Traveling to India: Comprehensive Guide for First-Timers

Travel to India, book flights, get e-visa, carry cash, visit in winter, use Uber, explore Golden Triangle, pack essentials, download local apps.

### Ultimate Guide to Traveling to India
* ✈ India is big and there are a few different international airports you can fly into. **Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore** are the biggest and see the most international flights.
* 🛂 "As of November 2022, 175 countries are eligible for a **30-day Visa**. We're South Africans, so we got that **for free**. Otherwise, it is **25 USD**."
* 💰 "The currency in India is Indian rupees. About **one dollar will get you approximately 82 rupees**."
* 📱 "We suggest getting a SIM card as soon as you land in the airport and get them to **set it up for you** and **load a good amount of data** on it."
* 🍛 "The food is just as amazing as you can imagine it to be. Some of our favorites are **Paneer, Kulfi, Chapati, Dosa, Paratha, Tikka, Chicken, Gulab Jamun, Biryani, and more**."
* 🚗 "The most common transport method in India is the Tuk Tuk, and you can **hail down one pretty much on every street in India**."
* 🏞 "Leh was literally one of the **most favorite cities** we've ever been to. We highly recommend if you can **go visit Leh**."
* 🛡 "In terms of safety, India and Indian people are some of the most **incredible people** we've ever met. They were so **hospitable**."
* 🚫 "One of the things to skip in India is the **biggest Spice market in the whole of Asia** in Delhi. A lot of local Indian people don't believe that **tourists should even be going there**."

If you are planning to go to India one day, don't even hesitate and book your flights. We had an incredible month in India. The food was unreal, the people were amazing, and the history and architecture were just mind-blowing. If you're planning a trip to India or have always had an interest in visiting India, then look no further. This video covers everything you need to know about traveling to India. [Music] Thank you for support budgets, how to pay for things, what to pack, apps needed, scammed, what to do, what not to do, and a whole lot more. We absolutely loved our time there and can 100% recommend it. You just have to be aware of a few. If you find this video helpful in any way, we'd really appreciate it if you consider giving it a like and subscribing for more videos like this. Let's start this video off with how to get to India. India is big and there are a few different international airports you can fly into. Daily, Mumbai and Bangalore are the biggest and see the

most international flights. We chose to fly to Delhi in the north of India because they had the cheapest direct flights. We were also trying to avoid the hot and humid rainy season in the South, and it is the start of the touristy Golden Triangle route. That we did use Google flights to see what flights are available. Now let's touch on visas. We applied for an electronic online visa. You go to the website listed here, and it's really just quite an easy process. As of November 2022, 175 countries are eligible for a 30-day Visa. We're South Africans, so we got that for free. Otherwise, it is 25 USD. If you don't qualify for the free Visa, just make sure you apply for your e-visa at least two weeks before you try to travel using this link down below. There's a lot of holidays in India, and that can actually affect how long it takes to get to your Visa. So make sure you're applying in advance. Our Visa took seven working days, and we printed it out to show to

immigration at the airport covered requirements because we went before the latest update, which occurred in November. We had to show our proof of vaccination. Right now on the website, you can check more information about it here. At least that you are preferably supposed to be vaccinated, but I don't think it's an actual requirement anymore. But you can read more about that on this website once again. Or you can go to Safety Wings' Borderless website and tap on India and see what the latest requirements are. They are often updating that website. It's a really good resource to use if you're traveling anywhere in the world. No proof of accommodation or outward flight was needed, but we did book one just in case. Next section is currency. The currency in India is Indian rupees. About one dollar will get you approximately 82 rupees. With that, you can pay for a short ride in a tuk-tuk, buy a couple of drinks at a mart, or a bowl of Maggie noodles. Things are quite affordable, but more on that later. While on the topic of currency, our number one

tip is to make sure you've got a good amount of cash on you. So either draw money as you land in the airport or convert your foreign currency there. We say this because it'll save you a lot of headaches trying to find working and legitimate ATMs outside of the airport. In our personal experience, we had a really hard time finding working ATMs and cash was actually really needed for us. We needed it all the time. Half the ATMs just simply didn't accept my credit card and I had the same thing at points of sale. About half or if not more of the points of sale vendors would not accept our credit card even though I have a USD credit card. On the Apple Pay front, we found it worked at places like Starbucks and proper establishments but it didn't work at a lot of the local Indian stores. What Indian vendors will use is something called UPI, which is like your tap to scan or your QR code payment methods. We were unable to apply for that. We tried Paytm, we tried Google Pay.

