Travel Tips

After de-constructing the way I traveled in India and looking at the various trade-offs I made, I've come up with a few suggestions. I'm sure none of this stuff will be news to experienced travelers. But it might save un-experienced travelers a little grief.

The trick when traveling in India is to find a good middle-ground between Adventure and Comfort. On the one hand, it's quite possible on a western budget, to travel and eat like a king. But then you don't really interact with any "real" Indians or see anything. Of course, the other extreme, which would be to travel and eat like an average Indian, is not such a good idea. (packed buses and trains. bed-bugs, cholera, and dysentery, anyone?) In my opinion, the best is somewhere in the middle. The entire spectrum of experience is available. How do you want to travel?

suggestions to maximize your travel options:

1. Pack Light. Try to fit everything in one bag, preferably a big back pack. Bring a flash light!
2. Give yourself plenty of time. Time is more valuable than money when traveling in India.
a) Try to be as cheap as possible if you have the time. Make you money go as far as possible.
3. Be adventurous. (but not stupid)

It's pointless to bring too many cloths to India. If you need more stuff you can get really nice cloths there for cheaper than what they cost at home. Don't even bother packing socks unless you are going to be someplace cold. (you wont need them)

I didn't follow the "pack light" rule, and I think it cost me some options. I took a Digital SLR and a fairly large kit of lenses. I took too many cloths. Next time, if I take an SLR at all, (It will be tough for me to resist) I will only take one lens. My camera kit was my second piece of luggage and in my opinion "stressing" over it diminished my freedom of movement. My first piece of luggage was also pretty bulky. That didn't help either. Next time, I will take far fewer cloths.

My flashlight was my most valuable piece of luggage short of my shorts. (I mean, undies) I highly recommend an LED headlamp. They are compact and leave your hands free when you put them on your head. My headlight is a cheapy I got at the supermarket, not the sporting goods store type, which are much more expensive. The cheap headlight works just fine. Where I was staying the power outages were frequent enough that a flash light of some sort was a must. But even in more developed areas of India a light will come in handy.

When you pack light, it's easier to take public transportation without stressing about your "stuff". If you keep a SMALL bag of your valuable stuff (camera, phone, etc.) with you, the only thing in your bigger bag is your cloths.

By being Adventurous, I mean, traveling via public transportation and not being afraid to do a little walking. I'm sad to admit that this is something I never actually did while I was in India. I only ever rode in Taxis and Auto-Rickshaws. The rest of the time I drove a rental motor bike. If you give yourself time you can save a lot of cash by riding on the bus or train. Very nice air conditioned "luxury" bus rides are available. You don't need to ride in the super packed "cheap" bus. Ride a taxi or rickshaw from the bus stand to your final destination.

Speaking of rickshaws... you need to be careful of those guys. Actually, taxi drivers as well. Even though technically the business is regulated they try to get away with all sorts of B.S.. Make sure you get a commitment on the price up front, and don't let them yank you around by taking you to gift shops, etc.

It's possible to find very cheap accommodations in India. 3 star hotels and up cost a little less than what you'd expect to pay in the USA. ($25-35) But "guest houses" and hostels are much cheaper, about $5-15 a night. You could probably find even cheaper places to stay, but you might be taking your chances with the bed-bugs.