India is a lot packed in itself. It’s Chaotic, bamboozling, intoxicating, crazy, exasperating, wonderful, squalid, beautiful, daunting, overwhelming, and fantastic all at once. Travelling to India is no mean feat but once you are back home looking back on your journey, you will definitely see why despite all its contradictions, India as a travel is a catch. That set-aside before you go, it’s natural to get confused planning your trip and nothing comes in handier than useful tips to give you a headway. So before you plunge into this colourful country, here are some things to bear in mind.
Pick the perfect route
India packs a lot into a massive space, and you’ll never have time to see it all on one trip. Think about what interests you, what you like doing and how much time you have, and tailor your trip accordingly. Be realistic about how much you can fit in. Rather than trying to see the whole country, you may get more out of your trip if you concentrate on the south of the country, or on the north. However, internal flights are plentiful and inexpensive so you can hop from north to south if you want a taste of both worlds. In our itineraries section you can find various options from Golden Triangle, Rajasthan Tours, Spiritual Tours, North India Tours and many more..
Slow down
Many people try to cram too much into a visit to India. To get the best out your trip, concentrate on a few places rather than trying to tick off as many as possible. Seeing one place slowly can be much more rewarding than seeing loads of places, but not having time to appreciate any of them. Spend a few days in a place and you’ll be less stressed, gain a deeper understanding of where you are, and have more time to get to know the people you meet.
Lingo Tips
Learning the local lingo when travelling to India would definitely be one of the best armour you can carry with yourself and while it’s surely not possible to learn a language in a short time, getting a hang of the local lingo is totally worth it. For the most common and useful lingo terms, read and remember the below.
Namaste: Hello
Acha: good
Acha na-he: not good
Haan ji: yes
Shuk-riya: thank you
Ek, do, teen, char, panch: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Bargaining
When in India, bargain like an Indian! Hang in between wit and a little bit of patience and you will find that Indians are one gleeful bunch of negotiators. The usual trick is to start from a pretty low price and then go up slightly to find a middle ground. But if you really don’t want to bargain then keep a look for many of those fixed price shops that you will find in most of the markets. Don’t get swayed or stuck at just one shop and move around to compare prices. When in doubt, don’t hesitate to approach the locals around you for a quick translation!
Learn how to bargain like an Indian –
Quickly learn how the bargaining process works.
Look for fixed rate shops if you don’t want to bargain.
Know that “maximum retail price” is not the price tag.
Shop around and compare prices.
Ask help from some local friends.