India holiday tourist tips

You'll love your holiday travel in India, or you'll hate it.

Travel through this vast country will immerse you in a passionate cauldron of historic tribes, abject poverty, ancient customs, stifling heat, conflicting climates, diverse geography, spectacular landscapes and suffocating crowds of humanity, all flavoured with spiritual and mythical cosmologies.

Many a tourist has bought an air ticket to enjoy a few months of holiday travel but has instead remained for a lifetime.

Others have abandoned their travel in India because they can't stand the heat, the chaos and the grime.

Whatever your opinion, you'll appreciate how cheap it is to travel in India and you'll enjoy an inexpensive holiday wrapped in a rich, vibrant culture more than 5000 years old.

The teeming Indian capital of Delhi is the venue for the 2010 Commonwealth Games and as a result this city will see enormous change in services, infrastructure, transport and even local customs. For example, in February 2007 the Delhi Supreme Court issued a ban on selling freshly cooked food on roadsides, potentially affecting the eating habits of millions of people.

The Delhi High Court has also ordered the government to clear the capital city of beggars (about 60,000 in 2007 even though begging is illegal in the city) who descend on pedestrians and cars at traffic lights. The Yamuna River is being cleaned, monkeys caged, street stalls banned and plans are afoot to round up the city's stray holy cows. In other words, Delhi is becoming a sanitised, albeit friendly, city and you must travel elsewhere in the country to experience the "real" India.

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Travel tips

Note: The American dollar is no longer accepted at heritage tourist sites in India such as the Taj Mahal. From early 2008, tickets are charged in rupee and the change makes such tickets about 25% more expensive for American tourists.

The democratic Republic of India covers 3.28 million square kilometres encompassing 28 different states and has a population around 1.1 billion (2006).

About 72% of its citizens are Indo-Aryan and most of the remainder are Dravidian.

Four out of five Indians are Hindu and about 14% are Muslim.

The five major language groups are Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Tamil and Kashmiri, although there are 18 languages officially recognised in the Indian Constitution.

Well over 1,500 minor languages and dialects can be found throughout India but the common tongue among the upper classes is English.

Hindi is the predominant language in northern India but travel to the south and you'll find the main languages are Dravidian.

If you speak English you can travel through India fairly easily as there are usually enough people around who can understand you, dependent upon exactly where you are during your vacation.

Don't totally rely on English during your holiday in India as there are a lot more lower class than upper class people you'll want and need to speak to, and the poorly-educated often don't speak English.

If you plan navigating city streets by map during your holiday travel, be aware beforehand that reading or understanding street signs in India can be very difficult.

India's travel services have improved markedly over the past ten to 20 years and now cater for all levels of tourist demand, although even tickets for the plush hotels are well-priced by Western standards.

Regardless, there are still plenty of Third World disadvantages you'll notice within India's infrastructure and many visitors come down with at least a tummy bug during their holiday.

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Keep a small supply of toilet paper with you wherever you go during your holiday travel in India as there's no guarantee it'll otherwise be available.

Using the Indian currency of rupia is an art in itself.

Horde smaller denomination notes when you travel in India as there is always a shortage of small change, but avoid small notes that are obviously in a poor to filthy condition.

Although many tourist hotels and restaurants add a 10% service charge to the bill, tipping is uncommon in India except in upmarket hotels.

At the same time, many service providers throughout Indian society won't lift a finger or won't stop nagging until a little baksheesh is given to them - inverse tipping, so to speak, that is nowhere but everywhere.

Baksheesh is a way of life in India and it's better to go along with it throughout your holiday travel, particularly if a service has been well delivered.

Failure to provide tips can result in grumpy guides or drivers... not surprising since their families are often living in poverty.

Keep a horde of cheap notes so you can satisfy the constant demands for baksheesh during your holiday. It's relentless. That's India.

Religion permeates every aspect of Indian life. About 80% of all Indians are practising Hindus and about 100 million are Muslims.

Islam is the predominant religion in the northern state of Jammu/Kashmir.

About 18 million Sikhs are concentrated in the Punjab, their holiest shrine the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Intertwined is a culture that has survived for thousands of years in the rural areas of India where you're likely to travel (unless you plan a hotel holiday in a city). Amritsar is a city of just a million people, small by Indian standards, and has a correspondingly quiet, peaceful ambience.

