India travel tips

Following are regularly updated travel tips for India.

The text below is from the comprehensive holiday travel tips to be found at
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November 28 2008 India travel tips

Note: the terrorist risk to western tourists has risen sharply in late November 2008 after grenade and gun attacks killed scores of foreigners in city landmarks such as major hotels and the central railway station in India's financial capital of Mumbai. The Deccan Mujahideen group has claimed responsibility for the slaughter to support its push for less persecution against Muslims in India. In late November 2008, many countries are warning their nationals to avoid travel to Mumbai.

A ban on smoking cigarettes in restaurants, bars, offices and other public spaces came into effect across India in October 2008 but most reports indicate the law is not being enforced and few fines are being issued.

More than half a billion Indian citizens do not have a toilet and about 650 million people defecate in the open, often creating a health risk. In 2007, India built about 11 million toilets and plans to build 40,000 new toilets every day so that a lavatory is available for every citizen by 2012. Research by UNICEF has found that 53 per cent of Indians wash their hands after defecation, 38 per cent wash their hands before eating and 30 per cent wash their hands before preparing food.

Note: In early September 2008, five unsophisticated bombs exploded in crowded shopping centres in the capital of New Delhi, killing 21 people and wounding almost 100 others. A group calling itself the Indian Mujahadeen claimed responsibility.

Note: In early September 2008, more than a million people have been trapped by floodwaters in the eastern State of Bihar bordering Nepal. Incessant monsoon rains have caused the worst flooding in 50 years and the Kosi river breached its banks in late August, swamping hundreds of villages and killing dozens of people. Experts are warning the floodwaters are unlikely to subside until October, raising fears of disease. Travellers are advised to avoid the affected areas.

Many western countries advise their citizens not to travel through Kashmir, which is India's only Muslim-dominated state. The region has been considered increasingly safe and has become a popular holiday location for Indians. However, in 2008 the Kashmir Valley is facing shortages of food, fuel and medicine, and tourists should be aware of high tension between Muslim/Hindu communities.

Note: In July/August 2008, there have been riots, villages attacked, police stations torched and in one case security forces have been ordered to shoot to kill as thousands of Muslims protest their call for independence in Kashmir. A curfew has been imposed and dozens of people have been killed.

In May 2008, bombs killed more than 60 people in the Rajasthan city of Jaipur. In July 2008, a 17 bomb terrorist attack in the Gunjarat city of Ahmedabad killed about 50 people and injured more than 140, while two people were killed by bombs in the southern city of Bangalore. Each of the cities attacked in 2008 are in states governed by the Hindu nationalist BJP party.

Dharamsala in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh is the refuge of thousands of people who have fled their homeland of Tibet following Chinese occupation in 1949. Their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lamam lives in Dharmasala, which is the home of Tibet's government-in-exile. Dharmasala, dubbed Little Lhasa, is similar to a Tibetan town with houses clinging to steep hillsides, prayer wheels dominating the central bazaar and many people wearing traditional Tibetan clothing. Young foreign travellers are drawn to the town, which is usually bustling with Israeli, Australian, American and European backpackers.

Many travellers consider south India to be more "Indian" than the north, less affected by foreign cultures with wetter monsoons, redder earth, thicker vegetation, more complex words and names, and more elaborate temples.

Note: The American dollar is no longer accepted at heritage tourist sites in India such as the Taj Mahal. From early 2008, tickets are charged in rupee and the change makes such tickets about 25% more expensive for American tourists.

Note: In December 2007, Delhi police began to enforce a jaywalking law for the first time in 27 years, imposing thousands of on-the-spot fines against people not using marked pedestrian crossings. The law is likely to be ignored by many people and police are unlikely to continue their offensive. Be warned, however, that about 1,000 pedestrians are killed on Delhi's roads every year.

About 20% of the population still live below the poverty line and about 2.5% still go hungry. In 1994, 35% of Indians were living below the poverty line. A study published in 2007 states that 836 million people, or 77% of the population, live on less than 20 rupees (about 40 cents US) each a day. India's official poverty line is 12 rupees a day. The report also finds that about 86% of the working population - 395 million people - work under "utterly deplorable" conditions.

About 56 kilometres south-west of Srinagar is the picturesque village resort of Gulmarg, from whence you can enjoy top-class snow skiing from December to March. A ski lift from Gulmarg takes skiiers to 4,000 metres atop Mt Apharwat with romantic views of Kashmir and Pakistan, some five kilometres to the west. In 2007, it cost about RS 250 (US$6.20) per day to hire standard skis, boots and poles in Gulmarg.

There are more than 11 million abandoned children in India, mostly girls, and in 2007 the Indian Government has announced plans to increase the number of children available for adoption by overseas families.

Reflecting easing tensions between India and Pakistan, both countries agreed to resume a bus service between the disputed halves of Kashmir as of April 2005 - for the first time in almost 60 years. A train service between India and Pakistan also resumed from February 2006. However, a terrorist bomb attack on the Samjhautu Express train claimed the lives of about 70 passengers in February 2007.

The teeming Indian capital of New Delhi is the venue for the 2010 Commonwealth Games and as a result this city will see enormous change in services, infrastructure, transport and even local customs. For example, in February 2007 the Delhi Supreme Court issued a ban on selling freshly cooked food on roadsides, potentially affecting the eating habits of millions of people. The Delhi High Court has also ordered the government to clear the capital city of beggars who descend on pedestrians and cars at traffic lights.

Old Delhi is a tangle of dark alleys and colourful markets. New Delhi to the south was designed as a colonial capital by English architect Edwin Lutyens in the early 20th Century. Sights worth seeing in New Delhi include various relics of the Mughal Empire (1526 to 1857). South Delhi's Qutab Minar is the tallest stone tower in India and considered one of the best in the world. Other tourist hotspots include the mausoleums of Humayan and Safdarjang, the Red Fort, Lodi Gardens and the 14th Century ruins of Feroz Shah Kotla close to Delhi's Test cricket stadium.

