Mega-thread : Traveling in India.

[Lynnel]

Introduction

Whether you're going in India for spiritual or simply contrast (being confronted with another culture) purposes it can be amazing for self-development. Hell even Leo wants to travel to India, that's agonna be a useful surprise once he comes back from his retreat.

Since I'm planning to visit India soon I decided to create a big topic to discuss it.

Anyone currently living in India (I'll tag you down below) or who has ever traveled is free to provide some advice.

Discussions topics

I'll frame them as questions I am wondering myself and I have come about/read on other forums.

1) How to handle the heat : what to wear, what specific things would one wear (longhi ?) Should one wear a turban to protect yourself from the heat ? (Can an outsider be allowed to wear it since it can be seen as a religious item ? )

2) Places to avoid, how to blend in with the crowd ( if at all possible) and how to handle all the attention you might get as a traveler ?

3) All kinds of recommendations for logistics :

• Places/monuments to visit
• Hotels to stay at
• services to use
• Cities to visit
• Experiences to experience (redundant, I know)
• Food stands/ restaurants/markets/tourist companies
• Train compagnies/logistics

4) How to avoid getting scammed in hotels/ taxi/ street food stands/ in general. Also any kind of generic safety guidelines.

5) Other random considerations :

• How to avoid diarrhea and food poisonning
• Types of medecine which may be forbidden or require you to have a valid prescription
• Any other tips and remarks I haven't thought of

 

Me personally : I'm most likely going to Rajastan for a more touristy/cultural type vacation. If you live in the area and want to hang out shoot me a PM and I'll bring you belgian cookies (Not chocolate unfortunately as it won't survivre a 40 degrees weather).

I'd like to thank @Elton@Prabhaker@Shanmugam for giving me some basic advice in PM <3 <3

I'll also tag other indian members I find : @shapeshifter@Dinesh Karki@mohdanas@Sahil Pandit@Dhruv@AmarSG1@Rajat Bhatia@Saumaya@Amit@Deepak kumar@Preety_India

People who have been to India before : @Raquel@cirkussmile

(Sorry if I forgot anyone )

Your contribution is very deeply appreciated. Thank you everyone in advance !

 

 

 

[Charlotte]

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowForum-g293860-i511-India.html

 

India forum? This will literally answer all your questions

Edited May 22, 2018 by Charlotte

[Lynnel]

1 hour ago, Charlotte said:

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowForum-g293860-i511-India.html

 

India forum? This will literally answer all your questions

It is not  the same as recommendations from people who live there and fellow actualizers but thank you for the link.

 

[Charlotte]

There are people who live there who do use the forum 

[Sahil Pandit]

@Lynnel My moms advice: Make sure you visit your doctor before you go so you can get your shots.

Do a ton of research beforehand.

My mom recommends visiting Delhi.

She also says be careful of your surroundings when you're there.

 

[mohdanas]

22 hours ago, Lynnel said:

Discussions topics

I'll frame them as questions I am wondering myself and I have come about/read on other forums.

1) How to handle the heat : what to wear, what specific things would one wear (longhi ?)

I wear Kurta Pajma, Check it out. Loose Tshirt and Jeans are fine as well. 

Should one wear a turban to protect yourself from the heat ? (Can an outsider be allowed to wear it since it can be seen as a religious item ? )

You can wear it, its alright. Or, you can wear hat or cap. 

India has variety of climate, if you want ease of heat then visit here in winters. ( Oct - Dec ) 

2) Places to avoid, how to blend in with the crowd ( if at all possible) and how to handle all the attention you might get as a traveler ?

Depends on which city you decide to travel.

Pro Tip - Google (Cityname) tourist scam and do a bit research.

3) All kinds of recommendations for logistics :

• Places/monuments to visit - Depend on your preferences. Checkout Monuments by Mughal Empire in India as well as famous Indian Temples. 
• Hotels to stay at - Depend on $$
• services to use - Ola/Uber, Metro, Autoricksaw for transportation. 
• Cities to visit - India is a huge country, first of all decide in into zones, NORTH, SOUTH, EAST AND WEST, consider all the option in each zone and plan according. I live in New Delhi ( NORTH ZONE ) so here are my suggestion for NORTH. New Delhi ( Captial ), Agra ( Taj Mahal ), Rishikesh ( Spirituality Hub ), Kashmir ( Nature but Warning - Conflict State Dew To Terrorism ), Kasol ( Best Hash Of the World Manala If You Like To Smoke) , Other worth checking out, GOA ( Party place ), Kerala ( Spirituality ), also Search Hill Station. 
• Experiences to experience (redundant, I know) - If you come to Delhi, hit me up  
• Food stands/ restaurants/markets/tourist companies - If you decide to come to delhi, I can recommend loads of good food stands. 
• Train compagnies/logistics -idk

4) How to avoid getting scammed in hotels/ taxi/ street food stands/ in general. Also any kind of generic safety guidelines.

Uber/Ola 

Google Scam 

There are also food delivery apps as well. 

