India, the second most populous country and the seventh largest country by land area, is located in South Asia just south of the Himalayas. A great country with different cultures, castes, creeds and religions all living together. A land where you can find heritage, spirituality and spice to discover a new world through any of your senses.
“Mysore Palace” by mdalmuld is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Carsten.nebel, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The best moment to visit most of India is between November and March with warm days and cool nights. During the hot and the monsoon seasons April to June and June to September, respectively, weather is either too hot or too humid with the regular showers and unexpected heavy rains. During the end of the monsoon (October to early November) weather can also be pleasant with several cloudless days. However, if you are looking for the high mountains in the north, these are the coldest months, which will limit your hiking options and some of India’s most spectacular regions are very difficult to access. Nevertheless, January to March could be interesting if you are interested in winter sports and views of spectacular snowcapped mountains.
Beaches: beach areas in India, such as Kerala and Goa, offer nice tropical weather during the winter months. The best time to travel to India for a beach holidays is during the months from November to March. You can enjoy long sunny days with mild temperatures averaging 30°. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are an archipelago in north-eastern Indian Ocean, with brilliant beaches, lagoons of turquoise blue waters surrounded by jungle and mangrove forests, offers great snorkelling and diving. The best time to visit these islands is between late November to March.
Historical Places and Temples: from November until March to avoid the hottest and humidest weather. It is important to note that areas in the north such as Delhi or Agra, although normally warm in November, morning fog and pollution can affect the visibility. For this reason, if you are visiting these northern regions, December to March, are your best bet.
The Himalayas: India has several mountain areas across the north of the country. For those towards the west, like Jammu and Kashmir or Himachal Pradesh, the best time to visit is April to June when the days are warm and sunny and the nights are pleasant. However, for the high mountain areas of Ladakh and Zanskar, July and August are the best months since roads, trekking routes and high passes are open. Winter, December to February, is cold but offers the best chances of catching a glimpse of the snow leopard. Winter is also the time when some traditional festivals at monasteries take place like Buddhist and Tibetan New Year celebrations. Towards the east, Sikkim and Darjeeling, the spring (from March to May), brings the clear view of the Himalaya Range and autumn (from October to mid-December), which also offers plenty of opportunities to attend impressive religious festivals. In the eastern end of the Himalayas, Arunachal Pradesh, the best moment to visit is between October to April.
Tea harvest: India is the second largest producer. Besides, it is the world’s largest tea-drinking nation which produces huge loads of green tea, black tea, white tea, and oolong tea. The country was initially famous for its tea from Assam and Darjeeling, but there are lots of others. Higher quality teas are harvested here during two distinct growth periods, the first flush begins in March, and the second flush begins in June.
Holi festival: the annual spring “festival of colours” is widely celebrated all over India. It celebrates the eternal and divine love of Radha Krishna.[10][11] The day also signifies the triumph of good over evil. Holi celebrates the arrival of spring, the end of winter.
Diwali festival: is a religious celebration in Indian religions. It is one of the most important festivals within Hinduism, where it generally lasts five days, and is celebrated between mid-October and mid-November). It is a post-harvest festival celebrating the bounty following the arrival of the monsoon in the subcontinent. Diwali symbolises the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance”.
The Indian Rupees is the official currency. Typically, 70 to 90 rupees per Euro and 65 to 85 per US Dollar
Hindi is the most widely spoken language in India and it is the main language in northern and central India. There are many other languages in India, being Bengali and Marathi the second and third most spoken languages. English remains and important language in India and it is widely spoken in big cities. In rural and remote areas, English speakers are typically limited to those involved in tourism.
The standard 30-day and one-entry tourist visa must be purchased online at least 4 days before arrival to India and is available for most countries. Tourist visas for extended periods and multiple entries as well as visas for medical and business purposes are also available online.