tried multiple methods, but they just did not accept our International credit card. We found that you actually need to have an Indian bank account or an Indian phone number to be able to sign up for these things, which makes it a little difficult for international Travelers. Paying for things was probably one of our biggest struggles in India, so be prepared for that. In conclusion, just make sure you have cash because a lot of vendors still do accept cash. Next up, best time to visit India. The best time to visit India is in the winter, between December and March. The whole country tends to get very hot from April onwards, and most regions in India experience the Summer monsoon from June, July, August, and September. The good thing about traveling a bit later in the year is that it's Festival season in India. Diwali is in October or November; it changes every year. Independence Day was in August; that was awesome. Holy festival is in March, and there's tons more in between. I think going to India during the festival period is so awesome. You should

definitely plan your travels around those times. We visited from mid-August to mid-September. The temperature was ranging between 30 and 35 degrees. In Delhi, it was actually very hot during the day. So, if you're going to be traveling at that time of the year, prepare to get quite sweaty. If you go in the summer, we would recommend visiting the northern regions where it's a little bit cooler. Next up, what to pack. Firstly, we highly recommend traveling to India with either a small carry-on or a hiking backpack. That's going to make your life a hell of a lot easier, especially if you plan to use buses or trains for transport. In that bag, pack the following: one sarong to cover up from stairs and from the Sun. You can pack another one just in case the first one gets dirty. Second of all, pack breathable, loose-fitting clothing that covers your bum, chest, shoulders, and legs. Next, walking shoes that you're prepared to get dirty. iPad sandals, but I she didn't wear them at all. I wore closed shoes.

instead, the ground is a bit dirty and dusty, so it's just best to wear clothes. Shoes next is diarrhea medication for runny tummy cramps and vomiting, but the pharmacies in India are amazing, and you can find all of that there. Next up is thrush medication if you are a lady prone to uids because it's hot and sweaty, but that applies to all hot parts of the world. Next up enough female Sanitary products. They are hard to get if you use a specific type. This once again applies to every single country, like even Indonesia, so yeah, pack those for yourself. I've said enough where it can carry on with the list. Next up, we recommend you bring a lot of rehydrates and protein bars because India is largely vegetarian, especially up in the north. There's quite a shortage of meat, so you're going to need a bit of protein in your diet. Good protein next up, which we found we could not do with that is eye drops and nose spray. It gets very dusty and dry up.

in the north so bring those if you do forget them though pharmacies in India have got you covered, and the hospitals are amazing by the way, but more on that later. Next up, a plug adapter. As always, these are what the plugs look like in India. We're South African though, so we did not need an adapter. Next up, bring proper mosquito repellent. There were quite a lot of mosquitoes in Delhi, actually everywhere in India that we went, even in Ladakh. Next up is something I'm pretty passionate about: pack your anxiety meds if you are prone to getting anxious around loud and busy scenarios because India is very loud [Music]. My anxiety gets triggered by loud sounds, so I had a bit of a hard time. Brady also over here started forming anxiety, so the doctors in India prescribed them anxiety medications too. Then if you plan going up to the Himalayan regions, definitely bring your warm winter clothes. It can smell up there depending on the time of the year. It's another storm in India late September, so we have Payway jackets.

