Top tips for travelling in India
22 top tips for travelling in India
If you’ve never been to India before, we’d urge you to prioritise spending some time travelling around this captivating country. It’s a nation of diverse attractions and things to do, from iconic buildings and thriving cities to blissful beaches, wildlife and sunsets that will leave you speechless. Goa, New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Cochin are just some of the dazzling Indian destinations you can visit with Viva Holidays.
There are many things you should be aware of before booking your holiday to India to ensure you have the best time possible. We’ve highlighted 22 of these below and look forward to helping you arrange a truly unforgettable trip to this alluring part of the world.
Before you go
Prior to departing on your Indian adventure, there are a few things you need to make sure you have in order.
● Visa – with a British passport, you can stay in India for up to 60 days on an e-visa, which is easy to apply for once you’ve checked you meet all the requirements.
● Travel insurance – insurance is always essential when going abroad. Make sure you look beyond the initial cost, taking into account the amount of medical expenses, personal liability, cancellation, baggage and cash your policy will cover.
● Money – visitors aren’t allowed to import Rupees into the country, but it’s best to wait until you’ve left the airport to convert your currency, as city rates are often much more reasonable.
● Immunisations – ensure you are up-to-date with all the necessary vaccinations before you set off for your trip to India. These could include diphtheria, hepatitis A, tetanus, and typhoid jabs.
It’s also highly recommended you take precautions against malaria. You can ask at your pharmacy about the right medication for you to take as a preventative measure. Make sure you don’t leave it until the last minute, though, as you need to take them for a week or more before travelling in some cases.
Use licenced taxis and guides
Ask your hotel to arrange a car to pick you up from the airport. This is the safest and easiest method of transport when you first land in the country. From then on, taxis your hotel has recommended will be safe, and although slightly more expensive, they are worth the extra cost. The same goes for guides – hotel-recommended guides will ensure you have a successful, enjoyable and safe tour.
You might find that local guides, taxis and street vendors will present you with a wildly overinflated price. Don’t be afraid to barter the price down to get a more reasonable rate.
Pay attention to your flight times
Whether you’re flying into India or getting ready to head home, it’s easier and safer to travel during the day rather than late at night. As with any country that relies heavily on tourism, there are plenty of scammers around.
It’s much easier to make a mistake or trust the wrong person when you’re feeling tired and perhaps a bit stressed before or after your flight. For example, you can expect some airport taxi drivers to quote you more than they should for transfers to your hotel. Keeping your wits about you and travelling when relatively refreshed will help you focus and make better decisions when approached.
Sample the incredible cuisine
Indian food is one of the many things that attracts people to this spellbinding country. From roti to pakora and chai to sweet treats, there are so many delicious dishes and delicacies to try. However, avoid buying sweet and savoury snacks from a street vendor to minimise your chances of getting the infamous Delhi belly.
If you become unwell during your stay, don’t be afraid to take a trip to the local pharmacy, you’ll soon find that they are friendly and cheap. You can often get antibiotics over the counter without needing a prescription. Seeing a doctor will also be inexpensive and provide you with expert care and peace of mind. Of course, we hope you never need to use them, but lots of first-time travellers to India take diarrhoea tablets with them as a precaution. You don’t want to lose any time to illness when you’re on such an amazing journey.
Be sure to avoid salad, and ice in your drinks, and stick solely to bottled water. Many holidaymakers opt for a vegetarian diet while in India – there are plenty of amazing veggie choices that are skillfully brought to life through the use of local herbs and spices.
Depending on where you’re headed, you might be taken aback by the lack of cutlery when dining out in local restaurants. Many Indians eat with their hands, so grab the opportunity to embrace a different way of enjoying food without anyone telling you to use a knife and fork.
You’ll be expected to give a tip in restaurants and bars of between 5%-10%, so bear that in mind when you’re ordering and leave yourself enough cash to show your appreciation to the chef or waiting staff at the end of the evening.
Dress according to the local culture
India is full of truly fascinating culture, but it’s important to understand that it’s a reasonably modest society. Keeping your shoulders and knees covered is a good place to start to respect local views and traditions. Because temperatures can get incredibly hot in India, it’s wise to keep your skin covered up anyway to avoid getting sunburnt. Wearing long-sleeved tops and trousers will also help to reduce the likelihood of mosquito bites.
If you see shoes lined up outside a shop, it’s a good idea to follow suit and remove yours before entering. The same goes for visiting someone’s house or a sacred temple. If in doubt, don’t be afraid to ask rather than go ahead and do what you would at home.