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Comics have joked that the third religion in India is the game of cricket. When you see the Indian devotion to major cricket broadcasts and the number of youngsters bowling and batting near every street corner, you'll realise they weren't kidding.

Food in the north of India is meat-based with plenty of grains, breads and spices, while southern diets are much more vegetarian with hotter curries.

Many travellers consider south India to be more "Indian" than the north, less affected by foreign cultures with wetter monsoons, redder earth, thicker vegetation, more complex words and names, and more elaborate temples.

Also in the south, many more people eat only with the fingers of their right hand.

There is a diverse and at times haphazard range of opening hours for shops in the different parts of India through which you will travel. Many shut their doors on Sundays.

Although India has a fascinating chioce of museums, most are closed on Mondays.

You can buy film for your camera just about everywhere you travel in India but it's smart to stock up. Don't trust the age of film from some of the more remote towns and villages.

Cheap internet cafes can be found in most towns although connection speeds are often slow.

Alcohol is abundantly available in most parts of India, but not if you holiday in the north-west Muslim stronghold state of Gujarat.

The Indian postal system is cheap although it can be frustratingly slow trying to send a parcel overseas.

Smoking is endemic among Indian men in particular and it can be difficult to avoid as you travel through India's numerous holiday spots.

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Solo travel in India is particularly hazardous if you're not quick on your feet and it's silly to get involved in any of the frequent political or religious rallies in different Indian cities during your Indian holiday.

Note that although biases from India's ancestoral caste system are forbidden under Indian law, prejudice still reigns in many villages and it's common to see lower caste men and women being treated poorly. For example, dalits - previously known as untouchables - are still often forced to draw drinking water from separate wells and huge sections of Indian society suffer discrimination in education, jobs and health care.

In May/June 2007, violent caste riots involving tens of thousands of impoverished villagers swept the state of Rajasthan, killing and injuring dozens of people. Tourists should avoid political gatherings in the streets.

Since economic reforms were introduced in the early 1990s, India has been a globalisation success story with a vibrant democracy, an emerging entrepreneurial class and literally millions of millionaires.

However, about 20% of the population still live below the poverty line and about 2.5% still go hungry. In 1994, 35% of Indians were living below the poverty line. A study published in 2007 states that 836 million people, or 77% of the population, live on less than 20 rupees (about 40 cents US) each a day. India's official poverty line is 12 rupees a day. The report also finds that about 86% of the working population - 395 million people - work under "utterly deplorable" conditions.

There are more than 11 million abandoned children in India, mostly girls, and in 2007 the Indian Government has announced plans to increase the number of children available for adoption by overseas families.

Despite its widespread social inequity, India doesn't suffer a particularly significant culture of violent crime, regardless of its rampant petty theft and nonchalant fraud.

There are dangerous areas and alcohol causes its usual problems but you should generally feel just as safe during your India holiday travel as you would in most major western cities and towns - perhaps more so.

Nevertheless, it's probable that a majority of tourists fall victim to a con during their travel through India.

Although not always fair, you shouldn't trust strangers you meet in the streets during your holiday.

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The country has a tragic history of tribal and religious warfare, colonial subservience and political assassinations but can nevertheless boast a comparatively strong and economically buoyant entry into the new millennium.

Travel to India and you'll be struck by the divide between the technologically advancing city culture and the traditional piety of many millions of rural folk outside the cities.

Landless peasantry and poverty are most apparent in areas such as Bihar and West Bengal, where villagers were dying of starvation in 2004.

The capital of West Bengal is Kolkata, better known as Calcutta until the named was changed in 2000. Many locals still call the city Calcutta.

Kolkata is considered India's cultural capital and the city comes alive at nights with crowded bars. Kolkata has endless sights to draw tourists: the Eden Garden cricket grounds (one of the world's great sports grounds), the Victoria Memorial (a marble white monument to the British full of artefacts of the Raj), the New Market (opened in 1874), the Indian Musuem (the oldest in India and possibly the largest in Asia) and the Botanical Gardens at Shibpur.

As is common in Asian countries, Kolkata is a great holiday destination to have clothes measured by a steetside tailor and sewn within a couple of hours for just a few dollars.