thermals, and we pretty much just put that under like warm-ish clothing, just layer it up. If you're based in Delhi or maybe perhaps the coastal areas, then you can just pack your normal summer attire. Do make sure, like I mentioned before, that you're covering certain areas if you're a female, and actually men too. Like you have to cover your knees and your legs if you're going into certain temples and mosques. But on most days just walking around daily, I did just wear t-shirts and shorts with a pair of sneakers. The don't worry if you forget anything though. India has amazing malls with H&M's and Birkenstocks and Sephoras. We don't even have Sephora in South Africa. They have everything. You'll be totally fine. Next up, apps to download. Zomato. This we use to order food to our house. It's basically like Uber Eats in India. Next up is Uber. We found that to be the most reliable and really good for Intercity travel. Another one like Uber is Ola, which is also a Ride e-hailing.

app. Then Paytm is the next one. If you can get it working, I would highly recommend getting it because we're going to make your life a hell of a lot easier to pay for things in India. It didn't work for us though. Next one is obviously going to be Google Maps. Make sure you download the maps for offline mode. This was super helpful if you ever run out of internet connection. When we travel, we use Google Maps for everything from navigation to reviewing good restaurants and coffee shops in an area that we're in. Next up is My Trip. This app is golden. You can book anything from flights, buses, trains. It's brilliant and it takes international cards. So make sure you download the app and add your payment method. It's going to save you a lot of headaches. We even booked our flights to Layla duck from South Africa using the app. It is highly recommended. Next up, the Airtel app. If you do get a SIM card and want to top up and check your data usage, but more on that later. Booking.com. We

always have it downloaded. It's super easy to book your accommodation and have all your reservations saved all in one app. So get that and finally download the zostel app. They also have a really good website. It's used for booking unique stays across India, and it's also the world's largest Backpacker chain. Next up, accommodation in India is huge, and the sheer amounts of different types of accommodation reflects that. You can do anything from a seven-dollar hostel to a $400-a-night luxury resort. I'm pretty sure I read that India has the most amount of seven-star hotels. That's pretty darn impressive. As the average Traveler book, we stayed mainly in hostels, in Homestay days, and in like 60-dollar hotels. We found Airbnbs weren't really a thing. We didn't even use the Airbnb app. We used booking.com to book all of our accommodation, and we stayed with friends as well. Thank you, Auntie and Uncle, for having us. The only accommodation option I really struggled to find were co-working and

co-living spaces. I'm sure they exist, but I had a very hard time finding them. Therefore, we didn't even stay in them. If you're a digital Nomad like us, it's a really good option wherever you are in the world to look for co-living spaces because they've got workspaces, really good internet, and just like-minded people are staying there, so you can make really good friends. For all the links to the accommodations that we stayed in, check the link in the description to buy our India resource pack and itinerary. All of the accommodation options will be in that. There's so much included in that resource pack, such as our favorite guides, numbers, and where to hire motorbikes, as well as our Google Map link, which I think is golden. Next up is transport, and this honestly was the best part about India. It was so much fun. As discussed earlier, Uber and Ola are going to be your e-hailing apps. We highly recommend you use these because a lot of the drivers actually might not speak English, and it just becomes a bit

of a nightmare trying to navigate and tell somebody where you want to go. So that's why if you use Uber, they already know where to go. And using these apps will also help you avoid being taken advantage of. Some of the taxi drivers are part of elaborate tourist scams, so just trying to avoid that situation altogether. But more about scams a little bit later. Another awesome thing about Uber is that they have so many different types of transport. They've got tick-tuk rides that you can order. They've got luxury cars. They've got normal cars. And they've got inter-city drivers that can drive you from Delhi to Jaipur or Jaipur to Agra. It's super easy all in one app. We just highly recommend using Uber. And then one more is actually Blu which our friend told us about. It's a basically an electronic vehicle version of Uber. We didn't get to try it, but I think you should check it out. Next up, trains. They were amazing. They are the best way to get around India. So much fun. It added

to the experience of being in India. They are different types of trains that you can choose. You can go on one dollar trains, or you can do the premium kind of ones that we did. They were amazing. You get snacks and wool hot tea and blankets, and the people are funny. Oh my goodness, you have to use the trains. This is probably the best way that we got around. To have a smooth, amazing training experience, we recommend that you get first or second AC class trains. They are not expensive at all, and they are wonderful. Also, we use very good brands that were recommended by our friends. They were the Ranjani Express and Express or something like that. For more information about the trains, go watch this video. It's quite a fun one. I actually really like this video, so yeah, go watch this linked above. All right, flights. Flights around the country were accessible and reasonably priced. A flight of about two hours from Delhi to Leh cost us around about fifty dollars. We booked all of our flights using esmytrip.com. We even used the website to

