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Travels & Guides

India has become one of the most popular (and comparatively cheaper) tourist destination: India offers everything, catering to as diverse a taste as bird watching and kite flying to hunting for IT bpo (though the last cannot strictly be categorised under ‘tourism”, business plus pleasure trips are just as common). While the strictly business minded can afford to stay atone of the 7- or 5-star hotels or resorts, there are hotels in the hundreds all over India for the lesser mortals and back-pack budget-on-a-shoestring traveller with a dog-eared road map. While this road map may help in the metropolitan areas, in other places, the local “druggist and Chemist” or the tea-shop owner would be a better guide, since ,either there would be no road signs/names at all, and when there are any, they are in one of the many  ‘state’ vernacular, with no translation in English. In some State, the English portion might even be brushed over with tar, by persons deeply in love with their local language and fearing for its decimation by sign boards in a different language. But this should not discourage the casual tourist puzzling at a crossroad – as we said, the locals would be glad to help. But please do not measure the local with the cultural standard of your country, as done by the Readers Digest survey that came up with the conclusion that Bombay that is Mumbai is the worst city in the world for politeness and good manners, just because someone did not hold the door open for a lady or say ‘thank you’ for every help or ‘sorry’ for a hiccup. Well, here we go:


  • Official site of the Ministry of Tourism, India, this well maintained site is a store- house of excellent info for the tourist, with a ‘trip planner’ and ‘holiday ideas’ categorised on your taste – from adventure sports to pilgrim destinations  for  the spiritually inclined.

  • TourmyIndia provides details on a choice of package tours throughout India, with online booking facility. Caters to almost every taste, like wild life, festivals, Ayurveda, Golf tour etc.

  • Planning an adventurous wild water rafting? There are world class venues where you can indulge the passion thro' Rafting Expeditions.

  • Government of India Tourism offices in India and Overseas

The best sites to look for when you are planning a trip are the forums where you can ask others who have been there before. You may find that it is worth your time going through these interesting hints and tips.

  • An extensive and well prepeared guide to travel in India is provided by Wikipedia, covering almost everything from health-tips to international phone calls; mannerisms to visa regulations. A must read for those planning to visit India.

  • Sat nav and GPRS on hand-held mobile devices may never entirely replace Maps and Distance calculators


Standard time in India

 

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