The eastern State of Bihar is poverty-stricken and infamous for its crime and lawlessness. Tourists are advised to return to their hotels before dark and only use government-licensed taxis and buses for transport. Bihar is dotted with Buddhist holy sites, the most revered at Bodh Gaya.

Note: In early September 2008, more than a million people have been trapped by floodwaters in the State of Bihar bordering Nepal. Incessant monsoon rains have caused the worst flooding in 50 years and the Kosi river breached its banks in late August, swamping hundreds of villages and killing dozens of people. Experts are warning the floodwaters are unlikely to subside until October 2008, raising fears of disease. Travellers are advised to avoid the affected areas.

More than a third of India's population receive inadequate diet and electricity shortages are common in many areas.

India's economy comprises traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, numerous modern industries, support services and a booming software service export sector. In 2007, India's Gross Domestic Product grew by about nine per cent.

Don't trust anybody's advice or prompting to visit shops, no matter where you travel in India, as just about everybody has a commission agreement and their cut will increase the price.

Try to find shops with fixed prices but be aware that those prices are likely to be a fair bit higher than you'd find elsewhere if you're good at bargaining. Mind you, it'll probably still be cheap compared with prices back home.

Unless you're comfortable and deft with hawkers, it's a good idea to pre-book your holiday accommodation in India.

Tourists are repeatedly touted for business, both licit and illicit, and the best response during your vacation is to flatly decline or ignore.

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Homestay accommodation is a great way to enjoy a cheap holiday and learn the intimacies of Indian life, and the easiest way to find homestays is by trawling the internet.

It's worth noting that in 2005, an estimated 43% of all homes in India had no access to electricity.

Be patient and accepting wherever you travel in India, particularly when dealing with the public service.

Verbal quotes to tourists are often double the real price and you must get used to haggling when you buy things during your travel.

The main health risks during your tour of India are cholera, hepatitis, dengue fever, malaria and typhoid.

Malaria claims the lives of thousands each year in India and you should be particularly cautious of mosquito bites during the wet season or if you travel in areas where major flooding has occurred.

Meningococcal meningitis is also a risk in remote trekking areas where you might travel during your Indian holiday.

India is one of the few countries in the world where you should seriously consider vaccination shots before buying your air tickets or beginning your travel, no matter how proud you are of your body's immune system.

Consult a doctor before you begin your holiday travel through India.

H5N1 bird flu was detected in February 2006 in Navapur in the western State of Maharashtra. This should not upset the travel plans of tourists.

When packing your luggage and travel kit before your flight to India, toss in some anti-diarrheal medicine, antiseptic cream, powerful sunscreen, antibacterial soap and maybe even some antibiotics to help ward off tummy bugs (Delhi belly, as it's known).

It's also particularly smart during your holiday travel through India to wash your hands frequently, wear shoes in damp areas and avoid mosquito bites unless you want a disease such as malaria or dengue fever.

If you have any sort of medicinal or physical aid, bring sufficient supplies or subscriptions before you get on the plane to India, and don't rely on the Indian medical system.

To avoid or at least minimise infection during your travel in India, be constantly vigilant about all food you eat and be particularly paranoiac about water... i.e. make sure it's bottled and don't trust anything off the streets.

Cautious travellers will only shower from the neck down or at least ensure their mouth is always closed while showering. It's advisable not to eat anything like salads washed in local water and some tourists always carry antiseptic hand wipes.

When you buy bottled water, particularly in less salubrious stores, check the seal and make sure the bottle hasn't been tampered.

Be mindful of the blazing midday heat and if you travel the Himalayan regions, don't let the cool weather deceive you. The sunshine is strong and burns fiercely.

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India's telephone country code is 91 and the India electricity grid delivers 220-240v at 50hz.

Dial 197 for local directory assistance and 183 for long distance directory assistance in India.

To save time and avoid frustration, it's almost always better to use an ISD phone during your trip through India (available in most places) than to place a call through an operator.

Telephone costs are usually astronomical in hotels and should be avoided.

The same time zone applies across all of India.

It's worth noting a recent Supreme Court ruling in India that bans loud music, firecrackers and the honking of vehicle horns from 10pm to 6am, aimed at reducing late-night noise levels.

India, which uses metric measurements, has various climates across its length and breadth which should be considered in the context of your holiday plans.

