Things I Learned in India

Here’s a few tips I’d like to pass on to anyone planning on travelling in India.

Don’t drink the water. Ever. Don’t use it to brush your teeth, and don’t let it get in your mouth when you shower or wash your face. You’re going to get sick anyway, so there’s no reason to help it along.

Some places might look like the bad side of town in a North American city, but they’re not necessarily. You can walk around, but the same rules apply as anywhere. If it’s well lit with lots of people around it’s probably fine.

Carry Immodium or some other pipe-blocker with you. Sooner or later you will want it. The quick dissolve is good when you don’t have water nearby.

Always carry at least a litre of bottled water with you. Don’t drink out of a bottle of water if you haven’t seen it sealed.

Most people are friendly. If someone sees you having a problem, they will probably help you out. This isn’t because they want something, they’re just being nice.

People who aren’t friendly don’t want to hurt you; they just want to rip you off.

Eating non-Indian food every now and then gives your stomach a break if you’re not used to spicy food all the time. Don’t worry about “diminishing the experience”. Spending your trip on the can will diminish it even more.

That queasy, slightly-nauseous feeling you have in your stomach all the time will go away after about a week. Don’t get cocky when it does.

Try different types of food. Typically, we only see North Indian food in restaurants at home, but the food in each region is extremely different, and quite possibly unlike anything you’ve ever had in a restaurant at home.

Don’t worry about your driver’s blatant disregard for traffic guidelines (known as rules in the rest of the world). It’s the oncoming traffic and lack of seat belts you should be worrying about. That’s what’s going to kill you.

Meet locals. Find out where the good places are to go. Look for restaurants where a lot of locals are eating. If they think it’s good, it probably is. Also look for restaurants where locals are taking foreigners to eat. This is also a good sign, because they may be trying to “show the place off”.

Negotiate a flat rate with the taxi drivers. You’ll still get ripped off, but they won’t have to take you on a long drive to run up the meter and waste your time in doing it. You can haggle with them, but don’t expect to get too far. You also can’t play them against each other.

If you’re sensitive to bad smells, bring a handkerchief around with you. I’ve seen lots of locals cover their mouth and nose when the air gets a little ripe.

If you’re staying in a big luxury hotel, don’t let them make you feel like you can’t go out on your own. You can, you’ll save a lot of money doing it, and you’ll have a great time.

If you’re not used to eating spicy food, get used to it before you go. Everything is spicy, including breakfast. Build up you’re tolerance so that you don’t spend the whole time eating plain white rice.

Carry small bills. I found that most people will not be able to break a 500-rupee bill (including cabbies). Some will laugh when you ask them. Some small shops won’t even be able to break a 100-rupee bill. Be prepared so that you don’t get stuck.

I found that bringing $200 Canadian worth of rupees was more than enough for a two-week trip (although I paid for most of my meals with my credit card).

Make sure you have lots of extra time. There is a lot to see, and you don’t want to rush it. If you can, try to take it really easy for the first week while you and your stomach adjust.

Bring a neck pillow for the plane. It will be your best friend.

If you need things that are in your checked luggage for a business trip you’re going on in 24 hours, don’t put them in your checked luggage.

Serviced apartments are a great deal. For less than $200 Canadian, I got a clean room with a bed, washroom, desk and TV for six nights. This included breakfasts, wireless broadband (which was actually a little spotty), and quite a few long distance calls to Canada. They’re not as fancy as the five stars, but they are a great value.

Jamming a plug into socket it’s not made to fit into isn’t as a big a deal as you might think. Just make sure the device you’re plugging in can handle the voltage. Sparking is normal.