General Information
About India:
India is the largest democratic country in the world and second largest populated country with more than 1.25 million peoples. As you know, India is the one of the biggest countries in the globe and that is why it has the huge area & diversities to meet the demands of every tourist to welcome them. Needless to mention that India is one of the highest demanding destinations among the international tourists and that is why it secures among top place in tourism industry all over the world. India is full of culture, history, diversity, architecture, nature, villages and all six seasons. It has everything which a tourist looking for to spend his holidays, it has sea, dessert, mountains, rivers, forests, Himalayas, palaces, forts, wildlife, history etc so why not a tourist think of India. India is world famous for its hospitality and it’s a tradition in India described in a historical phrase ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ means Guest is God. And India is still maintaiting this tradition and hosting millions of tourists from all over the world every year and the numbers keep increasing because of its fabulous hospitality and diversity. This is the short brief about India & its hospitality and hope that India keeps inspiring tourists like you from all over the world and we at Imperial India Tours, got this opportunity to serve you in our Incredible India with honesty & dedication like we are doing it satisfactory from decades.
Weather in India:
Like its cultural diversity, India also has the diversity in weather also. It has all the six seasons like winter, summer, monsoon, autumn, spring, mild winter. Although because of India’s high popularity tourists comes throughout the year but choosing the right weather according to your destination always gives you the utmost pleasure while touring our incredible India. The best time to visit India is from October to March when almost all the states of India becomes favorable for touring and this is considered the best and season time for tourists in India for the rejuvenating experience.
From October – March is the winter time in India when average temperature of North India is between 15 Degree Celsius – 20 Degree Celsius and in South India you can find temperature between 20 Degree Celsius – 25 Degree Celsius. And the most chilling time in North India is between mid of December till Mid or January when winter is at its peak and you will find bone chilling winds & cold. And in Summers May & June are the hottest months and July & August is considered the monsoon (raining) season time in India. So please plan your visit to India according to weather best suitable for you.
Clothing for India:
If you are traveling in winters then it advisable to carry warm woolen clothes like jackets, sweaters, warmers to cope with the bone chilling winds in north & central India.
If you are traveling in summers then it is advisable to carry light and cotton clothes to cope with heat & dust. Please avoid the synthetic clothes during summers to which can help the heat to develop the skin allergies and sun burns.
Full sleeve shirts, t-shirts are good and comfortable choice to travel in India because it will prevent you from sun burns in day and mosquitoes in nights. You can wear jeans and trousers in lower half to prevent you from sun burn & mosquitoes.
Better to wear good comfortable light weight sport shoes during India tour because they will be comfortable for long walks and save you from dust.
For women, it is advisable to wear jeans, long skirts and trousers. Because India is a religious and cultural country so please try to avoid the shorts and exposing western dresses as in some of the religious places you will not be allowed to go inside in shorts. You can carry a stall or scarf to carry cover your head while entering these kind of religious places. And if you want, you can try Indian cultural dresses (like Saree, Salwar Kameez) which will definitely give you the pleasure of wearing the colorful fabrics of India in India.
Footwears must be removed while entering any temple or religious place in India and also avoid the short dresses at these places.
Always carry sun cream, mosquito cream, sunglasses, sun hat, flash light tissues, binoculars and candies. And you also need to carry the extra batteries for your cameras and other battery operated instruments.
You are always advised to carry the prescribed medicines in your handbags.
Safety & Security:
India is the safe destination tourist destination where you can walk around freely to meet locals & see the local life. Indian peoples are generally very friendly, helpful and hospitable. When you travel in rural areas, villages, small places etc you can find bit annoying that people are staring at you but they are just seeing you and got curious when see white people because they are not used to see many foreign nationals in their place. India is safe, but like every country exceptions are here also, so some precautions by you is always good for your own safely & security. Please try to avoid the late night walks or journeys in small or remote areas and never leave your any important documents or valuable unattended. Always try to do the long journeys in day time only. Use the electronic safes at your hotel room or reception service to keep the valuables. Try to be aware of the local customs and traditions of every place for the hassle free enjoyable trip.
Language:
The National Language of India is Hindi but the official language is English. Although India is a very big country and has 28 states and all states has their own local languages but Hindi is familiar in every state and but if you know English you can easily communicate in India. And especially in travel Trade every speaks & understand English.