book trains. It is highly recommended. In our train video, you'll see we explained how we had a difficult time booking train tickets using the standard Government website. So, is my trip made things a hell of a lot easier for us. If you're in Agro, we found a lot of tourists or tour guides which would book the trains for you. You just take your cash straight to them. Again, another reason why you need cash, and they'll help you book your train tickets all across India. The reason for this is that a lot of the government sites or Indian-run sites do not accept foreign cards. Motorbikes, a lot of cool cats like to ride like Royal Enfield, cool air spikes around India. It's a thing even the Indian people love to do it. They arrive from Delhi all the way to Ladakh in the north. It's super cool. It's definitely for the adventurous and brave people though because some of the roads are crazy. But yeah, that's another option if you want. You can hire one in Delhi or we

have our motorbike rental place in Ladakh. Down in the resource pack below, motorbike hire in Ladakh was 1800 rupees per day, but apparently it's a lot cheaper in the bigger cities. If you don't want to take public transport, then definitely organize yourself a private driver. Avis has a private chauffeur option that you can order on their website. Otherwise, our favorite driver's details will be linked in the resource pack. All right, cars. You might want to hire a car and drive around yourself, but the locals are actually hesitant to hire cars out to foreigners. We wouldn't even recommend it at all. We tried to rent our own car in Ladakh to drive it around, but they really wouldn't let us. I think that's because the driving in India is very different, and foreigners probably might mess up the cars and stuff. So it's definitely not common for a foreigner to rent a car in India. Probably the most common transport method in India is the Tuk Tuk, and you can hail down one pretty much on every

street in India, and it roughly costs you about 50 to 100 rupees for 18 to 20-minute drive. Next up is budget. How much should you can safely say India was one of the most affordable countries we've ever visited, probably tied with Vietnam. For one month in India, we spent 2500 USD for two people, and majority of that was spent in Ladakh in the north. That was quite an expensive trip for us as South Africans. Transport was quite expensive, food, everything of all was more expensive there, and we spent 10 days in Ladakh. If you're staying in places like Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, it is much cheaper than that, so you can definitely spend way less than 2500 for two people. We would say that's pretty good though. We moved around a lot every few days, lots of transportation, we saw everything we wanted to see, we ate all the food, we didn't actually skimp on any of the pricing, probably the hostels. We did try and save a little bit of money on.

accommodation. Because obviously, if you're spending a hundred dollars a night on a hotel, you're gonna spend three thousand dollars alone on accommodation. So, we didn't want to do that. To 2500 for two people in India, it's pretty darn good. Looking at our personal expenses, we spent approximately eighty dollars per day for two people. That includes accommodation, food, transport, entry into all of our sites that we wanted to visit, absolutely everything. Not a bad deal, but let's break down some of the prices. If you're a Backpacker, you can spend as little as 15 to 40 dollars a day. You'll be able to because we stayed in the seven Dollar Hotel the one night. Next up, if you're a comfortable traveler, similar to how we are, you'll be spending 40 to 80 a day. And then finally, luxury dude, there is no limit to how luxurious you can be in India. They are unbelievable places you can stay at. You can do private train experiences like Cara and Native for what, ten thousand dollars a night or something crazy.

the luxury in India is next level. So I don't even want to put a number on the luxury, but anything above, I'd say, 200 a day is pretty luxurious. Good value for money though. Even 100 a day, I'd say, is pretty luxurious. If you want to check out a nice Heritage Hotel, I will link the video above. We splurged the one night. Next up is traffic. Insane. Like insane. Next level. 12 Lanes worth of traffic. Bumper to bumper cars. So if you're traveling by Road or in cars or anything on the road, it'll take you a lot longer than you expected. A lot of recommendations came from our comments to use the Metro System. We didn't actually get to use it, but maybe you would like to check it out. Apparently it's very efficient to move around daily. At least, yeah. I think it would be better to use a much other than to use cards because it does take longer short and it's loud. It's so loud, guys. The hooting. Oh my goodness. The beeping. You know what.

