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Travel Tips from your trusted travel guide in India: Travelmartindia,
at your service!!
General guidelines
We at travelmartindia.com are always
pleased to walk that extra mile so our honored guests to India
can truly savor the wide and varied bounty of a diverse and
multi-cultural society in a way uniquely memorable-and always
pleasantly so!
For this reason-and for enhancing
the comfort level of all your sojourns in and around India,
we have put together a handy guide that helps you expand your
travel horizons while also keeping you in touch with Indian
customs and traditions that help you adjust better to our
culture and have a fun-filled vacation.
So, pack your troubles in a bag- chuck
that out the window! Fill your eyes with wonder and your mind
with local info as the land of Maharaja hs
accords you a royal welcome, hand in hand with travelmartindia's
insightful guide to India.
Travelmartindia's
Ten Commandments for safe travel in India
- Do not buy travel tickets or book
transportation with unauthorized dealers and persons. The
safest way to having peace of mind and an enjoyable trip
that is memorable for the right reasons is to ask your Travelers
Hub tour operator to arrange for transportation.
- Do remember to check your travel
documents before starting the journey and update all important
telephone numbers in your diary, apart from storing emergency
numbers (Police assistance, Ambulance service, local contact
person etc.) in your cell-phone, if you choose to carry
one.
- If you are on prescription medication,
please ensure you have adequate supply of both prescription/s
and pills for the entire duration of your India tour and
perhaps a little extra to cover unforeseen delay periods
during travel etc. Do remember to carry a doctor's certificate
along with you to avoid possible problems with any customs
checking procedures in India.
- First-time travelers to India may
well be fascinated by the exotic array of spices, cuisines
and affordability of street and hotel food, but it is inadvisable
to eat spicy Indian food without sampling a bit first
or affirming the extent of spice-blends used with the chef/service
attendant.
- If unsure of your ability to communicate
in regional scenarios for the entire length of the tour
or if opting for a combination of tour packages, especially
to remote areas, please feel welcome to request your travel
agent for a language interpreter. Do not play Lone Ranger
- as adventurous as the prospect may seem - foreign tourists
can be regarded as far from that by unscrupulous elements
and considered easy targets for mugging and far more heinous
crimes.
- Mineral water is your best companion
while in India's tropical climate and is your safest bet
for keeping various contaminated-water related ailments
at bay and also for brushing your teeth.
- If you intend making any changes
to Domestic Tickets in India, do consult your trusted travel
agent for the best advice.
- All foreign nationals can use credit
cards, traveler's cheques or foreign currency for the payment
of all their bills, though they may use Indian rupees in
case they can furnish proof of having exchanged money legally.
- Please remember that banks in India
function from Monday to Friday from 1000 hours to 1230 hours
(some also function post-lunch, but you may need to consult
your tour operator for specific bank details) while Government
and administrative offices in India function from 0930 to
1700 hours on weekdays. So, please make arrangements for
bank transactions and business dealings with either group
keeping these timings in mind.
- Pack smart, travel light and determine
weather, region-specific culture and etiquette, available
cuisine (especially for those with specific diet restrictions)
and range of activities prior to setting forth on the vacation
of a life-time. To avoid the Holiday-from-Hell, we encourage
you to try one, or more, of our custom-designed tour packages
that eliminate the hassles of holiday planning (thanks to
an in-house expert team of experienced tour
managers) and are guaranteed to pep you up with promise
of happy times while in India!
Advanced Planning
Tips
We at Travelmartindia.com understand
the modern traveler's need for comfort, convenience, concept-novelty
and safety especially when you are touring new and exotic
destinations, such as India.
For this reason and to serve you better,
we have put together some basic guides that bring you closer
to preparing and experiencing India like a true-blue vacationer.
The following segments cover some
details your tour operator needs to know, guidelines for secure
but fun holidaying, picking
the right tour package and packing for enhancing the joys
of traveling in India.
