Hello Family! I am sure you must be planning and preparing for your big trip to India to join the tribe. I thought of helping you all out through my experiences. I have been hosting travellers from around the world through Couchsurfing, Workaway etc. at my home and travelled with many around India and abroad. I have made a list of 10 travel tips and here we go :
- Embrace the culture
Almost every travel article points to a culture shock. You just need to embrace the rich culture and diversity India has to offer with an open mind and wide arms. You will be filled with tranquility and happiness instead of a shock. India is a land of a thousand cultures and the way people dress, talk, eat, etc. change every hundred kilometers or so. Be adaptive and get involved and you will feel comfortable.
As Martin Luther King Jr. once said “To other countries I travel as a tourist, but to India I travel as a pilgrim”.
- Plan well and in advance
India is a country which requires meticulous planning and organization.
- Stay Connected. There is no public WIFI. Get a SIM card and buy a data pack. It is best to get it in the airport but if you are arriving late, you can get them at mobile stores. I would suggest AIRTEL or VODAFONE.
- Make sure you carry a set of passport size photographs, copies of your passport and visa as they will be required everytime you check-in to a hotel and also while applying for a SIM
- Book your train tickets in advance. The official site is irctc.co.in Tickets can also be booked on www.cleartrip.com All other sites are either fake or charge extra money. Please note that you have to register on the website for booking and it will take upto 2 weeks for you to get a confirmation. I would suggest you to register in advance. For journeys less than 6 hours or day journeys, you can get tickets at the railway station itself.
- For bus tickets use the “Redbus” App or “Abhibus” App. They also have websites which you can find on Google. You can also directly go to the bus station and get your tickets for short journeys. (There are specific seats allotted to females on the night buses and a female will be seated next to a female. Just make sure you use that option.)
- It is also possible to make group bookings once we decide where we are heading next from pushkar. We can book it all together. But make your own arrangements to get to Pushkar. The nearest airport is Jaipur. You can also take a train from Delhi to Pushkar but book well in advance.
- Dress Appropriately
This is for the females. It is culturally appropriate to cover your legs and cover your hands till your elbows or just above it. Avoid low necks, bare backs, or any kind of cleavage. Please Google out “Salwar kameez”, “Kurta”, “Chudidhar”. These are the kinds of dresses India women wear. However, there are many tourists in places like Goa, Hampi, Kerala and you can dress western.
Also I have been told by western female travellers that they felt very safe carrying a scarf or a Chunni – A long Indian scarf, to cover up your front parts to avoid stares and any unwanted attention.
- Learn to use your hands
Yes. It is not just using your hands but using the appropriate hand for appropriate things.
Only the right hand is used while eating, accepting or giving money, gifts or offerings in temples, greeting people. If you are not comfortable eating with your hands, you can request the waiter for a spoon or a fork but all restaurants do not have them. It is better to carry a spoon or fork with you. Remember never ever to use the left hand.
The left hand is used for wiping your shit and other personal work. Left hand is considered to be the dirty hand doing the dirty jobs. If you are not comfortable using your hands, you need to carry toilet rolls which you can buy in super markets.
- Learn to bargain and Be rude
There are no words like Please, Thank You, Sorry etc. in the Indian vocabulary. But that does not mean the Indians are not respecting you. And if you use these words, you are considered as soft and vulnerable.
Also, Indians do not understand a polite “NO”. You need to be harsh, rude and stand your ground especially while dealing with beggars, street vendors, or other sellers. Learn to bargain as there is no fixed price. If they say 250 for a dress, you can ask them to give it for 100. They will not agree at first but you keep insisting and act like you are walking away to the next shop.
- Get an Insurance and eat healthy
India is a very cheap country to travel in but if you fall sick or break a bone, the hospital bills can pile up and it can burn a hole in your pocket. Also, make sure you insure any expensive items you are carrying like a camera or your tablet.
Also, you need to look after your health. Always carry bottled water. Avoid street and junk food. It is always good to keep trying different foods but start slowly as I see most of the travelers falling sick in the first week or 10 days of their travel as their stomach is still adjusting to the spices and oils in the Indian food. So, take it slow and then enjoy yourself to the fullest.
Also a clear indication to know if a restaurant is good is to see if there are families, kids and women eating in the restaurant. If there are only men eating, avoid it and just go the next one.
- Be at the right time at the right place
India is a huge country and there are various festivals celebrated at different parts of the country at different times of the year. You can download the festival calendar of India. To make the best use of your time in India and experience the real culture and traditions, it is very important to plan your trip according to the festivals. I will make a separate blog post soon on the prominent festivals in India and the best places to celebrate and experience them.
- Do not believe the media
India is NOT the RAPE capital of the world. It is one of the safest countries to travel in. It is just sold media carrying their fake propagandas trying to create sensational news and is always looking for an emotional reaction. We, Indians love and respect women. You will all experience it soon. Ofcourse, there are a few rotten apples in every basket you need to be careful of. You need to be careful of them like in any other country.
However, it can be risky travelling alone as a female especially late at night. But we do have safety in numbers.
- Get ready for stares and Selfies
The selfie fever has caught India and people just go mad when they see a white person. Most of the Indians are curious to know what a white person is doing here. They will just keep staring at you, mostly out of curiosity. There will be groups of people asking for selfies wherever you go.
I was travelling with a British female recently and there are about a 100 selfie/photo requests per day. You can always politely decline them if you feel uncomfortable.
The more you cover your body, the fewer stares you get and lesser the selfie requests.
- Pack the essentials
I have seen many travellers carrying a lot of unwanted luggage with them. Travelling in India will need a lot of patience, will be long and tiring on the body. Any extra unwanted luggage will only add to your problems. Make sure you do not over pack and get only what is required.
I always found it comfortable to travel with one backpack and one daypack. Make sure you do not put all your money and bank cards in one place but keep it at different places.
Feel free to write to me if you need any further information or help with planning the trip. You can reach me at chandrashekarbellary@gmail.com or on whatsapp on +91-9535297299
The Aeolian Tribe 