INDIA

India is beautiful and amazing country - we absolutely loved it. We would be lying though if we didn’t admit it is a little bit hectic. Whilst there, we did hit a couple of snags, so here’s what we learnt:

1) Ensure you buy a SIM card at the airport before you exit the arrivals hall - once you walk out of arrivals main door they will not let you back in (even if you’re just innocently looking for your taxi driver). Buying a SIM outside the airport is doable - as we did, but you require an Indian phone number to purchase one as you need an OTP sending. Airtel do a cheap e-sim deal with a 1.5GB allowance per day. 

2) India is still very cash focused, unlike us in UK. Some places do take card but most will only accept cash - including the taxis when you try and leave the airport. Make sure you have some of your home currency or some dollars to exchange at the airport. Having the cash will save you high transaction fees on exchanging currency!

3) You cannot apply for an Indian Visa on arrival, you must have already applied online and had it granted prior to starting your journey. If you need some help with that - head to our Visa page! When you have applied for your visa and it’s been accepted, make sure you print a hard copy and have it on your person. The airline won’t let you travel without a hard copy and the immigration officer in India may fine you too!

4) Make sure you have a Visa Debit Card or Credit Card for money withdrawals. The ATMs are free to use, however the vast majority don’t accept Master Card. We used our Revolut card’s which have a £200 per month cash withdrawal allowance meaning we didn’t pay many fees on cash withdrawal!

5) Uber has really good coverage throughout the areas we went (Delhi, Rajasthan and Mumbai) and was a life saver on many occasions. They also have a Tuk Tuk option which makes using them so much easier than flagging them down and haggling. In our experience the Taxis and Tuk Tuk’s were a safe, efficient and cheap way to get around. We also used them for longer journeys too and we were really glad we did! 

6) The Indian Trains are a fantastic way to get around the country, however they are also unreliable and unpredictable. Buying tickets can also be a challenge, but here’s what we learnt. Download the Indian Railways App, this makes finding the train you need very easy. Download the Confirmtkt App for buying your tickets, use the train number from Indian Railways App to search for the train. Make sure you choose free cancellation, as we had to change our plans on several occasions due to heavily delayed trains and the free cancellation option meant we got our money back the same day! When tracking the trains, use the IXIGO App. This tells you the running status of your train and also tells you where you are whilst you’re on it. They don’t announce the station you’re at, so this feature is a real life saver!

7)Take a sleeping bag liner with you, they’re super cheap and very light, but if you need them they’re worth their weight in gold! We used them when we were in hostels and weren’t convinced the bedding was fresh, but also as an extra layer in the colder January nights (particularly in the desert). You’ll be glad you have one if you need it, and we used our’s quite a few times. 

8) Indians love to barter so don’t be afraid to do a little bit of negotiation, particularly on taxis (not on Uber) and at markets. However, whenever someone offers you something or a service, make sure you agree a price beforehand. We fell foul of this a couple of times, and bartering after the fact is very difficult and can be a little awkward. After the 2nd time, we made sure not to be in the same position again! 

9) The tap water in India is not safe to drink and even a little bit of it can make you very ill. Make sure you use bottled water for everything apart from showering. When you do get bottled water, make sure to check the seal as we have heard sometimes bottles can be refilled with unsafe water. If in doubt, ask for fizzy water and then you know it’s definitely out of the bottle. Some places/restaurants use filtered or clarified water. We drank this and didn’t have any issues, but just use your instincts!

9) There are so many things you can do whilst in India and we cannot list them all here. But our absolute highlights were the food walking tour in Delhi, going to the desert and visiting Bundhi Fort. Make sure you research your guide beforehand, Get Your Guide and Trip Advisor are great for checking reviews from other tourists. 

10) The food in India is absolutely amazing, and being brave and trying different things of course comes with a risk but also a great reward. If you stop in a Homestay always accept their offer for dinner, we never had a bad one. Also make sure you try a masala chai they are delicious 

11) As we’ve mentioned above, food and hygiene are sometimes not to the standard we are used to at home. Always make sure you have some hand sanitiser with you. Also, should nature come calling, make sure you have some toilet roll, the local toilets never have it, and you’ll be beyond grateful if you need it, and you have it! 

We hope this helps, but what we cannot stress enough is how fantastic and beautiful India is. We had an incredible time and we will certainly be re-visiting. But with our top tips, you can hit the ground running and just spend your time enjoying all the pleasures India has to offer.