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Many years of my
work as a professional tourist taxi driver in India and Nepal
I drove more then one million km. without accident, during all
this time I always discover and collect information from other
places which is useful for any western tourist during there
India travel. Here below is the list which will help you lot
if you careful about all this:-
GENERAL TIPS FOR INDIA & NEPAL TRAVEL
-
Visiting India
or Nepal can be a wee bit unnerving for the first-time
visitor. The lifestyle and culture is totally different from
the West. I made a list of some important dos and don'ts for
hassle-free and enjoyable travel in these both countries.
-
A proper VISA to
enter and stay in India & Nepal is a must. There are
reported cases when travelers are advised non-requirement of
Indian/Nepal VISA by their travel agents. Practically every
foreign national requires VISA to enter these countries.
-
Do not encourage
beggars.
-
Don't trust
strangers with money. Trust your hotel, but not people you
may bump into on the streets.
-
Don't offer
bribes to get any job done. Bribe-taking and bribe-giving
are a common practice in India but they are intended to
speed up things or win a favor that you are not entitled to.
Plan well in advance. Use consultants or trade and industry
associations. If you expect favors, let them come free or
not at all. Warn anyone (even in government) who asks you
for a bribe that you would report him to the Anti-Corruption
Bureau or the nearest police-station. If he persists, do it
discreetly so that he can be caught red-handed.
-
Indian English
has its own delights especially to foreigners of English
nativity. Don't show amusement at the different Indian
accents and choice of words. This does not take away from
the fact that many Indians speak and write better English
than many native English speakers.
-
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/Nepal, as
signboards are often absent. Try to reach a station during
daytime if traveling on your own. In any case avoid
persistent touts and taxi-drivers at airport/stations/bus
stand 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.
-
While changing
money, insist on getting encashment certificate.
-
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 cross-checking.
-
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.
-
Don't accept
offers of visiting anyone's home unless you are confident of
the person.
-
Use licensed
guides for sightseeing.
-
Always use
strong suitcases/baggage, as mishandling is common at
airports/stations.
-
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.
-
In Monsoon time
avoid night stay in the desert while you do camel safari.
SHOPPING
-
Don't buy
antiques more than 100 years old. Selling and buying "shahtoosh"
shawls is a crime. The same goes for ivory and wildlife.
-
Buy at genuine
shops only. Bargaining is a popular practice in India and
necessary too. Don't ever believe in lucrative offers of
antique dealers in which they offer you to carry a parcel of
some other buyer back home with your own margin described.
Entire transaction should be legal and transparent so that
you may claim later if dissatisfied.
-
Almost every
touristy town you will found some boys and they will
introduce you as poor student with many different stories,
finally there target is to sell you and get commission.
-
Indian Customs
department at the airport stop some people from Spain in
2006, Her name was Lionor Mendoza, because they were
carrying some Auer Vedic Medicines ( Herbal), which they
bought from one of the Aurveda Message resort from South of
India. So if anyone buy such kind of things must ask and be
sure if you can carry or not to your home.
-
Guides & Taxi
drivers often get commissions if you make any shopping.
Percentage of commission is depends on your bargaining
level, as more you bargain they get less commission.
TRAVELING IN TRAINS, BUSSES & FLIGHTS
-
Often train’s
and flights are get delayed and can be cancelled at the last
moment without any prior notice. Yesterday (25.3.08) it
happens with one of my client from USA and they phone me
about this situation from Jodhpur town at 9.00pm and there
connecting flight to States was just after three hours, It
was horrible situation for both us. So it is always better
to arrive one day before to your departure destination to
catch your International flight.
-
While traveling,
don't act confused. Keep a posture of a person known to the
region.
-
If you are
traveling in the trains then you may have to reserve your
seats in advance, last time it will be not so easy to get
confirm seat reservation.
-
Buses are not as
comfortable as trains.
-
Trains and buses
are the best and cheapest option if you are traveling for
more then one month holidays.
-
Be careful about
your luggage while you travel in train or in bus.
-
Flight from
Khajuraho to Varanasi is often over booked so try to get
boarding pass as soon as possible otherwise they will
provide you car for to go Varanasi.
-
It is always
better to arrive one hour before scheduled departure at the
train station and one and half hour before any domestic
flight.
-
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, fruits in trains. Alone woman traveler may request to
be accommodated near other women travelers.
-
Don't eat
anything offered by fellow travelers on train or road
travels. It might have sleeping pills. Always travel
reserved class in trains.
CAR - PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION FOR TRAVEL
-
Cars are one of
the best and safest way to travel in India, if you are not
traveling for months in India.
-
Make sure that
your driver is trained for defensive driving and speak basic
English.