else makes the traffic bad in India. It's the cows. They just walk and roam on the highways by themselves. It was so cute. Oh, I loved India and the cows. And yeah, it's all fun. It's so much fun. Next up, language and culture. The locals speak Hindi, and most speak fluent English, actually. So, except for the odd driver, hotel staff, and some of the older generation, but we got by pretty easily with English. Hindi is a pretty cool language to learn, though. It's awesome to hear it. I think the only words we learned were Namaste. And yeah, we really didn't need to learn Hindi, though everyone spoke English. In terms of religion and culture, Hinduism literally originated from India, so it is the most common religion we came across and the reason why so many people are vegetarian. Although India is a Hindu majority country, they also have a big Muslim population, they have Buddhism, they have Christianity, all sorts. India is one of the most religiously and ethnically diverse countries in the world. You will be

surprised when you travel all around India, you'll learn so much. It's amazing, and they practice their religion solidly. Next up is where to go. India is so big that we were overwhelmed and completely confused as to where to go, but some people suggested the Golden Triangle tourist route to us. Lots of blog posts and supervisors have the same, so we went with it. Our friends wanted to visit Ladakh for the first time, so we added that on too. Maybe head down to the comment section, and our Indian followers can guide you a little more as to where you want to go. We were pretty happy with the Golden Triangle routes, although we would like to see more raw authentic Indian culture. A lot of the areas we visited were very touristy, but it is the Tourist route. A lot of people didn't agree with us doing the Golden Triangle, and I totally agree. It is such a small little area of India. I'm glad we ended up going to Ladakh. That was further away, and we saw a different part of

India, although the history and architecture in each city is amazing, we do recommend the Golden Triangle. We're not saying don't do it, we're just saying if you are going to do it, try do somewhere else like Goa or Varanasi or Ladakh like we did. As well as the Golden Triangle, but for first-timers like us, it was great. We had a good time, we had a great little taste of India, and we loved Ladakh for our whole itinerary and what we did in India. You can check the link in the description. Once again, all right, next up is what to eat. Oh, the food is the best part. It's just as amazing as you can imagine it to be. Some of our favorites are Filmy, I mean the desserts were really good. So here's some of our favorites on the list. Just eat all of these when you're in India. Paneer, Kulfi, Chapati, Dosa, Paratha, Tikka, Chicken, Gulab Jamun, Biryani, Here, Idli, Rice cakes, and there are so many vegetarian meals if you're vegetarian.

even vegan, you'll be sorted. We come from South Africa, so we're very used to Indian food, although it's very different. Actually, in India, majority of these things we just mentioned are vegetarian. You're mainly eating vegetarian food. While in India, there are lots of Western food options as well. You can use the Zomato app in order to your house. An average meal in India will cost you around two to three dollars, and you can go to very nice restaurants and spend a lot more, a lot more. Yeah, one thing to definitely not doing in India is eat seafood. Oh, this will happen. It really knocked me out for like 10 days, which was very unfortunate. Next up is water and ice. Pretty much nobody who drinks tap water. We all just use bottled water while in India, and we also avoided ice for that reason. Definitely don't brush your teeth with tap water. It's pretty much the same as barley. The locals might be used to the tap water, but foreigners certainly aren't, so just avoid it just in case. Bottled waters were supplied on the long train rides.

which was really convenient. We didn't have to pay for this bottle of water, which is cool. It's readily available in most marts and restaurants, so you don't really need to worry about it. If you are staying at a homestay or hotel, they will order these big 25-liter bottles of water, so you're sorted. Next up is alcohol. We didn't actually drink a stitch of alcohol while we were in India. It just actually didn't really come up. We found it kind of hard to find alcohol places. It wasn't really sold at restaurants or in the marts like it is in Bali. You can seek it out. There are these specific bottle stores which we saw in the daily area, so you can get alcohol and wine and those sorts of things, but it's just not a very common thing. Aren't really even comments on the pricing line. [Music] You're not going there to be partying and stuff unless you're probably in Goa. It's not really a topic that you even entertain. You just have fun sober and.

