tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6349798849411156172024-03-13T11:24:42.848-07:00Blue Maroon Indiabluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-634979884941115617.post-14850127021224429222015-05-05T05:38:00.000-07:002018-06-17T19:40:49.725-07:00Travel North Philippines - Best Value Group Tours<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-634979884941115617.post-70719588025812407152009-05-18T00:05:00.000-07:002010-07-21T16:05:33.536-07:00Welcome to Beautiful India<span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEJtwY7FZI/AAAAAAAAA3g/dg5cpQwbYv8/s1600-h/20070815164614_flaggal.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337057715098949010" style="WIDTH: 296px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEJtwY7FZI/AAAAAAAAA3g/dg5cpQwbYv8/s400/20070815164614_flaggal.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">India (Hindi: भारत) [1] is the largest country in the Indian Subcontinent and shares borders with Pakistan to the west, China and Nepal to the north, Bhutan to the north-east, and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Indonesia lie to the south-east in the Indian Ocean. It is the seventh largest country in the world by area and, with over a billion people, is second only to China in population. It's an extremely diverse country, with vast differences in geography, climate, culture, language and ethnicity across its expanse, and prides itself on being the largest democracy on Earth. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEJuOtq4wI/AAAAAAAAA3w/z2Hrjno2T0g/s1600-h/the-sun-coming-up-over-the-ganges-in-india.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337057723239031554" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 270px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEJuOtq4wI/AAAAAAAAA3w/z2Hrjno2T0g/s400/the-sun-coming-up-over-the-ganges-in-india.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Befitting her size and population, India's culture and heritage is a rich amalgam of the past and the present: From the civilizations, fascinating religions, variety of languages (more than 200!) and monuments that have been present for thousands of years to the modern technology, economy, and media that arises as she opens up to a globalised world, India will never cease to awe and fascinate the visitor. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">India has a rich and diverse mix of culture and tradition, dominated by religious and spiritual themes. It's probably the only country where people of so many different origins, religious beliefs, languages and ethnic background coexist. There are 3 main sub-cultures: North, East and South. Most of the ancient Indian culture is preserved in the South which is famous for its classical arts, such as Carnatic music and classical Indian dance.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The Northern part of India has a rich heritage of Hindustani Classical Music and vibrant dance forms. Art and theatre flourish amongst the bustling cities of the country, against the backdrop of the ever expanding western influences that flavour life in the large metropolises of India.<br />The East is popular for its many forms of folkdances and music. These art forms are enriched by a strong east asian influence. </span><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEJt4st_pI/AAAAAAAAA3o/Q-16m1fZYVg/s1600-h/r3.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337057717329460882" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEJt4st_pI/AAAAAAAAA3o/Q-16m1fZYVg/s400/r3.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEJtrQN0kI/AAAAAAAAA3Y/44X7Cni228E/s1600-h/2442689334_9678cf035a.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337057713720250946" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 292px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEJtrQN0kI/AAAAAAAAA3Y/44X7Cni228E/s400/2442689334_9678cf035a.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><div><a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/India">http://wikitravel.org/en/India</a></div></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-634979884941115617.post-23983942109106158572009-05-17T23:28:00.000-07:002010-07-21T16:05:33.537-07:00Cities and Popular Destinations in India<span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Cities</strong><br /><br />Below is a selection of nine of India's most notable cities. Other cities can be found under their specific regions.<br /><br /></span><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEEsOdkrNI/AAAAAAAAA3I/VT7dN9WdPpI/s1600-h/delhi.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337052191253638354" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEEsOdkrNI/AAAAAAAAA3I/VT7dN9WdPpI/s320/delhi.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">* Delhi — the capital of India for a thousand years and the heart of Northern India.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEErl70JRI/AAAAAAAAA24/eMKFu7qk0gg/s1600-h/Bangalore+2.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337052180374627602" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 230px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEErl70JRI/AAAAAAAAA24/eMKFu7qk0gg/s320/Bangalore+2.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">* Bangalore (now Bengaluru) — The garden city, once the sleepy home of pensioners now transformed into the city of pubs, technology and companies.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> * Chennai (formerly Madras) — main port in Southern India, cradle of Carnatic Music and Bharatanatyam, home of the famous Marina beach, Automobile Capital of India and a fast emerging IT hub.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> * Jaipur — the Pink City is a major exhibit of the Hindu Rajput culture of medeival Northern India.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEEr3ISilI/AAAAAAAAA3A/ee43H1M5uyc/s1600-h/building-kolkata-06.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337052184990354002" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEEr3ISilI/AAAAAAAAA3A/ee43H1M5uyc/s320/building-kolkata-06.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">* Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) — the cultural capital of India, Kolkata is home to numerous colonial buildings. It is known as The City of Joy.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEEsEcXZHI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/d6vIdvNRmkw/s1600-h/mumbai_skyline.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337052188564218994" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 250px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEEsEcXZHI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/d6vIdvNRmkw/s320/mumbai_skyline.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">* Mumbai (formerly Bombay) — the financial capital of India, "Bollywood" (Indian Film Industry) hub.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> * Shimla — the former summer capital of British India located in the Himalayan foothills with a large legacy of Victorian architecture.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> * Thiruvananthapuram (formerly Trivandrum) — capital of Kerala and gateway to the sandy beaches and backwaters of south west India.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> * Varanasi — considered the most sacred Hindu city, located on the banks of the Ganges, one of the oldest continually inhabited cities of the world. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Other destinations</strong><br /><br />India has many outstanding landmarks and areas of outstanding beauty. Below is a list of nine of the most notable:<br /><br /></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEDAaqV4LI/AAAAAAAAA2I/R2UfJ1T2ubY/s1600-h/buddha-bodh-gaya.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337050339102548146" style="WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 275px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEDAaqV4LI/AAAAAAAAA2I/R2UfJ1T2ubY/s320/buddha-bodh-gaya.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />* Bodh Gaya — the place where the Buddha Sakyamuni attained enlightenment.</span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEDAeL4VPI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/2Ke-RU1LWl0/s1600-h/ellora+ajanta.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337050340048524530" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEDAeL4VPI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/2Ke-RU1LWl0/s320/ellora+ajanta.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">* Ellora/Ajanta — spectacular rock-cut cave monasteries and temples, holy place for the Buddhists, Jains and Hindus.<br /><br /></span><div><div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEDhDicQZI/AAAAAAAAA2o/uQyBEsPk3Lc/s1600-h/Palolem+beach,+Goa.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337050899831079314" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEDhDicQZI/AAAAAAAAA2o/uQyBEsPk3Lc/s320/Palolem+beach,+Goa.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">* Goa — an east-west mix, beaches and syncretic culture.<br /><br /></span></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEC_yrq9wI/AAAAAAAAA14/8GARKSt1PYs/s1600-h/75347-Golden-Temple-at-night-Amritsar-0.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337050328370706178" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 239px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEC_yrq9wI/AAAAAAAAA14/8GARKSt1PYs/s320/75347-Golden-Temple-at-night-Amritsar-0.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">* Golden Temple — Sikh holy site located in Amritsar.<br /><br /></span></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEDg6ucD1I/AAAAAAAAA2Y/qfjOUJgxXXg/s1600-h/hampi.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337050897465478994" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 238px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEDg6ucD1I/AAAAAAAAA2Y/qfjOUJgxXXg/s320/hampi.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">* Hampi — the awesome ruins of the empire of Vijayanagara.<br /><br /></span></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEDABy9tVI/AAAAAAAAA2A/qBb-IKdNfvo/s1600-h/84614-Erotic-statues--Khajuraho-0.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337050332427826514" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 290px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEDABy9tVI/AAAAAAAAA2A/qBb-IKdNfvo/s320/84614-Erotic-statues--Khajuraho-0.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">* Khajuraho — famed for its erotic sculptures.<br /><br /></span></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEC_hQQp2I/AAAAAAAAA1w/tH7q-zGtrW8/s1600-h/04+Jai+Mahal+lake+palace.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337050323692332898" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEC_hQQp2I/AAAAAAAAA1w/tH7q-zGtrW8/s320/04+Jai+Mahal+lake+palace.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">* Lake Palace — the Lake Palace of Octopussy fame, located in Udaipur.<br /><br /></span></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEDhN3c-vI/AAAAAAAAA2g/GHTWEm1eeeQ/s1600-h/meenakshi-temple-1.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337050902603561714" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEDhN3c-vI/AAAAAAAAA2g/GHTWEm1eeeQ/s320/meenakshi-temple-1.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">* Meenakshi Temple — a spectacular Hindhu temple in Madurai.<br /><br /></span></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEDhSL2waI/AAAAAAAAA2w/7VmIvO7rJ6A/s1600-h/Taj+Mahal.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337050903762878882" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 224px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShEDhSL2waI/AAAAAAAAA2w/7VmIvO7rJ6A/s320/Taj+Mahal.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">* Taj Mahal — the incomparable Taj Mahal in Agra<br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/India"><span style="font-family:arial;">http://wikitravel.org/en/India</span></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-634979884941115617.post-77150012191919912042009-05-17T22:36:00.000-07:002010-07-21T16:05:33.538-07:00How to get to India<span style="font-family:arial;"></span><div><div><div><strong><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShD-R8szWoI/AAAAAAAAA1o/fiSYIBJ4vQQ/s1600-h/india-visa.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337045142739311234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 217px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShD-R8szWoI/AAAAAAAAA1o/fiSYIBJ4vQQ/s320/india-visa.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Visas</span></strong><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Citizens of most countries with a few exceptions like Bhutan and Nepal need a visa to get in. Depending on your purpose of visit, you can get a tourist visa (six months), a business visa (6 months, one year or more, multiple entries) or a student visa (up to 5 years). A special 10 year visa (US$150, business and tourist) is available to US citizens only. An Indian visa is valid from the day it is issued, not the date of entry. For example, a 6-month visa issued on January 1 will expire on June 30, regardless of your date of entry.<br /><br />Many Indian embassies have outsourced visa processing in full or in part to third party companies, so check ahead before going to the embassy. For example, in the USA, you must submit your visa application to Travisa, not the embassy. In addition, many Indian embassies only offers visas to residents of that country: this means you should get your visa before you leave home, instead of trying to get in a neighboring country.<br /><br />Rules and validity of visas will differ based on citizenship. Check the website of the Indian embassy, consulate or high commission in your country or contact the local office.<br /><br />It's wise to ask for a multiple entry visa even if you aren't planning to use it - they cost the same, are handed out pretty liberally and come in handy if you decide last minute to dip into one of the neighboring countries.<br /><br />There are other categories for specialised purposes. The missionary visa is mandatory for anyone who is visiting India "primarily to take part in religious activities". This rule is meant to combat religious conversion, particularly of Hindus to Christianity. There have been cases where preachers have been deported for addressing religious congregations while on a tourist visa. You don't need to be worried if you are just on a religious tour of churches in India.<br /><br />If you are on a Student, Employment, Research or Missionary visa, you need to register within 14 days of arrival with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office where you will be staying. If the place you are staying at doesn't have one, you need to register at the local police station [7]. All visitors who intend to stay more than 180 days also need to be registered.<br /></span></div><br /><br /><br /><div><strong><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShD-Rt1W6LI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/4_yVeOUr_mM/s1600-h/hyderabad_airport_march23_08_day1_001.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337045138748663986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShD-Rt1W6LI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/4_yVeOUr_mM/s320/hyderabad_airport_march23_08_day1_001.