Booking Basics
help us customize the perfect holiday package for you!!
Skim through the following check-list
to boost your holiday spirits by being specific about vitals
in your dream vacation-planning for Indian holiday spots.
Cover basic ground for determining whether your travel consultant
can professionally organize a tour package with all the ingredients
you are looking for-and get set to have a holiday of a life-time!
- If traveling with a partner or
group, it pays to determine the needs and interests of each
person and convey this to the travel agent. Even if you
are travel by yourself, the more specific you are about
your tour requirements and what appeals to you, the easier
it is for the tour professional to accommodate a perfect
holiday package for you. Besides, India being vast and varied
in terrain, concept tourism offerings differ greatly, so
it's advisable to know what you are game for -and also what
the country offers before picking a particular tour package.
Read up and know more about your destination and whether
your tour operator can combine one or more interests in
a tour package and the cost and time implications of each
of them.
- Please try and be as specific as
possible about the kind of accommodation you are accustomed
to and will require while in India and if traveling with
a companion, their needs for lodging as well; beds for example,
may vary from King size to Queen size in some hotels and
if you are particular about this aspect, do mention it at
the time of booking.
- For persons with mobility limitations/health
conditions that require vehicular support devices, such
as lowered steps or wheel-chair assistance, it is advisable
to enquire before-hand of the tour operator whether arrangements
can be made for
the same when being received at the airport/railway station
and transported to hotels.
- Do make it a point to let your
tour operator know about what time of the day you'd like
to arrive/depart from India to avoid unnecessary jet-lag
and having to waste precious holiday time.
- Ask your tour operator about the
other activities and popular tourist attractions of Indian
destinations you will be visiting and whether any of these
can be accommodated with your tour package at extra cost,
should you wish to stretch your holiday possibilities.
- You can also contact the local
Tourist Boards of various Indian states as these have offices
in Delhi, should you require additional region specific
information and guidance about what their State offers.
- Decide before-hand the amount of
sight-seeing/touring on foot or local transport means (cycle/auto
rickshaws, boats, buses, horse or camel rides etc.) you
will be comfortable with.
- Determine the distance of your
hotel from the main town area, especially if you have a
penchant for checking out local markets and cultural scenes
for getting a personal glimpse into the soul of a city on
foot. Although, Travelmartindia.com does make the effort
to include visits to specialty areas of each regional zone,
such as cottage industries, crafter's galleries, plantations
and souvenir shopping points, it is possible you may like
some alone time. However, please do not wander far from
your lodgings if by yourself and unfamiliar with the local
language/Hindi- for your own safety- and always inform the
tour guide, hotel manager and any other guest about your
reconnoitering plan.
- If you have an affinity for any
particular Indian tradition or holiday offering that is
not currently available with us, be sure that Travelmartindia.com's
aim is to provide you with the best of Indian touring experiences
and we will work on your request at the earliest to bring
together your dream vacation plan.
- Just let us know what moves
you (to India, that is) and the Travelmartindia.com team
will jimmy up the most dazzling sun-rise breakfast on an
idyllic South-Indian rice-boat or a traditional desert-meal
against the backdrop of iridescent sands when in Rajasthan's
regal hotels, ferry you and your partner to the perfect
hideaway beach in Goa or help you begin life anew-with that
someone special: YOU-if all you need to re-charge is a grand-scale
shopping spree, fine exotic dining and or being nourished,
body-mind-soul with ancient Indian therapies like Yoga and
Ayurveda…..and we do all of this with a knockout view
of India!
Packing Tips
Travelmartindia.com gives
you handy tips for putting together the professional nomad's
Bound-for-India luggage, learning and outlook tour package.
For all those of you that are headed
for the mystic and modern charms of an ancient culture, India
may come as both a surprise and a bit of an enigma, but, much
like an interesting woman that captivates, nurtures and enthralls
while giving you a glimpse into age-old civilization strengths
that have endured countless invasions yet accommodates an
essence of enduring forever, India is a spirit that lives
beyond her shores.