-
As a driver you
always have one person with you to help you and your luggage
is always safe.
-
Always avoid
driving at night on Indian highways, It is not recommended.
-
Avoid self
driving in India unless you have been trained on Indian
roads.
-
If you feel not
comfortable by the driving or he drives fast is always
better to tell him to drive slow.
RELIGIONS
-
Do not visit
places which encourage orthodoxy, social injustice and
inhuman practices (like visiting a sati temple).
-
Politics can be
freely discussed in India and most people will have an
opinion which they will not mind being contradicted. But
avoid discussing religion.
-
Avoid offers of
spiritual salvation and magic remedies from saints, god men
and quacks. There may be some spiritually elevated people in
India, but there is no way you can distinguish the genuine
ones from the crooks. If you are seriously interested in
these aspects of India, take help from someone you know or
visit one of the respected spiritual organizations in India.
-
Don't ever enter
a temple, mosque, tomb, dargah or Gurudwara ( Sikh Temple)
with shoes on and/or scantily dressed. One should cover
his/her head with a cloth while in a Gurudwara or Dargah.
Parikrama or walking around the sanctum sanctorum should
always be in clockwise direction. Also should use your full
pantaloon.
FOOD & WATER
-
Take care of
contamination of water and food problem. Always drink safe
mineral water and take well-cooked food.
-
Drink bottled
water only. Even many Indians who have lived out of India
for a few years sometimes suffer stomach upsets on drinking
local tap water. If there is no alternative to tap water,
ensure it is boiled. Most famous brand is Bislery, Aqua Fina
and Himalaya.
-
Avoid eating
buffet meals, even in expensive hotels. The food may become
contaminated due to over-exposure
-
If you are
buying from roadside stalls or hawkers, bargain you must.
Start by offering half the price they ask for and settle for
70 - 80 per cent. Don't bargain in proper shops especially
those that display "Fixed Price" signs: that will be seen as
bad manners.
-
Never buy food
from roadside stalls or mobile canteens. Not that they are
bad, but your system may not be accustomed to such
delicacies and you might end up spending more time in the
loo than normal.
Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Tikka, Chicken Curry, Malai Kofta
and Naan these are the most famous dishes eaten by western
people and they like them very much.
-
King fisher
Lager bear is one of the most general alcoholic drinks taken
by any western tourist.
-
Lassi & water is
one of the most general non alcoholic drinks taken by any
western tourist.
-
Not only drink
bottled water also brush teeth with it.
SOCIETY & TRENDS
-
Participating in
a social occasion or visiting a home requires conservative
dress codes. Do not shake hands with ladies. Always pick up
a thing and eat with your right hand. Take only as much as
you can eat, do not leave anything uneaten over the dish.
-
Do not point
your finger at any person. It is taken as a sign of
annoyance.
-
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.
-
The “NAMASTAY”
is a local form of greeting. It involves the joining of your
palms as during prayer in church – well, not exactly, but it
can pass (in church, the two thumbs are crossed, in the
Indian “NAMASTAY” , the thumbs join but remain parallel to
each other: this is only for information as the difference
is not visible to the person in front of you).
-
If you find the
lady is not extending a hand shake, go for the “NAMASTAY” ,
Even with men, the “NAMASTAY” can be an excellent little PR
gimmick! Follow it up with a “AAP KAISE HAIN” (how are you?)
and you have broken the first block of ice if one there was!
-
If somebody has
invited you home for dinner, carry with you a box of sweets
or at least a chocolate bar for the kid.
-
Many Indians are
in the habit of shaking their head in the course of
conversation or taking instructions. Don't show amusement if
you witness this.
-
Don't photograph
women without permission.
-
Indian weddings
are one of the most famous social ceremony liked by western
people.
TERRORISM & UNSAFE AREAS TO TRAVEL
-
Avoid visiting
Kashmir in the extreme north as well as areas in the extreme
north-east. Foreigners, especially West Europeans ands
Americans, are at risk to hostage-taking by terrorists in
those areas. The rest of India is safe haven for everybody.
-
Never argue
strongly with anybody.
DREAM PLACES IN INDIA
-
Majority of the
people think that to spend night in a house boat in Karela
Back Waters is one of the most memorable moments of their
India Travel.
-
Jaisalmer ( The
Thar desert) is considered as one of the most beautiful and
peaceful places of India.
-
"Taj Mahal" at
Agra is one of the most visiting place in India.
-
"Golden Temple"
Amritsar is one of the most impressive monuments after "Taj
Mahal".
-
Varanasi
(Ganges) is one of the towns which give you most strongest
feeling.
-
Rajasthan,
Kerala & Goa are one of the most organized states for
tourism.
Thanks and wish you all the best.
Raju India
www.rajuindia.com |
