Things to Consider When Traveling to India
by Audrey:
While traveling to India is a great adventure, life over there is very different from America.
Here are my tips for having a seamless transition and a wonderful time while you are there.
1. Budgeting: I would suggest planning to spend about $300 a person a week if you are visiting Kerala. This is not including the cost of the hotel or hostel you choose to stay in.
Everything is very cheap in India and many things can be bartered for. When I was there I spent on average 500 rupees or $8.25 on meals. This does not include alcohol which is available only in certain parts because of dry laws.
The best way to get around are the Tuk-Tuks which are motorized rickshaws. It is best to negotiate price with the driver before you head anywhere. Many of them have a system set up with the local shops where if you are willing to go inside and shop, they will give you a discount on the ride. I spent about 100 rupees or $1.62 a ride for the round trip.
The other thing to factor in is tipping. Average expected tip on meals is about 15%. In addition, you will need to tip your drive and the hotel concierge and anyone else that offers services that you take advantage off. For example, we tipped our guide on the backwaters tour and the tour guide that went with us to Travandrum.
2. Applying for a Visa: I would suggest applying for the visa about a month in advance. This gives the Indian government time to contact you if they have any additional questions. Try to have all the required personal information about yourself and your parents before you sit down. It takes a while to fill it all out and that will help streamline the process.
3. Visit a travel clinic: There are lots of health risks for Americans traveling to India so going to a travel clinic will help protect you from getting sick while abroad.
The two big things to watch out for are Malaria and contaminated drinking water. To prevent against malaria, the doctor will prescribe an oral medication that you start taking about two days before you land. If you have a weak immune system, they might advise you start taking it soon. It is suggested that you take it the whole time you are there and for a couple days upon returning. I found if I take it on an empty stomach it makes me a little sick and gives me very vivid dreams so I suggest taking it in the morning with breakfast.
The water is the other big issue over there. It is vital that you do not drink it. While this might seem easy at first, it is a little trickier than that. It means keeping your mouth tightly shut when showering, brushing your teeth with bottled water, not eating any raw veggies or fruit with the skin on it, and avoiding seafood.
Bottled water in Kerala, where I was, costs anywhere from 30-100 rupees. While this is not very much it is something to factor into travel expenses.
4. Preparing for the Flight: It is a long flight to India. It took me 18 hours of total flying time to get from Boston to Kochi. Make sure and bring a lot of stuff to entertain yourself and don’t forget to get up and walk around every three or four hours to help prevent against deep vein thrombosis.
It's also crucial that you remember to pack insect repellent with you. There are tons of mosquitoes in India which are the #1 transmitters of malaria.
For your trip, I would recommend getting three different types of repellent: a super high concentrated spray for hitting vulnerable spots like legs and ankles, a less powerful one that is around 40% for spraying over clothes, and finally body wipes that you can bring with you and reapply at all times. I also used these to get certain parts of my face and ears.
India has its own unique power outlet style, so make sure to also bring the right adapters for your electronics. I bought a three pack off of Amazon and that served me really well the entire time I was there. If you plug something into the wall and it doesn’t work at first, check around the outlet for a power switch. I found these everyplace I went when I needed to charge something.
5. Money Conversion:
A lot of places in India do not accept debit or credit cards so having cash on you is important.
The Indian rupee is very tightly regulated, and Indian law makes it illegal to take rupees out of the country. Therefore, travelers going to India must convert their currency upon arrival.
At the time of this writing, the current conversion rate roughly 64 rupees per $1 USD.
