The graceful ‘Nameste’ greets you from the moment you set your foot in India. Bound by the majestic Himalayan ranges in the north and surrounded by a spectacular coastline on the peninsula, India offers a vivid kaleidoscope of landscapes, magnificent historical sites, colourful temples, splendid cities, sandy beaches, misty mountain retreats, yoga and meditation, Ayurveda, discotheques and classical music, busy cities and quiet backwaters, affectionate people, culture and festivities - you’ll find all this and much more in India.
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A year-round destination at any time of the year India offers a dazzling array of destinations and experiences. Despite the fact, the subcontinent is sizzling during the summer months there are spectacular retreats amidst the beautiful Himalayas or the lush heights of the Western Ghats with cool trekking trails and tall peaks to explore.
During the cool Indian winter, cities come alive with cultural feasts of music and dance. It is an ideal time to visit the romantic cities studded with medieval forts and palaces. The sun-drenched beaches are inviting and wildlife sanctuaries with their abundance of flora and fauna are a buzz with the nurture of the young.
The delights of the Indian monsoon can be tasted anywhere in the country - on a camel safari in the Rajasthan desert when nature comes alive and the peacocks dance; in Kerala the best season for Ayurveda treatments; along the west coast where the rain paints the countryside in brilliant greens or even trekking amidst the stark grandeur of mountain valleys lying in the rain shadow of the Himalayas.
Viewpoint:
India is very warm and inviting, live like a Rajputana Maharaja in the rich ambiance of royal retreats and palaces that are now heritage hotels; savour the serene beauty of the Andaman Islands; day dream on a rice barge drifting down the Kerala backwaters; participate in the colourful Pushkar fair; shop till you drop buying exquisite silks, carved figures, gems, jewellery, semi-precious gems in-laid in marble; miniature paintings; spices and carpets at unbelievable prices.
But do not come expecting a timeless ascetic wonderland as you will be faced with one the most materialist society in the world. Despite its paradoxes and frustrations, India remains an utterly compelling destination. See life in its crowded bazaars, the unending ‘filmi’ music, the pungent melange of cooking spices, beedi smoke, and dust and cow dung. Either you will love it or hate it but one thing is certain India is sure to change the way you see the world!
Our fond experience tells us that one must remember cows are sacred in India and unfortunately cannot read traffic signs!
India is vast and just is not possible to see everything in one single trip, it is best to keep the itineraries simple.
Getting there: International Airports.
Ahmedabad, Gujarat: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, city centre - 8 km
Amritsar, Punjab: Amritsar International Airport, city centre - 11 km
Delhi, Indira Gandhi International Airport, city centre 23 km
Guwahati, Assam: Lokpriya Gopinath Bordolio International Airport, city centre - 18 km
Kolkata, West Bengal: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport (Dum Dum Airport), city centre - 20 km
Mumbai, also known as Bombay, Maharashtra: Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, city centre - 35 km
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh: Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, city centre - 8 km
Goa or Vasco da Gama, Goa: Dabolim Airport, city centre - 30 km
Chennai, Tamil Nadu: Chennai International Airport, city centre - 18 km
Bangalore, Karnataka: Bangalore International Airport, city centre - 11.6 km
Kochi or Cochin, Kerala: Cochin International Airport, city centre - 28 km
Thiruvananathapuram or Trivandrum, Kerala: Trivandrum International Airport, city centre - 10 km.
Dialling Code:
+91
Time Zone:
India is five and half hours ahead of GMT. There is no daylight saving time.
Currency:
The Indian rupee (Rs) is available in denominations of Rs 1,000, Rs 500, Rs 100, Rs 50, Rs 20, Rs 10, Rs 5, and Rs 2 notes. You will occasionally come across an Rs 1 note then treat this as a souvenir. Minted coins come in denominations of Rs 5, Rs 2, and Rs 1, as well as 50, 25, 20, 10, and 5 paise. There are 100 paise in a rupee.
N.B. Badly damaged or torn rupee notes (of which there are many) may be refused, particularly in some small towns. Check the change you are given and try to avoid accepting these.
Currency Exchange:
You cannot obtain Indian currency anywhere outside India, and you may not carry rupees beyond India’s borders. Do exchange at least some money at the airport upon your arrival. ATM machines are plentiful in major cities and towns.
Credit and Debit Cards:
MasterCard and Visa are accepted in the major cities and towns. American Express is by major hotels and restaurants. Diners Card is sparsely accepted.
Electricity:
220 to 240 volts AC
Worth Seeing: India has so much to offer, but we have listed our favourite places that are worth visiting.
Taj Mahal:, Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Quite simply one of the world’s most marvellous buildings.
Rice Barge, Kerala backwaters rice barge overnight trip through lush tropical waterways.
Dharamsala, in the Himalayas. Home to the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism.
Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra. Murals dating from 200 BC to 650 AD, adorn the walls of the caves.
Zankskar, Ladakh. Most isolated of all Trans-Himalayan valleys with a barren moonscape with extraordinary scenery.
Mandu, Madhya Pradesh. A ghost town of ruined lakeside, palaces and doomed tombs of the former 15th and 16th century capital of the Sultans of Malwa.
Thrissur Puram Festival, Kerala. More than one hundred decorated elephants march in Kerala’s biggest temple festival (between April and May).
