Traveling in India is a pleasure. Whether it is a camel back ride in Rajastan deserts or a wild life safari over an elephant in Mudumalai(tamilnadu), India has many things to offer to the tourists. It is geographically (also) diverse.
John keay in his book "India a History" writes:
"An intrusive comparison [of India] might be one with one of Eurasia’s other subcontinents-like Europe. Europe minus erstwhile soviet union compares about the same area as the Indian subcontinent (over four million square kilometers). But uniform and homogeneous it is not. Mountain chains like the alps and Pyrenees, plus a heavily indented coastline and a half-submerged continental shelf, partition the land mass into a tangible of semi-detached peninsulas (Iberia, Scandinavia), offshore islands (Britain, Ireland) and mountain enclaves (Switzerland, Scotland)"
Most of the places in India are safe and pleasurable to travel. Unless you are a very curious creature with a mental make up of Ghenkis Khan, avoid traveling to the borders where we rub our shoulders with our friendly neighbors( Pakistan and China). Occasionally, the terrorists will offer you a free ride to Pakistan if you go close to the border!
Although we have the largest railway networks in the world, it is not advisable to travel with railways, due to the shear distance in India from place to place and poor level of service. The air lines connect the whole of India to a reasonable extend and it is not expensive. It is quite convenient and easy to travel with domestic flights within the country. All your bookings can be done through the internet with your credit card.
Try to organize your travel properly and try traveling through the established tour operators. Some of them offer excellent service. Traveling on your own may be quite cumbersome at times, as you might struggle to find information on travel and stay. Fix up tours with the establidhed travel agents and sit back and relax. Most of the travel agents and travel details could be found over the net.
There is no crash course to the foreigners on the Indian language. Although there are books that guarantee learning Indian languages within 30 days, you may need a minimum of 26 X 30 days to learn all the languages. Most Indians understand and communicate in English. But try to speak slowly when speaking english, as Indians have a unique English accent that is quite different from the rest of the world. ( especially if you speak with a strong British accent people might find it difficult to understand, so speak as slowly as possible). Indians have a strange way of reacting if they don’t understand your English accent. They simply turn blank or nod their head up and down, which often irritates the westerners. Staying quite for a question is sign of rudeness for the stereotype Europeans/americans. So don’t think they are rude and not answering your question, try to rephrase it slowly and you will get a response.
Tourists are geneally welcome in India. In fact foreigners enjoy more privilege and respect in tourist places than the Indians.
We guarantee an average 10 hour sunlight a day, 365 days an year. So come here, strip down and enjoy the sun shine and get tanned. But don’t be too enthusiastic and go nude in public places. India offers fundamental right for every one and there is no restriction on what you wear whether you are a male or female. Unfortunately going nude in public is considered illegal. .Having said that you might also see some nude men near the northeast of India or along the river Ganges. Well, they are allowed totally on religious grounds and they are in search of the almighty. Steer clear from them if you are not immediately interested in seeking the god. If you still insist moving nude ( wow! sun shine) than you could choose one of the classified nude beaches ( in Goa ?) or join those religious men seeking the almighty. That is the point where East meets West. The naturalists ( the nudists) of the west and God seekers of the East.
Don’t think the whole of India is HOT and come up with a pair of Bikinis or shorts. Check up with the local whether conditions before packing your dress.
We have learned the art of negotiation from the British and bargaining is a way of life. Whether it is bargaining with the terrorists for release of hostages or in street shops, it is an integral part of Indian society.This is not for any branded shops or government agencies. Bargain only in the street side shops and with mobile venders. As a general rule you start with 50% of the quoted price and end up some where between 60 - 80% of the quoted price.
Any amount of Tip will be much appreciated in India. But always tip in proportion to the amount of bill ( say 3% of the bill) as you would do any where in the world.
Most of the big shops in most of the big cities accept credit cards. For amounts more than Rs500 ( about US $12), most of the shops will accept credit cards. So don’t carry too much of cash. Money exchangers operate all over the country and it is quite easy to exchange travelers cheque with them or with any bank with foreign exchange in India. It is preferable to take travelers cheque in US $ . You can also draw money from the ATM machines in most cities in India. For locations of ATM machines in India contact City bank or HSBC . If you are going away from the major cities, take enough cash with you since you may not find ATMs or shops accepting credit cards.
Religious tolerance and religious diversity is another unique thing in India. Indians treat the holy places with great respect, not like tourist corners as in the west. So before going to the holy places in India ( whether it is a hindu/budhist/sikh temple or a muslim masque ) check with the local traditions. Please do not violate the traditions and hurt the sentiments of the people. For example, most of the hindu and muslim holy places expect every one to remove their foot wear before entering. There may be additional customs depending on the place and region.
Avoid kissing in the streets or road side romance when you are in India. Although this is not illegal and we won’t chop off your hands or hang you to death( unlike middle east countries) , kissing in public is not considered as a civilized act. But you are not violating any law, it is just respecting the local tradition.
Finally, come with an attitude to enjoy, not to criticize. The thing to feel in India is History, the glory of the Indian thoughts, religion, acceptability and Hospitality. The one thing that we have- that is unique in the world is Diversity. Diversity in terms of religion, color, thoughts, food habits, climatic condition, socio-economic status, etc. etc. With all this complexity and diversity it is a miracle that it stands as one nation!. We are conducting an experiment in a very large scale, i.e, testing the limits of democracy over a billion people. I believe we have the expertise in providing fundamental rights to human beings, especially to an extremely complex and very large society in the world. It is a miracle that people in India develop understanding and tolerance of other races, that too in the background of poverty. Come with an attitude to enjoy!. For the shear heck of an experience, I sugget you travel in the Bombay metro train. Travel from one end of bombay to the other in the electric train on a week day peak time. It is like bungie jumping if you have the right attitude!
I promise that you will have an unforgettable and wonderful time in India. Enjoy the beauty, diversity and hospitality of India If you need any information email me. I will be more than happy to provide you with any information that is possible.
"Arise Awake and Stop not till the goal is reached" Swami vivekhanada
© 2000 raj_ku@hotmail.com