North? South? Trekking? Skiing?

Overall, the weather is milder from October to March, although monsoonal patterns make the far south of India more enjoyable for holiday travel from January to September and the northern mountains of Himachal Pradesh are easier to trek from May to September.

The far north-eastern states of India are more comfortable for a holiday from March to August.

It's usually still warm enough for a swimming pool even during the temperate winter season from October to March.

If you plan to travel west or north-west into the Rajasthan deserts or the Himalayas, its smart to coincide with the monsoon. Rajashtan, with a population around 56 million, is India's largest state and is considered by many to be its most beautiful and historic. Jaisalmer is a glorious fortress town built largely from golden sandstone in 1156 deep in the desert of Rajasthan, and the authentic lifestyle of its residents make this a location worth visiting despite the harsh conditions. The best time to visit Rajasthan is during the winter months from November to March.

An event in Rajashtan worth observing is the annual camel mela, or fair, held around October and November near the lakeside town of Pushkar, a settlement dating back to the 4th century BC. The tranquil beauty of the lake is a drawcard for huge numbers of tourists, both Indian and foreign, and its waters are said to salve the soul. Beware the persistent touts who frequent the camel mela to sell their wares.

Most trekking in the Indian Himalaya is enjoyed from May to November, although there are wide variations, and the ski season is from January to March.

Overall, expect warm to hot days and possibly cool nights throughout most of your travel in India.

Travel tip ... follow the example set by many locals who frequently carry an umbrella to protect against either the monsoonal rains or the blazing sun.

Don't overpack your clothing when you fly to India as garments are very cheap, no matter what climate you experience in the vastness of India.

Daytime summer temperatures from March to June are scorching and should be avoided, perhaps by targeting your holiday toward the mountainous north of India.

The monsoon usually sets in from June to September with a secondary monsoon drenching Tamil Nadu through till December.

Travel can be hard work if your holiday tickets take you into the Indian monsoonal summer, but it's an adventure at the same time.

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Old Delhi is a tangle of dark alleys and colourful markets. New Delhi to the south was designed as a colonial capital by English architect Edwin Lutyens in the early 20th Century. Sights worth seeing in New Delhi include various relics of the Mughal Empire (1526 to 1857). South Delhi's Qutab Minar is the tallest stone tower in India and considered one of the best in the world. Other tourist hotspots include the mausoleums of Humayan and Safdarjang, the Red Fort, Lodi Gardens and the 14th Century ruins of Feroz Shah Kotla close to Delhi's Test cricket stadium.

If you plan on renting a car, take note that in 2007 the High Court in New Delhi banned motor vehicle drivers from smoking, with a stiff fine of 150 rupees.

The new Delhi Metro train system is a fantastic escape from the city's traffic mayhem, providing fast trains every few minutes from modern stations where littering, smoking and public urination are prohibited.

Note: In December 2007, Delhi police began to enforce a jaywalking law for the first time in 27 years, imposing thousands of on-the-spot fines against people not using marked pedestrian crossings. The law is likely to be ignored by many people and police are unlikely to continue their offensive. Be warned, however, that about 1,000 pedestrians are killed on Delhi's roads every year.

One of the many pleasant alternative destinations is Sikkim, India's smallest state wedged between Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and West Bengal. This 7,096 square kilometre state has a sparse population compared with elsewhere in India, the climate is cooler (very cold from December to February), and the hilly landscape of Sikkim boasts superb forests, lakes, waterfalls, rivers and glaciers. The religion, food and culture of Sikkim are different to the rest of India and tourists are far less likely to be hassled. Sikkim has been compared to Switzerland and travellers can endulge in mountaineering, trekking, river kayaking or simply enjoying the awesome scenery. Sikkim is home to Mt Kanchenjunga, India's tallest mountain at more than 8,500 metres. All visitors to Sikkim require a 15 day travel permit and the nearest airport is Bagdogra, about five hours by road from the Sikkim capital of Gangtok.