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Customs and immigration<br /></span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Clearing customs can be a bit of a hassle, though it has improved vastly over the the last decade. In general, avoid the touts who will offer to ease your baggage through customs. There are various rules regarding duty-free allowances — there are differing rules for Indian citizens, foreign "tourists", citizens of Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan, non-citizens of Indian origin and people moving to India. Cast a quick glance at the website of the Central Board of Excise and Customs [8] for information about what you can bring in. If you are a foreign tourist and you aren't Nepali, Bhutanese or Pakistani and you aren't entering through Nepal, Bhutan or Pakistan, you are entitled to bring in your "used personal effects and travel souvenirs" and Rs. 4,000,- worth of articles for "gifts". If you are an Indian citizen or are of Indian origin, you are entitled to Rs. 25,000,- worth of articles, (provided of course you aren't entering through Nepal, Bhutan or Pakistan.) The other rules are on the web site. If you are bringing any new packaged items along, it is a good idea to carry along the invoices for them to show their value. You are also allowed to bring in 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco and 1 liter (2 liters for Indians) of alcohol duty-free. If you do not have anything to declare, you can go through the green channel clearly marked at various airports and generally you will not be harassed.<br /><br />Importing and exporting Indian rupees by foreign nationals is theoretically prohibited, although in practice there are no checks. Indian nationals can import or export up to Rs 5000,- maximum, but on trips to Nepal, this cannot include Rs 500,- and Rs 1000,- notes.<br /></span></div><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>By plane<br /></strong><br />The major points of entry are Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata. If you are flying in from a Western country, chances are that you will get in through one of these cities. However in recent years, to accommodate the increasing traffic, many other airports have been upgraded to take in international flights. Among these are Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Calicut, Cochin, Coimbatore, Guwahati, Jaipur, Mangalore, Pune, Thiruvananthapuram and Varanasi.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShD-RweJuHI/AAAAAAAAA1g/pSJ-1y9Uvjk/s1600-h/india_airlines_1227.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337045139456637042" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 209px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShD-RweJuHI/AAAAAAAAA1g/pSJ-1y9Uvjk/s320/india_airlines_1227.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">India has homegrown international airlines like Air India (the merged airline formed by merging Air India and Indian Airlines). These provide good connectivity within the country. In recent years, the government has allowed Indian private airlines like Jet Airways and Kingfisher to go international. There are daily flights to major hubs around the world from the New Delhi & Mumbai airports.<br /><br />Air India often offers the lowest rates for long haul flights to India. In recent years, it has steadily improved and has even been invited to join the Star Alliance, but there is still some ways to go until it can be considered world-class.<br /><br />From the United States, Continental Airlines offers nonstop daily service from Newark Airport to Delhi and Mumbai; Delta Airlines offers nonstop daily service from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta (formerly, Kennedy International Airport [JFK] in New York) to Mumbai; Air India offers daily non-stop service to Mumbai and Delhi from JFK; and American Airlines offers nonstop daily service from Chicago to Delhi. Various European airlines offer connecting service through their European hubs from most major US cities and various Asian airlines offer connecting service from West Coast cities to India through their Asian hubs. Jet Airways also flies from New York to Delhi and Mumbai via Brussels and from San Francisco to Mumbai via Shanghai.<br /><br />Entries from Europe and Northern America are possible using many European airlines such as Lufthansa, British Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, and Air France.<br /><br />From other parts of Asia, Singapore, Dubai and Doha have arguably the best connections to India with flights to all the major cities and many smaller ones. Air India, its subsidary Air India Express, as well as Jet Airways [21] and Indian Airlines [22] all have flights to Singapore. In addition, Singapore Airlines and its subsidiaries Silkair and Tiger Airways also offer reasonably good connections. If you find transiting Singapore too expensive for your liking, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok also offer reasonably good connections. Gulf flights were till very recently dominated by Emirates, Air India, Air India Express and Qatar Airways.<br /></span></div><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>By boat<br /></strong><br />India has several international ports on its peninsula. Mumbai and Chennai are the main ones handling passenger traffic, while the rest mainly handle cargo. However, due to the profusion of cheap flights, there no longer appear to be any scheduled ferry services from India to the Middle East.<br /></span></div><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>By train<br /></strong><br />There are two links from Pakistan. The Samjhauta Express runs from Lahore to Attari near Amritsar in Punjab — its future is now uncertain after the bomb blasts that occurred on 19 February 2007. The Thar Express, restarted in February 2006 after 40 years out of service, runs from Munabao in the Indian state of Rajasthan to Khokrapar in Pakistan's Sindh province; however, this crossing is not open to foreign tourists. Neither train is the fastest or the most practical way to go between India and Pakistan due to the long delay to clear customs and immigration (although the trains are sights in their own right and make for a fascinating trip). Should you want to get from one country to the other as quickly as possible, walk across at Attari/Wagah.<br /><br />From Nepal, trains run between Khajuri in Dhanusa district of Nepal and Jaynagar in Bihar, operated by Nepal Railways. Neither is of much interest for travelers and there are no onward connections into Nepal, so most travelers opt for the bus or plane instead.<br /><br />Train services from Bangladesh were suspended for 42 years, but the Moitree Express started running again between Dhaka to Kolkata in April 2008. The service is biweekly: A Bangledeshi train leaves Dhaka every Saturday, returning on Sunday, while an Indian train leaves Kolkata on Saturdays and returns the next day.<br /></span></div><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>By car<br /></strong><br />From Pakistan the only land crossing is from Lahore to Amritsar via the Attari/Wagah border crossing. See Istanbul to New Delhi over land. You will need a Carnet de Passage if crossing with your own vehicle and the process will likely be lengthy.<br /></span></div><br /><br /><br /><div><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">By bus<br /></span></strong></div><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">From Nepal<br /><br />* From Nepal buses cross the border daily, usually with connections to New Delhi, Lucknow, Patna and Varanasi. However, it's cheaper and more reliable to take one bus to the border crossing and another from there on. The border crossings are (India/Nepal side) Sunauli/Bhairawa from Varanasi, Raxaul/Birganj from Patna, Kolkata, Kakarbhitta from Darjeeling, and Mahendrenagar-Banbassa from Delhi.<br /><br />From Bhutan<br /><br />* The Royal Bhutanese Government runs a service to/from Phuentsholing. These buses depart from Kolkata's Esplanade bus station at 7PM on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and from the Phuentsholing Bhutan Post office at 3PM on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The journey takes around 18 hours and costs 300Rps/Nu. The buses are comfortable, but because much of the highway to Kolkata is like the surface of the moon, don't bank on getting much sleep on the way.<br />* There is frequent service between Siliguri and Phuentsholing.<br /><br />From Pakistan<br /><br />* From Pakistan the only land crossing is from Lahore to Amritsar via the Attari/Wagah border crossing. Despite tensions between the two countries, there is a steady trickle of travellers passing this way. The immigration procedures are fairly straightforward, but note that neither Pakistan nor India issue visas at the border. Expect to take most of the day to go between Lahore and Amritsar on local buses. Normally it's possible to get a direct bus from Amritsar to the border, walk to the other side and catch a direct bus to Lahore, although you may need to change at some point on route. Amritsar and Lahore are both fairly close to the border (about 30-40 minutes drive), so taxis are a faster and easier option.<br /><br />The direct Delhi-Lahore service has restarted, though it is far more costly than local buses/trains, not any faster, and would mean you miss seeing Amritsar. You will also be stuck at the border for much longer while the bus is searched and all of the passengers go through immigration.<br /><br />There is now a bus service across the 'Line of control' between Indian and Pakistani Kashmir, however it is not open to foreign tourists.<br /><br />From Bangladesh<br /><br />From Bangladesh there are a number of land entry points to India. The most common way is the regular air-conditioned and comfortable bus services from Dhaka to Kolkata via Haridaspur (India)/Benapole (Bangladesh) border post. Bus companies 'Shyamoli', 'Shohag', 'Green Line', and others operate daily bus services under the label of the state owned West Bengal Surface Transport Service Corporation (WBSTSC) and the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC). From Kolkata 2 buses leave every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday while from Dhaka they leave on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The journey usually takes around 12 hours with a one-way fare of Rs. 400-450 or BDT600-800, roughly $8-10.<br /><br />Another daily bus service by 'Shyamoli' and others under the BRTC label from Dhaka connects Siliguri, but the buses in this route do not cross the Changrabanda/Burimari or Burungamari border post. Rather, passengers reaching the border have to clear customs, walk a few hundred yards to cross the border and board the awaiting connecting buses on the other end for the final destination. Ticket for Dhaka-Siliguri-Dhaka route costs BDT 1600, roughly $20-25 depending on conversion rates. Tickets are purchased either in Dhaka or in Siliguri.<br /><br />There is also a regular bus service between Dhaka and Agartala, capital of the Indian state of Tripura . Two BRTC buses daily from Dhaka and the Tripura Road Transport Corporation plying its vehicles six days a week with a round fare costing USD 10 connect the two cities. There is only one halt at Ashuganj in Bangladesh during the journey.<br /><br />Other entry points from Bangladesh are Hili, Chilahati/Haldibari, Banglaband border posts for entry to West Bengal; Tamabil border post for a route to Shillong in Meghalaya, and some others with lesser known routes to north-eastern Indian regions.</span></div></div></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-634979884941115617.post-83570698657900053892009-05-17T22:11:00.000-07:002010-07-21T16:05:33.539-07:00Getting Around India<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDws2Yz5VI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/6lTjcpF3YzY/s1600-h/indi39193.jpeg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337030211738527058" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 273px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDws2Yz5VI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/6lTjcpF3YzY/s400/indi39193.jpeg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /></span><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Getting around</strong> <strong>India</strong><br />India is big and there are lots of interesting ways to travel around it, few of which could be described as efficient or punctual. Flights get cancelled, trains are delayed by hours or days, buses show up late if at all. Allow considerable buffer time for any journey with a fixed deadline (eg. your flight back), and try to remember that getting there should be half the fun. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Note that travel in much of the North-East (with the notable exception of Assam) and parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh will require obtaining a Protected Area Permit (PAP). The easiest way to get one is to request it along with your visa application, in which case it will be added to your visa. Otherwise, you'll need to hunt down a local Ministry of Home Affairs office and battle with bureaucracy. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDwLFydpeI/AAAAAAAAA0g/vV5Jlx7a87g/s1600-h/e315d04f43c776ef98bc59314eff3727-grande.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337029631757100514" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 172px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDwLFydpeI/AAAAAAAAA0g/vV5Jlx7a87g/s320/e315d04f43c776ef98bc59314eff3727-grande.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>By plane</strong> </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">India's large size and uncertain roads make flying a viable option, especially as prices have tumbled in the last few years. Even India's offshore islands and remote mountain states are served by flights, the main exceptions being Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh (although crossing over from neighboring states is fairly easy). Due to the aviation boom over the last few years, airports have not been able to keep up with the air traffic. Most Indian airports continue to function with one runway and a handful of boarding gates. Check in and security queues can be terribly long, especially in Delhi . India has recently built two new international airports in Hyderabad and Bangalore, which are modern and well-equipped. Upgradation is in process of India's main airports in Mumbai and New Delhi. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In northern India, particularly Delhi, heavy winter fog can wreak havoc on schedules. Flights to small airports up in the mountains, especially to Leh in Ladakh (which is reachable only by plane for most the year), are erratic at the best of times.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span> </div><div><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">Airlines </span></strong></div><strong></strong><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">At one time, domestic flights were the monopoly of the government-owned Indian Airlines, but things have changed dramatically and now there are quite a few competitors, with prices a traveller's delight. The main operators are: </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">* <strong>Air India,</strong> India's state owned carrier. Formerly two carriers, Indian Airlines (domestic) and Air India (mainly international). These have merged in 2007, the airline is still in transition. Air India has the largest network in the country and provides excellent regional connectivity. Service is generally excellent and on new aircraft which are being deployed on many metro routes personal televisions are provided in all classes. Will be joining Star Alliance in 2009. Air India also operates low-cost carrier <strong>Air India Express</strong>, which flies mainly on trunk routes and to international destinations in the Gulf, and Air India Regional, which flies small aircraft to obscure places.