In the largest cities and towns ATMs are easy to find but still uncommon in more remote areas. You can usually use every card that is connected to global payment systems, such as Maestro, MasterCard, American Express and Visa in hotels, restaurants and shops in major cities. Some Indian banks charge a foreign exchange fee on ATM withdrawals.
Cafes, restaurants from 12am to 3pm, and 7pm to 11pm (close one day a week), small shops from 10am until 7 or 8pm. Markets from 10am to 7pm in major cities, usually with one closed day, rural markets may be once weekly, from early morning to lunch time.
Time: GMT +5:30
Indira Gandhi International Airport (Delhi), Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (Mumbai), Kempegowda International Airport (Bangalore), Chennai International Airport (Chennai), Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (Kolkata), Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (Hyderabad), Cochin International Airport (Kochi) and Jaipur International Airport (Jaipur) are India’s main international airports.
India is extremely well connected by a rail network that weaves its 60,000 kilometres. Train travel provides an interesting alternative to air travel in India, although it can take a bit of time getting used to and it requires a more relax travel schedule. Some train routes are beautiful and scenic, offering also a good way of experiencing a key form of transport in India. However, the different classes of accommodations on long distance trains and the booking process is often confusing for first-time travellers, and the lack of privacy and hygiene on the trains can be confronting too. Luxury trains are available on popular tourist routes typically covering itineraries of a number of days. A good option for long distance travel are domestic Indian airlines. Finally, buses are available connecting almost any town. Be aware, however, that travelling by bus in India is slow, noisy and uncomfortable. In general, be aware that punctuality isn’t the strong suit of India’s transport. It is not recommedned to rent a car in India due to road safety issues. Nevertheless, hiring a car and driver may be a very good option if you travelling through areas without good train connections and/or travelling in a group. Tuktuks are readily available on all towns for short distance travel.
Wearing short or tiny clothes, showing affection in public with your partner, giving money to beggars, eating peeled fruits or uncooked vegetables, touching animals, drinking tap water or iced drinks.
A wide variety of vegan and vegetarian dishes a available throughout the country. Note that certain are strictly vegetarian. Indian food is well known for being quite spice, with many of the dishes being cooked on a thick sauce and served with rice and/or bread. Some of the best known dishes are: Murg Makhani (butter chicken), Tandoori Chicken (roasted yogurt-marinated chicken), Chicken tikka masala (a tomato-yogurt sauce is spiced with chili, garlic, ginger, and garam masala, the ubiquitous Indian spice blend with chicken), Rogan Josh (red Lamb with spices such as cardamom, cumin, turmeric, and garam masala), Malai Kofta (vegetable “meatballs” in a thick sauce), Chole (chickpea curry with onions and tomatoes, along with garlic and ginger paste), Palak Paneer (spinach and Cottage Cheese), Naan (leavened Indian Flatbread).
For India there are three associated plug types, types C, D and M. Plug type C is the plug which has two round pins, plug type D is the plug which has three round pins in a triangular pattern and plug type M is the plug which also has three round pins. India operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz.
India has a universal healthcare model. The public system is essentially free for all Indian residents except for small, often symbolic co-payments in some services. Tourists should not travel without a private insurance since food and water-borne illnesses are fairly common. In addition, please note that doctors in India usually require an immediate payment in cash. The only vaccine required by international regulations is yellow fever if you have visited a country in the yellow-fever zone in the last 6 days. All tourists visiting India should have all their vaccinatons up to date plus be vaccinated for hepatitis B and typhoid. Depending on what you are planning to do during your holiday, you may need to consider additional vaccinations, specially for long stays in rural areas. There high risk of Malaria in some areas of India, particularly towards the east of the country, so check with your doctor whether antimalarial medication is needed.
Tips in India are not common, but in high-end restaurants or hotels a service fee is usually added to your bill and tipping is expected. For street food, no tipping is required.
Some areas of the Himalayas are disputted between India and China, and although typically calm, armed conflict may unfold. In addition, some rebel groups are known to take violent actions on sensitive areas so get informed before you travel.