India-bound? Then, pack for
a trip that will change more than your perceptions about a
tradition-bound, globally recognized rising economic power
that is fast-emerging as the preferred destination for concept
tourism as varied as its land and people: from weddings
to festivals, from wildlife to luxury travel and back-to-nature
or history tours, we have it all.
Travelmartindia.com
handy check-list covers all the essentials for packing right
and packing light: see for yourself!
- Ensure you have all the relevant
documents necessary for the duration of your India-vacation
plan before you leave home. Take time out to 'know' the
tour plan details and additional activities that are included
or can be accommodated upon request: pack garments, footwear
and accessories appropriate for these.
- Put away adequate reading, music
or video material for spending your time unwinding with;
this is especially helpful to persons visiting India the
first time as it is known to give a sense of the familiar
when in a foreign place, making for easy adaptation to surroundings.
- If you intend to travel with jewelry
or excess cash/other high-value items, please confirm with
your tour operator about the availability of safety deposit
boxes with the lodging site/hotel you will be putting up
at.
- As any experienced tour operator
will tell you, Murphy's Law about things going wrong if
they can, may very well apply despite the best precautions
and preparations towards making the perfect vacation travel
plan. For such instances, please pack a small overnight
bag with basic change of garments, emergency medication
and telephone numbers, toiletries, small hair-dryer, duplicate
copies of important travel documents and extra cash (credit
cards do not always work in all situations) to avoid distress
over luggage arrival delays and other such similar situations.
- Sensible packing of toiletries
for India would include putting in hand sanitizers,(toilet
rolls are not available at all transition points or in remote
areas, where at times, even rest-rooms may be few and far
between one major sight-seeing spot and another) your brand
of sunscreen (may not be available everywhere in India),
essential make-up kit, mosquito repellant of your choice,
water purification tablets and bath-salts.
- If shopping is high on your priority
list, please remember to add in another bag suitable for
carrying your larger purchases.
- Buy/download print-outs of guides
to exotic and unfamiliar destinations and consult these
during your journey to stay updated about travel specific
problems or hazards at the Indian location you are headed
for, so you have a clear idea how to deal with something
similar should it happen to you.
- Most government websites give fairly
comprehensive information about current political situations
in Asian countries that report large-scale conflicts and
be unsafe for tourists at certain points in time; please
look this information
up if you intend going beyond touring India.
- Pack clothes that are made of natural
fibers to allow a certain level of 'breathability' for your
skin; Indian being a tropical country is never short of
sunshine and sweat in most regions except the hills. Nylon
fabrics are best avoided unless visiting cold regions in
India or planning a winter visit, while reading up about
dress-codes prevalent in places on your tour itinerary can
guide you about garments best given a miss.
- Carry only those things you will
need in India with you, such as enough cash to cover emergencies
or occasional urge-to-splurge, traveler's checks and credit
cards but exit home with extra baggage like social security
cards, extra credit cards, shopping mall coupons, club memberships
you won't need here.
- Do remember to carry duplicates
of credit cards and ATM cards, passport, traveler's checks,
tour itinerary, airline/railway tickets and hotel reservation
slips, contact information of local British consulates.
- Packing for India tour destinations
becomes easy if you familiarize yourself with the events
and activities of the destinations you will be visiting
as acculturation to customs and laws will clue you in to
what is appropriate.
- A linguistic tool, such as a cassette
or guide book that gives you knowledge of the native language
is a handy item that can help you out of a sticky situation
such as calling for the police, contacting a hospital or
asking
for help should you get in trouble away from your tour group.
Above all, a sense of humor, bewildered awe
and camera to capture irretrievable moments with adequate
supply of film and batteries/chargers are possibly things
you can't do without when packing for India.
Concept tourism
packages of India that travelmartindia brings your way:
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