Do’s and Don’ts While Travelling to India

Here is a list of some important do’s and don'ts and things to carry for comfortable and enjoyable travel in India

  1. A proper VISA to enter and stay in India is a must. Almost every foreign national requires VISA to enter India.

  2. It is advisable to go with prior reservations at the hotels and prior arrangements of transportation, guide, safari’s etc with the help of your travel agent..

  3. It is advisable to cover yourself with travel insurance for thefts, accidental cases, loss and for medi-claims.

  4. Carry proper maps of the places proposed to visit in India, as signboards are often absent.

  5. Try to reach a station during daytime if travelling on your own. In any case avoid persistent touts and taxi-wallahs at airport/stations/bus stand to help you find your hotel. Always use tourist assistance desk or your Travel Agent for proper advice and guidance.

  6. Do not wear black clothes while visiting a Jain temple. Leather articles are forbidden to be carried in Hindu and Jain temples. Taking photograph of the deity in a temple is normally not permitted. It is always written on the board where the photography is prohibited.

  7. Women travelling alone in certain deserted places / hill areas should avoid walking at odd hours i.e after 2100 hrs in the night at any place.

  8. Always use strong suitcase/baggage, as mishandling is common at airport/stations.

  9. Giving tips is customary but not mandatory. Don’t tip unreasonably in a hotel.

  10. Drink only well known branded bottled water. Buy it only from known outlets.

  11. Exchange money only through authorised banks or money exchangers or with the help your travel agent. Insist of Encashment certificate while exchanging money. These certificates will be required to reconvert the unused money at Airport on departure from India.

  12. Keep the serial number of Tickets and cheques or take a snapshot of same or keep photocopies of all your imp documents like- your passport and birth certificates in a safe place if you have an email account better to keep soft copies of all the documents along with recue phone numbers.

  13. Take care of proper disposal of your rubbish always whether you are exploring deserts or Himalayan or beaches or anywhere else.

  14. Do not encourage beggars. You will mostly find in front of any monuments in India.

  15. Do not leave your cash and valuables in your hotel rooms. Keep your cash divided in different pockets or security lockers available at the hotel.

  16. Don't eat anything offered by fellow travellers on train or road travels. It might have sleeping pills. Always travel reserved class in trains.

  17. Always chain and lock your luggage under your berth in a train.

  18. Don't photograph women without permission.

  19. Don't ever enter a temple, tomb, dargah or Gurudwara with shoes on and/or scantily dressed. One should cover his/her head with a cloth while in a Gurudwara or Dargah. Parikrama or walking around the sanctum sanctorum should always be in clockwise direction.

  20. Do not visit places which encourage orthodoxy, social injustice and inhuman practices

Things to Carry While Travelling to India-

Clothes:-

  • Cotton trousers
  • A pair of shorts
  • Long cotton skirts for women
  • Light colored cotton shirts and T-shirts
  • A hand towel
  • Good number of cotton underwear
  • A sweater for hill stations
  • Sandals and easy slip-ins for frequent removals while visiting temples. Cotton socks to wear when you find the floor of such sites hot.
  • A pair of sneakers
  • Warm clothes if travelling to hilly areas

Common Stuff:-

  • A small, handy and effective torch to be always carried along.
  • A multi-purpose knife set like Swiss Army knife.
  • Water purification tablets if visiting remote locations where mineral water is unavailable.
  • Sunglasses.
  • Sunscreen lotions.
  • A pair of binoculars.
  • Mosquito repellent.
  • Hands and face tissues.
  • A small bag to be tucked at back to carry essential things while on sightseeing.
  • Spare batteries for your camera.
  • Money belt.

Medicines:-

  • Your prescription medicines, if any, in labeled containers.
  • Medicine for diarrhea (Imodium, Lomotil) and an upset stomach (Gelusil).
  • Medicine for cough and cold, such as pseudoephedrine tablets (Sudafed) and cough syrups.
  • Pain-relieving medicines, such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin.
  • Decongestants and antihistamines (Avil, Benadryl) for treating allergies.
  • gauze, cotton-wool buds, corn pads.
  • Anti-infective ointments like cetrimide.
  • First Aid kit along with syringes, needles, disposable gloves, scissors, tweezers, nail clippers,
  • pocket knife, thermometer, and mirror.
  • Chapsticks and vaseline are useful for colder climates; and a steroid cream (Eumosome) is
  • helpful to relieve the itching caused by insect bites.
  • Condoms and contraceptives.