Travel Advisories

One of my favorite ways to prepare for a trip is to research all of the things that could possibly go wrong.  It’s fun to read various governmental pages that warn you of crime, exotic illnesses, strange customs that could land you in prison, and basic civil unrest.  Governmental websites are notorious for blowing things out of proportion.  Even a harmless holiday to Canada could be glorified into a dangerous trek to the bowels of hell, thanks to the overly pessimistic folks at the bureau of consular affairs.  (Do we really need a travel advisory warning that there might be snow in the winter? Or that cars get broken into in major metropolitan areas?)

So in between watching videos of bull elephants in marketplaces that get out of control and reading about various species of amoebas that live in the Ganges, I decided to take note of the most interesting advice the US and Indian governments had to offer.  Enjoy!

When it comes to what one should do if you hit a person, or even worse, a cow, while driving in India, the US Department of State and the Indian tourism board have differing opinions:

“If a driver hits a pedestrian or a cow, the vehicle and its occupants are at risk of being attacked by passersby. Such attacks pose significant risk of injury or death to the vehicle's occupants or at least of incineration of the vehicle. It is unsafe to remain at the scene of an accident of this nature, and drivers may instead wish to seek out the nearest police station.” –US

“If by any chance, you get involved in an automobile accident, wait until the police arrive and make a report. However, if a crowd gathers and appears hostile, immediately leave the place and go to the nearest police station to file an accident report.” –India

I have been to many places where beggars are plentiful, but I have been warned that none of those locales will compare to India in volume, frequency, and legitimate need.  India-travel-agents.com recommends these tips:

• If the beggar is a healthy person, don't give him any money or anything else. Ignore such people. Just walk past them or pull up the windows if you are in a car.
• In case of a physically handicapped person, you can give some money or even something to eat.
• If you come across children begging on the street, don't be surprised. It’s better to give the children something to eat. If you give them money, it will most probably go into the pockets of their parents or some other person. They will hardly ever benefit from it.
• Always give beggars money at the time of leaving a place, as you get in the car. Otherwise, there is a possibility of your getting mobbed.

Give a tip to beggars between Rs. 2 to Rs. 10. If you give more money than this, you will run the risk of getting mobbed by beggars.

A genuine concern of mine is one of food and water safety.  India Travel Agents once again offer sound advice:

Food precautions:

• The safest thing to eat is freshly cooked food. Food left sitting may attract flies and cause major health hazards.
• Salads and cut fresh fruits should be strictly avoided. Eat only unpeeled fruits.
• Avoid fresh fruit juice. If you want to have juice, go in for branded ones being sold in tetra packs.
• If you are a non-vegetarian, buy from decent shops. It is better not to eat from lower end restaurants or station platforms.
• Never ever eat anything from the roadside vendors. There are high chances of the food being contaminated.

There is no big problem of clean drinking water in India. However, you need to take certain precautions to ensure that you are drinking clean and pure water. Some of these water precautions for India are listed below:

• These days bottled (mineral) water is available almost everywhere. However, sometimes, cheap fake bottled water is also given. To avoid this, make sure to check that that the seal of the bottle is intact. Also, see if there is anything floating in it before buying.
• Even when you are visiting restaurants or hotels, insist on bottled (mineral) water. You will not face much trouble as almost all the restaurants and hotels keep bottled water.
• Never ever drink water from roadside vendors selling water pumped up from the vend's tank. That water is not at all safe.
• You may also come across water being sold in polythene bags. Don't drink it at all. Even this water is not safe.
• If you are staying at someone's place, don't drink the tap water. If they have aquagaurds or RO systems or other purifiers, then it's ok. Otherwise, insist on either boiled or bottled (mineral) water.

If we shift our attention to alerts of potential terrorist attacks, this is where the US Department of State becomes a real buzz kill:

The Department of State reminds U.S. citizens of the continued possibility of terrorist attacks throughout India and urges citizens to pay particular attention to their personal security during the Indian holiday season, which includes Hindu, Islamic, and other religious and secular holidays between October and January.  Recent Indian government advisories and local media report increased indications that terrorists are planning attacks in India. In the past, terrorists have targeted markets, public transportation such as trains and public buses, religious sites, hotels, and restaurants.  During the November 2008 attacks in Mumbai, terrorists specifically targeted hotels and other public places.

U.S. citizens traveling or residing in India are always urged to maintain a heightened situational awareness and a low profile, monitor local news reports, consider the level of security present when visiting public places, and take appropriate steps to bolster their personal security.
This Travel Alert expires on January 20, 2012.

Every traveler wonders what clothes to pack, especially if they’ve never been to a specific country before.  Since this is our first trip to India, we were curious.

Winters (October to February) in India are quite cold, especially North India. So, pack some woolen clothes with you. Also, pack some warm innerwear, especially if you are planning to roam around too much. During Monsoon (July to September), there is a high level of humidity in India. So don't wear synthetic stuff. In this case also, cotton clothing is the best.

Last but not the least, while visiting places of worship (temples, gurudwara or mausoleum), you should be fully clothed. Also, don't forget to remove your footwear before entering any religious place.

Being a Floridian, I am always cold when I travel.  The advice above led me to believe we might even see snow, but that’s just not the case.  After researching average temperatures for the time of our stay, it should be in the low 70s during the day and the mid 40s at night.  But since I’m a rule follower, the woolen clothes have been packed!  My problem with the above advice is this:  How much roaming is too much?  I would think the more roaming I did, the less innerwear I would need, but then again, I’ve never been to India before so what do I know?