5) Other random considerations :

• How to avoid diarrhea and food poisonning - Buy Water From Authentic Looking Stores and Not Street Stands. If something doesn't look hygneic then dont eat  , we are kinda use to it but you might be not. 
• Types of medecine which may be forbidden or require you to have a valid prescription - idk 
• Any other tips and remarks I haven't thought of - ill think of this later. 

 

 

[Prabhaker]

Official Website of Rajasthan Tourism

http://tourism.rajasthan.gov.in/

On 5/22/2018 at 9:29 PM, Lynnel said:

How to avoid getting scammed in hotels/ taxi/ street food stands/ in general.

Pray to God, only prayers can save you!

On 5/22/2018 at 9:29 PM, Lynnel said:

Also any kind of generic safety guidelines.

In Rajasthan, if you are a tourist, watch out for “lapkas”, unscrupulous shopkeepers and greedy autorickshaw drivers. For many years now, “lapkas”, or self-styled tourist guides, have been a blot on Rajasthan. They are touts who are paid commission by shopkeepers and hotel owners for bringing customers.

But while “lapkas” find ways to exploit tourists, the licensed guides are unable to find work through the season. There are 2,500 licensed guides in Jaipur, 550 of them holding “red cards” issued by the Union government. At any given time, even in the peak season, at least 50 per cent of them are without work.

http://tourism.rajasthan.gov.in/state-and-local-level-guides-approved.html

The elaborate code of conduct is meant for tourists as well as hoteliers, shopkeepers and tour operators. The code, posted on the Tourism Department website and freely available at the counters of hotels and tourist reception centres.

http://tourism.gov.in/sites/default/files/060320111104524_0.pdf

Tourist Booth at City Palace, Jaipur

You can take help of Tourist Assistance Force:

To know about the locality of tourist sites and respective distance.

In case of harassment by peddlers, hawkers, touts, beggars etc.

To take guidance about local law and order, security and hazards and for that free pamphlets of “Dos and Don'ts” are provided to tourists by TAF personnel.

To take information about authorized taxi stands, ATMs’, money exchanges, guest houses, hotels restaurants etc.

To take guidance about medical facilities available nearby. Recently on-call ambulance (Phone no.108) facility has been provided by govt. and TAF personnel guides the tourist in emergency.

[Prabhaker]

On 5/22/2018 at 9:29 PM, Lynnel said:

How to avoid diarrhea and food poisonning

The first and golden rule is never drink the tap water or eat any items which may have been washed in it. This sounds very obvious by drinking only bottled water but consider fruit and vegetables which may have been washed. Do not add ice to drinks, it may be very tempting but the quality of the ice cannot always be guaranteed even in clean and respectable establishment which may out source ice production.

Always eat food which is piping hot an item that is only warm may have been just reheated and been cooked days ago. Rice is notoriously bad for cultivating bacterial which can cause food related illness. When deciding on a place to eat at use the second golden rule eat where the locals eat. A resident of the city knows which places are good and quality assured, if a place is busy then it must be acceptable by the locals (or other travelers). Be wary of places where you are the only customers. If a establishment is busy it will generally indicate that the food is fresh and has not been standing for days.

[Prabhaker]

Full Day Tour of Jaipur

 Timings 09.00 - 18.00 Hrs.

Fare Rs. 999/-

Itinerary  - Hava Mahal, Overvatiory, City Palace, Amber Palace, Nahargarh Fort (Lunch), Jaigarh Fort, Jal Mahal, Birla Temple

Pink City By Night Tour (Only Saturday)
Timings : 1800 - 2200 hrs, Fare Rs.1199/- . You will visit Nargarh fort, including dinner with dance performance. 
For reservations for all tours contact RTDC at 0141-2375466,0141-2375835

Half Day Tour  

Timings

08.00 - 13.00 Hrs.
11.30 - 16.30 Hrs.
13.30 - 18.30 Hrs.

Fare Rs. 599/-

Itinerary  - Hava Mahal (Front View) Amber Palace, Gaitore, City Palace, Observatory, Jal Mahal, Birla Temple

Guide Service  

Approved tourist guides may be hired through the Tourist Officer, Tourist Information Bureau, Rly. Stn., Tel.: 0141-2315714 or the Govt. of India tourist office, Hotel Khasa Kothi Tel: 0141-2372200 at the following rates for local sightseeing.

Rs. 200/- for full day per assignment is charged extra for guides speaking French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish.

[Prabhaker]

On 5/22/2018 at 9:29 PM, Lynnel said:

Train compagnies

Train are run by ministry of railways in India, there are no private train companies.

https://indiarailinfo.com/

http://www.indianrail.gov.in/enquiry/StaticPages/StaticEnquiry.jsp?StaticPage=index.html

https://etrain.info/in

[Prabhaker]

Train Travel in India - A Short Guide

 

[Rajat Bhatia]

On 5/22/2018 at 9:29 PM, Lynnel said:

Since I'm planning to visit India soon I decided to create a big topic to discuss it.

It's funny to see it from an outside perspective. I never really knew that Indian Spirituality attracted the world's attention that much. I have really been oblivious to it until I started doing consciousness work 3 years ago.  And now I see that our entire culture is rooted in spirituality one way or another.  Most of our customs were designed to raise consciousness. (They have become mechanical now and have lost their value in most cases).  

