Social Interaction
If you give the impression that you belong
to different country there is a strong probability
that you might be stared at, especially in the small
cities and towns. Don't be afraid - it doesn't mean
any harm; it is just their curiosity.
Toilets
In India, public washrooms are far and few. Grab
every opportunity you can to use a clean one in
places like hotels and restaurants. Make this
a routine to avoid the problem.
Beggars
Never give money to the beggars. Remember that
by giving them the money you are encouraging them
and they can cause havoc.
Food And Drink
Drink only sealed mineral water. Although there
are many brands of mineral water are available,
but all of them are not good enough. While in
restaurants, avoid using open water rather insist
that they bring a sealed bottle to your table.
Beef is not served in all parts of India. Pork
is also not easily available
Try to eat non-vegetarian foodstuff only at good
restaurants. The meat available at low priced
shops is dubious and can lead to health problem.
High quality vegetarian food is easily available.
Yogurt is served with most meals, which is a
natural aid to digestion and helps temper the
spicy food.
Shopping
Keep one thing in mind that you will probably
be charged more than the locals. For better and
economical shopping, it is recommended to take
a local along with you.
There are various places and shops available
in Delhi for shopping. One can choose from a long
list of markets. Some of the well known markets
in Delhi are:
- Chadni Chowk- This wholesale market is renowned
for saris and jewelleries.
- Katra Neel- It is famous for cotton, silk,
satin, crepe, muslin and various other garments.
- Bhagirath Palace-It is a famous wholesale
market of electronic commodities.
- Kinari Bazaar-It is known for its beautiful
handicraft work. Beautiful zari, zardosi, gota
and kinari works is done here.
- Dariba Kalan- It is famous for kundan, meenakari,
navratan and other jewelry manufacturing.
- Karol Bagh- Karol Bagh is surely becoming
the booming trade area of Delhi. Different streets
here are famous for different types of products.
- Ajmal Khan Road is famous for its readymade,
cotton and embroidered garment.
- All types of second hand books are available
at Arya Samaj road.
- Bank Street is known for its wide array of
jewelry showrooms.
- If you have a desire to look stylish then
Gaffar market is the right place for you.Different
type of fashion accessories like cosmetics,
watches and sunglasses, mobile handsets etc.
are available in the market at economical rates.
Connaught Place is the most beautiful and important
market place of Delhi. The major shopping centers
in Connaught Place are:
- Inner Circle- Several bookstores,
showrooms of international brands like Benetton,
Allen Solly, Reebok, Nike, Levi's and Lee Cooper
are easily available in the inner circle of
Connaught Place.
- Janpath- Janpath is known for ethnic
clothes, shoes, belts, and beautiful gift items.
You can also find fabulous artifical jewelleries
and jewellery with semi-precious stones embossed
on them here.
- Baba Kharak Singh Marg- It is known
for its amazing handicrafts.
- Palika Bazaar- Different goods especially
electronic goods and garments are available
at cheaper rates.
Apart from the above mentioned markets, Sarojini
Nagar, Kamla Nagar, Sadar Bazaar, Lajpat Nagar's
Central Market are some other vital shopping centers
in Delhi.
In almost all the hotels tips is included in the
bill.
Most Hotel's Bill consists of service tax in their
bills. In such cases tipping is not necessary.
However, the standard tip in Delhi's hotel is 10%.
Usually porters and room service attendants are
tipped when the stay ends, though an early tip is
most likely to get you better service.
Tips to taxi drivers are not customary.
Visiting Sites
One should wear different dresses while going
to different places. Dress codes for religious
places can include covering your head, being barefooted,
not carrying lather articles etc. It is better
to ask at the visited place to avoid any unintentional
offence.
Certain temples are not open to Non-Hindus. Please
confirm with the local tourist information office.
Generally, most museums in India are closed on
Mondays and Site Museums, those near archaeological
monuments, remain closed on Fridays.
Photography is not permissible at certain places,
and at many places it is permitted after paying
a nominal fee. There is usually a higher fee for
using a video camera.
Smoking is prohibited at public places. All properties
of the Indian Railways including trains and railway
stations are strictly no smoking zones. Violation
will lead to stiff penalties.
The conversation at almost all tourist centers
is done in English, but you can also make a request
to the office to allot you one Government-trained
and approved guide who can speak your native languages
such as French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Italian
or Russian.
Health
Temperature in Delhi might rise to 45degrees and
more in summer. The dry heat of summer can drain
you completely. Drink lots of water and fluids.
Remember to use sunscreen lotion on exposed parts
of the body. Wear sunglasses to kill the effect
of harmful ultraviolet rays. Always drink bottled
mineral water.
For the first few days it is advisable to clean
your teeth with bottled water.
In India, due to high pollution level can lead
to germs in fruits. This may make you fall ill,
so always remember to wash the fruits before eating.
Always keep a mosquito repellent tube with you.
Always carry a first aid kit with basic emergency
medicines for diarrhea, fever, headache etc. in
it to avoid getting into any problematic condition.
Drink lassi - a yoghurt drink. It will help to
tone down the bacteria.
Eat plain rice, or try a simple khichdi - an easily
digestible mixture of rice and pulses.
Drink lots of coconut water. It's cooling, and
naturally sterilized!
Time
Everything in India takes little longer than in
most other places. So always give you extra time
than usual- even it is just a visit to the Post
Office or changing money.
Indians joke about the concept of "Indian
Stretchable Time" (IST). If you're punctual
person, India can be frustrating. Make allowances
for this.
Others
Keep additional photocopies of the relevant pages
of your passport. This will be required for Indian
permits. Also, keep some extra photographs along
with you. These will prove to be useful in case
of permits, filling out forms, etc.
Taxi and auto-rickshaw fares do not remain fixed,
they keep on changing with time to time, and therefore
do not always conform to readings on meters. Insist
on seeing the latest rate card (available with
the driver) and pay accordingly.
Insist on the taxi/auto meter being flagged down
in front of you rather than already flagged down
meter. Insist on using the pre paid services especially
from the airport or railway station, which are
available at most significant places.
In cities you can change major foreign currencies
and brands of travelers' cheques. But you can
widen your options and save yourself hassles if
you stick to US dollars or pounds sterling, and
either Thomas Cook or American Express travellers
cheques.
Most big cities have ATMs, which accept Visa,
MasterCard, Maestro as well as American Express.
The ATM network is expanding very quickly and
now you can find one even in remote areas of Delhi.
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