Tikse, Leh. Most photographed and architecturally impressive Gompa at Tikse, 19 km southeast of Leh in Ladakh.
Kathakali performances, Kerala. Classical dance-drama-music ritual one of the oldest in India.
Rath Yatra, Puri, Orissa. Three massive chariots brightly decorated are pulled by devotes of Jagannath temple thought the streets of Puri during the in the month of Asadho (July & Aug).
The Manali-Leh Highway, Himachal Pradesh to Ladakh. Set off from the Kullu Valley to travel along the world’s second-highest road in the world (484 km takes up to 26 to 30 hours).
Golden Temple,Amritsar, Punjab. Sikh’s holiest shrine.
Kochi (Cochin), Kerala. The famous Chinese fishing nets on Kochi’s atmospheric harbour side.
Palolem Beach,Goa. Serene and exquisite crescent-shaped beach famous for its dolphin and feni the local alcoholic sprit.
Konarak Temple, Konarak, Orissa. The 13th century sun temple is considered to be the apogee of Orissan architecture and one of the finest religious buildings anywhere in the world.
Pushkar Camel Mela, Pushkar, Rajasthan. More than 150,000 dealers, tourist and traders fill the dunes for more than five days where Rajasthani villagers buy and sell livestock during the auspicious full-moon phase in the month of Kartik (Oct-Nov).
Bandhavgarh National Park, Bandhavgarh, Madhya Pradesh. Highest density of tigers, fascinating ruins, chance of trekking on elephant-back.
Kaziranga National Park, Kaziranga, Assam. Largest concentration of one-horned rhino is best seen from the back of an elephant, early on a winter’s morning.
Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu. India’s stone-carving capital, whose ancient monuments include famous Shore Temple and extraordinary rock sculptures.
Meenakshi Sundareshwar Temple, Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Spectacular medieval temple.
Chauragarh Mountain, Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh. Thousands of Shivaite tridents are carried by pilgrims to the summit during the Shivratri Mela (Feb-Mar), the views over the Satpura Mountains are sublime.
Udaipur, Rajasthan. The most romantic city in India, with ornate palaces floating in the middle of Lake Pichola.
Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh. One of India’s masterpieces in sandstone, the ghost city of Mogul emperor Akbar now lays deserted in almost perfectly preserved condition.
Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The honey-coloured Jaisalmer fort and the extravagant havelis emerging from the Thar Desert.
Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh. Two group of temples famed for the delicate sensuality and forthright eroticism built by the Chandella dynasty between the 10th to 12th century.
Gangotri, Uttaranchal. One of the four sites in India’s Char Dham pilgrimage and a base for the 17 km trek to Gomukh, the source of the Ganges.
Hampi Ruins, Hampi also known as Vijaynagar, Karnataka. Deserted capital of the last great Hindu Vijaynagar Empire.
Ellora Caves, Maharashtra. Complex of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain cave temples and monasteries built between the 6th and 10th centuries AD. The closest major town is Aurangabad.
Camel Safari, Jaisalmer or Osian, Rajasthan. Utterly romantic chance to cross the barren sands of the Thar Desert, sleeping under one of the starkest skies in the world.
Meherangarh Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan. One of the most impressive Rajput forts towering above the blue painted old city.
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Most sacred place of pilgrimage for Hindus, the site of the holy shrine of Lord Kashi Viswanath and bathing ghats by the Ganges.
Best time to go: October to March (except in the southeast); April to September (for trekking in the Himalayas and for the southeast). Monsoon months are best for Ayurveda treatments.
Eat and drink:
If you are not a regular spicy food eater then avoid eating spicy food soon after you arrive in India. Introduce Indian food gradually to your system and ask the waiter to cut down on the chillies. It is advisable to eat only cooked foods and fresh fruits which can be peeled.
Bottled water is available and is highly recommended.
Respect:
Women in India often refrain from contact with men. It is better to ask a man if available for directions, or be extra respectful if he is not.
In mosques and temples it is obligatory to take off your shoes. It may also be customary to take off your footwear while entering into homes, follow other people’s lead.
It is disrespectful to touch people with your feet.
Books, written material and currency are treated with respect, so should not be touched with the feet.
Any give or take of anything important should be done with the right hand only.
Indians generally dress conservatively and should do the same. Shorts, short skirts (knee-length or above) and sleeveless shirts are not appropriate off the beach.
India is a conservative country and some western habits are perceived as dishonorable for a woman in this culture.
It is unusual for people of the opposite sex to touch each other in public. Even couples (married or otherwise) refrain from public displays of affection.
Except in major cities and only in trendy places or in high society women do not smoke. A woman who smokes/drinks is associated with loose moral character in much of the rest of the country’s growing middle class.
People are fully clothed even at the beach. So, be sure to find out what the appropriate attire is for the beach you are visiting. In Goa, where the visitors to beach are predominantly foreigners, it is permissible to wear bikinis on the beach but it is still offensive to go about dressed in western swim wear away from the beach).
Dressing in traditional Indian clothes, such as salwaar kameez (comfortable and good in) will generally earn Western women more respect in the eyes of locals. Show some enthusiasm for the traditional Indian way of life and you may find that men will treat you more like a ‘lady’ than an object.
Visa Requirements:
All foreign nationals visiting India need a visa. The passport must be valid for minimum 6 months.