About India

Dress in the hotels is casual. However, in the smarter, city hotels, people do tend to change for dinner. Apart from something tidy to wear for dinner in the larger hotels, no formal clothes are necessary. One need not necessarily be very smart but just a change from day time clothes and into smarter clothes is the norm.

Ladies tend to wear smart trousers or skirts and gentlemen tend to put on a clean shirt, cardigan or jacket. Ties are not necessary. You will never be asked to leave a place and we suggest you wear whatever you feel comfortable in. Take a good pair of trainers for exploring during the day as you tend to cover quite a bit of ground on foot. Please bear in mind that you will often be required to remove your shoes when visiting temples so it is advisable to carry a pair of socks with you, should you not wish to walk barefoot. Sock are also useful for hot marble floors in the temple grounds.

When out sightseeing, it is advisable for ladies to be modestly dressed and for gentlemen to avoid very short shorts. A comfortable pair of shoes for walking and visiting monuments is essential. Please use your discretion when visiting temples - ladies may be asked to cover their heads so a small headscarf carried in your handbag may be useful. Most ladies wear trousers, long shorts or light, floaty skirts when out sightseeing during the day. T-shirts are fine but vests should be avoided.

If you are staying in game reserves, in beach properties or in the hills, dress is very much more casual. When visiting game reserves it is advisable to take warm and waterproof clothing for the early mornings when the dew is still heavy on the trees and it takes a little while for the sun to warm up. Dark and muted clothing is also essential together with a strong pair of shoes.

All of your guides and drivers in India have been fully pre-paid and you are under no obligation to tip them. However, if you feel that they have been particularly helpful, we would suggest around 400 rupees for your driver for each day you are with him and this should be presented to him on his last day with you. For the private guides a tip of around 300 for a half day and 500 rupees for a full day is sufficient. What you give is up to you.

In the hotels you should tip the porters, laundry men, room service about 50-80 rupees. On leaving any hotel at the end of your stay, you may wish to tip the doorman approximately 100 rupees. It is normal to leave a small tip after each meal.

At airports and railway stations, when you are without a Mystic India representative (i.e. after you have checked in or before you meet up with them on disembarkation), should you utilise the services of a porter, they will expect to be tipped and you should tip them approximately 50-80 rupees. Please bear in mind that there is a glut of porters at all transportation hubs that will be extremely keen to carry your bags for you.

This is part of life in India and a certain degree of firmness is required if you do not need the help of porters and a certain degree of vigilance is required if you do as they tend to move extraordinarily quickly through the crowds with your luggage.

The Sub-continent has a wide range of religions and, as a result, choice of foods. All the major hotels serve both local and continental food and both meat and vegetable dishes are easily obtained. However, in the more rural areas your choice of food may be limited to local dishes only. The food that you are served will be freshly cooked but it would be wise to avoid eating salads (that have been washed in water) and to peel all fruit before eating it. If you are on the coast, fish is delicious, in abundance and quite safe to eat as it is all fresh.

The key thing to remember when eating meat in India is not to rush into it, but take things slowly. However used to curry you are over here, the different spices used in India, tend to create very different dishes which can affect your stomach. Meat is quite safe to eat but 'take it slow' and built up a bit of an immune system. Eating in India is extremely reasonable and the following amounts may be used as a general guideline to help you in planning how much money to take to cover meals whilst in India.

Obviously these prices will vary according to how much you eat and what items you choose on the menu (such items such as lobster, king prawns, pate, caviar and the more rare imported food items are more expensive). However, for an average eater who has neither an enormous nor a tiny appetite, they will be a useful guideline per person. Higher grade hotel will have higher prices.

Continental breakfast £4 - £6
Full breakfast £6 - £10
Lunch (simple lunch at small hotels) £5 - £8
Lunch (at the larger, city hotels, in town) £7 - £15
Dinner (full 3 course, at large, city hotels, without alcohol) £16 - £40
Dinner (full 3 course, at small hotels, restaurants in town, without alcohol) £11 - £20

Depending on your meal basis, any extra food / snacks that you eat will have to be paid for at the end of your stay (if you eat in the hotel) or in local currency if en route somewhere or staying in small forts and palaces.

There is no reason to get ill in this part of the world as long as you are basically sensible. Even if you are used to dining out on the hottest curries that the UK can provide, the cuisine in the Subcontinent will still be vastly different to what you are accustomed to. Purely on account of the different spices, herbs and the difference in the density and composition of water, you may find that there is initially an effect on your stomach. This normally passes within 48 hours as you adjust to the change in diet. Should this not be the case or, if you are suffering from severe loose motions, consult a doctor. Many hotels offer a wide range of local, continental and oriental cuisine and they are keenly aware of Europeans reactions to food so will take great care in the preparation of such.

Smaller hotels will offer only local cuisine but will pay the same heed to the preparation of what they serve you, to the extent that you may end up asking them to 'spice' it up a bit. To avoid health problems, which usually occur simply due to the change of diet, outlined below are a few basic guidelines: May we also recommend that you take a Anti-bacterial hand gel with you to use during the day, as you may well be touching unclean surfaces, then hand to mouth action may cause upset tummies. Do not launch straight into a hot curry but pace yourself with milder dishes to begin with. Never eat food off the street stalls which may have been sitting there for some time. To begin with, avoid eating salads or food that has been washed in water unless you are staying in a luxury hotel and you know it's been washed in purified water.

