If you’ve picked India as your travel destination, here are some cool India travel tips that would make your journey enjoyable and as smooth as possible.
As with any other travel to a foreign destination, do research beforehand. Purchase a travel guide that has the basics that will be useful throughout the duration of your trip. This includes the weather, the language, currency, food, means of transportation and more importantly the culture. This will prepare you for the trip and will help you make adjustments if you have to.
The appropriate clothing when traveling to India would be to wear light pants. Shorts are to be avoided so you are safe to roam the cities and towns of the country. A safe tip when traveling anywhere is to always seek comfort before fashion. Wear comfortable shoes like sneakers or flipflops rather than heels or any other sandals that would kill your feet.
There are a lot of beggars in India. When you encounter them, it’s your decision to give them rupees or not. If you must, then give it to kids just before hopping into the car or you might get mobbed. It is not a requirement to give them alms.
The black market is also prevalent in India. A good tip is to avoid them at all costs. You won’t get good deals and might just end up going to the Indian jail.
When dining out, choose places that are packed instead of the empty ones. It’s okay to wait for a table rather than go to an empty place because this means that the food that the place serves might not be that fresh. If you have a picky tummy, then choose safe food choices like veggies rather than red meat. Red meat can cause greater damage to your body especially if it’s spoiled and India doesn’t have the best hospitals.
Be sure to carry around first-aid materials and medications. It’s safer to drink your own meds than to buy from Indian drug stores. Don’t order Western foods except if it’s from big, well-known fast foods. This is because not everyone orders these types of food, and chances are – they might not be as fresh.
To be safe, drink soda instead of water. If you must drink water, opt for bottled mineral water and be sure they’re sealed. You can never know if water from a foreign place is potable unless your stomach starts acting up.
Make hotel reservations ahead of time. This will eliminate the worries of having a place to stay and will also avoid rip-offs. A lot of people in India might take advantage especially if they see that you’re a tourist.
Don’t wear valuables when exploring the city. This is also part of the cool India travel tips because there’s no point showing off those flashy accessories. They might get stolen and you don’t really need them.
Have a local tour you around the place. This is for your safety and will ensure that you don’t get lost or charged double the price, say for a taxi or food.