It looks like our trip to India may finally happen at the end of this year. People have been telling me I need to prepare, but I don’t quite know how. On the bright side, Satya’s parents will be living with us for another two months this summer so that will help some.
For all those non-Indians out there, how did you prepare? One piece of advice I heard was to travel to the Southern U.S. states to get a taste of how the bug situation will be. (The furthest south I’ve lived is Virginia so I haven’t really seen giant bugs). I’ve also heard that watching travel dvds and reading books is useful. I have read some of the typical classics already Malgudi Days, Maximum City, etc.
How well did your preparations prepare you for the reality?
What shots did you get? I heard there is a new anti-diarrhea one which seems practical. I hate shots, but there doesn’t seem to be another option.
For all of you Indians, what do you think foreigners need to know about India before they arrive? How do you recommend they prepare?
I think for this first trip we are going to stay around Karnataka, especially Northern Karnataka which is Satya’s home turf. We are planning to see sites like Hampi, Gokarna, etc. I’ve always wanted to see Kerala too for some reason. Satya also has an idea of seeing the Himalayas-maybe Darjeeling or Shimla and maybe even the country of Bhutan. We shall see……my honeymoon ideal is more of the kind of a houseboat in Kerala while his is the frozen Himalayas.
Also, his place doesn’t seem to fit the stereotypes of India. He isn’t from a huge, sprawling metropolis and he isn’t from a poor, isolated village. Are there any books that focus on more mundane India?
7 responses so far ↓
PGB // July 9, 2009 at 3:15 pm |
I am pretty sure your husband would have covered everything that is required ….. just follow what he does you should be fine ….. AFAIK my uncle who is a southerner had a really good time in B’lore …. ofcourse North K’taka is different ….not all villages in India are isolated
… my dad’s village in central K’taka for eg. has decent roads and good public transport connected to the nearest town, has a high school and a dispensary … although electricity is a problem with sometimes 7 hours of load shedding. 
Thanks!
dbals // July 10, 2009 at 6:59 pm |
You are going with a desi so you don’t need much preparation
My advice to white women travelling in India…
Never go alone. Anywhere
Get used to staring
Don’t look/smile at strangers
Always drink Bottled water and buy them from big stores not shanty ones (even when in someone else’s house and they compel. It will appear rude at first but they will understand)
Don’t eat any roadside food (especially the food that has not been heated)
Take less clothes. So you can buy a lot of new ones there cheap and bring back.
In cities, knee length shorts and T-shirts are ok. Tight/Transparent dress will invite a lot of staring.
Always closely hold onto your belongings especially when you’re travelling in public trains/buses.
Take toilet rolls (if you think you can’t adjust)
Take Sunscreen lotion and lots of perfume and deodarant
It’s a little awkward to write this. I hate to be a spoiler. Since you mentioned about honeymoon I can’t ignore.
Beware of the latest scandal that I heard is going on – Fitting hidden cameras in hotel rooms and other private honeymoon places – and the video ends up in Internet. I’m not sure rampant this is. Just exercise caution.
Hidden camera detecting gadgets sold in online (in US) might help.
Quirky Indian // July 17, 2009 at 12:20 pm |
Minnie, I think dbals’ list is very comprehensive….it is more for women who are travelling alone, but it never hurts to be careful.
As far as hidden cameras go, there have been instance, but it is nowhere as widespread as it has been made out to be.
Cheers,
Quirky Indian
Andrea // July 20, 2009 at 10:45 am |
Your trip sounds great! I’ve always wanted to go to Kerala, too – we hope to hit it up the next time we go to India.
As far as preparing – I don’t think you really need to do all that much. Honestly. I did get shots, but it was just to make sure my hepatitis shots were all up to date. And make sure you get a polio booster, if needed. I’m not sure if you “technically” are supposed to get more shots, but those were all I needed.
Regarding stomach issues, shots, etc., I think it just depends how sensitive you are. I’ve been to India twice, now, and never once had any problem with an upset stomach (except when I ate too much, but that’s different
. We even ate food from a street cart once, but made sure it was good and hot, and it was the type of thing that didn’t require utensils/plates, which my husband tells me are the real problems with the street food.
I did read a few fictional and nonfiction books, but they seemed so removed from what I experienced there, it wasn’t really beneficial. Perhaps, though, if you read a few nonfiction travel books (like some where women write about traveling around the world, etc.) you might get some useful tips?
Gori Girl // July 20, 2009 at 6:59 pm |
I wouldn’t worry too much, if I were you. I, um, prepared very little (none is the technical term, I believe), and had a blast anyways. Since you’ll be on Satya’s home turf he’ll be able to explain most things if you have questions on what’s happening or the proper behavior.
Have you been to any developing countries before? I feel like that was the best “preparation” (in terms of giving me an idea of what to expect in India) as anything else I’ve done.
Melissa // August 4, 2009 at 6:16 pm |
Blanket disclaimer – this is all based strictly on my experience and may not be (probably is not) true for all of India, but stuff I was glad to know or wish I had known…
I would definitely get some toilet paper, unless you’re prepared to do without. They sell travel sized rolls – I think they’re called Charmin To Go or something.
Shots I got were just a tetanus (wasn’t sure when I’d had my last one) and my polio booster. I didn’t take the malaria pills or anything, and I’d already had the hepatitis when I’d gone to Africa.
I personally would skip the shorts altogether and stick to long skirts or loose pants if you’re not wearing something more traditional. I am generally uncomfortable with staring, so for me, wearing shorts would have been made me stand out in a way I would not have wanted.
I’d also prepare yourself for the possibility that you may not always be able to get bottled water. When I left I was planning on drinking nothing but bottled stuff, but for a variety of reasons this was not possible. It was possible most of the time to at least get boiled water, which isn’t the same obviously, but still a decent option in my non-professional opinion. I got pretty sick twice, but I am reasonably sure it had more to do with some cane juice I drank off the street, (like someone said above, I think street food is ok & I’d eat it again as long as it was hot – which the cane juice is obviously not) and I got sick again from some food I ate off a buffet type thing that was outdoors. If you are at functions that have buffets set up outdoors for any length of time, the best advice I can give is to try to stick to veg stuff.
Bring some rubber flip flops for the bathroom. The showers weren’t enclosed like they are here so the floors get quite slippery and wet so you want to have something that you don’t wear outside to use for the bathroom.
Bring enough feminine products to last your entire visit. This was probaby the single thing I was gladdest to know about before I left. Where I was in India, tampons can be difficult to obtain (& your husband might not know or think to mention this
Have a great trip!
La Vida Loca // October 4, 2009 at 8:58 pm |
OB brand tampon is available in medical stores (as they are called). If you are picky then carry your own.
And get used to staring. If someone grabs or gropes you, don’t be afraid to slap the bastard.