India travel tips

I spent six weeks traveling in India in February-March ’10 (June ’10, pg. 27). Here are some tips based on that experience.

Take the time to greet people by joining your hands together upright in front of you, bowing your head slightly and saying, “Namaste.” Even people who speak some English will appreciate the courtesy. I often was rewarded by watching people’s expressions change from indifference or suspicion to broad smiles of welcome.

Do not even think about driving yourself. Many of the road signs between cities are in languages and alphabets you won’t understand, and street signs are rare in cities. You will be sharing the roads with trucks, buses, minivans, auto rickshaws, bicycle rickshaws, carts drawn by bullocks or camels or men, plus the occasional elephant or camel, pedestrians and, of course, wandering cows that have the right of way.

On intercity roads, every lane is for passing, and there are frequent speed bumps that could jar the teeth out of your head if you hit one unexpectedly. On city streets, lanes hardly exist.

When you change money, try to get as many one-, two- and five-rupee coins and as many 10- and 20-rupee notes as possible. They’re invaluable for tipping, especially the 10-rupee (22¢) notes, and almost everyone expects a tip.

Also, when you make a small purchase, the seller often will not have any change or, at least, he’ll tell you he doesn’t. Once, I got stacks of small bills when I changed money at a Bank of India branch. (During my visit, $1 was worth roughly 45 rupees.) Other times, I gave my driver a 500-rupee note and asked him to exchange it for small notes whenever he had the chance.

When you visit temples and mosques as well as some shrines and palaces, you will have to take off your shoes and leave them with an attendant, so take shoes that you can take off and put on easily. Take shoes that you can wear with dark-colored socks (which won’t show the dirt quite as much). I bought a cheap pair of shoes with VELCRO®-type straps, which saved my having to find a place to sit.

STAN BACH

Washington, DC