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">* <strong>Go Air</strong> - low cost </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">*<strong> Jet Airways</strong>, full service airline with very good coverage. Now services London (LHR) directly from Delhi and Mumbai and flights to/from Toronto and New York via Brussels. Their subsidiary <strong>Jetlite, formerly Air Sahara</strong>, operates as a value carrier; i.e. some food and beverages are given. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">* <strong>Kingfisher Airlines</strong>, full service, but with high fares. Their service is excellent. Kingfisher Red, formerly<strong> Air Deccan</strong>, was once India's largest low-cost carrier, but prices have increased since the Kingfisher takeover. Still handy for direct flights to small towns ignored by the majors. Same prices for foreigners and Indians. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">* <strong>SpiceJet</strong>, low cost airline, the closest competitor to Air Deccan in terms of fares. If you are willing to shell out a bit more to arrive on time, consider Spice over Air Deccan. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>* IndiGo Airlines</strong> - low cost airline. Connects the major cities and plans to fly to Jaipur and Goa. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Regional airlines include <strong>Paramount Airways</strong> in South India and <strong>Jagson Airlines</strong> and <strong>MDLR Airlines</strong> in North India. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span> </div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Keep in mind, however, that outside of big cities coverage is poor. If you need to get to a small town, low-cost airlines other than Kingfisher Red won't help you. You may have to rely on Indian Airlines or Jet. Flying low-cost to a metro and taking a train is not a bad idea either.[edit] Fares<br />The earlier you book, the lower you pay. You will hear a lot about air tickets at Rs. 500 ($12), but those are promotional rates for limited seats which are sold out within seconds. In some other cases, the advertised fare may not include charges such as passenger service fees, air fuel surcharge and taxes which will be added subsequently. Nonetheless, you do get good rates from the budget airlines. Tickets for small cities will cost more than those for the metros, because of the spotty coverage noted above. Indian ticket pricing has not attained the bewildering complexity that the Americans have achieved, but they are getting there. As of now, you don't have to worry about higher prices on weekends, lower prices for round-trips, lower prices for travel around weekends etc. </span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><div><br />There are two complications for non-Indians trying to buy plane tickets: </div><div><br />1. Many airlines have higher fares for foreigners than for Indians. Foreigners ("non-residents") will be charged in US dollars, whereas Indians will be charged in rupees. In practice, you can simply pretend to be Indian when booking online as the check-in desk will rarely if ever care, but you are still running a small risk if you do this. When possible it's best to patronize those airlines that do not follow this practice. </div><div> </div><div>2. Many online booking sites and some of the low-cost carriers reject non-Indian credit cards. Read the small print before you start booking, or book directly with the airline or through a bricks-and-mortar travel agency instead. </div><div><br /> </div><div><strong>Check in </strong><br />Checking in at Indian airports tends to be slow and bureaucratic, involving lots of queueing and security checks. A few pointers to smooth your way: </div><div><br />* Arrive at least two hours before departure if traveling from the major airports. (For domestic flights from minor airports, one hour before is fine.) </div><div>* Bring a print-out of your ticket, or zealous security guards will probably not allow you inside. </div><div>* Most airports require that you screen your checked bags before check-in, usually at a stand near the entrance. In high-security airports like Jammu, Srinagar or anywhere in the Northeast, even carry-on baggage needs to be screened. </div><div><br />Don't hesitate to ask someone if you are unsure. Most staff in airports are very helpful to foreigners and will take pains to ensure you catch your flight. There are separate queues for passengers travelling light (without check-in baggage). Thanks to the fact that most Indians are incapable of doing this, these queues are less crowded. Different airlines have different standards for what they allow as cabin baggage, so err on the side of caution, especially if you are travelling by a low-cost airline. </div><div><br /><br /><strong>By train</strong> </div><div><br />India boasts the biggest network of railway lines in the world, and the rail system is efficient, if not always on schedule. With classes ranging from luxurious to regular, it's the best way to get to know the country and its people. You will get to see the beautiful Indian countryside first hand, and most train passengers will be curious about you and happy to pass the time with a chat.</div><div><br />Trains come in many varieties, but the broad hierarchy from luxurious to normal is as follows:<br />1. Rajdhani Express </div><div>2. Shatabdi Express </div><div>3. Jan Shatabdi Express </div><div>4. Garib Rath Express </div><div>5. Mail/Express Trains </div><div>6. Fast Passenger Trains </div><div>7. Passenger Trains </div><div>8. Local/Suburban Trains </div><div> </div><div><br /><strong><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDwlpXZTeI/AAAAAAAAA1A/snXjg0Nwr0k/s1600-h/Palace-on-wheels-train.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337030087983844834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDwlpXZTeI/AAAAAAAAA1A/snXjg0Nwr0k/s320/Palace-on-wheels-train.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>Tourist Trains</strong><br />These are akin to five-star hotels on wheels. Operated jointly by IR and state tourism departments, they are a wonderful way to experience the sights in India without having to worry about the hassles of travel and accommodation. There are three major tourist trains operating in India at present: </div><div><br />* Palace on Wheels, — This train covers important tourist attractions and historical sites in Rajasthan. </div><div>* Deccan Odyssey, — This luxurious train transports its guests on a weeklong journey through some of the best places in Maharashtra and Goa. </div><div>* Golden Chariot, — This train takes travellers on a weeklong journey through Karnataka and Goa.<br />*Royal Rajasthan on Wheels - This is new train will be operational from January 2009 and will cover most the important sites of Rajasthan. This train has all the facilities which Palace on Wheels has along with International Spa center and other facilities.</div><div><br /> </div><div><strong>Classes </strong><br />Most countries offer two classes of service, but India has no less than seven to choose from. Not all are available on all trains. </div><div><br />1. 1st Class A/C(1A) </div><div>2. 2-tier A/C (2A) </div><div>3. 3-tier (3A) </div><div>4. A/C Chair Class (CC) </div><div>5. First Class (FC) </div><div>6. Sleeper Class (SL) </div><div>7. Second Class (2S) </div><div><br /><strong>Ticketing</strong><br />Tickets are available from IR's counters at most railway stations as well as directly from Indian Railways' online reservation service [37]. Rail passes are also available, and are called Indrail passes. </div><div><br />Five days before the departure date of a train the Tatkal quota seats become available. This allows tourists who like to plan a trip as they go to book seats closer to the day of departure, for an extra fee. Even with this extra quota (about 30% of the seats on a train) it can sometimes be difficult to get the train you want when you want it.</div><div> </div><div><strong>Meals </strong><br />Most trains have a pantry car and if you are in the sleeper or A/C classes, you can buy meals on board the train. The Railways are concerned about the bad quality of pantry car meals and efforts are underway to improve things, but do not count on it as yet. If you are finicky, bring enough food and bottled water for the journey including delays: bananas, bread, and candy bars are good basics to have. At most larger stations hawkers selling tea, peanuts, and snack food and even complete meals will go up and down the train. Most important stations will have vendors selling all kinds of edible stuff, but the usual caveats about eating in India apply. Free meals are served in Rajdhani and Shatabdi express trains.<br /><br /></div><div><br /><strong><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDwK3tRD0I/AAAAAAAAA0Y/cvWWOC_BMuY/s1600-h/bus_delhi.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337029627977207618" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 204px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDwK3tRD0I/AAAAAAAAA0Y/cvWWOC_BMuY/s320/bus_delhi.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>By bus</strong><br />While you can't take a cross-country bus-ride across India, buses are the second most popular way of travelling across states and the only cheap way of reaching many places not on the rail network (eg. Dharamsala). </div><div><br />Every state has its own public bus service, usually named "X Road Transport Corporation" (or XRTC) or "X State Transport Corporation" (or XSTC) which primarily connects intra-state routes, but will also have services to neighbouring states. There are usually multiple classes of buses. The ordinary buses (called differently in different states, e.g. "service bus") are extremely crowded with even standing room rarely available (unless you're among the first on board) as reservations are not possible and they tend to stop at too many places. On the upside, they're very cheap, with even a 5-6 hour journey rarely costing over Rs.100. </div><div><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDwLOFH6BI/AAAAAAAAA0o/ERy8hU6LvYk/s1600-h/launchpic2.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337029633982851090" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDwLOFH6BI/AAAAAAAAA0o/ERy8hU6LvYk/s320/launchpic2.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>In addition to ordinary public buses, there might be also luxury or express buses available, and sometimes they even have air-conditioning. They are more comfortable, have assured seating (book in advance), and have limited stops, making them well worth the slight extra expense. Even better-class buses rarely have toilets, but long-distance buses make occasional snack and bathroom breaks. </div><div><br />Private buses may or may not be available in the area you are travelling to, and even if they are, the quality could vary a lot. Be warned that many of the private buses, especially long-distance lines, play music and/or videos at ear-splitting volume. Even with earplugs it can be nerve-wracking. Do not expect public restrooms at all, or even most, bus stops. Unfortunately, the bus industry is extremely fragmented and there are few operators who offer services in more than 2 or 3 neighbouring states. Travel agents usually only offer seats on private buses. </div><div><br />However, long distance bus operators such as Raj National Express and KPN Travels are currently beginning to roll out their operations across the country modelled on the lines of the Greyhound service in the Unites States. There services are excellent and they provide entertainment on board. </div><div><br />Regardless of class of travel, all buses have to contend with the poor state of Indian highways and the havoc of Indian traffic which usually makes them slower, less comfortable and less safe than trains. Night buses are particularly hazardous, and for long-distance travel it's wise to opt for sleeper train services instead.<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div><strong>By car</strong></div><div><strong>Driving on your own</strong> </div><div><br />In India driving is on the left of the road — at least most of the time. You can drive in India if you have a local license or an International Driving Permit, but unless you are used to driving on extremely chaotic streets, you probably will not want to. The average city or village road is narrow, often potholed and badly marked. National Highways are better, but they are still narrow, and Indian driving discipline is non-existent. In the past few years the Central government has embarked on an ambitious project to upgrade the highways. The Golden Quadrilateral connecting the four metros is 88% complete as of December 2005 and the roads there almost reach international standards. But it is still some time before the drivers adapt to the new roads, so if you are a foreigner, you'll be wise to put off your plans to drive on Indian roads by a few years.<br /></div><div> </div><div><strong><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDwlvXUFVI/AAAAAAAAA1I/RZhGz5rWfb0/s1600-h/sixt_driver1.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337030089594115410" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDwlvXUFVI/AAAAAAAAA1I/RZhGz5rWfb0/s320/sixt_driver1.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>Hiring driver with car</strong> </div><div><br />Instead, if you desire going by a car, opt for driver while renting the car. Rates are quoted in rupees per kilometer and you will have to pay for both ways even if you are going only one way. The driver's salary is so low (typically around Rs 100 to 150 per day) that it adds little to the cost of renting the car. The driver will find his own accommodation and food wherever you are traveling. A common rental vehicle is the legendary Ambassador, which is essentially an Indian-made 1956 Morris Oxford: it's large, boxy, with space for 5 passengers (including driver), and a decent-sized trunk. However, the Tata Indica is now replacing the Ambassador as the cheap car of choice. Imported international models may be available at a premium. </div><div><br />There are numerous advantages to having a car and driver. </div><div><br />* A native driver is the safest means of car travel. </div><div>* You can keep your bags and shopping goods with you securely wherever you go. </div><div>* The driver will often have some knowledge of local tourist destinations. </div><div>* A car is the quickest and most reliable means of going from point to point. After the initial agreement you needn't spend any time finding travel, haggling over price, etc. </div><div>* You can stop anywhere you like, and change plans at the last minute.</div><div><br />It is rare to find a driver that speaks more than a few words of English. As a result, misunderstandings are common. Keep sentences short. Use the present tense. Use single words and hand gestures to convey meaning. </div><div><br />Make sure you can trust your driver before you leave your goods with him. If he shows any suspicious motives or behavior make sure you keep your bags with you. Conversely, if your driver is very friendly and helpful, it is a nice gesture to buy him a little something to eat or drink when stopping for food. They will really appreciate this. </div><div><br />Your driver may in some cases act as a tout, offering to take you to businesses from which he gets baksheesh (a sort of commission). This isn't necessarily a bad thing - he may help you find just what you're looking for, and add a little bit to his paltry income at the same time. On the other hand, you should always evaluate for yourself whether you are being sold on a higher-cost product than you want. The driver might ask for a tip at the end of the trip. Pay him some amount and don't let him guilt-trip you into paying too much. </div><div><br />If you rent a car for a trip to a remote destination, make sure before getting out that you will recognize the driver, and write down the license plate number. Touts at tourist areas will try to mislead you into getting into the wrong car when you leave; if you fall for this you will certainly be ripped off, and possibly much worse. Find your car and driver and ignore "helpful" advice from anyone else hanging around. </div><div><br />As always, be careful when traveling alone, and avoid venturing out late at nights and beware of touts.