enjoy seeing the sights and stuff, and eating the food. Next up, travel insurance and medical travel insurance is definitely not a requirement to enter India, but it is highly recommended, at least we think so. This is if you get hospitalized and you have a serious accident, it might be quite expensive and you'll want to be covered. But we can say after visiting the hospital three times in India that it is so affordable. We went to private International hospitals; the doctor only costs rates ten dollars for consultation, and he had a full full-body health check 11 steps, all sorts of tests, and that was 73. 73 dollars. So just a small visit to the doctor, you'll be totally fine to cover it yourself, but if it's a bigger thing, then definitely have travel insurance. Now, pharmacies, they are really, really good in India too. Stuff is very, very affordable, and they're all over the place. You can even get antibiotics over the counter without seeing a doctor in India. Don't even worry about the medical in India; they have some of the best doctors in the

world. They are super knowledgeable, and they will take care of you. We even know a few people that come specifically to India to do dentistry and other medical-related things. It's actually quite a popular thing to do in Delhi. They even have a medical Visa that you can... There's a medical Visa. There's specific hospitals for tourists and hotels for tourists to stay at when they come to get their medical procedures done in India. There's like a whole setup about it. Brilliant. Next up is vaccinations. We always talk to our travel doctor before we visit a place, and we were advised to get Hepatitis A and B shots and typhoid shots before going to India specifically. We would also recommend the rabies vaccinations in case you end up getting scratched or bitten by a monkey or a dog. I just got bitten by a dog in Bali, Indonesia, and had to do the four-course rabies vaccinations. Wasn't really fun, but it could have all been avoided if we did get vaccinated beforehand. It can be quite stressful trying to get those...

shots in a foreign country. They are quite rare to find and hard to find, even in Bali, a tourist destination. So yeah, if you're worried about rabies and things like that, then probably get vaccinated before you leave your home country. Next up is the length of stay. The length of stay really actually depends on you. You do get a 30-day tourist visa, and that was more than enough time for us. If you don't have a lot of time, maybe 10 to 14 days is good enough. You can do the whole Golden Triangle and maybe one or two other places as well. But if you want to travel the entire of India, that'll take you about 10 years to do. India is massive. There are so many different amazing places to see. Good luck travel planning and figuring out where you want to go. It's tough. There's a lot. We definitely need to go back a couple more times to see all the places we'd love to go. We'd have to probably buy more trips to cover.

all right, next up is the electricity and plugs that they use. India uses the same plug system as South Africa, at least the two-prong version of that, so we were able to plug in our phone charges and everything directly into the plugs in India without needing an adapter. But these adapters are pretty cheap, grab one before you leave or you can even get one in India itself. There were plugs on the trains, in most Starbucks, and we basically didn't have a problem getting a charge whenever we needed. Next up is SIM card and internet. We suggest getting a SIM card as soon as you land in the airport and get them to set it up for you and load a good amount of data on it. We say that because the app didn't actually work for us afterwards, and to try and load data on the app ourselves was quite difficult. If you do it at the airport, you're sorted. If you don't happen to do it at the airport, then definitely get a local friend or a hotel to help you. In terms of Wi-Fi speed, the

Wi-Fi was a bit of a hit or miss. Like, we got really good speeds, up to 200 megabytes per second in some of the places we stayed. On average, it was about 50. And then, sometimes, strangely, in the Starbucks, we got two megabytes per second. So, it can be quite variable. We relied on mobile data a ton and luckily, data is very affordable in India, and the LTE signals are pretty darn good. Although, when you go to Ladakh in India, they use a totally different system. So, your SIM card actually doesn't work. You have to buy a new one in Ladakh or just rely on the Wi-Fi. Next up, International driving permits. This is something you only need to get if you plan to hire a motorbike. I'd say, like we said, renting a car isn't recommended, so get it if you need. It's basically just your own choice. You pretty much won't need it though. Next up is now tipping. It's not actually quiet or kind of experience. So, generally, when we would agree with a

