Disha • May 19, 2022 • 3

How To Plan A Trip To India - The Essential Guide

Planning to travel India?

Once you have decided to visit India, you need to plan for your trip. This involves making some important decisions about the places you want to visit and how long you want your holiday to be. You should also book your accommodation before leaving home.

Check the weather in India.

Check the weather before you go. It can be quite a shock to see a sudden change in temperature or rain when you're overseas, so it's important to do your research before you get on the plane.

We recommend checking the following:

• The weather in India - This is probably one of the most important things to check because it's very different from what we're used to here in Australia and New Zealand. If you've got any plans for your trip and don't have time for delays due to flight cancellations, then make sure that there isn't going to be an issue with changing flight times around once you get there! Remember that this is also true for other areas of South Asia like Sri Lanka and Nepal so if possible try not too leave any gaps between days where there might be some bad weather (especially since flights are generally quite expensive).

• The weather in specific cities within India - For example if someone were planning on visiting Delhi during monsoon season then they'd want make sure they knew whether their hotel had air conditioning or whether they could expect heavy rains each day (and what impact this would have on transportation etc).

Think about getting travel insurance.

As an Indian, I know how important it is to have a good travel insurance. You never know what might happen while you're away from home. A medical emergency, lost luggage and even the cancellation of your trip can all be covered by the right travel insurance policy.

I recommend that you get a comprehensive plan like World Nomads which will cover personal liability, theft of personal items and trip cancellation due to natural disasters.

Try to avoid packing too many clothes.

• Plan to pack as little clothing as possible.

• You can always buy more clothes in India. If you're going for a long trip (3 months or more), it's best to take just a few pairs of pants, shorts, and shirts that will serve you well through the entire trip. This way you can wash your clothes daily if needed, which is pretty convenient in most places in India. In addition, if you find yourself wearing something that doesn't fit right or is uncomfortable for any reason it's easy enough to replace it at local shops or markets without having to worry about shipping anything home with DHL/FedEx/UPS etc...

• Buy clothes while traveling through India! It's very common for tourists who are visiting various cities around the country over several weeks or months end up buying lots of clothing from local boutiques because they're either bored with what they brought from home and want something different; sick of wearing dirty laundry every day after trekking through muddy fields; simply don't have much space left on their luggage allowance so buying new stuff helps them lighten their load; etc...

Avoid planning your trip around the monsoon season.

Avoid planning your trip around the monsoon season. The monsoon season is between June and September, so it's not a good time to visit India if you want to avoid torrential rain. In fact, it's not really a good time to travel in India at all: roads get flooded, flights get delayed or canceled altogether, and public transportation can be spotty during this time of year. If you're thinking about visiting India in July or August but are worried about having to deal with heavy rain—don't worry! While we do recommend visiting before October (to avoid temperatures that can reach over 100 degrees Fahrenheit), there are plenty of other things to do besides sightseeing during those months anyway.

Plan ahead for transportation and accommodation.

• Plan ahead for transportation and accommodation.

• Use online resources to find places to stay.

• Book accommodation in advance.

• Use online resources to find transportation.

• Book transportation in advance.

• Use online resources to find restaurants and book them in advance as well if they are not too cheap!

Pack some toiletries with you when you travel to India.

• Toothbrush, toothpaste and mouthwash.

• Shampoo and conditioner (or use a dry shampoo if you are worried about your luggage).

• Deodorant (if you do not want to smell like Bollywood's hero) or a small bottle of hand sanitizer if concerned about germs.

Bring a water bottle to refill while travelling through India.

Bring a water bottle with you.

I can't say this enough times, but bring a water bottle with you! In India, it's not uncommon that you'll be in situations where there are no stores or restaurants nearby and if you're camping or hiking, there will definitely be no stores. Make sure to have a good quality filtered/purified bottle that has an adequate capacity for your needs (1L is ideal). You will also want something that is easy to carry so consider buying one of those foldable mesh fabric bottles which come in all sorts of cute colours.

Bring along small bottles of water wherever possible so that if something happens and there isn't anywhere around to buy water from then these small bottles will get you through until the next opportunity arises. If possible try to avoid buying any large plastic bottles as they can take hundreds of years to decompose; instead use glass or aluminium containers whenever possible as these materials break down much more quickly once discarded after use.

Try to avoid handshakes, hugs, and touching people's feet from the bottom up. The latter is considered rude in most of India, but especially so amongst older people or those in positions of authority.

• Avoid handshakes and hugs, which are considered rude.

• Don't touch people's feet from the bottom up, especially in India and Nepal. This is considered extremely disrespectful to older people or those in positions of authority.

• Don't touch people's hands (or arms or shoulders) without asking first if it's okay to do so. This is because many Indians don't like being touched by strangers unless invited to do so first; most Indians will give you some kind of sign that it’s okay for you to go ahead and do so, such as a nod or smile—but it might be best not even risk getting into these situations! The same goes for your nose: try not to ever put anything near someone else’s face unless they invite you directly already (and even then remember how important personal space is).

Avoid photographing people without permission.

Some things to keep in mind when photographing people:

• If you're taking a photo of someone, ask their permission first.

• Don't take photos of military installations or police officers.

• Don't take photos of people's faces, especially women. If you must include a person's face in your shot (like when taking a group shot), ask them to look away from the camera so that only their profile shows up in the photo.

• Don't take pictures of children or homes unless asked first by their parents/guardians and given permission for the use of such images by those same adults.

• Do not take any photographs inside religious sites like temples or mosques unless granted explicit permission by someone who works there (and even then, tread lightly).

If you plan on visiting a temple make sure you dress appropriately so as not to offend anyone. Don't go barefoot inside a temple and take off your shoes if required to do so before going inside. Women should wear a veil over their heads when visiting Muslim shrines, and both men and women should cover their skin when entering Hindu temples (long pants for men, skirts for women).

You can make your trip much more enjoyable by following all the advices

I'm going to assume you're smart, and that you've done your homework. But if not, here are some things to consider before traveling to India:

• The food is spicy. If you don’t like spicy food, be sure to bring some snacks just in case. (I didn't mind it but I was happy I had a few Snickers bars on hand.)

• Don't forget sunscreen! It's easy to get burnt when the sun is at its strongest between 11am-3pm.

• Pack comfortable shoes! You'll find yourself walking 10 miles a day in cities like Mumbai and Delhi so wear something that won't make your feet hurt after an hour or two of walking around the city streets.