<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div><strong><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDwLSFI_GI/AAAAAAAAA0w/P7gs-rCPMU0/s1600-h/motor-bike-tour-india1.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337029635056663650" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 224px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDwLSFI_GI/AAAAAAAAA0w/P7gs-rCPMU0/s320/motor-bike-tour-india1.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>By motorcycle</strong> </div><div><br />Another choice, popular with people who like taking risks, is to buy a motorcycle. Not for the faint of heart or inexperienced rider. India boasts the highest motor vehicle accident rate in the world.<br />The Royal Enfield is a popular (some would say, the only) choice for its classic looks and macho mystique. This despite its high petrol consumption, 27 kms/liter, supposed low reliability (it is "classic" 1940's engineering after all and requires regular service adjustment) (you can find an Enfield mechanic who has worked on this bike for ten, twenty, thirty years in EVERY town in India) (who will perform miracles at about a dollar an hour labor cost), and claimed difficulty to handle (actually the bike handles beautifully, but may be a wee heavy and seat high for some). </div><div><br />Or, one can opt for the smaller yet quicker and more fuel efficient bikes. They can range from 100 CC to the newly launched 220 CC bikes. Two most popular bike manufacturers are Bajaj and Honda. The smaller variants (100 CC - 125CC) can give you a mileage exceeding 50 kms/liter on the road, while giving less power if one is opting to drive with pillion on the highways. The bigger variants (150 CC - 220CC) are more powerful and one can get a feel of the power especially on highways - the mileage is lesser for these bikes anywhere between 35kms/liter to 45 kms/liter.<br />Preferably tourists should go for second hand bikes rather than purchasing new ones. The smaller 100 CC variants can be purchased for anywhere between Rs. 15000 to Rs. 25000 depending on the year of make and condition of vehicle. The bigger ones can be brought from Rs 30000 onwards. </div><div> </div><div><br /><strong><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDwLaLCfFI/AAAAAAAAA04/fJEHprIVilM/s1600-h/p242056-Indore_India-Auto_rickshaw_in_Indore.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337029637228887122" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDwLaLCfFI/AAAAAAAAA04/fJEHprIVilM/s320/p242056-Indore_India-Auto_rickshaw_in_Indore.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>By auto-rickshaw</strong> </div><div><br />The auto-rickshaw, sometimes abbreviated as "auto" and sometimes as "rickshaw", is the most common means of hired transportation in India. Most residents usually refer to them as a "three wheeler." They are very handy for short-distance travel in cities, especially since they can weave their way through small alleys to bypass larger cars stuck in travel jams, but are not very suitable for long distances. </div><div> </div><div>Most are green and yellow, due to the new CNG gas laws, and some may be yellow and black in color, with one wheel in the front and two in the back, with a leather or soft plastic top. </div><div><br />When getting an auto-rickshaw, you can either negotiate the fare or go by the meter. In almost all cases it is better to use the meter -- a negotiated fare means that you are being charged a higher than normal rate. A metered fare starts around Rs 10, and includes the first kilometer of travel. Never get in an auto-rickshaw without either the meter being turned on, or the fare negotiated in advance. In nearly all cases the driver will ask an exorbitant sum (for Indian standards) from you later. A normal fare for 10km of travel within the city would be about Rs 50, which is around a dollar and a few cents. In most of the cities, auto-rickshaw drivers are provided with a rate card that elaborately describes the fares on per kilometer basis. A careful tourist must verify the meter-reading against the rate-card before making a payment. </div><div><br />Ideally, you should talk with a local to find out what the fare for any estimated route will be. Higher rates may apply at night, and for special destinations such as airports. Finally, factor in that auto drivers may have to pay bribes to join the queue for customers at premium location such as expensive hotels. The bribe will be factored in the fare. </div><div><br />Make sure that the driver knows where he is going. Many autorickshaw drivers will claim to know the destination without really having any clue as to where it is. If you know something about the location, quiz them on it to screen out the liars. If you do not know much about the location, make them tell you in no uncertain terms that they know where it is. This is because after they get lost and drive all over the place, they will often demand extra payment for their own mistake. You can then tell them that they lied to you, and wasted your time, so they should be happy to get the agreed-upon fee.<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div><strong>Addresses </strong></div><div><br />If you need to get anywhere, call in advance and ask for detailed directions. Postal addresses are often stated in terms of other landmarks, as in "Opp. Prithvi theatre" or "Behind Maruti Showroom", etc. Unlike the western system of address, the Indian system uses municipal ward number, plot number, house number , land mark and the location instead of street name and block number. Finding a place will usually involve some searching, but you will always find someone out on the streets to guide you. </div><div> </div><div><a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/India">http://wikitravel.org/en/India</a></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-634979884941115617.post-2403398673833495872009-05-17T22:03:00.000-07:002010-07-21T16:05:33.539-07:00Money Matters in India<span style="font-family:arial;"><strong> Money Matters in India</strong><br /></span><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDsyZEbxmI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/g-1YZeFbdwM/s1600-h/india.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337025908901135970" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 254px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDsyZEbxmI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/g-1YZeFbdwM/s320/india.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>The currency in India is the Indian rupee (रुपया rupaya in Hindi and similarly named in most Indian languages, but taka in Bengali and Assamese). It trades around 50 rupees to the US dollar, 70 to pound sterling and 65 rupees to the Euro. The Rupee is subdivided into 100 paise (singular: paisa). 5 rupees 75 paise would normally be written as Rs.5.75 and one rupee as Re.1. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Common bills come in denominations of Rs. 5 (green), Rs. 10 (orange), Rs. 20 (red), Rs. 50 (purple), Rs. 100 (blue), Rs. 500 (yellow) and Rs. 1,000 (pink). It is always good to have a number of small bills on hand, as merchants and drivers sometimes don't have change. A useful technique is to keep small bills (Rs. 10 - 50) in your wallet or in a pocket, and to keep larger bills separate. In this way you won't be making obvious the amount of money you have available. In many cases merchants will claim that they don't have change for a Rs. 100 or Rs. 500 note. This is often a lie, as they simply don't want to be stuck with a large bill. Rather than giving up your last 6 ten-rupee notes, it is better to make them give you change. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />The coins in circulation are 50 paise, Re. 1, Rs. 2 and Rs. 5. Coins are useful for buying tea (Rs. 5), for bus fare (Rs. 2 to Rs. 10), and for giving exact change for an auto-rickshaw. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Indians commonly use lakh and crore for "hundred thousand" and "10 million" respectively. Though these terms come from Sanskrit, they have been adopted so deeply into Indian English that most people are not aware that it is not standard in other English dialects. You may also find non-standard placement of commas while writing numerals. Rupees One crore would be written as Rs. 1,00,00,000. This format may puzzle you till you start thinking in terms of lakhs and crores, after which it will seem natural.<br /><br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDsyV0a2BI/AAAAAAAAA0I/sitVrg9iY88/s1600-h/CBOPATM.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337025908028659730" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDsyV0a2BI/AAAAAAAAA0I/sitVrg9iY88/s320/CBOPATM.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>Changing money</strong> </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />The Indian rupee is not officially convertible, and a few government-run shops will still insist on seeing official exchange receipts if you're visibly a foreigner and attempt to pay in rupees instead of hard currency. Rates for exchanging rupees overseas are often poor and importing rupees is theoretically illegal, although places with significant Indian populations (eg. Dubai, Singapore) can give decent rates. Try to get rid of any spare rupees before you leave the country.<br />Outside airports you can change your currency at any one of the numerous foreign exchange conversion units including banks. Some of the more common foreign exchange merchants are Travelex and Thomas Cook .<br />In big cities, there are now ATMs where you can get rupees against your international debit or credit card (maximum amount is 25,000 - 50,000 rupees depending on the ATM). State Bank of India (SBI) is the biggest bank in India and has the most ATM's. ICICI bank has the second largest network of ATMs, and accepts most of the international cards at a nominal charge. International banks like Citibank, HSBC, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, ABN Amro, Standard Chartered etc. have significant presence in major Indian cities. It is always worthwhile to have bank cards or credit cards from at least two different providers, to ensure that you have a backup available in case one card is suspended by your bank, or simply doesn't work at a particular ATM. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />In many cities and towns, credit cards are accepted at retail chain stores and other restaurants and stores. Small businesses and family-run stores almost never accept credit cards, so it is useful to keep a moderate amount of cash on hand.<br /><br /></div></span><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Costs</strong><br />In short, India is cheap, even for visitors from most other Asian countries. Rs. 500 ($10) is a perfectly sufficient daily budget for backpacker lodging, three square meals and local transport, although you'll probably want to double that for comforts like air-conditioning. At the other end of the spectrum you can sleep in fancy 5 star hotels, which can be well over $500/night in the major cities, and spend lots of money on Western food, shopping and nightlife. </span></div></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-634979884941115617.post-91534564361044557122009-05-17T21:56:00.000-07:002010-07-21T16:05:33.540-07:00Shopping in India<strong><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDrKcirzOI/AAAAAAAAA0A/Hi2-ymffi9E/s1600-h/shoppingindia.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337024123126926562" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDrKcirzOI/AAAAAAAAA0A/Hi2-ymffi9E/s320/shoppingindia.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Shopping in India</span></strong><br /><br /><br /><div><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">In India you are expected to negotiate the price with street hawkers, but not in department stores and the like. If not, you risk overpaying many times - which can be okay if you think "well, it's cheaper than home". In most of the big cities and even smaller towns retail chain stores are popping up where the shopping experience is essentially identical to similar stores in the West. There are also some government-run stores like the Cottage Emporium in New Delhi, where you can sample wares from all across the country in air-conditioned comfort. Although you will pay a little more at these stores, you can be sure that what you are getting is not a cheap knockoff. The harder you bargain the more you save money. A few tries later you will realise that it is fun. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Often, the more time you spend in a store, the better deals you will get. It is worth spending time getting to know the owner, asking questions, and getting him to show you other products (if you have an interest). Once the owner feels that he is making a sufficient profit from you, he will often give you additional goods at a rate close to his cost, rather than the common "foreigner rate". You will get better prices and service by buying many items in one store than by bargaining in multiple stores individually. If you see local people buying in a store, probably you can get the real Indian prices. Ask someone around you — preferably so that that the shopkeeper can't hear you! — how much they would pay for an item. </span></div><div><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDrKBtqFDI/AAAAAAAAAzw/jyEhB0_JyUA/s1600-h/shopping+india.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337024115925193778" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 236px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDrKBtqFDI/AAAAAAAAAzw/jyEhB0_JyUA/s320/shopping+india.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Also, very often you will meet a "friend" in the street inviting you to visit their family's shop. In about 9 of 10 cases this will simply mean that you pay twice as much as when you had been in the shop without your newly found friend. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Baksheesh -- the giving of small bribes -- is a very common phenomenon. While it is a big problem in India, indulging in it can ease certain problems and clear some hurdles. Baksheesh is also the term used by beggars if they want money from you, and also can refer to tips given those who provide you a service. Baksheesh is as ancient a part of Middle Eastern and Asian culture as anything else. It derives from the Arabic meaning a small gift. It refers as much to charity as to bribes. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Packaged goods show the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) right on the package. This includes taxes. Retailers are not supposed to charge more than this. Though this rule is adhered to at most places, at tourist destinations or remote places, you may be charged more. This is especially true for cold drinks like coke or pepsi, where a bottle (300ml) is priced around 11 to 12 Rs when the actual price is 10. Also, keep in mind that a surprising number of things do not come in packaged form. Do check for the authenticity of the MRP, sometime so it happens that the Shopkeeper may put up a sticker of his own to charge more price from you. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The shops outside the big brand shops are better for as you can get good stuff at a low rate. But watch out for the quality of the things you buy.