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Shuvyatra Travel Services (Shuvyatra.com)
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Travel Tips for India
Essential Documents
All visitors to India must be in possession of a valid passport and visas, except citizens from Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives. Carry your passport with you at all times. Visas can be obtained from the Indian Embassy or High Commission in your home country. Ask for a multiple-entry visa, in case you want to make a quick trip to a neighboring country. Visas are usually issued without much difficulty if you meet the application requirements.
Consult the nearest high commission, embassy or consulate in your own country for further details
Public Holidays
India has a wide range of holidays and festivals, due to its religious and regional variations. Most Indian holidays follow the lunar year, so the dates vary from year to year. It is best to check the dates of the public holidays with an Indian embassy or consulate before traveling.
Peak Seasons
The peak tourist season is from mid-September through to March, as the cooler winter months are from November to February. But as long as you take the weather into account, India is a year-round destination. Expect crowds at popular tourist spots and be sure to make reservations well in advance.
September to March is the best time to visit the plains and the southern regions. If you want to visit the northern Himalayan region, rather plan your trip between April and August (late spring and summer). The monsoon rains are heaviest in July and August. For trekking in the northern parts of the country, June is the best time to travel.
Cyclones / Hurricanes are not unusual along the east coast. The risk of cyclones / Hurricanes is greatest between the end of October and early December, but they have been known to occur as early as June.
Budget Travel
Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, Kingfisher and a host of new start up domestic airlines offers special packages allowing travelers unlimited economy class air travel on the airline's domestic routes. Other airlines also offer special fares and packages so check the options before making a reservation. There are about 16 youth hostels throughout the country, all of them quite cheap. Each one has at least 40 beds, roughly half for men and half for women. Hostels supply bedding, wardrobes with locks, electric light points, kitchen utensils and parking. You do not need a Hostelling International card to stay in the youth hostels but will pay slightly less if you have one. Hostels are usually busy, especially during big festivals, so book early if you want to be certain of a place. Other budget accommodation options include a 'home stay' (staying with an Indian family in their home), YMCAs and YWCAs, and Salvation Army Hostels.
Health
A good medical insurance policy is essential when visiting India, because medical treatment can be very expensive. Be aware that health care facilities in India are limited. However, there are state-operated facilities in towns and cities, and urban areas also have private consultants and specialists.
Most doctors in India speak English. Ask your hotel to help you get a doctor in a medical emergency. Some of the bigger hotels have their own doctor on call. In case of minor medical problems, a pharmacy will usually be able to help you. Pharmacies are easy to locate as almost every market has one. Most medicines can be obtained without prescription, but make sure you check the sell-by date.
No vaccinations are legally required. However, it is recommended to have meningitis, typhoid and hepatitis A injections before visiting India. Make sure that you are up to date with tetanus boosters as well.
Take an ample supply of prescribed medication, as well as a copy of your prescription. Keep the packaging of your medication showing the generic name. This will make it easier to fill prescriptions, especially if the specific brand name is not available. Take an extra pair of glasses and a copy of your prescription as well, as lost or broken glasses can be difficult to replace. If you wear contact lenses, consider wearing glasses for the duration of your stay in India, because the dust and heat can become quite irritating for contact lens wearers.
A basic health rule is not to drink the water! Not even the ice. Unless you're absolutely sure, always assume that the water is untreated. Use water from containers with a proper seal, or purify it by boiling or treating it chemically. The water in Calcutta is extremely polluted. Take special care, because gastric disease is endemic here.
If mosquitoes do bite you, try not to scratch the bite as infection and tropical ulcers can easily set in. Also try to stay away from bees, wasps, leeches and snakes!
Aids is a problem in India, as in most places, so take the necessary precautions. You may want to carry your own syringes and transfusion kit.
Safety
Generally speaking, India is a safe country to visit. Crime levels are well below those of Western countries and violent crime is unusual. However, tourists are always obvious targets for thieves. Bihar is notorious for its absence of law and order. Kidnappings, banditry, murder and rape are common occurrences. Be careful when traveling here, especially at night. It’s advisable to make a copy of your passport, visas, airplane ticket and other important documents to make it easier to get replacements if they are lost or stolen. Also keep a record of the serial numbers of your traveler’s checks, and a copy of your travel insurance policy.
Make sure that your travel insurance policy covers you against theft. If you do get robbed, report it to the police. You will need a police report if you want to file an insurance claim. Be alert to credit card fraud: insist that restaurants and shops process your credit card payment in front of you. Sometimes credit cards are used to make duplicate forms, and the client is then billed for fictitious transactions.
Flooding is India's major natural hazard. By early July, the monsoon (seasonal wind) rages throughout the whole country, bringing moisture with it. Usually it comes from the southwest, but the southeastern coast gets the short and very wet northeastern monsoon. This monsoon brings rain from mid-October to the end of December. The monsoon can be very destructive, resulting in floods, homelessness and even death, as well as causing poor road and rail conditions. For reservation / information email us at info@shuvyatra.com
Customs Must/Must not do
On arrival, expensive items, such as video cameras and radios, must be entered into your passport on a 'Tourist Baggage Re-Export' form. This will ensure that you can take these items with you when you leave the country. You must not import narcotics, plants, gold and silver bullion and coins not in current use. If you are transporting firearms, make sure you have a possession License. Indian embassies and consulates issue such licenses abroad, or by a district magistrate on arrival in India. It is strictly prohibited to take antiques, art objects, animal skins (or products made with animal skin), and ivory and rhino horns out of India.
Visitors are not allowed to bring Indian currency into India or take any of it out (except when going to Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan or Sri Lanka). There is no limit on the amount of foreign currency or travelers' checks you can bring into the country, but amounts exceeding INR400, 000.00 must be declared upon arrival. You may bring the following items into India without incurring customs duties:
1 pint of alcohol
200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 250g of tobacco
250ml of eau de toilette
Be prepared to pay foreign travel tax on departure. This tax must be paid at a special desk at the airport before checking in your luggage. Foreign currency is accepted as payment.
Duty Free Customs Allowance
Government of India offers various benefits to bonafide travelers and tourists, and their personal items can be imported duty free as part of baggage. The list of these items includes:
Personal Jewelry
One Camera, Binoculars One Laptop/notebook computer.
One electronic diary
One portable typewriter.
One portable CTV (Color Television)
One music system including compact disc player.
One perambulator.
One tent and other camping equipment.
One portable receiving set (Transistor Radio).
Sports equipment, such as fishing outfit, tennis racket, and one gulf set (14 pieces).
To avoid misuse of the above allowance, passengers are advised not to bring these items in its original package. The above information has been taken from baggage rules as notified by the Government of India- dated 28th October 1999.