guide or a driver on a certain price. They would finish the job or whatever, and then at the end, they would kind of guilt-trip you into paying them a little bit more. So yeah, whatever price you agree with someone doesn't necessarily mean it's the end price. You will kind of be expected to pay a little bit more. We found in restaurants and things was kind of already worked into the receipt, um, so you don't have to tap there in terms of the amount you're wanting to tip. That's really up to you. A little bit goes a long way. You can be as generous as you want. Next up is laundry. We'll cover this quickly. We basically did it at the guest houses and the hostels. It is affordable. They don't charge you an arm and a leg if you're wanting to do laundry and your accommodation doesn't offer it. Just ask this off. They are so helpful. They'll organize a laundromat for you, and it can be done in the day quick sticks. One load of laundry

shouldn't cost you more than 10 to 15 dollars. It's super duper affordable. All right, next up is weather and natural disasters. India has floods and landslides, and that's pretty much the only natural disasters that we would worry about, especially if you're planning to drive a motorbike around the country. That could be very dangerous, especially since a lot of the roads are still very sandy. So avoid the monsoon season from April to September if that scares you. Otherwise, if you are sticking to the big cities as a tourist, you don't need to worry about any other natural disasters. Now the part that most of you would probably appreciate is what to skip in India. We love doing these two just to inform you a bit more about things that you shouldn't even waste your money and time on. First of all, this is, yeah, this is interesting. In Delhi, this is one of the biggest Spice markets in the whole of Asia, and it's where a lot of tourists, and that's where we saw the most tourists in.

India, a lot of tour companies operate tours to this Chinese market. At first, we were all excited about it. It was a new experience. It was cool to go there. But after we posted the video and we received a lot of comments about how local Indian people just don't believe that tourists should even be going to parts like this because it's not even a reflection of India. It's very run down. It's very busy and chaotic. And it's quite dirty. I also feel I agree with the people in the comments because it's not a good reflection on India or Delhi. There's something strange about tourists going to go and view this place. To do what you want with that information, it's up to you whether you want to go to China and have a tick-tuk driver take you through there. At the end of the day, it's your choice as a tourist. But a lot of the local Indians don't think it's a good place for tourists to go. Next thing to skip is probably spend. We spend more than one night in Agra.

as where the Taj Mahal is, and the Taj Mahal is gorgeous. The grounds around there are amazing, but the city around there is quite run down, dirty, and chaotic, and there's really not much else other than the Taj Mahal and agrofort to see. You can totally cover Agra in one night; it's more than enough time. Next up is a trip to tomariri. This we would not recommend if you do come from a country like Canada or New Zealand and you are used to seeing these incredible big mountains all around you. If you are not from a country like that and you'd love to see the beautiful lakes and mountains, we highly recommend it. It was a beautifully scenic trip. We're from South Africa, and we have nothing like it in our country, so to see snow-capped mountains and Blue Lakes and mirror reflections of mountains and stuff was incredible. But doobie warned, the trip is brutal. You're on bumpy roads in the car for hours and hours. Altitude sickness is

also very real. So if you're an adventurous type and you've never seen landscape shapes like that, definitely do it. If you're from a beautiful place like we said before, skip that one. And finally, we think that you should skip Amber Fort unless you have a local guide to take you there. So don't do Amber Fort on your own. This is one of the only places in India that we were seriously harassed, and we actually wanted to leave. But it is so beautiful there too, so make sure you've got a local guide. And if you don't have one, then don't go because it will be a bad experience for you. If you want to see our full experience at Amber Fort, then check this video linked above. Next up is things we recommend you do. First one is diaper Pink City. We loved Diaper, the architecture, the things you can do there, the people, the food, and we particularly love the homes that we stayed in in Draper as well. It was overall just an amazing experience being in that City. We mentioned it already in the previous