<br /></span></div><br /><br /><br /><div><strong><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDrKCkmvlI/AAAAAAAAAz4/TzJwaaXHxQE/s1600-h/shopping-craft.gif"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337024116155661906" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDrKCkmvlI/AAAAAAAAAz4/TzJwaaXHxQE/s320/shopping-craft.gif" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">What to Look For/Buy</span></strong></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">* <strong>Wood Carvings:</strong> India produces a striking variety of carved wood products that can be bought at very low prices. Examples include decorative wooden plates, bowls, artwork, furniture, and miscellaneous items that will surprise you. Check the regulations of your home country before attempting to import wooden items.<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">* <strong>Clothing:</strong> It depends on the state / region you are visiting. Most of the states have their speciality to offer. For example go for silk sarees if you are visiting Benaras; Block prints if you are in Jaipur.<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">* <strong>Paintings:</strong> Paintings come on a wide variety of media, such as cotton, silk, or with frame included. Gemstone paintings incorporate semi-precious stone dust, so they have a glittering appearance to them.<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"> * <strong>Marble & Stone Carvings:</strong> Common carved items include elephants, Hindu gods/goddesses, etc.<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">* <strong>Jewelry: </strong>Beautiful necklaces, bracelets, and other jewelry are very inexpensive in India.<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">* <strong>Pillow Covers, Bed Sets:</strong> Striking and rich designs are common for pillows and bed covers.<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/India">http://wikitravel.org/en/India</a></div></span></div></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-634979884941115617.post-64034586811601774532009-05-17T21:41:00.000-07:002010-07-21T16:05:33.541-07:00Dining in India<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDo_LaY4nI/AAAAAAAAAzo/ofSFZlH0s88/s1600-h/indian_food.gif"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337021730526913138" style="WIDTH: 243px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 237px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDo_LaY4nI/AAAAAAAAAzo/ofSFZlH0s88/s400/indian_food.gif" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Dining in India</strong><br /><br /></span><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Indian cuisine is superb and takes its place among the great cuisines of the world. There is a good chance that you'd have tasted "Indian food" in your country, especially if you are a traveller from the West, but what India has exported abroad is just one part of its extraordinary range of culinary diversity.<br /><br />Indian food has well-deserved reputation for being hot, owing to the Indian penchant for potent green chilis that will bring tears to the eyes of the uninitiated, and found in unexpected places like sweet cornflakes (a snack, not breakfast) or even candies. The degree of spiciness varies widely throughout the country: Andhra food is famously fiery, while Bengal cuisine is generally not.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDo53NWc9I/AAAAAAAAAzQ/0ycpgTVcaSo/s1600-h/cuisine.gif"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337021639204172754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 130px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDo53NWc9I/AAAAAAAAAzQ/0ycpgTVcaSo/s320/cuisine.gif" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">To enjoy the local food, start slowly. Don't try everything at once. After a few weeks, you can get accustomed to spicy food. If you would like to order your dish not spicy, simply say so. Most visitors are tempted to try at least some of the spicy concoctions, and most discover that the sting is worth the trouble.<br /><br />Cuisine in India varies greatly from region to region. The "Indian food" served by restaurants around the world is North Indian, also known as Mughlai (the courts of the Mughal emperors) or Punjabi (the people who popularized it). Mughlai cuisine makes heavy use of meat and spices. It has been heavily influenced by Central Asian cooking, hence you will find pulao (rice cooked in broth), kebab (grilled meat), kofta (balls of mincemeat) etc. Tandoori chicken, prepared in a clay oven called a tandoor, is probably the best-known North Indian dish, but for an authentic Punjabi dining experience, try sarson da saag, a yummy gravy dish made with mustard greens, with makke di roti, a roti made from maize.<br /><br />North India is wheat growing land, so you have Indian breads (known as roti), including chapatti (unleavened bread), paratha (stuffed chapatti), naan (cooked in a clay tandoori oven), puri (deep-fried and puffed up), and many more. A typical meal consists of one or more gravy dishes along with rotis, to be eaten by breaking off a piece of roti, dipping it in the gravy and eating them together. Most of the Hindi heartland of India survives on roti, rice, and lentils (dal), which are prepared in several different ways and made spicy to taste. Served on the side, you will usually find spiced yogurt (raita) and either fresh chutney or a tiny piece of exceedingly pungent pickle (achar), a very acquired taste for most visitors — try mixing it with curry, not eating it plain.<br /><br />A variety of cuisines can be found throughout north India, like the savory Rajasthani dishes, more akin to the Gujarati cuisine, the meat heavy Kashmiri (Wazwan) dishes from the valley of Kashmir or the mild yet gratiating Himalayan (pahari) cuisine found in the higher reaches. North India also boasts of a variety of snacks like samosa (vegetables encased in thin pastry of a triangular shape) and kachori (either vegetable or pulses encased in thin pastry). There is also a vast constellation of sweet desserts like jalebi (deep-fried pretzel with sugar syrup- shaped like a spiral), rasmalai (balls of curds soaked in condensed milk), halwa, etc. Dry fruits like almonds, cashews and pistachio are used a lot, often in the desserts, but sometimes also in the main meal.<br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDo6QkOKfI/AAAAAAAAAzg/Zy5iiClbCJY/s1600-h/south-indian-cuisine.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337021646010984946" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 198px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 148px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDo6QkOKfI/AAAAAAAAAzg/Zy5iiClbCJY/s320/south-indian-cuisine.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">In South India, the food is mostly rice-based. They also make greater use of pulses. The typical meal is sambhar (a watery curry) with rice, or avial (mixed vegetables) with rice, traditionally served on a banana leaf as a plate. There are regional variations too — the coastal regions make greater use of coconut and fish. In the coast, particularly in the province of Kerala, it is common to use grated coconut in everything and use coconut oil for cooking, while someone from the interior could be surprised to learn that coconut oil, can in fact, be used for cooking. The South also has some great breakfast dishes like idli (a steamed cake of lentils and rice), dosa, a thin, crispy pancake often stuffed with spiced potatoes to make masala dosa, vada, a savoury Indian donut, and uttapam, fried idli with onions and other vegetables mixed in. All of these can be eaten with dahi, plain yogurt, and chutney, a condiment that can be made from practically anything. South Indian cuisine is predominantly vegetarian, though Chettinad and Andhra cuisines use meat heavily and are a lot more spicier. Coffee tends to replace tea in the south.<br /><br />To the West, you will find some great cuisine groups. Gujarati cuisine is mostly vegetarian, sweet, and makes heavy use of milk products. Gujaratis make some of the best snack items such as the Dhokla and the Muthia. Rajasthani cuisine is similar to Gujarati, but somewhat spicier. Maharashtra and Goa are famous for their seafood. A notable feature of Goan cooking is that pork is used, a rare sight in the rest of India. Vindaloo originated in Goa, and is in fact traditionally cooked with pork, and in spite of its apparent popularity in Indian restaurants abroad, it is not common in India itself.<br /><br />To the East, Bengali food, like South Indian, makes heavy use of rice and fish, though Bengalis prefer freshwater fish. The iconic Bengali dish is Maccher jhol, a watery fish curry spiced with mustard, which literally means "fish in sauce". Bengal is also famous for its sweets, and sondesh is excellent.<br /><br />A lot of food has also filtered in from other countries. Indian Chinese (or Chindian) is far and away the most common adaptation: most Chinese would barely recognize the stuff, but dishes like veg manchurian (deep-fried vegetable balls in a chilli-soy-ginger sauce) and chilli chicken are very much a part of the Indian cultural landscape and worth a try. The British left fish and chips and some fusion dishes like mulligatawny soup, while Tibetan food, especially momo dumplings, are not uncommon in north India. Pizza has entered India in a big way, but chains like Pizza hut and Domino's have been forced to Indianize the pizza and introduce adaptations like paneer-tikka pizza. Remarkably, there is an Indian chain called Smokin Joe's, based out of Mumbai, which has gone and mixed Thai curry with Pizzas.<br /><br />It is, of course, impossible to do full justice to the range and diversity of Indian food in this brief section. Not only does every region of India have a distinctive cuisine, but you will also find that even within a region, castes and ethnic communities have different styles of cooking and often have their signature recipes which you will probably not find in restaurants. The adventurous traveller is advised to wangle invitations to homes, try various bylanes of the city and look for food in unlikely places like temples in search of culinary nirvana.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Fruits </strong><br /><br />While there are a wide variety of fruits native to India such as the chikoo and the jackfruit, nothing is closer to an Indians' heart than a juicy ripe mango. Hundreds of varieties are found across most of its regions — in fact, India is the largest producer, growing more than half the world's output. Mangoes are in season at the hottest part of the year, usually between May and July, and range from small (as big as a fist) to some as big as a small cantaloupe. It can be consumed in its ripe, unripe as well a baby form (the last 2 predominently in pickles). Other fruits widely available (depending on the season) are bananas, oranges, guavas, lychees, apples, pineapple, pomegranate, apricot, melons, coconut, grapes, plums, peaches and berries.<br /><br /></span></div><div><strong><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDo6FXXt6I/AAAAAAAAAzY/3kFm-vRtiPQ/s1600-h/indian+food.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337021643004295074" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDo6FXXt6I/AAAAAAAAAzY/3kFm-vRtiPQ/s320/indian+food.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Vegetarian </span></strong><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Visiting vegetarians will discover a culinary treasure that is found nowhere else in the world. Owing to a large number of strictly vegetarian Hindus and Jains, Indian cuisine has evolved an astonishingly rich menu that uses no meat or eggs. At least half the menus of most restaurants are devoted to vegetarian dishes, and by law all packaged food products in India are tagged with a green dot (vegetarian) or red dot (non-veg). Vegans, however, will face a tougher time: milk products like cheese (paneer), yogurt (dahi) and cream are used extensively, and honey is also commonly used as a sweetener. Milk in India is generally not pasteurized, and must be boiled before consumption.<br /><br />Even non-vegetarians will soon note that due to the Hindu taboo, beef is generally not served (except in the south and the north-east), and pork is also uncommon due to the Muslim population. Chicken and mutton are thus by far the most common meats used, although beeflike "buff" (waterbuffalo) is occasionally served in backpacker establishments.<br /><br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><strong><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDo5zSv2wI/AAAAAAAAAzA/iEfFbx8oOz8/s1600-h/2667622772_c022ebf336.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337021638153067266" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDo5zSv2wI/AAAAAAAAAzA/iEfFbx8oOz8/s320/2667622772_c022ebf336.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Etiquette</span></strong><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />In India eating with your hand (instead of utensils like forks and spoons) is very common. There's one basic rule of etiquette to observe, particularly in non-urban India: Use only your right hand. Don't stick either hand into communal serving dishes: instead, use the left hand to serve yourself with utensils and then dig in. Needless to say, it's wise to wash your hands well before and after eating.<br /><br />For breads for all types, the basic technique is to hold down the item with your forefinger and use your middle-finger and thumb to tear off pieces. The pieces can then be dipped in sauce or used to pick up bits before you stuff them in your mouth. Rice is more challenging, but the basic idea is to use four fingers to mix the rice in curry and pack a little ball, before you pop it in your mouth by pushing it with your thumb.<br /><br />Most of the restaurants do provide cutlery and its pretty safe to use them instead of your hand.<br /><br />Eating by hand is frowned on in some "classier" places. If you are provided with cutlery and nobody else around you seems to be doing it, then take the hint.<br /><br /></span></div><div><strong><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDo5-rU-_I/AAAAAAAAAzI/8et1iSKhdNY/s1600-h/bombay2.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337021641208953842" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 221px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDo5-rU-_I/AAAAAAAAAzI/8et1iSKhdNY/s320/bombay2.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Restaurants </span></strong><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Indian restaurants run the gamut from roadside shacks (dhabas) to classy five-star places where the experience is comparable to places anywhere in the world. Away from the big cities and tourist haunts, mid-level restaurants are scarce, and food choice will be limited to the local cuisine, Punjabi/Mughlai, "Chinese" and occasionally South Indian.<br /><br /><br />The credit for popularizing Punjabi cuisine all over the country goes to the dhabas that line India's highways. Their patrons are usually the truckers, who happen to be overwhelmingly Punjabi. The authentic dhaba is rather plain, but serves up a tasty dish of roti and dhal with onions, and diners sit on cots instead of chairs. Hygiene can be an issue in many dhabas, so if one's not up to your standards try another.<br /><br />In Southern India, "Hotel" means a local restaurant serving south Indian food, usually a thali -- a full plate of food that usually includes a kind of bread and an assortment of meat or vegetarian dishes -- and prepared meals.<br /><br />Although you may be handed an extensive menu, most dishes are served only during specific hours, if at all.<br /><br />Tipping is unusual outside of fancier restaurants where 10% is appropriate.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-634979884941115617.post-36274217451779690492009-05-17T21:33:00.000-07:002010-07-21T16:05:33.542-07:00Drinking and Alcohol in India<span style="font-family:arial;"></span><div><div><div><div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDl-mTRf6I/AAAAAAAAAyg/E0tRAMd80DE/s1600-h/983coconut_seller.