Avoid eating raw vegetables and fish of any kind (unless by a coastal area or in a larger luxury hotel). Always peel your fruit. Where possible, ensure the food is hot and has been recently prepared. Drink only bottled water and ensure that the seal is intact before opening it. Avoid ice in your drinks (unless the hotel has its own water purification system). Close your mouth when showering when in remote forts & palace in village locations, city hotels should be fine.

Please never drink from the taps whatever category of hotel you are staying in. Drink bottled water and ensure that the lid is properly sealed before drinking. There is no need to take water purification tablets as there are ample supplies of bottled water throughout the Subcontinent. In some hotels, you will often find flasks of purified water in your room. Check this has been either boiled or purified by the hotel before using to clean your teeth and is relatively safe to drink. Do not have ice in your drinks as this is often made from water that has not been purified, but do check first.

However, in the larger hotels where you will find ice of different shapes to the standard square slabs or if your are offered ice cubes with holes in, this indicates that the hotel has its own water purification system and the ice is made from this water which is therefore safe to drink.

Western drinks such as spirits, wine and beer (all from the west) are expensive in India and it is certainly wise to take in your duty free allowance of your preferred drink in order to avoid paying the high prices charged in hotels. Indian beers and whiskey etc are all very cheap and perfectly drinkable. Alcohol can be obtained throughout most parts of India. The local beer is extremely good and a great deal cheaper than drinking western beer. Gujarat is also a 'dry' state although alcohol can be obtained in some hotels and consumed in the privacy of your own room, on production of a liquor permit. Other locations to note that are what we call dry locations are Pushkar & Bundi in Rajasthan and also holy locations like Haridwar in the foothills. The odd hotel may not have a licence, for eg: Windermere in Munnar if this concerns you then please check with us for a more comprehensive list or with our representatives on arrival.

No inoculations are compulsory but immunisation against some are recommended. Around 6 weeks before travelling to India we suggest that you seek advice from your doctor as to the most appropriate inoculations to have. Here are a few of the recommended vaccines you should check into before travelling to India.

Japanese encephalitis - Rabies Typhoid - Hepatitis A or Immune Globulin (IG) - Hepatitis B - Yellow Fever - Malaria - Tetanus - diphtheria - measles - polio

There are few more diseases that people should bear in mind before travelling to India and it all depends on the season and what part of the country you are visiting and what standard of travel you have decided on.

More information can be obtained from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/india.aspx

Another useful site is Fit for Travel http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations/asia-(east)/india.aspx

Malaria: Malaria the one of the most endemic disease to the rainforest areas, although risk of being exposed to Malaria in short trip is not too high. Risk of being exposed to malaria differs from area to area and from season to season. Check with your doctor for up to date information and advise them when and where you re travelling. Please kindly note that Chloroquine is not an effective in the Indian Subcontinent and should not be taken to prevent malaria in this region.

Altitude Sickness: The primary symptoms of altitude sickness are pounding heart, breathlessness, upset stomach, headache, insomnia. severe altitude sickness is most common with pre-existing heart or lung conditions. Trekking and wildlife enthusiasts like bird watchers are likely to travel some of the higher altitudes in the Himalayas. Please discuss this with your doctor before you travel.

Link to the Government website for advice about travelling in India
Keep a photocopy of your passport, Indian visa and flight ticket separate from the originals when travelling.

http://www.fco.gov.uk/monitor/india/index.html

We also recommend registering with the FCO at LOCATE before you travel, this can be done from the following link.

https://www.locate.fco.gov.uk/locateportal/

LOCATE is a free service provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for British nationals travelling outside of the United Kingdom. The details you provide when you register will help our embassy and crisis staff contact you and give you better assistance in an emergency such as a natural or manmade disaster or civil disturbance.

Fortunately, Indians are very forgiving toward foreigners who aren't always aware of the etiquette of Indian culture. However, to help you avoid embarrassing mistakes, here are five things not to do in India.

1. Don't wear tight or revealing clothing. Indians adopt a very conservative standard of dress, particularly in rural areas. Western dress standards, including jeans on women, are becoming quite prevalent in cities. However, it's still necessary to keep your legs covered. You'll rarely see an Indian man wearing shorts, or an Indian woman wearing a skirt above the ankles (although college students are an exception!). Covering your legs and shoulders is especially important when visiting temples in India.
2. Don't wear your shoes inside. It's good manners to take your shoes off before entering someone's home, and it's a prerequisite before entering a temple or mosque. Indians will often wear shoes inside their homes, such as when going to the bathroom. However, these shoes are kept for domestic use and never worn outdoors. Shoes are sometimes also removed before entering a shop. If you see shoes at an entrance, it's a good idea to take yours off as well.
3. Don't point your feet at people. Feet are considered to be unclean and therefore it's important to avoid pointing your feet at people, or touching people or objects (particularly books) with your feet or shoes. If you accidentally do so, you should apologize straight away. Also, note that Indians will often touch their head or eyes as a show of apology. On the other hand, it's a sign of respect to bend down and touch an elder person's feet in India.
4. Don't eat food or pass objects with your left hand. The left hand is considered to be unclean in India as it's used to perform matters associated with going to the bathroom. Therefore, you should avoid your left hand coming into contact with food or any objects that you pass to people.
5. Don't be offended by intrusive questions. Indians are really inquisitive people and their culture is one where people do anything but mind their own business, often due to the lack of personal space and privacy in India. As a result, don't be surprised or offended if an Indian asks you how much you earn for a living and a host of other personal questions, all upon first meeting. What's more, you should feel free to ask these type of questions in return. Rather than causing offense, the people you are conversing with will be pleased that you've taken such an interest in them! Who knows what fascinating information you'll learn as well?