Food & Drink:
This is the one of the major caution point where you have to be little strict for the smooth journey. India has the mind blowing variety of vegetarian & non-vegetarian dishes and this is the reason that Indian food is famous worldwide. But while in India you have to take precaution to keep you in good health that please avoid the food sold by the street vendors. Please only eat fresh fruits and do not eat fruits peeled off and unwashed vegetables. Eating in hotel is completely safe and you can also go to some good recommended restaurants by your travel agent or hotel staff. We always recommend you to drink only bottled water and do not drink the tab water. To brush your teeth you can use the purified water provided to you in hotel room in thermos & flasks.
Laundry:
Every small to big hotel in India has a same day laundry service.
Money Exchange / ATM :
There are lots of options to exchange your currency to India rupee. You can change it at Airport, Hotel and Money Exchange office. And ATM machines to withdraw the money are widely available at every city of India so keep money according to your requirements and withdraw it from ATM machines whenever you required.
Photography:
India is a destination where you getting opportunities for photography at every place. So please bring your all the equipments for taking back memories.
Baggage Information:
Most of the Domestic flights in India allow 20 Kg baggage per person. Your baggage should be properly locked and must have your identification inside as well as outside. So please keep bring your baggage accordingly and if you have any extra Kg beyond airline limit then airline has the right to charge you for the extra baggage and every domestic airline has their different charges for extra per Kg. However, Imperial India Tours will not be responsible for any baggage damage and we suggest you to purchase the adequate baggage insurance before coming to India.
Tele Communication:
In every city & village you will find people carrying mobile phones now a days, so you have the calling options from every place. But we recommend you to bring your mobile phone with you and purchase a local Indian pre-paid SIM on arrival in India. Which is easily available at any outlet of Airtel, Vodafone, Aircel, Idea in every place and you just have to give your one passport size photograph and SIM charges and your local Indian SIM will be activated within an hour. That will help your loved ones, travel agent to contact you easily and even you also can contact anytime to us.
Internet / Wifi :
Internet is widely available now a day. In your hotels, markets, cyber café etc but we recommend you to use the Internet facility from your hotel itself. Some of the hotels provide internet & wifi free of cost and some hotels has the charges for it. And if you are bringing any electronic equipment like Laptops, Chargers etc then please bring the international converter kid with set of adaptors.
Travel Conditions in India:
Traveling in India is experience at every step and inconsistencies could happen here also and we request to be patient and need your co-operation. Firstly while Air Travel in India sometimes the flight delay & cancellation can happen without any reason and if this happens during your trip then you have to be patient and co-operate and we will try to find the best available economical solution for you. Although, we contract with the best hotels of India maximum 5 and 4 star hotels. But you might find the difference comparative to western standards so please co-operate during your stays. While surface journeys we mention the average time taken and it could be increase depending on the traffic condition of that particular day and also on the time taken by you for tea/coffee/refreshment breakfast during drive. Though our all the vehicles are new and fully tested but machines are machines and technical fault can happen and you have to co-operate in such situations of technical break-down and we will try to sort it out as early as possible with the nearest technical help available. Same with train travel, we would like to mention that train journey in India is not as comfortable according to western standards but it’s a experience and few sectors are only connected by train but it is a good way to save the money.
Things to do in India:
Always keep your passport with you but very safely.Don’t carry too much of cash with you.
If you face any legal problem then immediately contact your Embassy.
If you found anything suspicious then immediately contact local police.
Use only Licensed company guides.
Always use the Authorized money changes to exchange the money.
Take off your shoes while entering any holy place and also avoid shorts here.
At airport ask the information desk for any help rather than asking strangers.
Always carry a waterproof laminated card mentioning important details about you like you name, address, blood group or any other medical information.
Always travel during day time.
Things not to do in India:
Never trust any stranger with cash, valuables and luggage.Woman travelers please avoid going out of your hotel during odd hours.
Never entertain any beggars, touts and suspicious person.
Always cross check your bills before paying at hotels, restaurants, shops.
Avoid driving on Indian roads.
Avoid driving after hard drink.
Avoid eating on road side vendors, it may cause the stomach disorder.
Any Other Information:
For any further information you can ask us anytime.