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337018422030073762" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 243px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 172px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDl-mTRf6I/AAAAAAAAAyg/E0tRAMd80DE/s320/983coconut_seller.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Drink</strong> </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">One of the sweetest and safest beverages you can get is tender coconut water. You can almost always find it in any beach or other tourist destinations in the south. In summer (March to July), you can get fresh sugarcane juice in many places and even a lot of fresh fruit juice varieties. Be careful as fresh juice may contain many germs besides unhygienic ice! The juice vendors do not always clean their equipment properly and do not wash the fruits either. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span> </div><div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDmVExZvgI/AAAAAAAAAy4/YByKCjMHM7o/s1600-h/dsc_8889.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337018808166628866" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 133px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDmVExZvgI/AAAAAAAAAy4/YByKCjMHM7o/s200/dsc_8889.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">India is famous for its Alphonso variety of mangoes, generally regarded as the King of Mangoes among connoisseurs. So do try the Alphonso mango-flavoured beverage Maaza (bottled by Coca-Cola) or Slice (bottled by PepsiCo), both of which contain about 15% Alphonso mango pulp. Both of these brands will sure provide some needed refreshment during India's scorching hot summer. Both cost about 30 to 50 rupees for a 600 ml bottle. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">As for bottled water, make sure that the cap's seal has not been broken, otherwise, it is a tell tale sign of tampering or that unscrupulous vendors reuseold bottles and fill them with tap water, which is generally unsafe for foreign tourists to drink without prior boiling. Bottled water brands like Aquafina (by PepsiCo) and Kinley (by Coca-Cola) are widely available. Local brands like Bisleri are also acceptable and perfectly safe. Tastes may vary due to the individual brands' mineral contents. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Make sure to try the Indian soft drinks: Thums Up, which is a cola that has a unique taste with different spices and sweeteners, and Limca, a lemon lime soda. They are both bottled by Coca-Cola alongside Coke and Sprite.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span> </div><div><strong><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDl-3QUO4I/AAAAAAAAAyo/n2SMNsNPe9Q/s1600-h/2076650041_be9eb88a8a_o.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337018426581072770" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 237px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDl-3QUO4I/AAAAAAAAAyo/n2SMNsNPe9Q/s320/2076650041_be9eb88a8a_o.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Tea</span></strong><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Everywhere you can get tea (chai in most North Indian languages) of one variety or another. Most common is the "railway tea" type: cheap (2-5 Rs.), sweet and uniquely refreshing once you get the taste for it. It's made by brewing up tea leaves, milk, and sugar altogether in a pot and keeping it hot until it's all sold. Masala chai will also have spices added to the mix, such as cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper. For some people, that takes some getting used to. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">While Masala chai is popular in Northern and Central India, it must be noted that people in Eastern India (West Bengal and Assam generally consume tea without spices, the English way. This is also the part of India where most tea is grown. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In South India, coffee (especially sweet "filter coffee") replaces tea as a standard beverage.<br /><br /><strong></strong></span></div><div><strong><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDl-qUbibI/AAAAAAAAAyY/ItrV_H7xVmM/s1600-h/12wine_15893t.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337018423108667826" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 241px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDl-qUbibI/AAAAAAAAAyY/ItrV_H7xVmM/s320/12wine_15893t.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Alcohol</span></strong><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Drinking alcohol can either be frowned upon or openly accepted, depending on the region and religion of the area within which you are drinking. For example, Goa tends to be more free-wheeling (and has low taxes on alcohol), while southern areas like Chennai are less kind to alcohol, and may even charge excessive taxes on it. Some states such as Gujarat are legally "dry" and alcohol cannot be bought openly there. Alcohol is officially banned, but there is a substantial bootlegging industry, and all types of liquor can be obtained in Gujarat. If you have a non-Indian passport, you can obtain a 'liquor permit'. This allows you to buy alcohol at state-licensed shops, of which there are fourteen or so in all of Gujarat. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Favorite Indian tipples include beer, notably the ubiquitous Kingfisher (a decent lager), and rum, particularly Old Monk. Prices vary by state, especially for hard liquor, but you can expect to pay Rs.50-100 for a large bottle of beer and anywhere between Rs 170-250 for a 750mL bottle of Old Monk. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Indian wines, long a bit of a joke, have improved remarkably in recent years and there's a booming wine industry in the hills of Maharashtra. The good stuff is not particularly cheap, and selections are mostly limited to white wines, but look out for labels by <strong>Chateau Indage</strong>. 'Sula is also a good brand, and a bottle costs around Rs 500. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Illegal moonshine, called tharra when made from sugar cane and toddy when made from coconuts, is widely available in some states. It's cheap and strong, but very dangerous as quality control is nonexistent, and best avoided entirely. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In the former Portugese colony of Goa you can obtain an extremely pungent liquor, typically made from cashew nuts, known as 'Fenny' or 'Feni'.<br /><br /><br /></span></div><strong></strong><div><strong><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDmFeU7Q_I/AAAAAAAAAyw/g9HtsSK-zYs/s1600-h/240px-Bhangshop.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337018540148605938" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDmFeU7Q_I/AAAAAAAAAyw/g9HtsSK-zYs/s320/240px-Bhangshop.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Cannabis<br /></span></strong><span style="font-family:arial;">Cannabis in its many forms — especially ganja (weed) and charas (hash) — is widely available throughout India, but they are all illegal in the vast majority of the country, and the letter of the law states that simple possession may mean years in jail. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">However, in some states (notably Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Pradesh,Uttarakhand and Orissa) the one legal and socially accepted way to consume cannabis is as bhang, a low-grade preparation sold at government-licensed shops that is not only smoked, but also made into cookies, chocolate and the infamous bhang lassi, a herb-laced version of the normally innocuous yogurt drink. Bhang lassi is usually available at varying strengths, so use caution if opting for the stronger versions. It's also occasionally sold as "special lassi", but is usually easily spotted by the Rs.30-50 price tag (several times higher than the non-special kinds). An important point to bear in mind is that the effects of "Bhang" are slow and heighten when consumed with something sweet. Also, first time users may want to wait a while before consuming too much in an effort to judge their tolerance. </span></div></div></div></div></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-634979884941115617.post-62204285826008000702009-05-17T21:29:00.000-07:002010-07-21T16:05:33.543-07:00Accommodation in India<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDknmg2mkI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/3rbijYq0lxg/s1600-h/hotel.png"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337016927438412354" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDknmg2mkI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/3rbijYq0lxg/s320/hotel.png" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Accommodation in India</strong><br /><br /></span><div><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span> <div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Choices vary widely depending on your budget and location. Cheap travellers' hotels are numerous in big cities where you can get a room for less than Rs 450 ($ 10). Rooms at guest-houses with a double bed (and often a bathroom) can be found in many touristic venues for Rs 150-200. Good budget hotels in India are not hard to find. You can find accommodation in clean dormitories for as less as Rs 50 ($1) in lots of districts in India.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDkgDrBriI/AAAAAAAAAx4/EJzlmEYYT_I/s1600-h/4857_1.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337016797826756130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDkgDrBriI/AAAAAAAAAx4/EJzlmEYYT_I/s320/4857_1.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>Most Indian train stations have rooms or dormitories, which are cheap, relatively well maintained (the beds, sheets etc. not the showers) and secure. There are also the added bonuses of not being accosted by the rickshaw mafia, getting your bag off quickly and, for the adventurous, you are highly likely to be able to jump on a cheap public bus back to the train station, just ask. Keep in mind you must have an arrival or departure train ticket from the station where you intend to sleep and there could be a limit on how many nights you may stay.<br />Midrange options are plentiful in the larger cities and expanding fast into second-tier cities as well. Dependable local chains include Country Inns [43], Ginger [44] and Neemrana [45], and prices vary from Rs.1000-4000 per night. Local, unbranded hotels can be found in any city, but quality varies widely.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDkgcLKn9I/AAAAAAAAAyA/It6LCoWwbtk/s1600-h/2040326-Maharaja-s-palace-0.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337016804404010962" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 225px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDkgcLKn9I/AAAAAAAAAyA/It6LCoWwbtk/s320/2040326-Maharaja-s-palace-0.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>If your wallet allows it, you can try staying in a maharaja's palace in Udaipur or modern five-star hotels which are now found pretty much all over the country. The top-end of Indian luxury rests with the Oberoi, Taj, and ITC Welcomgroup hotel chains, who operate hotels in all the major cities and throughout Rajasthan. The usual international chains also run major 5-star hotels in most Indian metropolises, but due to India's economic boom availability is tight and prices can be crazy: it's not uncommon to be quoted over US$300/night for what would elsewhere be a distinctly ordinary business hotel going for a third of the price. Also beware that some jurisdictions including Delhi and Bangalore charge stiff luxury taxes on the rack rate of the room, which can lead to nasty surprises at check-out time.<br />Two important factors to keep in mind when choosing a place to stay are 1) safety, and 2) cleanliness. Malaria is alive and well in certain areas of India - one of the best ways to combat malaria is to choose lodgings with air conditioning and sealed windows. An insect-repellent spray containing DEET will also help.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDkgu6D6dI/AAAAAAAAAyI/9foCku9mt9A/s1600-h/be5ff3de-f3a0-11dd-92f3-000b5dabf636.jpg.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337016809432541650" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDkgu6D6dI/AAAAAAAAAyI/9foCku9mt9A/s320/be5ff3de-f3a0-11dd-92f3-000b5dabf636.jpg.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>Dak bungalows exist in many areas. These were built by the British to accommodate travelling officials and are now used by the Indian and state governments for the same purpose. If they have room, most will take tourists at a moderate fee. They are plain — ceiling fans rather than air conditioning, shower but no tub, etc. — but clean, comfortable and usually in good locations. Typically the staff includes a pensioned-off soldier as night watchman and perhaps another as gardener; often the gardens are lovely. Sometimes there is a cook. You meet interesting Indian travellers this way: engineers building a bridge in the area, a team of doctors vaccinating the villagers, whatever.<br />Don't count on having a reliable electricity supply if you aren't staying in an upmarket hotel. Brownouts are frequent, and many buildings have unsafe </span></div></div></div></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-634979884941115617.post-27818135575604568012009-05-17T21:19:00.000-07:002010-07-21T16:05:33.544-07:00Staying Safe in India<span style="font-family:arial;"></span><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDihozncAI/AAAAAAAAAxw/7Uoo0-BRCIw/s1600-h/red-tomahawk-indian-police-badge.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337014625951510530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 235px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 252px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDihozncAI/AAAAAAAAAxw/7Uoo0-BRCIw/s320/red-tomahawk-indian-police-badge.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>Staying Safe in India</strong><br />As a rule India is quite safe for foreigners. However, check with your embassy and ask for local advice before heading to Kashmir or northeast India (Assam, Nagaland, Tripura and Manipur), as both areas have long-running insurgencies. Also take extra caution when traveling at night in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand and downmarket districts of large cities. </span><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Unfortunately theft is quite common in places visited by tourists, but violent thefts hardly ever occur. More likely a thief will pick your pocket (see pickpockets) or break into your room. There is little risk of street robbery in India. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Some people handling your cash will try to shortchange you or rip you off. In Delhi particularly, this is a universal rule adhered to by all who handle westerners' cash. This does not exclude official ticket sellers at tourist sites, police employees at prepaid taxi stands, or merchants in all but the most upscale businesses. Count your cash before handing it over, and be insistent on receiving the correct change. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Agree on all fares and payments for services clearly in advance; some people go as far as to write them on paper! Being told that you can pay "as you like" is a sure warning sign. Don't give more than agreed, no matter what explanation is offered at the time of payment. Just take your belongings, pay what was originally agreed and walk away. The first time this happens, on your first taxi ride in India, this may be awkward, but the fifteenth time it happens, on your fifteenth taxi ride, it will be second nature. When travelling by autorickshaw, never ever get into the vehicle if there is another person accompanying the driver. This always spells trouble for unwary travellers. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Overseas visitors, particularly women, attract the attention of </span><a title="Begging" href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Begging"><span style="font-family:arial;">beggars</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">, frauds and touts. Beggars will often go as far as touching you, and following you tugging on your sleeve. It does little good to get angry or to say "No" loudly. The best response is to look unconcerned and ignore the behavior. The more attention you pay to a beggar or a tout -- positive or negative -- the longer they will follow you hoping for a payback. Giving money to beggars in public is not safe as it will result in a stampede of beggars from all directions. As always in India, patience is required. Wearing local clothes will decrease the amount of attention you receive. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Travelers should not trust strangers offering assistance or services; see </span><a title="Common scams" href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Common_scams"><span style="font-family:arial;">Common scams</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">. Be particularly wary of frauds at tourist attractions such as the temples of Kanchipuram, where they prey on those unfamiliar with local and religious customs. If a priest or guide offers to treat you to a religious ceremony, find out what it will cost you first, and do not allow yourself to be pressured into making "donations" of thousands of rupees — simply walk away if you feel uncomfortable. However, don't get too paranoid: fellow travelers on the train, or Indian families who want to take your picture on their own camera, for example, are often just genuinely curious. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Travelers should be cautious when visiting villages and rural areas in the night. Bandits occasionally abduct and rob tourists, as it is assumed they possess large amounts of wealth. But this is rare and happens most often in remote areas. Ask at your hotel to see if this is an issue in your area. Also, think twice about taking night buses or driving at night in these areas. Bandits are said to stop night buses with fake checkpoints and rob everyone inside. The frequency of this occurring is extremely low and the state governments are working hard to arrest these bandit groups, but take extra care nonetheless. </span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><div><br />Homosexuality is illegal in India. This is rarely enforced though, evidenced by a vibrant gay nightlife existing in metropolitan areas and some (but very few) openly gay celebrities. That said, the most severe penalty for crimes relating to homosexual acts is up to 10 years. </div><div><br />Whereas Indian men can be really eager to talk to travelers, women in India often refrain from contact with men. It is an unfortunate fact that if you are a man and you approach a woman in India for even an innocuous purpose like asking for directions, you are putting her on the defensive. It is better to ask a man if one is available (there usually will be), or be extra respectful if you are asking a woman.<br /></span><strong><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDihb_iSOI/AAAAAAAAAxg/GlVtTYRL1s0/s1600-h/2140_rushed_female_traveler_holding_out_her_ticket_and_pulling_her_luggage_in_an_airport.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337014622511843554" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 259px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDihb_iSOI/AAAAAAAAAxg/GlVtTYRL1s0/s320/2140_rushed_female_traveler_holding_out_her_ticket_and_pulling_her_luggage_in_an_airport.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Female travellers</span></strong><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span></div><ul><li><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">India is a conservative country and some Western habits are perceived as dishonorable for a woman.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Outside of the larger cities, it is unusual for people of the opposite sex to touch each other in public. Even couples (married or otherwise) refrain from public displays of affection. Therefore, it is advised that you do not shake hands with a person of the opposite sex unless the other person extends his/her hand first. The greeting among Hindus is to bring your palms together in front of your chest, or simply saying 'Namaste', or 'Namaskar'. Both forms are equally polite and correct, if a little formal. Almost all the people (even if they don't know English) do understand a "Hi" or a "Hello".<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Except in major cities (and only in trendy places or in high society) women do not smoke. A woman who smokes/drinks is associated with loose moral character in much of the rest of the country's growing middle class.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Places such as Discos/Dance clubs are less-conservative areas. It is good to leave your things at a hotel and head down there for a drink and some light conversation.<br />People are fully-clothed even at the beach. So, be sure to find out what the appropriate attire is for the beach you are visiting. In some rare places like Goa, where the visitors to beach are predominantly foreigners, it is permissible to wear bikinis on the beach but it is still offensive to go about dressed in western swim wear away from the beach. There are a few beaches where women (mostly foreigners) sunbathe topless but make sure there it is safe and accepted before you do so.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">In local trains, there are usually cars reserved only for women and designated as such on their front. This reserved car is usually (but not always) the last in the train.<br />In most buses (private and public) a few seats at the front of the bus are reserved for women, Usually these seats will be occupied by men and, very often, they vacate the place when a female stands near gesturing her intention to sit there. In many parts of the country, women will not share a seat with a man other than her spouse. If you sit near a man, he may stand up from the seat and give the place to you; this is a sign of respect, not rudeness.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Street parties for holidays are usually filled with crowds of inebriated men. During festivals such as Holi, New Year's Eve, and even Christmas Eve, women can be subjected to groping and sexually aggressive behaviour from these crowds, particularly in the northern and some western parts. It is unsafe for women to attend these festivities alone.<br />Friendly conversation with men you meet on trains, etc. is often confused with flirtation/availability. In some scenarios, this can lead to unexpected sexual advances (this happens to Indian women as well, not just Westerners). Befriending Indian women, however, can be a wonderful experience for female travellers, though you might have to initiate conversation.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">It's not disrespectful for a woman to tell a man eager to talk to her that she doesn't want to talk - so if a man's behaviour makes you uncomfortable, say so firmly.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Dressing in traditional Indian clothes, such as salwaar kameez (comfortable) or saree (more formal and difficult to wear) will generally garner Western women more respect in the eyes of locals. Show some enthusiasm for the traditional Indian way of life and you may find that men will treat you more like a 'lady' than an object.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">"Eve Teasing" is a term used in Indian English to refer to anything from unwanted verbal advances to physical sexual assault. </span></li></ul><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><a name="Terrorism"></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDihc80IlI/AAAAAAAAAxo/adPh0NicsXY/s1600-h/india-police-throw_684857n.jpg"><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337014622768865874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 259px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDihc80IlI/AAAAAAAAAxo/adPh0NicsXY/s320/india-police-throw_684857n.jpg" border="0" /></span></strong></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Terrorism </strong><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">The India-Pakistan conflict, simmering for decades in Pakistan, has in recent years manifested in terrorist attacks on India's main cities: since 2007, there have been bombings or coordinated shootings in Delhi, Bombay, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Bangalore. The targets have varied widely, ranging from hotels and restaurants to markets and train stations, and with the notable exception of the November 2008 attack in Mumbai, have been aimed squarely at locals, not foreigners. Realistically speaking, there is little you can do to avoid random acts, but do keep an eye on the news and any travel advisories. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span> </div><div><a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/India">http://wikitravel.org/en/India</a></div></div></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-634979884941115617.post-2453738631766449762009-05-17T21:02:00.000-07:002010-07-21T16:05:33.544-07:00Health in India<span style="font-family:arial;"></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Health in India</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDeRMbTscI/AAAAAAAAAxA/QwjBsvnNTS8/s1600-h/India_Christian.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337009945408942530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 293px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDeRMbTscI/AAAAAAAAAxA/QwjBsvnNTS8/s320/India_Christian.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>Going to India, you have to adapt to a new climate and new food. Most travellers to India will become at least slightly ill during their stay there - even Indians returning from abroad. However, with precautions the chance and severity of any illness can be minimized. Don't stress yourself too much at the beginning of your journey to allow your body to acclimatize to the country. For example, take a day of rest upon arrival, at least on your first visit. Many travellers get ill for wanting to do too much in too little time. Be careful with spicy food if it is not your daily diet. </span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">No vaccinations are required for entry to India, except for yellow fever if you are coming from an infected area such as Africa. However, Hepatitis (both A and B, depending on your individual circumstances), meningitis and typhoid shots are recommended, as is a booster shot for tetanus.<br />Tap water is generally not safe for drinking. However, some establishments have water filters/purifiers installed, in which case the water is safe to drink. Packed drinking water (normally called mineral water) is a better choice. But if the seal has been tampered, it could be purified tap water. So always make sure that seal is intact before buying. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Fruits that can be peeled such as apples and bananas, as well as packaged snacks are always a safe option. Do not eat grapes unless you wash them thouroughly. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Diarrhea is common, and can have many different causes. Bring a standard first-aid kit, plus extra over-the-counter medicine for diarrhea and stomach upset. A rehydration kit can also be helpful. At the least, remember the salt/sugar/water ratio for oral rehydration: 1 tsp salt, 8 tsp sugar, for 1 litre of water. Most Indians will happily share their own advice for treatment of illnesses and other problems. A commonly recommended cure-all is to eat boiled rice and curd (yoghurt) together for 3 meals a day until you're better. Keep in mind that this is usually not sound medical advice. Indians have resistance to native bacteria and parasites that visitors do not have. If you have serious diarrhea for more than a day or two, it is best to visit a private hospital. Parasites are a common cause of diarrhea, and may not get better without treatment.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDeQ1LqmaI/AAAAAAAAAw4/aBjvOrOOsLI/s1600-h/9928+Health+-+General+India+Ward+in+the+hospital+attached+to+Nursing+school+at+Muttuchira+Kerela.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337009939169319330" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDeQ1LqmaI/AAAAAAAAAw4/aBjvOrOOsLI/s320/9928+Health+-+General+India+Ward+in+the+hospital+attached+to+Nursing+school+at+Muttuchira+Kerela.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>Malaria is endemic throughout India. CDC states that risk exists in all areas, including the cities of Delhi and Mumbai, and at altitudes of less than 2000 metres in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Kashmir, and Sikkim; however, the risk of infection is considered low in Delhi and northern India. Get expert advice on malaria preventatives, and take adequate precautions to prevent mosquito bites. Use a mosquito repellent when going outside (particularly during the evenings) and also when sleeping in trains and hotels without airconditioning. A local mosquito repellent used by Indians is Odomos and is available at most stores. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">India is home to many venomous snakes. If bitten try to note the markings of the snake so that the snake can be identified and the correct antidote given. In any event, immediately seek medical care. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Getting vaccinations and blood transfusions in low quality hospitals increases your risk of contracting HIV/AIDS- for e.g. in many private clinics.</span></strong> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">It is very important to stay away from the many stray dogs and cats in India, as India has the highest rate of rabies in the world. If you are bitten it is extremely urgent to get to a hospital in a major urban area capable of dealing with Rabies. You can get treatment at any major hospital. It is very important to get the rabies vaccine after any contact with animals that includes contact with saliva or blood. Rabies vaccines only work if the full course is given prior to symptoms. This can be a fatal disease otherwise. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />If you need to visit a hospital in India, avoid small government hospitals. The quality of treatment cannot be to your expectation. Private hospitals provide better service.<br /><br /><strong>Avoiding Delhi belly</strong><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Four quick tips for keeping your stomach happy: </span><br /><ol><li><span style="color:#990000;">Go vegetarian, at least for the first week or two. Meat spoils quickly. </span></li><li><span style="color:#990000;">Avoid raw leafy vegetables. They are hard to clean properly. </span></li><li><span style="color:#990000;">Avoid ice and unbottled water. Both the water in it and the way it's transported are suspect. Try to use only commercially available sealed bottled water. </span></li><li><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="color:#990000;">Wash hands before eating, with soap. Otherwise the dirt of India's streets will find its way onto your chapatis and into your mouth. In addition, keep nails cut short and clean.