India is more like a hotchpotch of many spiritual paths, most of which are institutionalized and are now practiced in a blind way, not helping their followers become more conscious. Most of these people are not getting any real benefits but still, they are very strict in their customs and beliefs and hold them as absolute.  So you are more likely going to find many non-sensical things and various superstitions (some of which might have some value if you study them closely). It also depends on your place of visit as some places are more spiritually centered than others.  Bhakti Yoga - devoting oneself to a personal God - is the most practiced spiritual path here. So don't be surprised to see God figures a lot. 

So if your real purpose to visit India is to find genuine spirituality and meet enlightened masters, then you are gonna struggle a bit because even though many claim to be, such people are very rare and hard to find. It is best to do some serious research before going. And Let us know how your trip goes. Good Luck Lynnel 

[Dinesh Karki]

I am not from India. I am from Nepal. If you are visiting here You can stay at my home. Here are lots of  places you can visit Like swayambhunath, Pashupatinath,  Lumbini, Durbar Square ,Boudhanath Stupa etc. Thanks for mentioning my name. Sorry for English I am not native speaker and I am still learning English.

[Prabhaker]

10 hours ago, Rajat Bhatia said:

So if your real purpose to visit India is to find genuine spirituality and meet enlightened masters, then you are gonna struggle a bit because even though many claim to be, such people are very rare and hard to find.

 Indians have become really materialistic, far more materialistic than any country in the world. And great hypocrisy exists, because they go on claiming to be religious.

[Key Elements]

I know that if you're from Nepal or Bhutan (citizens), you could enter India freely (aka no restrictions), work there, and stay as long as you like. You just can't vote there. But, if you're from somewhere else, like the US, and have a tourist visa, you got to check into the immigration office within 14 days. They are very strict on this. Pay attention to your passport and documents. If you're going on a spiritual journey, there is probably a special visa for that. You may want to research and check with an immigration lawyer for that. Yes, you got to research and plan the journey well. Work on your LP, network with ppl who have already been there, and make sure you ask good questions. Get second (3rd, 4th, 5th...) opinions too.

"The places where you have the biggest challenges in your life become the places where you have the most to give." -Tracy Mcmillan 

[Prabhaker]

Top 7 scams in India with Foreigners

https://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowTopic-g293860-i511-k9938230-Top_7_scams_in_Indiawith_Foreigners-India.html

20 Common Tourist Scams in India

https://hippie-inheels.com/common-tourist-scams-in-india/

[Mirror of Confusion]

I'm planning to visit India soon for spiritual purposes.

First I wanna do my Yoga teacher in Rishikesh (first choice). Besides that I'm interested in participating in 2-3 retreats.

Here I found two website with a list of Meditation and Yoga centers.

https://www.tripsavvy.com/top-vipassana-meditation-centers-in-india-1539892

https://traveltriangle.com/blog/yoga-meditation-retreats-in-india/

Osho Nisarga looks really inetresting to me because they are teaching the meditations by Osho without being to commercial like in Pune (what I heard).

Auroville would be also ineteresting although it is in the south.

 

Does anyone have expereince with https://www.workaway.info/ in India? This is also one thing I wanna try.

And what kind of visa do I need if I plan to do the yoga teacher school and wanna travel after that for some moths?

 

Btw. I'm from Germany

 

[Prabhaker]

Yoga Visa (officially called as “Student Visa”)

India will give tourist visa and e-tourist visa to foreigners willing to undergo short term course on Yoga in its bid to popularize the ancient spiritual and ascetic practice globally. The government has decided to include attending a short term yoga programme in the list of permissible activities under tourist visa.

Study yoga from any yoga institution by visiting India on a “Tourist Visa” or a “Student Visa (Yoga Visa)”. However “Toursit visas” normally have a duration of only 6 months (180 days) and “Student Visas” had formalities like going to the Foreigner’s Registration Office (FRO) at the police headqurters and getting other formalities sorted.

Applying for a “Yoga Visa” will require the student to provide a letter from a Yoga Institute recoginsed by the Ministry of Home affairs, Govt. Of India where they will study. It is important to know that in India, the authorities and Yoga schools use the term “Yoga Visa” but this is not a term used by any visa service center or embassy where the visa will be obtained – they only recognize “Student Visa”.  The “Student Visa” will last the duration of the Yoga program which can be up to 5 years and can be extended.

[Lynnel]

@mohdanas  Thank you for you very detailed answers. I'm going to New Delhi so I'll shoot you a PM once I know the exact dates

@Prabhaker Thank you a lot for all of your posts ! The scam one was very useful. Hope to hang out with you at some point  

@Dinesh Karki Sorry, i couldn't see you where from Nepal and I assumed it based on the name. I do not plan on staying in Nepal atm but thank you very much for your invitation.

@Rajat Bhatia I'm doing this for cultural reasons mostly. I don't need to go anywhere to be spiritual, for that I can just meditate in a cabin in the woods and that's it.

@Sahil Pandit  Thank you, I will be careful !

[Prabhaker]

How to Drive in India for Foreigners (India’s Unofficial Road Rules)