India is arguably the most diverse country in the world. Everyone has their own reason to visit - find yours. The more well known attractions are – Taj Mahal, History, Cricket, Spirituality, spicy food, and Business. Here's how you can visit India, and pass off as a local!
Step 1
Plan your trip in advance so that you can buy the ticket cheap …preferably departure on week-days…much cheaper compare to week-ends…Major flights land in New Delhi (North), Mumbai (West), Kolkata (East), Bengalooru (formerly Bangalore) (South) and Chennai (formerly Madras) (South).
Step 2
Learn some quick Hindi words – native language Thank You – Shukriya ", "Hello - Namaskar ", "Okay – Thik hai ", "How are you? – Aap kaise ho? ", "My name is Mary, what's yours? - Mera naam Mary hai, aapkaa naam kya hai? " - Hindi is your best bet to being understood in Northern India. In Southern India, you can likely get away with a few words of Tamil, Telugu or English.
Step 3
Pack some modest clothes – Eastern culture, especially in rural areas - is more modest than Europe/ America – so try to wear modest clothes. Buy more inexpensive clothes once you get to India.
Step 4
Understand the weather pattern – India is hot in summer, with maximum temperatures reaching 115 - 120 F, so try to travel in winter times from November to March. Understand that India is a gigantic country with all kinds of climate - research your specific destination before you go.
Step 5
Travel inside India on trains - Cheaper, fun and you can go virtually from and to any city. Within the city either bus or three wheeler is a good bargain, be prepare to haggle on three wheelers.
Step 6
Eat your food in a local small restaurants … food is good, inexpensive and a way to learn new cuisines..."samosas" and "chai" are to name a few snacks.
Step 7
Get your vaccines Center for Disease Control & Prevention recommends vaccines such as Hepatitis A & B,Typhoid, Rabies, Polio etc. Please visit their web site to find out more information. Malaria is a common disease, so try avoid sleeping in open without a net. Get your vaccines and take basic precautions and you will be all set to see this inspiring country.
Step 8
Plan your location - Be up to date about the social climate wherever you are going. If you have no Indian's waiting to take care of you and can only speak English, try to go to a place with more English speakers and western habits. Otherwise, your stay may get lonely and you will be miserable. Even if you are going in a group, you probably want to interact with locals. There are areas where English is the primary language. English and Hindi are the two official languages of India so don't be surprised if you meet Indians whose english skills supersede yours.
Step 9
However, if you are up to the challenge of seeing the "real" India, be prepared to see lots of poverty. In the poor areas of the city, small children will touch your car window and beg during traffic and/or red lights. You will be especially targeted for this because of your "rich foreigner" status. If you know you don't have the heart to turn beggars down, make sure you carry small coins with you. Remember, many foreigners think "real" india is poverty and disease but the truth is, india is so diverse that the nightclub down the street is just as "indian" as the "dhaba" (small local teashop) where you stop to grab an early tea, "chai".
Step 10
Don't be intimidated! - It's okay! You don't have to wear a sari or act very conservative. Big cities like Mumbai are much more liberal than you'd expect. There is no way to hide it if you are a foreigner. If your race or clothes don't give you away your accent will. Let people see that you are foreign and they will accommodate you up to a point.
Tips
- Visiting Taj Mahal? Take your own camera and ask a friendly local who knows how to speak a little English to give you a tour. But beware of fake "tour guides." Tourist attractions are packed with hustlers that will give you a "tour" from knowledge that they got from reading the little tourist brochures. Some of them are actually very good at this, but some of them will just rush you through the tour after you pay them to get to the next tourist.
- The national currency is Rupees, convert your travelers check as you need them.
- Always prepare to bargain when buying something. Prices are always inflated for non-Indians.
- ALWAYS drink only purified/boiled water. It is available everywhere in bottles (check that the seal is unbroken). If invited to someone's home they will give you water first. If you feel that they would take offense to your not drinking (very unlikely), bringing the cup to your lips is enough to satisfy the rules of hospitality.
- Many people diligently follow the pure water rule, only to get sick by eating a restaurant salad. Don't eat anything washed in cold water. Fruits are OK if the skin is thick and comes off, but in general avoid raw food because it has probably touched water. Don't let this keep you away from the fresh mangoes or anything, just try to know where your food comes from.
Warnings
- Generally local people are very friendly, but as in any country, there are untrustworthy peoples. Be wary of pickpockets. Remember though, India is famous for its hospitality so don't worry about being intrusive.