Rein in your affection
You and your partner may usually hold hands or share a kiss in public when you’re out and about at home. In order not to offend anyone, it’s best to avoid these when touring India. It may seem unnecessary for you to change your normal behaviour, but respecting the traditions and values of the people and countries you visit is essential.
If it does slip your mind at any point, like when you feel compelled to tackle a romantic selfie illuminated by a gorgeous sunset, for example, be aware of any people around you and offer a sincere apology if you’ve offended anyone.
Schedule some rest and relaxation
Going on a tour of Indian cities is an unrivalled experience, but if you’re a first-timer to the country, you might start to feel a bit overwhelmed by the differences from the UK. That’s no surprise, with a population of 1.4 billion compared to around 67 million.
It’s not uncommon for holidaymakers to get sensory overload in Indian cities. The sheer scale, number of people, sights, sounds and smells take a lot of travellers by surprise. When booking your Indian holiday, it’s a good idea not to cram as much sightseeing in as possible and give yourself the opportunity for a beach day or spend time in a National Park surrounded by wonderful wildlife, clean air and stunning greenery.
Accept that things will run on Indian time
In the UK, we often get frustrated when our train’s delayed by a couple of minutes or more. However, delays in India are widespread, so it’s best just to take a deep breath and accept what you can’t change when you’re away on holiday.
Whether it’s heavy traffic or some other interruption, it’s always wise to build in extra time to allow for this. A lot of shops or government offices close for lunch, so be sure to check opening times before you make a special journey.
Buy a local or international SIM card
When you’re in a new country and unfamiliar surroundings, you’ll want to ensure you have a reliable phone signal whenever possible. This could be vital for checking flight times, contacting others in your group if you get split up and researching the best places to eat near your hotel.
Keep social media safety in mind
This tip is especially useful if you’re travelling to India alone. You might be desperate to share your amazing images online so your friends and family can see them. However, if your profile is open for all to see, you’ll potentially be giving your exact location away to thousands of strangers. It’s wise to store up your holiday snaps and only share them once you’ve moved from one location to another.
Pay by cash wherever possible
This advice isn’t exclusive to India. It makes sense not to use your credit card in a different country and entrust a complete stranger with your details. Some unscrupulous vendors may have hidden card cloning machines which copy your details and will potentially cause you problems during your stay or once you’re back home.
It’s wise to let your card provider know that you’re travelling to India on holiday in advance, so they can keep an eye out for any suspicious activity on your account. While it might be better to pay by cash in smaller stores and markets during your stay, as with any country, be careful about carrying too much at once and be discreet when taking notes out of your wallet or purse.
Keep your valuables close to you
Some places are worse than others regarding pickpockets and bag snatchers. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to get distracted by the number of people, sights and sounds around you and leave yourself vulnerable to theft.
Wearing a bum bag under loose clothing, a sling bag that goes across your body or a neck pouch to keep your valuables in while you walk around is a good idea. You can even buy sockets with hidden pockets online, which is one place potential thieves are unlikely to consider.
Beware of beggars
While many people live in genuine poverty in India, when you go to the big cities, you’re likely to come across beggars on the streets. As a tourist, you’ll be a target for their attention. The problem isn’t that they’re aggressive or a threat, but if you decide to give some money to one person, you could find yourself surrounded by others who want your money too.
If you’d like to do something to contribute, you could buy them food or donate to a local charity to ensure the right help reaches the right people.
Don’t be without the essentials
While you don’t want to carry too much stuff around with you, we’d highly recommend having hand sanitiser and insect repellent with you at all times. With such densely populated cities, it’s impossible to keep everything spotless, so if you’re concerned about picking up a bug, keeping your hands clean is important, especially if you’re going to be eating with them.
A nasty bite from a mosquito bite or other insect can derail your holiday plans or be annoying and uncomfortable. There are certain roll-ons and sprays that protect you better against mosquito bites than others, so it pays to do your research before travelling and take some over with you.
Learn a few common phrases in Hindi
English is widely understood in many parts of India, but it’s always nice to show the locals you’ve made a bit of an effort to learn the local language. Many people already know “namaste” means “hello”, but a few others worth learning include:
● Dhanyavaad - thank you
● Haan - yes
● Nahin - no
● Krpaya - please
● Theek - OK
There are lots of videos online that will help you to pronounce these and other Hindi words correctly, and it’s worth practising a bit before your holiday.
If you’ve got good access to the internet while you’re away, you can always use an online tool like Google Translate to hear a pronunciation first. Don’t worry if you get it slightly wrong; people will appreciate it if you’ve made an effort to speak to them in their own language.
