Only if you are India bound......

Some Useful Information and Tips to Read and Remember

At the Entry & the Exit Floor

•  At the Airport/Seaport make sure that all required documents, duely cleared or certified, are kept handy for verification. Except in certain cases, no foreign nationals are allowed entry into India without proper visa authorisation from its embassy or consular office at the country of origin, except citizens of Nepal.

•  Transit passengers during flight transfer or stopovers, make sure you have the yellow baggage coupons while embarking or disembarking. Do not loose sight of it until the time you pick up your baggage at your final destination.

•  All nationals on a tourist visa or in transit has to declare the contents of their baggage - any costly or sensitive items which attracts duty (tax) needs to be recorded, so that there is less formalities while leaving the country.

•  Health Regulations: If you are traveling from countries like Brazil or from the South and Central American region, and a few African countries, then a valid vaccination certificate for yellow fever is necessary. Consult your travel agent/ Indian embassy for details and also your medical practitioner.

•  Carrying or transporting of certain drugs/herbs in India or through India by any person, as notified under the Narcotics Act are illegal and severely punishable offences under the Indian Law.

•  Export of articles: There are restrictions on the export of antiquities and art objects more than 100 years old from India. In order to ascertain whether an object or article of art is antique, the authority determining such an application is the Superintending Archaeologist's - having office at regions/circles like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkatta.

Foreign Currency

•  Fist full of Dollars : The most acceptable foreign currency in India is the United States' dollars, United Kingdom's pound sterling and the Euro. It is advisable to convert all currencies to Indian Rupees at the Airport/Seaport's Foreign Exchange counter, take a receipt (Encashment certificate) and preserve the receipt till the time you leave India. All nationals are allowed to carry US $ 1500 in cash within India - if s/he intends to carry more, the person should declare the amount being carried at time of entry to the customs department officials.

•  Currencies can be converted at the Foreign Exchange Authorised dealers /moneychangers/ shops/ agents /banks at almost all the major cities in India and state capitals. Remember to take a receipt. Beware of unauthorised / unscrupulous money changers and touts.

•  Master Card / Visa Card / Travelers Cheque of Thomas Cook or American Express certificates are considered one of the few safe instruments for crediting money. Any Time Money (ATMs) machines/kiosks of all major banks provides 24 hours service, except, perhaps in small towns. Remember, not in all towns nor does all outlets/shops/hotels accept credit/debit cards.
       Almost, all well known luxury hotels, resorts and departmental/super markets/ emporiums / airline agents/railway ticket counters at important stations of major cities and popular tourist circuit routes, accept the card mode of payment, however. Cheque's are seldom accepted, anywhere. Hard cash is always a preferred form of payment - (note- nor, does every shopkeeper or restaurant cashier accepts foreign currency).

Best Season, Climatic Conditions & Time Zone

A vast country like India has a varied climatic map due to the geographical (latitudinal), orographical (altitudinal), physical (vegetation and hydrological) - differences encountered through its length and breadth.
       In India, we follow only one time frame, i.e the Indian Standard Time is 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (Summer). And for the same reason, the actual timing for the sun and the moon - rising and setting over the horizon - may vary depending on the exact longitude you are at. Refer local newspapers for timings.
       For the beach enthusiasts, who venture into the sea out of habit and sport, getting the tide timings may be difficult in far-off sea shores, but, if near a fishing village or a customs office, the residents and officials there can guide you.

Rhythm of Seasons

Seasons in the Indian peninsula, in general, are divided into three parts in a year.

Transport

•  Travelling in India is relatively cheap i.e by means of surface travel - thanks to government subsidies for fuel and rail services, while air transport fares, some may say, is exorbitant. However, with increasing competition between private-owned, newly-introduced air line services in the domestic sector, the tariff fares offered by them through various schemes may help save your cash stock.

•  Air and Rail services are the fastest and safest mode of travel for long distances. Express ways\free ways\ and super highways are being given top priority by the government for faster and safer road travelling experiences. However, lack of proper public utilities and conveniences\infrastructures like motels in remote regions on certain highway sectors, off the important tourist circuits, may be a constraint.

•  In India, the traffic system follows the British system where vehicles are right-hand wheel driven. A driver's license is essential for driving any motorised vehicle. Only 18 and above, aged persons are allowed to drive geared vehicles.

What to expect

• Looking for Leaks: Public conveniences or urinals\common toilets or ' shochalayas' are found at most public places like railway stations\bus stations\bazaar (market) junctions\gardens, popular tourist spots like museums and monuments etc. However, it is to be said that you may find, not all of them as clean ...spic and span... as you may want it to be. Human discharge, unflushed closets, leaking taps, graffiti with lewd comments (that's universal, isn't it?) and corners of walls splattered by pan (refer next para) stains are to be expected at some unmanned enclosures.
       Though, most of the public toilets - managed and sponsored by NGOs (non governmental organisations) are indeed well kept, clean and maintained to the highest standards. Do not expect toilet\tissue papers here; carry it along with you for any kind of bowel emergencies! Toilet papers and paper napkins are more available at medical shops or super markets.

•  Spitting Habits: At bus stations\terminals (private or public), city roads and market areas, travellers may take care to notice how a few persons, irrespective of gender, age or class spits in the open in regular intervals.
      In most cases, they are vestiges of, and under a dying influence of a habit of the socialite of yesteryears to consume 'pan,' a very interesting concoction of many little edibles (including pieces of betel nut) wrapped in a betel leaf - known as pan, which on chewing produces a reddish brown fluid. It is normally taken after having meals, for it is known to be a laxative having aphrodiasical properties!! It is also offered to a guest as a mark of respect and propriety.
      There are others who simply keep on spitting saliva on the roads and some who chew tobacco or zarda, this new cached variant is a fad among few youngsters, mostly restricted to north and western India.

Tid Bits

•  Restaurants & shops: Although in big cities, 24 hours cafes, buy-anything-and -everything malls and supermarkets are jostling for space in the city skyline, the scene may change quiet a bit in other small time places. In towns and non-metro cities, shops and other establishments, - and even some restaurants!- are closed for afternoon siesta. Late evening, the shopkeepers here, down their shutters by 8 pm, while in cities utility shops and restaurants, may remain open only till 9 and 10 pm respectively, in the market areas only.

•  Electric Supply: In some areas, power supply may be erratic - a pocket torch may be cumbersome but it is quite a help when such an eventuality happens during a nice evening walk or a night stroll; Truly handy!

•  Internet Usage: In present times, "Save" is the only mantra worth the name: Those not in the habit of saving typed messages (Ctrl+S) may loose all their work with the sudden disruption of electric supply in far off cyber cafes especially in small towns where electricity supply is not 24\7.

•  To avoid losing your precious sleep due to such an unfortunate event (we call it 'power cut' or 'load shedding'), the following is recommended. One way to beat this problem is, while sending long and important e-mails, rather than selecting and 'Ctrl+C'iiing like a robot, please type your message, in toto, in a saved word doc - of course with periodic 'saves'.
       Once the power supply is restored you can open and recheck the matter, and copy-paste the same. That is either the same day or the next,.....you see, if it is late night.....lets say, it is 10 pm, and lights go out, the cyber wallah or walli (male\female: coll.) will simply pull down their shop-shutters, leaving a frustrated, screaming and cursing your good-self, out on a dark lane or a crampy corridor of a shopping complex!.

•  Such places also charge heavily for internet use....even after your 'all-important' message is not be transmitted to your dear ones back home. Thats absolutely frustrating, isn't it?

Patience and Tolerance is a Virtue. No better place to learn than India.