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Drink only bottled water. Buy it only from
respectable or known outlets. In restaurants insist that they bring
a sealed bottle to your table.
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Beef is not served in India. Pork is also not
easily available.
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Eat non-vegetarian food only in good restaurants.
The meat in cheaper and smaller places is generally of dubious
quality.
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Vegetarian food is easily available, cheap, and of
excellent quality.
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Curd or yoghurt is served with most meals. It is a
natural aid to digestion and helps temper the spicy food.
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Avoid
keeping valuables in a purse, which can be easily snatched off your
shoulder.
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For the first few days it might be advisable to
clean your teeth in bottled water.
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Eat fruit you can peel.
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Always wash fruit well before eating it.
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Wash your hands before and after eating.
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Always keep a tube of mosquito repellent with you.
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Always carry a kit of the basic emergency medicines
you might need for diarrhoea, fever, etc. Also, band aids and an
antiseptic ointment.
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If you do catch a bug, do not panic. It will go
away in a few days - but try the following tips to keep it down:
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Drink lassi - a yoghurt drink. It will help tone
down the bacteria.
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Eat plain rice, or try a simple khichdi - an easily
digestible mixture of rice and lentils.
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Drink plenty of coconut water. It's cooling, and
naturally sterilized!
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Drink plenty of fluids and take some electrolyte
salts if the bug persists.
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If you are fair-complexioned, blonde or red-haired
- and especially if you are female - chances are that you will be
stared at continuously, specially in the smaller towns. Don't be
offended - they mean no harm, it is just curiosity.
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Avoid crowds, especially if you are female.
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Try to avoid shaking hands. Greet people with a 'namaste'
(hands pressed together at chest level as if in prayer). You will be
appreciated for using the Indian style of greeting.
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Everything in India takes time - longer than in
most places. So always give yourself extra time for whatever you may
have to do - even it is just a visit to the Post Office or changing
money.
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Indians joke about the concept of "Indian
Stretchable Time" (IST). Certainly, if you're a super-punctual sort,
India can be frustrating. Make allowances for this.
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In India, public toilet facilities are few and far
between, and those that are there should not be ventured into. Take
every opportunity you can to use a clean toilet in places such as
hotels and restaurants. Make this a habit wherever you go.
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Keep extra photocopies of the relevant pages of
your passport. This will be required for Indian permits.
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When asking for directions, ask shopkeepers, not
pedestrians. Cross-check with at least two people.
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Taxi and auto-rickshaw fares keep changing, and
therefore do not always conform to readings on meters. Insist on
seeing the latest rate card (available with the driver) and pay
accordingly.
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Insist on the taxi/auto meter being flagged down in
your presence.
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Dress codes for religious places can include
covering your head, being barefoot etc. Ask, so that you don't
unwillingly give offence.
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Some temples do not permit any leather articles at
all on their premises.
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Certain areas of temples are not open to
Non-Hindus.
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Most museums in India are closed on Mondays and
Site Museums, those near archaeological monuments, on Fridays.
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The dry summer heat can drain you completely. Drink
lots of water and fluids.
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The sun is strong. Remember to use sunscreen on
exposed parts of the body. Wear sunglasses to screen out harmful
rays.
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Photography is not always permissible, and at many
places it is permitted only at a fee. There is usually a higher fee
for using a video camera.
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Smoking is not allowed at all public places.
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English is spoken at almost all tourist centers,
but you can also request Government-trained and approved guides who
also speak German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Italian or Russian.
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Travel as light as possible. Clothing and laundry
are both quite inexpensive.
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Women should dress conservatively. Avoid tank tops
or short skirts / shorts. The best outfit, especially during the hot
summers, is a T-shirt worn with loose cotton trousers. These are
comfortable, cool and easily washable. You can purchase them
anywhere in India, at very reasonable rates, at any of the street
shops. If you are adventurous, wear the Indian 'salwar-kameez'. It
is comfortable and free sized, and you will be amazed at the change
of attitude among the shopkeepers, pedestrians and taxicab drivers!
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On arrival in India, foreign nationals are required
to fill up a Currency Declaration Form along and a Disembarkation
Card besides making an oral declaration of the luggage they’re
carrying.
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Tourists traveling to India with a visa permit for
180 days need to obtain a Registration certificate and residential
permit and submit four passport size photographs for the same. The
registration certificate has to be returned to the issuing authority
while leaving the country.
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Foreign tourists can make payments through
traveler’s cheques, credit cards or foreign currency. Indian rupees
can be used in case of proof of legal currency exchange.
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Air / rail or travel tickets should only be bought
from an authorized travel agent only.
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