Best
Time to Visit – India is a land of celebrations
and festivals. Kerala has a set of exciting festivals and events
like Onam, Thrissur Pooram, Boat races to mention a few. In
the Northern parts of India Diwali, Baisaki, Pushkar fair, Holi,
Kumbh Mela, and Goa Carnival are some of the prominent ones.
Down south, it’s an altogether different set of celebrations
- Pongal, Karthigai Deepam, Kavadi are some of the prominent
ones.
Credit
Cards – Most
of the prominent hotels, shops and restaurants accept major
credit cards.
Drugs
–
Carrying or found possessing drugs is considered a grave criminal
offence punishable under law.
Food
–
Do make it a point to savor some of the authentic Indian cuisines,
garnished with exotic spices and herbs, while you are here.
North Indian cuisines are quite different from their Southern
and Eastern counterparts. In fact, each region has different
types of cuisines and methods of cooking, quite distinct from
the other. Do make it a point to savor the regional specialties
when you travel.
Water
–
Carry a bottle of mineral water with you at all times. Do ensure
that the seal is not tampered with when buying mineral water
bottles. Do not drink water from public taps or road-side vendors.
If you feel like having a juice, please have it from a hygienic
restaurant than from a road-side shack.
Medicines – Do
carry your medical prescriptions and enough medicines to make
your journey hassle-free. Also ensure that you have taken proper
vaccinations and precautions before you enter the country.
Clothes
& Accessories – India
due to its huge geographical size does not fit a particular
climate zone. Generally speaking you must include cotton outfits,
sunglasses, hats, mosquito repellant cream/lotion, shoes/ light
sandals, moisturizing lotion and sun-block lotion mandatory,
while planning your trip. If you are traveling to hill stations
or the Himalayas do ensure that you carry woolen outfits with
you. When in public places, care must be exercised to ensure
your clothes are within the purview of decency to avoid unwanted
attention.
Electricity: The
standard voltage of electric supply in the whole of India is
between 220 – 240 Volts. Two and three pin plugs are widely
used and you will have to get a voltage converter if the devices
you carry do not accept 240 Volts at 50 Hertz. Voltage converters
are easily available in the electrical stores. The voltage converters
that are adaptable to the Indian voltage are Resistor Network
Converters (50-1600 Watts), Transformers (50-1000 Watts) and
Combination Converters.
Money
-
Foreign exchange including foreign currency, traveler’s
cheques, and drafts drawn on banks in India or letters of credit
can be brought into India without any limit. However, if the
gross amount brought into India in any form at one time exceeds
USD 10,000/- or its equivalent, it is required to be declared
by the holder to the Indian customs authorities on arrival on
a Currency Declaration Form. The forms of which are available
with the airport / seaport customs department.
Banks
& ATMs –
The nationalized banks are open for business from 10.00 in the
morning to 15.00 hrs in the afternoon. A couple of private banks
are open for business between 8.00 in the morning to 8.00 in
the night. There is also an extensive number of ATMs spread
across the metros, towns and villages of India.
Transportation
–
Buses are the cheapest option, auto-rickshaws, cabs and trains
come next in the line. When traveling on a rickshaw or cab do
ask the rates before you board the vehicle to avoid any problems
and confusions. Also it is advisable to check the rates with
some authority figure beforehand. When traveling in a train
for long-distance reserve your tickets in advance, you can also
get reserved tickets for short-distance which is the best way
to avoid the heavy rush in un-reserved compartments. If you
don’t get your tickets through the regular way you can
get them through the “tatkal’ quota by paying a
little extra charge. Do ensure to carry toilet paper with you
when you are going on a long distance journey in train. Most
of the train-stations have a pre-paid rickshaw counter, which
is the best way to avoid bargaining and squabbling with the
rickshaw driver.
Ayurvedic
Treatment –
Tourists flock to Kerala for Ayurvedic rejuvenation therapies.
A lot of fake Ayurvedic centers have mushroomed across the state
of the late, so care must be exercised to check the authenticity
of the place before you book your therapy. You must consult
a certified Ayurvedic practitioner before you enter into any
sort of Ayurvedic treatment. To avoid any serious side effects,
the treatment must be properly customized based on your medical
history and body conditions.
In
Public Places -
India is a very orthodox country and doesn’t accept any
show of affection in public places especially hugging, kissing
etc.
Smoking
–
This may come as a surprise to many; most places in India has
a strict ban on smoking in public places. Smoking in public
places is considered a punishable offence under law.
Nudity
– Nowhere
in India is nudity allowed in public places. Nudity is strictly
banned in all the beaches in India.
Temple
Codes –
If you are visiting a temple, please do ensure that you understand
the rules and regulations concerning that particular temple
before going in. Each temple has its own rules and codes of
conduct that must be strictly adhered to. In general, non-Hindus
are barred from entering most of the temples. Wearing footwear
and particular type of clothes inside the temple premises are
also strictly banned.
Visa
-
Ensure that your passport is valid for at least months after
your arrival date in India, also check that you have enough
spare pages for visa stamps.
Time zone - is
GMT/UTC +5.30, so chances of jet lag cannot be ignored. It is
advised that you get onto India’s time zone as soon as
you leave home and try to eat and sleep on Indian time. Also,
if you reach India early in the day, try to stay awake –
this will help the body’s internal clock to reset.
Check
your travel insurance papers whether they offer any medical
coverage to meet any unforeseen incidents in a foreign land.
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