India is oldest civilized country of world, originated from the local historical name of Indus River. Known as Dev Bhumi- the land of the gods. Nestled next to Nepal, China, and Bhutan in the North, Pakistan in the Northwest and Bangladesh and Myanmar in the East, India is the seventh largest country in the world enveloping total area of 3,287,263 sq. m. With over one billion people, it is the second most populous country in the world. Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam, Vaishnavism, and Christianity are the various facets of religion in India. It is synonymous to a potpourri of cultural diversity, rich architecture, forts, rivers, pristine snowcapped peaks, rich cultural heritage, royal legacy, folklores, classical music, folk dance, arts, and exotic cuisine.
Large section of the Himalaya is covered by India namely Arunachal, Sikkim, Utaranchal, Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir, and Eastern Karakoram. Majority of the peaks stands above 7000m and are waiting to be explored with promises to make your India adventure travel more memorable. This has opened up plenty of scope for adventure tourism in Indian subcontinent.
Capital: New Delhi
Population: 1,000,000,000
Languages: Hindi, English and 22 regional languages
Currency: Indian Rupees (Rs.)
Religion: 80% Hindu, 14% Muslim, 2.4% Christian, 2% Sikh, 0.7% Buddhist, and 0.5% Jainism Adventure Trans Himalayan Treks & Expeditions Inc, offers various of holiday tours and travel packages to India. Our both customized and Tailor-made trip itineraries includes wildlife budget travel packages, desert safari in Rajasthan , Ayurvedic retreats, Buddhist sites, adventure trips and many more.
Unlike other travel agencies our travel packages are designed exclusively to make your tour and travel in India more pleasurable and memorable without making you opt for India luxury travel. Please look through our website for comprehensive information, and come experience the magic of India and let us take you to travel of discovery. Whatever your budget and interests are –we will tailor make the right trip for you.
CLIMATES OF INDIA:
India varies from region to region. The Himalaya and the Thar Desert play contributing roles in India's climate. Météological, climate of India has been categorized into seven climatic regions; the Himalayas, Assam and West Bengal, the Indo-Gangetic Plain, the Western Ghats and coast, the Deccan and the Eastern Ghats and coast. Generally, India climate experiences summer from March to June, rainfalls from June to October, and winter from November to March. Northwestern regions of India have summer season from April to July and the other parts from March to June.
April gets hotter in the Western and Southern India and May in the northern parts. In the coastal regions temperature usually gets around 36°C in summer. Ladakh & Zanskar, Lahaul & Spiti, northern Kinnaur and some areas of northern Uttaranchal has low humidity most of the time, not more than a few centimeters of yearly rainfall with a occasional heavy rainstorms during July and September and the coldest temperatures found anywhere in the world during the winter season. Climatically, these regions are most travel-friendly in September. In case of the Kashmir Valley and the lower Warvan and Chenab valleys in Jammu and Lahaul, April and May bring about heavy precipitation, months from December to March experience heavy snow falls and the months from May to mid-October are comparably more favorable for traveling. During November and December the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala experience most of their rainfall from the northeast monsoon whereas 80 percent of the country receives most of its rainfall from the southwest monsoon from June to September. Most ideal time for traveling to India is during October to April, when temperatures being less hot are comparatively favorable for travelers.
CLOTHING IN INDIA
Proper clothing is an important aspect of traveling. You need to dress according to your travel theme and weather. If you are going for mountaineering, you must be well equipped with items like
- good underwear
- expedition weight bottoms
- fleece jacket
- storm parka and pants
- expedition parka
- weather-friendly hats
- gloves and mittens
- mountaineering boots
- high quality socks
- gaiters
- sunglasses
- small first aid kit
- hand warmers
- headlamp
- camera
- sunscreen and small thermos.
Likewise, trekking can be more fun and pleasurable if you have items like
- lightweight walking boots
- spare laces
- a pair of track shoes
- warm jacket
- woolen shirts and thick sweaters
- windproof/waterproof trousers
- thermal underwear
- a tracksuit
- 2 pair of loose fitting long shorts
- lightweight long sleeved shirt
- a woolen hat, a pair of gloves
- 1 pair of sandals, thick woolen socks and other personal equipments and accessories.
There are certain remote rural areas in India where locals are conservatives about clothes and wearing body revealing clothes are regarded socially unaccepted. Make your stay in India most comfortable and enjoyable by selecting the India-friendly clothes.
COMMUNICATION IN INDIA
Today’s time, India has come a long way to becoming the future Information Technology superpower and one of the largest generators and exporters of software. Since 1837, postal service in India has improved immensely with the use of computers and other latest technology for postal operations. In fact the Indian post office is regarded as the largest postal systems in the world and very reliable one. India has more than 154,000 post offices in different regions of India. Indian Postal System offers airmail services daily to all parts of the world. Air parcels take approximately two weeks, while surface mail can take up to three months. Most airlines offer discount airfreight rates. Parcels are handed over to the concerned person at the post office only after thorough inspection by custom officials. The Money Order department of the Indian Post office has 77 VSAT centers which in turn are connected to 610 Extended Satellite Money Order Stations. More than 10 lakh money orders are transmitted through this network every month.