</span> </span></li></ol><p><span style="color:#006600;"></span> </p><p><a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/India">http://wikitravel.org/en/India</a></span></p>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-634979884941115617.post-44093316982112206232009-05-17T20:52:00.000-07:002010-07-21T16:05:33.545-07:00Respect and Etiquette in India<strong><span style="font-family:arial;">Respect and Etiquette in India</span></strong><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDcFm_vpQI/AAAAAAAAAwg/PalkN62cwLs/s1600-h/IndiaDelhiJamaMasjid.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337007547359405314" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 242px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDcFm_vpQI/AAAAAAAAAwg/PalkN62cwLs/s320/IndiaDelhiJamaMasjid.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>Religion and rituals</strong> </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><ul><li><br />In mosques, churches and temples it is obligatory to take off your shoes. It may also be customary to take off your footwear while entering into homes, follow other people's lead.<br /></li><li></span><span style="font-family:arial;">It is disrespectful to touch or point at people with your feet. If done accidentally, you will find that Indians will make a quick gesture of apology that involves touching the offended person with the right hand, and then moving the hand to the chest and to the eyes. It is a good idea to emulate that.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Books and written material are treated with respect, as they are considered the concrete form of the Hindu Goddess of Learning, Saraswati. So a book should not be touched with the feet and if accidentally touched, the same gesture of apology as is made to people (see above) is performed.<br />The same goes with currency, or anything associated with wealth (especially gold). They are treated as Goddess Lakshmi (of Wealth) in human form, and ought not to be disrespected.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Avoid winking, whistling, pointing or beckoning with your fingers, and touching someone's ears. All of these are considered rude.<br /></li></ul></span><a name="Etiquette_2"></a><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDcFzsu41I/AAAAAAAAAwo/sDVyqMi2rUE/s1600-h/india-dress.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337007550769324882" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDcFzsu41I/AAAAAAAAAwo/sDVyqMi2rUE/s320/india-dress.jpg" border="0" /></a>Etiquette </strong></span><br /><br /><ul><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Any give or take of anything important should be done with the right hand only. This includes giving and taking of presents, and any transfer of a large amount of money.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Travellers should be aware of the fact that Indians generally dress conservatively and should do the same. Shorts, short skirts (knee-length or above) and sleeveless shirts are not appropriate off the beach. Cover as much skin as possible. Both men and women should keep their shoulders covered. Women should wear baggy clothes that do not emphasize their contours. However, if you move to metropolitan cities, there is much more liberalism of wearing western outfits and skimpy clothes though still they may become a centre of stare from men. But they should avoid moving alone at night.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Keep in mind that Indians will consider themselves obliged to go out of the way to fulfill a guest's request and will insist very strongly that it is no inconvenience to do so, even if it is not true. This of course means that there is a reciprocal obligation on you as a guest to take extra care not to be a burden.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">It is customary to put up a <strong>token friendly argument</strong> with your host or any other member of the group when paying bills at restaurant or while making purchases. The etiquette for this is somewhat complicated.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">In a <strong>business lunch or dinner</strong>, it is usually clear upfront who is supposed to pay, and there is no need to fight. But if you are someone's personal guest and they take you out to a restaurant, you should offer to pay anyway, and you should insist a lot. Sometimes these fights get a little funny, with each side trying to snatch the bill away from the other, all the time laughing politely. If you don't have experience in these things, chances are, you will lose the chance the first time, but in that case, make sure that you pay the next time. (and try to make sure that there is a next time.) Unless the bill amount is very large do not offer to share it, and only as a second resort after they have refused to let you pay it all.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">The same rule applies when you are making a purchase. If you are purchasing something for yourself, your hosts might still offer to pay for it if the amount is not very high, and sometimes, even if it is. In this situation, unless the amount is very low, you should never lose the fight. (If the amount is in fact ridiculously low, say less than 10 rupees, then don't insult your hosts by putting up a fight.) Even if by chance you lose the fight to pay the shopkeeper, it is customary to practically thrust (in a nice way, of course) the money into your host's hands.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">These rules do not apply if the host has made it clear beforehand that it is his or her treat, especially for some specific occasion.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong></strong><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDcF5rNmBI/AAAAAAAAAww/Km_4z2wsopU/s1600-h/warning-sign.gif"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337007552373561362" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 245px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 216px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDcF5rNmBI/AAAAAAAAAww/Km_4z2wsopU/s320/warning-sign.gif" border="0" /></strong></a><strong>Sensitive topics </strong></span></li><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><li></strong>Pakistan is a sensitive subject about which many Indians will have strong views. Avoid getting into a conversation about the whole issue. It's fine to have a chat about your visit to Pakistan, the people, Indo-Pak cricket matches etc. Just don't discuss politics. </li><li>India shows tremendous religious diversity, and most people encounter it at street level. While some Indians are deeply religious in their personal lives, others don't have any time for religion. Respect local customs. India is a secular country and while communal riots have occurred, the overwhelming majority of Indians are fed up of religion-based politics and live in peace with people of other religious communities. Indians may not be as politically correct as people from the west, but are probably more secular in their outlook. While in public, do not criticize the Hindu fundamentalist parties (though their influence is low). Don't make anti-Islamic comments, discuss terrorism and Islam or things of the kind (Even though you may encounter some Hindu families openly expressing their prejudices when just among themselves). </li><li>As a matter of rule for foreigners, try not to be judgmental about any Indian political controversy in front of your hosts without understanding their points of view. India has a multi-party democracy with a wide variety of people and their opinions also vary vastly in form and strength. It would be a good idea to refrain from adding more confusion to it. Indians would usually cooperate if you politely request them to stop a conversation on religion or politics that hurts your sentiments. </li><li>Be cautious when discussing the Caste system, since Western viewpoints on this topic are often antiquated or inadequate (or both). Measures aimed at reparation (some of which pre-date parallel reforms in the Western world such as the Civil Rights Act of the United States) have met with varying success. </li><li>Cricket is a national obsession in India; so don't say anything against the Indian cricket team or the sport in general. Do not draw comparisons to baseball; most Indians haven't even heard of it, and the <em>few that do perceive it to be a highly dumbed-down version of cricket.<br /></em></li></ul></span>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-634979884941115617.post-18544161028917660932009-05-17T20:34:00.000-07:002010-07-21T16:05:33.546-07:00Communication in India<span style="font-family:arial;"><strong> Communication in India</strong><br /></span><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /></span><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDaPHm3xfI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/pZaQr4Ksv4U/s1600-h/india-mobile-news.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337005511709017586" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 265px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDaPHm3xfI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/pZaQr4Ksv4U/s320/india-mobile-news.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><strong>Phone</strong></span></div><br /><br /><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The country code for India is 91. India is then divided into area codes, known locally as STD codes. See individual city guides for the area codes.<br />In acronym-happy India, a phone booth is known as a PCO (Public Call Office) and they usually offer STD/ISD (Subscriber Trunk Dialing/International Subscriber Dialing), or national and international long distance respectively. These are usually staffed, and you dial yourself but pay to the attendant after the call is over. Metering is done per pulse and a service charge of Rs 2 is added to the bill. Larger cities also have Western-style unmanned public phones, which are usually red in colour and accept one rupee coins.<br /></span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Local phone numbers can be anywhere from 5 to 8 digits long. But when the area code is included, all landline phone numbers in India are 11 digits long.Cellphone numbers are 10 digits long and usually start with '9'.You will be advised to prefix '0' to a cellphone number, while making an STD call. When calling from a landline phone, the syntax varies based on where you are calling to, as India is divided into circles that are almost, but not quite, the same as states. For example, for phone number 12345678 in area code 22 </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">(Mumbai):<br />Toll-free numbers start with 1-800 or 1-600, although toll-free numbers can be dialed from any landline operator certain numbers are operator-dependent: you can't call a BSNL/MTNL toll-free number from an Airtel landline, and vice versa. Toll-free numbers may not work from your cellular phone. Other National Numbers that starts with 18xx or 19xx may attract Local or Special call charges as specified by the service provider. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />To dial outside the country from India, prefix the country code with 00. E.g a US number would be dialed as 00-1-555-555-5555. Calling the USA/Canada/UK over the normal telephone line will cost you about Rs. 7.20 per minute. Calls to other countries, particularly to the Middle East, can be more expensive. </span></div><br /><br /><div><br /><a name="Internal_Area_Codes"></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Internal Area Codes</strong> </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Dial codes for popular towns and cities in India:<br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Ahmedabad -79<br />Bangalore - 80<br />Chennai - 44<br />Delhi - 11<br />Hyderabad - 40<br />Jaipur - 141<br />Kolkata - 33<br />Kochi -484 </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Mobile : 91-94, 97-99<br />Mumbai -22<br />Goa - 832<br />Varanasi - 542<br /></span><a name="Mobile"></a></div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Mobile<br /></strong>India uses both GSM and CDMA and mobile phones are widely available, starting from Rs. 500. Major operators include <strong>BSNL, Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular, Reliance India Mobile, Tata Indicom, Aircel, Spice and Vodafone.</strong> Roaming between states is seamless and roaming charges may vary between Re. 1 - Rs 1.50 per minute for incoming - Rs. 1.50 - Rs 2.60 for outgoing calls. If you are constantly calling out of state or roaming, consider getting a STD calling card. Fully loaded prepaid starter kits are available for around Rs. 500, including several hundred rupees of call time (or little as Rs.120 if you are able to produce some sort of a valid local identification). Local calls cost as little as Re. 1 per minute. Bring along your passport when applying and get ready to pose for a photo (or bring your own). Beware that talk time (unexpired minutes of talk time) and validity (the date that the sim card expires) are considered separate and you have to keep both topped up, or otherwise you may find the Rs.500 you just recharged disappearing in a puff of smoke when the one-month validity expires. Usually, when you extend the validity, you will also get extra minutes but you can buy minutes for less without extending the validity.<br />When calling from a mobile phone, you need to prefix the STD code even for a local call. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Note : It costs about the same to make an international call from a mobile or a fixed line (PCO) in India (as opposed to Europe). It is quite cheap to directly dial international destinations from a mobile phone. </span></div><br /><br /><div><br /><a name="Internet"></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDaPJS_FhI/AAAAAAAAAwY/yjewe-ibPnQ/s1600-h/kiosks2.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337005512162481682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sZibTP8JiLk/ShDaPJS_FhI/AAAAAAAAAwY/yjewe-ibPnQ/s320/kiosks2.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">Internet</span></strong></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Internet kiosks are everywhere nowadays and they charge as low as as Rs. 10 to 20 per hour(the cost being a compromise for speed). Beware of using your credit cards online as many cases have come forward regarding credit cards thefts using keyloggers. More reliable chains include Reliance Web World and Sify iWay. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Calling overseas is also very cheap if you use the many booths that advertise 'Net2Phone' service. Basically it is calling over the Internet. The quality ranges from tolerable to excellent, and the price is very good, with calls to the USA ranging from Rs. 2 to Rs. 5 per minute. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Wifi hotspots in India are, for most part, limited. The major airports and stations do offer paid wifi at around Rs60-100 an hour. Bangalore, Pune and Mumbai are the only cities with decent wifi coverage. Most Cafe Coffee Day and Barista stores in the larger cities offer free wifi. This often comes with a cover charge, which may be used on the coffee/drinks/snacks. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Most internet users in India do not rely on wifi too much. GPRS datacards/USB modems are widely used, but these require signing contracts with operators and thus not a practical option for short-term visitors without a residential address in India. The better companies such as Airtel (GSM) and Tata indicom (CDMA) do not rent datacards, which means that you have to buy them outright. Reliance charges Rs 650 per month (1GB downloading free, Rs2/mb) for a datacard/USB modem. The cheap price also means a 256kbps connection, by the way.<br /><br />http://wikitravel.org/en/India</span></div></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0