CURRENCY
Indian Rupees (
)
LANGUAGE
Hindi and English
MONEY
Most urban centres have ATMS. Its wise to carry cash or travellers cheques as back-up. MasterCard and Visa are the most widely accepted credit cards.
VISAS
Most people travel on the standard six-month tourist visa. Tourist visas are valid from the date of issue, not the date you arrive in India.
MOBILE PHONES
Getting connected can be complicated in some states due to security issues. To avoid expensive roaming costs get hooked up to the local mobile-phone network.
DRIVING
Dont do it. Hiring a car with driver doesnt cost a fortune and India has expansive rail, bus and air connections.
Your Daily Budget
Prices (especially accommodation) vary widely across the country consult regional chapters for on-the-ground costs.
BUDGET
Stay at cheap guesthouses with shared bathrooms, or hostels.
Eat at roadside stalls or basic restaurants.
Travel locally by bus, occasionally autorickshaw.
MIDRANGE
Good accommodation (with private bathrooms) and restaurants.
Travel locally by autorickshaw and taxi.
TOP END
Accommodation and dining out the sky is the limit!
Hire a car with driver but dont miss the adventure of an autorickshaw ride.
When to Go
HIGH SEASON
(DecMar)
Pleasant weather, mostly. Peak tourists. Peak prices.
In December and January northern cities can get cold, bitterly so in the far north.
It starts heating up in February.
SHOULDER SEASON
(JulNov)
July to early September is the prime time to visit Ladakh.
Indias southeast coast (and southern Kerala) experiences heavy rain any time from October to early December.
LOW SEASON
(AprJun)
April is hot; May and June even hotter. Competitive hotel prices.
From June the monsoon sweeps from south to north. Fatiguing humidity.
Beat the heat (but not the crowds) in the cool hills.
Websites
Lonely Planet ( www.lonelyplanet.com/india ) Destination information, the popular Thorn Tree Travel Forum and more.
Incredible India ( www.incredibleindia.org ) Official India tourism site.
World Newspapers ( www.world-newspapers.com/india.html ) Links to Indias English-language publications.
Art India ( www.artindia.net ) Performing arts information, especially dance and music.
Templenet ( www.templenet.com ) Temple talk.
Exchange Rates
Australia | A$1 | 45 |
Canada | C$1 | 45 |
Euro zone | | 63 |
Japan | | 55 |
New Zealand | NZ$1 | 33 |
UK | UK1 | 73 |
US | US$1 | 45 |
For current exchange rates see
Important Numbers
From outside India, dial your international access code, Indias country code then the number (minus 0, only used when dialling domestically).
Country code | |
International access code | |
Ambulance | |
Fire | |
Police | |
Arriving in India
Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata
Indias major international airports have prepaid-taxi booths. These enable you to book a fixed-price taxi (including luggage), thus avoiding commission or other scams. Some terminals also have train, bus and/or autorickshaw options. Many hotels will arrange airport pick-ups with advance notice. These are often complimentary with top-end hotels. For further details, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.
Dont Leave Home Without
Getting a visa and travel insurance
Seeking advice about vaccinations
Nonrevealing clothes (both sexes) covering up is respectful, and essential at holy sites
Well-concealed money belt
Sunscreen and sunglasses
Small torch for poorly lit streets and/or power cuts
Earplugs noise can be a nuisance
Slip-on shoes handy for visiting sacred sites
Expecting the unexpected India loves to toss up surprises
Kerala
Includes
Why Go?
Keralas thoughtful pace of life is as contagious as the Indian head-wobble just setting foot on this swathe of soul-quenching green will slow your stride to a blissed-out amble. One of Indias most beautiful and successful states, Kerala is a world away from the frenzy of elsewhere, as if India had passed through the Looking Glass and become an altogether more laid-back place.
Besides its famous backwaters, rice paddies, coconut groves, elegant houseboats and delicately spiced, taste-bud-tingling cuisine, Kerala also proffers azure seas, white crescents of beach, and evocative ex-colonial trading towns. Then there are the mountainous Ghats carpeted by spices and tea plantations, home to wild elephants, exotic birds and the odd tiger; and crazily vibrant traditions such as Kathakali a blend of religious play and dance; kalarippayat a gravity-defying martial art, and theyyam a trance-induced ritual. The main problem a visitor might find here is choosing where to linger the longest.
When to Go
JanFeb Perfect weather. Ernakulathappan Utsavam festival in Kochi.
Apr You can see Kathakali at Kottayam and Kollam festivals, and the elephant procession in Thrissur.
AugSep Tail-end of the monsoon period: prime time for ayurvedic treatments.