In terms of coverage, quality, and range of services, the Indian telecommunication network has undergone major progress. India with its satellite earth stations provides international calling; 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean Region), four gateway exchanges operating from Mumbai, New Delhi, Calcutta, and Chennai and submarine cables to Malaysia, UAE, Singapore and Japan, and Fiber-Optic Link around the Globe (FLAG) with landing site at Mumbai (Bombay). There are several IT companies which have set up a network of wireless radio in the different regions of India to allow users to exchange voice, data, and video over Virtual Private Networks.
In most of the towns in India there are private STD/ISD call booths with fax facilities and direct dialing for both interstate and overseas and they have a digital meter for showing the cost. Cost for international calls depends on the country you are calling. Hotels in India also provide facilities like STD/IAD calls, fax and internet service. But comparatively, local STD/ISD call booths charge much reasonable money than hotels. You can even purchase phone cards in cities but in the Indian Himalaya you may get deprived of this facility. Mobile phones in India have made the communication very easy for travelers and Indians. But in hilly regions and mountains, mobile phones may not operate efficiently due to limited reception. In most parts of India there are cyber cafes for providing internet access using DSL, Wi-Fi, Cable, Satellite and Dial-up connection.
CURRENCY IN INDIA
Indian currency comes in the form of paper notes and coins. Paper notes are called Rupees (Rs) and only 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, and 1000 rupees are available. Where as coins are called paise and there are coins of 5,10,20,25 and 50 paise and Rs. 1, 2 and 5. One Indian Rupee is equivalent to 100 paise. Information on current exchange rates is easily available at banks. You can get your money exchanged at international airports. While travelling to India, you must carry with you some cash in Indian currency and Travellers’ cheques. When it comes to foreign currencies, US dollar is accepted more. If you are traveling with cash, bank notes and travelers’ cheques amounting to US $ 2,500 or equivalent in any other currency, you do not need to submit declaration form at the time of entering India but for US $ 10,000 you certainly have to. Besides banks, there are many authorized local money exchangers in most of the regions of India. Banks and international airports offer 24 hours money exchange facilities through their ATM service. From Monday to Friday banks in India remain open for visitors from 10 am to 2 pm and on Saturday from 10am to 12 noon. Money can be transferred to India by foreign banks with branches in India and also with Indian banks with branches abroad such as the State bank of India, Bank of Kathmandu, Bank of Baroda and many more. Majority of International banks have their branches in many parts of India. Hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, and emporiums accept credit cards. American Express, master cards, Dinner club, and Visa are more acceptable.
DRINKING WATER IN INDIA
While traveling to India, you must stay physically fit and healthy to have the best travel experience. For this, you need to be very caution and conscious about what you drink and eat. As you must be very aware of the fact that most of the diseases are transmitted through water, therefore you must drink only safe water. Never drink tap water for it is very harmful for your health. You must purchase bottled/branded mineral water from reputed shops. Prior to purchasing mineral water bottles, always check the seal cap, labels and expiry date. Reputed hotels and restaurants provide good drinking water. You must strictly avoid drinking water from roadside carts and vendors. If you are traveling in rural areas, you may not get to drink safe water. In such case, it is very advisable to carry with you iodine tablets or solution. On mixing the iodine tablets or solution with water in right proportion, you get the best drinking water. But there are shops, guest houses, lodges, and eateries in rural villages that provide boiled and filtered water for drinking. Nevertheless, you must be very aware and cautious about the risks involved with drinking water in India.
EATING OUT IN INDIA
India besides an abode of diversified culture and wildlife is most dotted for its exotic cuisine. Each region of India has its own food culture. Since the ancient times, world history has always marveled at the exoticism of Indian cuisine. Besides authentic Indian dish, restaurants and eateries of India also serve varieties of international cuisine from Italian dish, Thai food, Nepali food, Chinese specialties to endless arrays of delicacies and the list can just go on. There are also many international food chains in cities of India like Mac Donald, Pizza Hut etc. If you are in major cities of India, good restaurants normally cost you around INR 350-400 for lunch and INR 500 –more for dinner. The prices for food depend upon restaurant to restaurant. It is advisable to eat out in good and reputed restaurants, hotels, and eateries for they service hygienic, nutritious, high quality and good food. In rural areas meals are available at cheaper price but when it comes to hygiene and quality, you have to be very careful. As long as you eat healthy, you will definitely enjoy your trip in India to the fullest. So stick to balanced diet and always keep a check on your food habits. |