The new Delhi Metro train system is a fantastic escape from the city's traffic mayhem, providing fast trains every few minutes from modern stations where littering, smoking and public urination are prohibited.

The far north-eastern states of India are more comfortable for a holiday from March to August, although heavy monsoonal rain has caused widespread flood damage in the states of Assam and Tripura during mid 2006.

In the middle of India is the state of Andhra Pradesh and its capital of Hyderabad, the fifth largest city in the country. Hyderabad was established in 1591 as an agricultural trading town but has matured to become a sophisticated information technology centre. About one in six Hyderabadis is believed to work in the IT sector. Hyderabad, a city with a strong Islamic character, is also emerging as an important pharmaceutical and bio-technology centre. This city is considered the medical capital of India and many foreigners pursue its lack of waiting lists and its inexpensive yet advanced medical procedures. The city has 45 official travel destinations that shouldn't be missed by tourists. December and January are the mildest, driest months to visit. May is the hottest and June to September are the wettest months in Hyderabad. Tourists should keep an eye out for pearls, etched metalware, silver filigree, textiles, kalamkari paintings and folk art.

Darjeeling is a gorgeous town spilling down the side of the Himalayan foothills with the world's third tallest mountain, Kangchenjunga, on the horizon. Famous for its refreshing tea plantations and photogenic landscape, Darjeeling is a leftover of British settlement in the mid 19th Century when it was built as a recreation area for troops and a getaway from the blistering heat of the lower plains. The town is built on terraced landings with most of the budget travel accommodation and eateries on the middle and lower terraced layers.

A popular tourist attraction in Darjeeling is a five kilometre cable car ride - the longest in India - overlooking carefully maintained tea gardens. At the top of the cable journey is the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute displaying much of the equipment from the 1953 assault on Mt Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. Adjacent to the institute is the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park.

A popular way to travel to Darjeeling is on the Himalayan Mountain Railway, a narrow-gauge train line built by the British. The line first opened in 1881 and is gazetted on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Himalayan Mountain Railway takes just over eight hours to cover the 81 kilometres from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling.

H5N1 bird flu was detected in February 2006 in Navapur in the western State of Maharashtra. This should not upset the travel plans of tourists.

The trading port city of Cochin on India's Malabar coast has a rich history of spice-trading with fleets from around the globe, and was once known as the Venice of the East thanks to its 900 kilometres of navigable waterways stretching to the north and south within the region now known as the state of Kerala. Cochin is a subtropical delight boasting fantastic beaches, food and history within a tranquil holiday setting.

A pleasant alternative destination is Sikkim, India's smallest state wedged between Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and West Bengal. This 7,096 square kilometre state has a sparse population compared with elsewhere in India, the climate is cooler (very cold from December to February), and the hilly landscape of Sikkim boasts superb forests, lakes, waterfalls, rivers and glaciers. The religion, food and culture of Sikkim are different to the rest of India and tourists are far less likely to be hassled. Sikkim has been compared to Switzerland and travellers can indulge in mountaineering, trekking, river kayaking or simply enjoying the awesome scenery. All visitors to Sikkim require a 15 day travel permit and the nearest airport is Bagdogra, about five hours by road from the Sikkim capital of Gangtok.

Overall, expect warm to hot days and possibly cool nights throughout most of your travel in India. You might wish to follow the example set by many locals who frequently carry an umbrella to protect against either the monsoonal rains or the blazing sun.

If you plan navigating city streets by map during your holiday travel, be aware beforehand that reading or understanding street signs in India can be very difficult.

Comics have joked that the third religion in India is the game of cricket. When you see the Indian devotion to major cricket broadcasts and the number of youngsters bowling and batting near every street corner, you'll realise they weren't kidding.

If you plan on renting a car, take note that in 2007 the High Court in New Delhi banned motor vehicle drivers from smoking, with a stiff fine of 150 rupees.

It's worth noting a recent Supreme Court ruling in India that bans loud music, firecrackers and the honking of vehicle horns from 10pm to 6am, aimed at reducing late-night noise levels.

Taj Mahal travel tips

About 3 million foreign tourists and 15 million Indians visit the Taj Mahal each year.

The neighbourhood outside the Taj complex is typically Indian... bicycles, pedestrians, horse-drawn traffic and the occasional cow.

Street sellers begin working the entrance to the Maj Mahal from dawn, offering endless T shirts, books, postcards, carvings, drinks and trinkets. Keep moving if you're not interested as hesitation will prompt a more ardent sales pitch.

Police are usually everywhere to ensure law and order, and everyone undergoes a security check and pat-down at the entrance to the Taj complex. All battery-powered devices are banned but cameras are allowed.

Only electric vehicles are allowed to carry tourists to the Taj Mahal. Industry and petrol motors are discouraged in the surrounding district of Agra to cut pollution that could damage the historic building.

The four slender surrounding minarets rise 40 metres and are built on a slight slope to ensure they fall outward if toppled by an earthquake.

The building is surrounded by 13 hectares of lush garden.

The stunning filigreed tile work is breath-taking at close quarters, as is the stonework and powerful beauty of the interior.

Standard opening times for the Taj Mahal are from sunrise to 7.30pm, and the complex is closed on Fridays.

Since late 2004, the Taj Mahal has been open for night viewings restricted to 400 people on full-moon nights (and for two nights either side) between 8.30pm and midnight.

Video cameras are not allowed but the night visits are free of the postcard sellers and guides who crowd visits during the daytime. Tourists can buy tickets at least 24 hours in advance from the counter at the Taj Mahal entryway.

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