The trading port city of Kochi on India's Malabar coast has a rich history of spice-trading with fleets from around the globe, and was once known as the Venice of the East thanks to its 900 kilometres of navigable waterways stretching to the north and south within the region now known as the state of Kerala. Kochi (until recently known as Cochin) is a subtropical delight boasting fantastic beaches, food and history within a tranquil holiday setting. The south-west State of Kerala on the Arabian Sea is said to be the richest in India with the highest standard of living, and has become one of the most popular holiday spots in India. The State of Kerala, dubbed the Venice of the East, is a maze of rivers (44 in total), lakes, lagoons and backwaters, and many people nowadays enjoy tranquil holidays on converted rice boats (called kettuvallom, about 25m long and 4m wide) that have been dollied up with features such as air-conditioning to satisfy tourists. Kerala has a communist government, India's highest literacy rate, a low infant mortality rate and is believed to be the only Indian state in which females outnumber males. Sights worth seeing in Kochi include the Spice Bazaar, St Francis church, Mattancherry Palace and the dawn fish catch on the beach at the northern end of Fort Cochin. The State of Kerala has a tropic climate with an average winter temperature of 28 degrees Celsius, 34 degrees in summer and 30 degrees during the monsoon. Kerala is one of the cleanest States in India but travellers should still take precautions.

In the middle of India is the state of Andhra Pradesh and its capital of Hyderabad, the fifth largest city in the country. Hyderabad was established in 1589 by a sultan of the Qutb Shai dynasty as an agricultural trading town but has matured to become a sophisticated information technology centre. About one in six Hyderabadis is believed to work in the IT sector. Hyderabad, a city with a strong Islamic character, is also emerging as an important pharmaceutical and bio-technology centre. This city is considered the medical capital of India and many foreigners pursue its lack of waiting lists and its inexpensive yet advanced medical procedures. The city has 45 official travel destinations that shouldn't be missed by tourists. December and January are the mildest, driest months to visit. May is the hottest and June to September are the wettest months in Hyderabad. Tourists should keep an eye out for pearls, etched metalware, silver filigree, textiles, kalamkari paintings and folk art.

The city of Bombay, also known as Mumbai, is a commercial hub boasting a rich colonial legacy of Victorian buildings. Almost everyone speaks English and the locals are cricket fanatics. Bombay's many tourist sites include the Gateway of India, a huge arched gate built in 1924. The World Heritage listed temple caves on Elephanta Island contain elaborate Hindu carvings from the 6th century and the Victoria Terminus railway station is a tourist attraction in itself. Laburnam Rd is where you will find the former home of Mahatma Gandhi where he launched India's campaign for independence. Fantastic views of Bombay can be enjoyed from Kamala Nehru Park Park at Malabar Hill, a suburb that is home to millionaires and Bollywood movie stars. Large areas of Mumbai have been modernised but it has still accurately been described as "a city of Third World exteriors and First World interiors". With about 19 million people, Mumbai has become India's richest and most glamorous city. However, the traffic is a nightmare and poverty remains pervasive.

Note: Seven terrorist bombs exploded in different commuter trains on July 11 2006 in the city of Mumbai, killing 186 people and injuring hundreds more. The attack was indiscriminate and not aimed at tourists or westerners, but the target train carriages were all first-class. Almost 40 people were killed and dozens injured in three terrorist bomb attacks, one targetting a mosque, in the west Indian town of Malegaon on September 9 2006. The area has a history of tensions between Hindus and Muslims. A bomb killed 13 people on May 19, 2007, in the historic Mecca Masjid mosque, the largest in the southern Andhra Pradesh capital city of Hyderabad, sparking further unrest that has long festered between local Hindus and Muslim minorities.

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If you travel to India for a cheap holiday, the main dangers to navigate are petty theft, food and water hygiene, sexual harassment of women, and terror attacks - not necessarily in that order.

The regions of India most prone to occasional terror attacks and/or religious/territorial spats are Jammu and Kashmir, along with areas bordering Pakistan in Rajashtan, Punjab and Gunjarat.

In early September 2008, five unsophisticated bombs exploded in crowded shopping centres in the capital of New Delhi, killing 21 people and wounding almost 100 others. A group calling itself the Indian Mujahadeen claimed responsibility.

In May 2008, bombs killed more than 60 people in the Rajasthan city of Jaipur. In July 2008, a 17 bomb terrorist attack in the Gunjarat city of Ahmedabad killed about 50 people and injured more than 140, while two people were killed by bombs in the southern city of Bangalore. Most of the cities attacked in 2008 are in states governed by the Hindu nationalist BJP party.

