other motive, you don’t want to get into the habit of thinking that everyone is out to rip you off. It’s definitely not the case and interacting with Indians is always a highlight. A simple smile or wave or wiggle of your head will often lead to some great interactions.
Female travelers – For the females in the group, be sure to smile at local women during the trip! Indian women come into less contact with foreigners and are always interested in talking to foreign females. This especially goes for teenagers/younger females who speak better English than the older generation. A simple ‘namaste’ can lead to some rewarding conversations.
In terms of spending money, you should estimate an average of $10 – $30 USD per day for all of your needs. This would be for meals that are not included in the tour, basic purchases (laundry service, snacks, etc) as well as any activities you choose to do on your own.
As for exchanging money, the best method is via ATM machines which are everywhere in India. However, check with your bank at home as many banks charge high foreign transaction fees every time you withdraw money overseas.
If using an ATM is not an option, or the fees are too high, simply bring USD, Euros or GBP to exchange at money exchange offices all over the country. If you do bring cash, make sure the bills are new and crisp and you’ll always get a better exchange rate with $50 or $100 notes.
*Avoid bringing traveler’s checks as it is very difficult to cash them.
*Please do not change money at home before you arrive. India recently removed certain bills from circulation and if you end up with these bills, they will be worthless upon arrival. Once you arrive we’ll get you to an ATM or a trusted money exchange office.
Do you have to bargain? – Technically no, but in reality, yes. You should bargain for almost everything as that is just how shopping works in this country. By not doing so, you’re bound to pay much higher prices than you should be paying.
Exceptions – Packaged items sold in a general shop (bottled water, soap, shampoo, snacks, etc.) have the prices, set by the government, right on the package. Check the package and you’ll see, for example, “Rps 20” or “MSRP 20” which means, 20 rupees, and that’s what you should pay. For everything else, there are no set prices.
Getting ripped off – Everyone will get ripped off during this tour. It’s unavoidable. But it’s usually just a small amount and nothing to get too upset about!
The Bargaining Rule – The average salary in India is about $3-$5 USD per day. So, you can always ask yourself, ‘Would a local person pay this amount’ for something. This is how you know that something like a juice shouldn’t cost 250 Rupees ($4 USD), almost a day’s salary. You’ll quickly learn what things should generally cost and what is worth bargaining over.
Souvenirs and gifts – Always shop around, never buy on your first visit to a shop and feel free to ask what something should cost and we’ll let you know. We have reliable recommendations for shops in all the destinations we visit.
Yes! Many days will include time together as well as free time for you to enjoy a destination at your own pace. With that said, we will always be available to offer our personal recommendations and suggestions as to things you might want to do or see, places to eat and other interesting activities that you might want to check out when there is free time.
Toilet Paper – Most Indians do not use toilet paper which is why you will rarely find it in any public restroom. It can be purchased at any general shop and it’s best to always have a roll with you just in case.
Bottled Water – It’s important to drink plenty of bottled water during this trip. We’ll always have bottled water in our vans at all times and it can also be purchased in shops all over the place for about 20 Rupees.
Fruits and vegetables – At any restaurant we visit, fruit and vegetables will be perfectly safe to consume. On most menus, it will specifically state that fruit and vegetables are washed with filtered water. When not stated, this will still be the case, so there’s never a need to worry.
Plug adapter – India uses Type C and Type D plugs, which are different plug outlets than you will find in many other parts of the world. It’s a good idea to order a plug adapter such as this universal one in advance.
As for electricity, check your chargers to see if they say 110 – 220V. If they do, you will not have any problems charging your device while on the tour.
Staying connected – This is India (we’ll say that a thousand times!), so unfortunately, strong internet is not exactly widespread. While all of the hotels we stay at have Wi-fi, the connection is often poor at best. It will work and you’ll be able to send emails and do whatever you need to do, but it just might take longer than normal.
Cows are considered sacred in most of India and as a result, they roam the streets quite freely in many places. Unfortunately, this leads to a lot of cow excrement everywhere so be sure to look down every now and then as you walk. You don’t want to slip in a large pile of cow stuff…believe me!
A lot of people in India seem to be spitting all the time. So it’s quite common to look at walls or the street or even at your feet and notice some red goo. This is the spit that results from an aracela nut/calcium hydroxide/betel leaf combination that acts as a mild stimulant and that many Indians chew on, causing them to spit red goo from their mouth every few seconds. And because this is India, they generally don’t pay much attention to where that spit lands.
You’ll see it happen every day of the trip. Indians use a unique and fascinating movement of the head in order to express themselves, like a bobble. The problem with this head bobble is that it can mean so many different things. You might go into a shop and ask if they have shampoo and the man behind the counter will just bobble his head and smile. This might mean that ‘yes, we have shampoo‘ or ‘no, we don’t have shampoo‘ or ‘would you like a cup of tea?‘. The head bobble can really mean anything from ‘hello‘ to ‘goodbye‘ to ‘thank you‘ to ‘no, thank you‘ to ‘yes‘ to ‘no‘ to ‘go away‘ to ‘stay here‘ to ‘try this food‘ to ‘I wouldn’t do that if I were you‘ and on and on and on. And it’s good to realize now that, when the trip reaches its end, you’ll still find it very difficult to interpret this movement. The only difference is that you will have started doing the head bobble yourself!
That’s it for now. As always, if you have any questions at all, just let us know!
