Traveling to India

When traveling to any new country, it is always ideal to keep an open-mind. Expect differences, embrace them, and learn from them. The same is true when traveling to India. For many people from the western world, traveling to third world countries such as India is a new experience, and one can’t often comprehend all that they will experience. In this post I attempt to help you prepare for India by sharing suggestions, tips and tidbits of knowledge that I have learned during my travels to the subcontinent.

Personal Space

When you arrive in India, be prepared to have less personal space: less space when walking on the street, less space when waiting in lines/queues and less personal space in conversation!

Money and Finances

India’s currency is known as the Rupee (INR). The exchange rate is usually quite favorable for those converting from USD. To see the current exchange rate, click here.

• Rupee Bill denominations: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1,000
• Rupee Coin denominations: 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50
• ATMs are plentiful in large cities. Some things to note:
  • ATMs often charge a flat surcharge – taking money out in larger sums (versus lots of smaller withdrawals) will help to lessen the fees
  • Take out sums that are not in round thousands – 4,400 rupees will give smaller bills that one can spend anywhere, while 5,000 will only give you 1,000 rupee bills
  • Most ATMs will accept ATM cards from U.S. Banks
  • ICICI Bank has a connection to Wells Fargo
  • If you are eligible for USAA, no surcharge is charged at most ATMs

• Credit Cards
  • Credit cards are accepted at all major businesses, though not necessarily at the small stand on the corner.
  • MasterCard, Visa and American Express are accepted in most major business
  • It is a good idea to have a backup card, incase your main card is lost or stolen
• Cash for Arrival
  • Some people prefer to carry some Rupees for use upon arrival. You can preorder them at your local bank before departure, or use the money exchange at your departing airport.
  • Generally you will get the best conversion rate by taking money out of an ATM in the country you are visiting.
  • If you are arriving in Delhi, there are ATMs available by the baggage claim area to get cash.
  • Again, ATMs are plentiful in large cities, so if you have a leisurely start to your trip, you should be fine to arrive without cash.

Food & Drink

Food

• All food and drinks in India are labeled as Veg or Non-veg.
• Veg = vegetarian, notated by a green dot on the food/drink packaging or menu
• Non-Veg = made with meat of some kind, including eggs, notated by a red dot on the food packaging
• A large majority of the population in India is vegetarian, so it is a great country to visit if you prefer not to eat meat.
• Street food is plentiful in India. You will find food carts with all kinds of foods, as well as chai. If the food being provided is cooked, it is likely safe to eat. However, if you are only in town for a short time, you likely don’t want to risk getting sick, so it can be wise to avoid all street food. I highly suggest you try a cup of chai (tea) from the chaiwalas (tea sellers). They can be quite fun to watch, but expect the tea to be quite warm!

Water

• Plan to only drink bottled water while in India (including for brushing your teeth). The water coming from the tap is likely not safe for consumption for those from the western world.
• Water is drinkable at some nicer hotels, which filter all water that enters the building. Ask your hotel if this is true.
• On the streets, you need to drink bottled water. You will find bottled water sold many places. Check that the bottle is sealed before purchasing it, and only purchase brand-named water (Bisleri, Kinley, Aquafina, Kingfisher, Bailey, Himalayan, Qua, Tata, and Rail Neer).
• When you finish with your bottled water, please make sure to scrunch the bottle up before disposing of it. This ensures it isn’t refilled with tap water and sold to an unsuspecting tourist.

• Ice
  • Only have ice in nicer places (hotels, big name restaurants). Smaller venues are likely to use tap water for ice.
  • Most Indians don’t consume ice, so don’t expect for drinks to come with it in locations that don’t cater to tourists.

Electricity

• The power goes out often in India – there isn’t enough electricity to go around, so often household electricity is cut during the day to provide electricity for businesses.
• Nicer hotels and restaurants have generators, but expect to have the electricity flicker occasionally.
• Please note that even if a backup generator is operating, and you you experience electricity, there may not be internet. If the service provider doesn’t have electricity, the internet will be unavailable.

Transportation

Uber

• Uber is available in the large cities in India.
• You can use your Uber account from home to book rides in India. Uber is helpful as it allows you to communicate your destination to the driver ahead of time. It also sets a fair price.

Auto Rickshaws

• Often referred to as autos, auto rickshaws are motorized, three-wheel vehicles that are quite common in India, and can be a bit faster during times of lots of traffic.
• Do not get into an auto if the driver is not alone.
• While the autos have meters, some may refuse to use them or tell you they are broke (especially in smaller cities). In which case you should negotiate the cost of the trip before you get in. It is a good idea to ask the staff at your hotel what a fair price would be.

Taxi Cabs

• Cabs can be cheaper than rickshaws, especially at night.
• They have all different sizes from small sedan to 8 or 10 passenger vans.
• If you want a cab, you can ask your hotel to help you get one – they are often waiting outside the nicer hotels.

Buses

• There are two types of public buses, ones with air conditioning, and ones without.
  • A/C – cost more than those without A/C
  • Non-A/C – tend to be more crowded. Keep track of your belongings, and keep your wallet very close to your body. Crowded buses can be a favorite spot for pickpockets.

Safety Tips

• Travel in groups, when possible
• Be cautious when crossing streets.
  • Pedestrians DO NOT have the right of way, so don’t expect cars to stop for you.
  • For those of us from the U.S., cars are on opposite side of road – look to the right!
• Carry a business card for your hostel/hotel with you.
• Avoid uncooked street food.
• Do not carry too much cash with you.
• Do not flaunt expensive items such as jewelry, laptops, phones.
• Beware of pickpockets.
• Keep a photocopy of passport with you – do not carry your actual passport.

Restrooms

In most hotels and places that cater to tourists, you will likely find western style toilets. However, if you are traveling out of the cities, you will likely find places where a toilet may not be available, and instead there is a hole to squat over (could have a place to put your feet with indoor plumbing, or more rustic, camping style). If more rustic, it is very unlikely there will be toilet paper, but instead a bucket of water to splash yourself with. I highly suggest carrying hand sanitizer with you – comes in handy when you are on the road with limited options!

Toilet paper isn’t something that locals often use. Like many developing countries, the sewer system in India isn’t set up to handle toilet paper, so if you use tp, please throw it in the waste cans. Instead of toilet paper, most Indian people use handheld bidet nozzles. You will find these nozzles available next to most toilets, and are meant for you to spray yourself. In the locations that cater to tourists, they will likely also have toilet paper, though usually it will be a small roll of single-ply. Try the bidets – you might think that they are on to something! I highly suggest carrying hand sanitizer with you – comes in handy when the only option is the squat option!

Shoes

In every temple or home you visit in India, you will be asked to remove your shoes. The expectation is that you leave your shoes outside – there is usually an area designated for shoes. For this reason, I would plan to bring inexpensive flip flops with you (think Old Navy flip flops), as they are easy to take on and off, and unfortunately I have been with others who have gotten their shoes stolen (usually sneakers). This isn’t the norm, and is much more likely to happen at locations that are tourist heavy. Another option is to bring a drawstring backpack with you (oftentimes real backpacks aren’t allowed in these sites), and put your shoes in there. Some places insist that you leave your shoes outside, but in my experience about 90% of the time I would quickly slip my flip flops in my bag, and then walk in unnoticed. 

While this post is about preparing to travel to India, I also have recommendations on where to travel in India.