India and Pakistan have been nuclear-armed for several years but tension over Kashmir has eased and tourist visas are now available to allow open travel between the two countries for the first time since they were partitioned at the end of British rule.

As many as 100,000 lives have been lost in Kashmir's separatist insurgency since 1989. Tourist numbers in Kashmir have recovered since 2000 but dozens of people have died in militant shootings and bombings - some targeted at tourist centres.

Many western countries advise their citizens not to travel through Kashmir, which is India's only Muslim-dominated state. The region has been considered increasingly safe and has become a popular holiday location for Indians. However, in 2008 the Kashmir Valley is facing shortages of food, fuel and medicine, and tourists should be aware of high tension between Muslim/Hindu communities.

Note: In July/August 2008, there have been riots, villages attacked, police stations torched and in one case security forces have been ordered to shoot to kill as thousands of Muslims protest their call for independence in Kashmir. A curfew has been imposed and dozens of people have been killed.

Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir, has a strong military presence and requires infrastructure improvements but the Himalayan mountains always provide a breathtaking backdrop. Tourists can hire one of the many hundreds of houseboats on the idyllic waters of Dal Lake and Nagin Lake (a deluxe houseboat costing an average $100 per night for two people in mid 2007). Kashmir can be cold in winter and the locals usually wear oversized woollen pahrans, which is a cross between a coat and a poncho. Take note that almost nothing opens in Srinagar during winter before 10.30am. An increasing numbers of flights are available to Srinagar and the peak tourist season in Kashmir is from June to August when mountain trekking is at its best.

About 56 kilometres south-west of Srinagar is the picturesque village resort of Gulmarg, from whence you can enjoy top-class snow skiing from December to March. A ski lift from Gulmarg takes skiiers to 4,000 metres atop Mt Apharwat with romantic views of Kashmir and Pakistan, some five kilometres to the west. In 2007, it cost about RS 250 (US$6.20) per day to hire standard skis, boots and poles in Gulmarg.

Reflecting easing tensions between India and Pakistan, both countries have agreed to resume a bus service between the disputed halves of Kashmir as of April 2005 - for the first time in almost 60 years. A train service between India and Pakistan also resumed from February 2006. However, a terrorist bomb attack on the Samjhautu Express train claimed the lives of about 70 passengers in February 2007.

Similarly worrisome are tribal clashes and militant separatist attacks that sometimes afflict the Kulla region of Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Nagaland, Tripura and Manipur.

A relatively safe northern region close to Kashmir is Ladakh, a cold desert plateau on the frontier with China. Ladakh residents include Tibetan refugees and this high altitude Himalayan region is dotted with ancient monasteries that attract plenty of Buddhist followers and tourists willing to brave the elements for a holiday with a difference.

If you holiday in the north-west state of Punjab, you might wish to join the many thousands of Indians and Pakistanis who gather every evening on their respective sides at the official border crossing of Wagah to watch their country's guards swagger and goose-step through an official opening, flag-folding and closing of the border gate in a festive carnival atmosphere. Wagah is about 30 kilometres from the Punjabi city of Amritsar.

An awesome site is the Kailas Temple at Ellora near the town of Aurangabad in the western state of Maharashtra. The World Heritage listed religious complex at Ellora includes 12 Buddhist temples (550-750AD), 17 Hindu temples (600-875AD) and five Jain shrines (800-1000AD). The central attraction of Ellora is the Kailas Temple, a massive rock carving created by about 7000 labourers working continuously for 150 years and thought to be the largest monolith ever sculpted. Just over 100 kilometres from Aurangabad is Ajanta, where 30 mountain caves were carved into complex and intricate religious shrines by monks and artisans over 900 years (200BC-700AD).

For adventure travel, consider visiting the north-eastern state of Meghalaya just north of Bangladesh. Its capital, Shillong, was the capital of British Assam from 1874 until 1972. Known as the Abode of the Clouds, this can be one of the wettest places on earth during winter. Remote villages are home to tribes who look nothing like Indians from the subcontinent. Tourists can enjoy rugged jungle treks as long as they can handle the risk from wild elephants, black bears, boar, tigers, leopards, spiders, snakes, leeches, ticks and diseases such as malaria.

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