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Travel Tips |
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India is a vast country and different customs are
followed in different parts of the country, which
are entirely different from the western world.
However, Indians are hospitable people and usually
people will accept your different ways as a
foreigner. Nevertheless, there may be certain
situations where your not following the accepted
customs will be seen as sign of disrespect. Here, we
have listed such situations along with other dos &
don'ts to make your travel in India enjoyable and
hassle-free-
- Do not encourage beggars & street urchins by
giving them money or other articles. In most of the
cases they beg, as they have become habitual of easy
money.
- Don't ever enter a temple, tomb, dargah or
Gurudwara with shoes on. Leather articles are
forbidden to be carried in Hindu & Jain temples. Do
not wear black clothes while visiting a Jain temple.
- Dress conservatively at a place of worship. In a
Gurudwara or Dargah, one should cover his/her head
with a cloth. Parikrama or walking around the
sanctum sanctorum should always be in clockwise
direction.
- Taking photograph of the deity in a temple is
normally not permitted.
- Public show of personal affection is generally
disapproved of, particularly in smaller cities and
villages. Avoid it.
- Try to avoid shaking hands. Greet people with a
'Namaste' (hands pressed together at chest level as
if in prayer). You will be appreciated for using the
Indian style of greeting.
- Shorts, minis, and tank tops are unadvisable
unless you're on a beach. In small towns and cities
especially, people may tend to stare if you expose
too much skin. Safe clothing would be trousers,
peddle pushers, skirts, tops and shirts.
- 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.
- 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, as signboards are often absent. In
any case avoid persistent touts and taxi-wallahs at
airport/stations/bus stands 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.
- 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 crosschecking.
- 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.
- Export of most wildlife and their products,
antiques more than 100 years old is either banned or
strictly regulated. Selling and buying "shahtoosh"
shawls and Ivory is a crime.
- Buy at genuine shops only. Bargaining is a
popular practice in India and necessary too. While
buying an article, make sure that the entire
transaction is legal and transparent so that you may
claim later if dissatisfied.
- Don't eat anything offered by fellow travelers
on train or road travels. It might have sleeping
pills. Always travel reserved class in trains.
- 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.
- Do not visit places, which encourage orthodoxy,
social injustice and inhuman practices (like
visiting a sati temple).
- Don't photograph women without permission.
Taking photos at a death ceremony, or a religious
ceremony or of people bathing (in baths or rivers)
may cause offence.
- Don't accept offers of visiting anyone's home
unless you are confident of the person.
- Always use strong suitcases/baggage, as
mishandling is common at airports/stations.
- Giving tips is customary but not mandatory.
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.
- While traveling, don't act confused. Keep a
posture of a person known to the region.
- Drink only bottled water. Buy it only from
respectable or known outlets. In restaurants insist
that they bring a sealed bottle to your table.
- Exchange money only through authorised banks or
moneychangers. Insist on Encashment certificate
while exchanging money. These certificates will be
required to reconvert the unused money on departure
from India.
- Keep the serial numbers of ticket and cheques,
and a photocopy of your passport and birth
certificate in a separate place. If you have a Web
mail account (Hotmail, Yahoo, Ekno, etc.), send all
the important information to your email box (as
attachments in the case of photocopies), along with
rescue phone numbers. This will help you in case of
any emergency.
- Plan and obtain necessary immunizations and
malaria prophylaxis. Travelers should get properly
inoculated against Yellow Fever if coming through
infected regions. If, planning for a long trip,
consider having a complete pre-departure health
check-up.
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