The Ultimate Guide for First-Time Travelers in India
India is a country that is full of diverse landscapes, beliefs and cultures. From the mountains of Uttarakhand to the beaches of Tamil Nadu, there is no shortage of spots to travel and immerse yourself in the rich nature and culture of India. A trip throughout India can feel almost like taking a trip through the world. However, this diversity and numerous destinations for a possible visit make planning a trip in India very difficult, especially for those who are first-time travelers to India.
A brief guide for first-time travelers visiting India: What to watch out for?
If you are looking to make your first-time travel in India the best experience possible, then keep reading to learn the essentials for a trip to India.
Be Prepared for Massive Crowds
India houses the largest population in the world with around 1.25 billion people living in the country. This unfortunately means that crowding is going to be a common issue in the country whether you are in a shopping area, tourist spot, or even on sidewalks. So, remember to take a deep breath and maintain calm and patience when traveling around India.
Do Not Try to Cover the Whole Country in One Visit
India is one of the largest countries in the world comprising thousands of places for a tourist to visit within its 28 states and 8 union territories. All of these locations are also quite vast and have a lot to explore. This results in tourists needing a lot of time to fully enjoy a trip to India.
If you make a plan that just rushes through the entire country in a matter of weeks, then such a trip will surely feel disappointing as you will miss a lot of great tourist spots and will not have enough time to explore the places you decide to visit.
So, when making a tour plan, make sure you only focus on one or two states during a trip so that you not only get plenty of time to fully explore the place but also not feel rushed and burned out from the stress of reaching the next destination.
Explore Outside City Areas
While it may feel tempting to stick to traveling to big cities like Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai, try to incorporate places in your plan that take you outside of the city areas and into the many small villages of the country. These small villages will allow you to truly enjoy the beauty of nature within India and provide a very calm and relaxing environment.
So, make sure to enjoy the slow-paced life of small villages in Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Kerala, and other states and learn about rural life in India by moving outside of the cities.
Respect Indian Traditions and Practices
Religion is a huge aspect of life within India. Almost every citizen in the country learns the basic norms that you need to observe at important places and during many ceremonies. When you come across any place of worship, make sure to observe the people around you and mimic what they are doing. Disrespecting these established religious practices will cause you a lot of grief and trouble from the local population. So, if you make a mistake, make sure to apologize and explain that you did not know what you needed to do.
As long as you don't intentionally disrespect any religion and hurt someone's feelings, you should be fine.
Dress Appropriately
While no legal restrictions are present when it comes to what you can and cannot wear, a lot of times locals will frown looking at you if you wear something that feels disrespectful to the established norms. Opt for shirts that cover your shoulders and trousers and pants that cover your knees. This will ensure you don't give any bad impressions to the people around you.
This is especially true when visiting a temple as exposing too much skin is strictly prohibited in these sacred places of worship. Also, always remember to remove your shoes before entering the main complex of any temple.
Entering a temple with your shoes on is considered extremely disrespectful and will cause you to get into trouble with the locals and temple authorities. Do the same when entering someone's house also.
Prepare to Haggle
When you visit any local shop in India, you will notice a lot of haggling between customers and shopkeepers. Haggling is very common in India, and you will notice that most shopkeepers will provide a very high amount when you ask them the price.
However, remember that it is a friendly negotiation and the shopkeeper is fully expecting you to pitch a lower price to them. Keep bringing the price down to a level where both you and the shopkeeper are in agreement and then pay for the purchase.
Remember that this will not always be the case and if you cannot agree on a price, then simply leave the item where you took it from and move on to other shops.
Watch Where You Eat and Drink
Unfortunately, many places in India do not follow basic sanitation, and this can cause you to eat food that can affect your health negatively. Stomach diseases are very common in India, and there is a chance you will experience one during your trip. Things you can do to prevent this from happening are only buying bottled water and meals from well-maintained shops.
Make sure you buy some tablets from the local pharmacies as they can provide you with medicine at very cheap costs. If you do experience stomach issues, make sure to visit a doctor and not ignore it.
In India, health issues may become worse over time if left untreated. The good news is the country is filled with healthcare facilities that provide good quality treatments at cheap costs. So, don't leave any health issues untreated.
Be Patient and Expect Delays
If you are expecting a delivery or looking to travel somewhere within India, almost always expect a delay. Delays unfortunately are very common due to traffic, crowd, and the sheer number of orders that may be placed by the locals. Traffic jams are not only restricted to small roads and streets but can also be found on main roads and sometimes even highways as well.
So, keep your expectations in check and ensure that you have accounted for any delays that may come your way.
Keep Your Belongings Safe
Unfortunately, the huge crowd of people in every corner of India provides a great opportunity for thieves to commit acts like pickpocketing and stealing. This has caused a lot of people problems during their trips to India. To ensure that you safeguard yourself from these acts, carry only small amounts of cash and wear bags on your chest rather than your back.
Also, consider pockets with zips to ensure that your pocket contents are safe.
Conclusion
In all honesty, one trip is not going to allow you to explore the whole country. So when planning a trip, ensure that you keep your focus on only 1 or 2 states depending on your duration of stay in India. It will be difficult to adjust yourself to the locals at first and get used to all the necessary norms.
However, over time, you will adapt to the different environment and culture of India, which will make your subsequent visits much more comfortable and enjoyable. As long as you respect the local traditions and maintain a calm attitude towards the locals, you will have a good time during your stay in India.
Hopefully, these 9 tips mentioned above help you make a well-informed plan for your trip which will allow you to safely experience many memorable moments in India. To make your trip to India hassle-free, apply for an Indian e-tourist visa now.
Citizens of many countries including Fiji, France, Switzerland, Jamaica, Russia and New Zealand are eligible for Indian e-Visa.