Haggle with a smile on your face
We’re not a nation of hagglers in the UK. Most of us wouldn’t dream of trying to knock down the price of a takeaway sandwich or when buying clothes from a market stall. However, in India, it’s a completely different culture, and if you’re not willing to have a friendly bit of banter to get yourself a better deal, you’ll undoubtedly end up paying way over the odds.
When you want to make your holiday budget stretch a little further, haggling is a great way to do it and have a bit of fun with the locals. If you come across a seller who’s adamant about sticking to their original price, simply thank them for their time and look elsewhere. Some might then offer you a discount, but if not, there are likely to be many other places you can buy the same thing for less. Think of it as a game, and don’t take haggling or yourself too seriously.
Be mindful photography isn’t allowed in some places
There are many sacred sights in India that you’ll yearn to take amazing photos of. The most famous place in the country where photography is forbidden is inside the Taj Mahal. Don’t be tempted to try and sneak a couple of sly snaps because there are guards whose job it is to spot you - this is considered disrespectful and very much frowned upon.
Prepare for the change in humidity
It’s not just the temperatures in India that some people find it hard to acclimatise to; the humidity is also higher than in the UK. You should bear this in mind if you plan to do a lot of sightseeing on foot, as the humidity (and air pollution) in some places can slow you down a bit.
It’s also a good idea to ensure you’ve got a plentiful supply of bottled water so you don’t get dehydrated. Packing lots of cotton or linen items in your holiday luggage will help keep you cool on your travels as opposed to synthetic materials like polyester
Pack for the time of year and location
This sounds obvious, but it’s easy to get caught out, especially if you’re touring different parts of India that may have slightly different climates. There’s plenty of information online about monthly temperatures, the likelihood of monsoons etc., so it pays to spend a bit of time researching what to expect so you arrive prepared for any eventuality.
If you’re unprepared for what the weather throws at you, you’ll be able to buy what you need if you stay in a city without blowing too much of your holiday budget. As we mentioned above, remember to haggle so you don’t pay an inflated price.
Expect plenty of noise and a lack of personal space
Don’t be alarmed when you’re packed in like a sardine on public transport when staying in cities; Indian culture doesn’t particularly involve giving others lots of room. You may find some people ask you personal questions when you’re out and about, but don’t worry – it’s all part of the culture, and they’re simply showing polite interest in you.
The same goes for noise – Indian cities are renowned for being loud and busy, but it’s all part of the exciting experience. Soon enough, you’ll get used to the city’s decibels and won’t bat an eyelid when you’re sharing the road with a cow or two - not a common sight on the UK’s roads.
Expect to be popular
Whether you’re exploring Indian cities or taking in some of the country’s natural wonders, you can expect plenty of attention as a tourist. The vast majority of this will be friendly and inquisitive, but there might be the occasional scammer who sees you as an easy way to make some quick cash.
If you’re unsure what to expect, it’s a good idea to chat with someone who’s been to India already or have a look online for videos and message boards. You may not get many people looking to get their picture taken with you when you pop to your local Tesco, but in some parts of India, you’ll be made to feel like a VIP, which can take some getting used to.
Embrace Indian life to the full
There’s no denying that India is completely different from the UK and likely different to other countries most people have visited. To maximise your experience, be sure to fully embrace everything on offer. From the food to the festivals, the temples to the tigers and the rickshaws to the roads – go with the flow and enjoy it all. It’s a country like no other, and the memories of your trip will never leave you.
If the idea of travelling alone in India isn’t for you, you can book our Golden Triangle tour to see many of the country’s highlights in a safe, easy-going environment. This trip culminates in a week-long stay in the Maldives, so you’ll have plenty of time to recharge your batteries before boarding your flight back home.
It’s easy to run out of superlatives when writing about India. If you’ve only been on holiday to Europe and/or the US previously, your eyes will be opened to a completely different way of life. It’s an overused phrase, but a tour of India is undoubtedly an experience you’ll never forget.
It’s a country of spectacular contrasts you’ll wish you’d visited sooner. One holiday here is never enough, given that it’s such a vast and varied land. Our team works hard behind the scenes to bring you the best possible packages, so travelling to India needn’t be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
We’ve got dozens of deals, including New Delhi, Indian spiritual tours and beach breaks in glorious Goa. You can browse all our inspiring Indian holidays or give us a call.
We’re open seven days a week from 9am until late to answer your questions and help you book the trip of a lifetime.