section, but we highly recommend you visit the Taj Mahal. One or two nights is more than enough in Agra though a lot of people commenting on the video saying that there's more incredible little historical sites in India than the Taj Mahal, but it honestly was one of the most beautiful buildings within. You have to see the grounds and the sunrise. It was just amazing. Then, literally one of the most favorite cities we've ever been to is Leh. We highly recommend if you can go visit. Lit go and watch the videos. If you're planning to go to India, definitely plan a trip to LIT. We fell in love with it so much that we could see ourselves living in Leh for a couple of months. Yeah, and finally, something we didn't actually do ourselves, but we're pretty bummed we missed out on it is either Dharamsala or in Ladakh. If you're a fan of the Dalai Lama, then definitely go and see his teachings in Ladakh or Dharamsala. It's something we

actually didn't even know happened until we got to India. So if you're a fan of them, check out his teachings. Obviously, there are tons more places to visit in India. We've heard really good things about Goa, Varanasi, Mumbai, and Bangalore. You'll just have to check out other YouTubers for more info on those places and see which one tickles your scent. Next up is safety. Well, really different video on this topic, but we can straight up tell you that India and Indian people are some of the most incredible people we've ever met. They were so hospitable. They all they want to do is feed you and make sure you're enjoying the food and have a great time. They are so playful. They want to take photos and they pose with you. And oh, the people are just incredible and they make India the amazing country that it is and make the experience amazing. So don't worry about safety in terms of being a Solo Traveler or female traveler. Well then we'll cover that in the other video.

because we need to dive into it in a deeper way. If you are a content creator wanted to make content about India, then just be warned about the keyboard Warriors. There are a lot of really nasty people on the internet. They are brutal in the comments. They will be racist towards you and they'll say very nasty things and criticize everything you do. But they are not a reflection of the people in India in person at all. Like it's day and night. All right, the next section, which you've probably been waiting for, is the scams. There weren't any really, really bad scams. We can tell you. The first of all was Uber drivers asking for cash and asking you to cancel the drive on the app and pay them cash in person. That was weird. Our friend just told us to cancel the drive and book another driver on Uber. There are drivers that will charge you a fortune. Also, they'll do meter taxis and the meters will just keep going up and up and up. Another nap. Just use Uber the app and try and avoid these guys telling you to

cancel and pay in cash. It's very important to use the Uber or an authorized taxi service at the airport, and not just any random person, because some of them take you to a toy or a center, and they try to sell you a tour. And it's just we've heard very bad stories about people losing a lot of money through that, so just try and avoid that all together. And then another thing that happened to us in Agra is, as we got up the train station, a man ushered us to go and get a tuk-tuk. He tried to take us into his house to have tea and lunch and stuff, but all we really wanted was the tuk-tuk from the train station to our hotel. It didn't actually bother us at the time, but people told us in the comments that that is a scam, and we should never have left with the guy and gone. And yeah, it was a bit strange. Rather stick to the proper entry and exit points, and you know, just stay to the busy areas where it looks like more

people are going in and out of the stations, and don't be afraid to say no to these people and just go on and get another drive. Also, they are very pushy there, guys, so you have to be able to just say no, no, no. You have to get used to it. And then one that really annoyed us. It's not really a scam, but it's the guides at The Monuments and stuff. Well, yeah, I guess it is a scam. So a lot of the guides, especially at the Taj Mahal, they also offer to take photos for you and they say no, we don't expect anything. We're here, we're just doing favors. But then once they're done taking photos for you, they will demand money from you and they will harass you until you pay them the amount that they want. So don't actually trust anybody or listen to them that they're doing you a favor because more often than not, they're trying to scam you, get money out of you. And literally you can do that with one person. You pay one person you

walk 10 meters. There's another guy trying to do the exact same thing. We got hounded at these sites so just say no, no. It gets very annoying and you constantly have to say no thank you. And then they even have some attitude back and say no, no thank you here. Oh, it just, it can get kind of ugly sometimes. And then finally ATMs, some 18 games are dodgy and they will swallow your card. And that's the last thing you want to happen in India. So try and stick to the air-conditioned like multiple ATMs in an air-conditioned room with a security guard outside. Those are the legitimate ones. Next is the other section. We'll just brush over these quickly. It's been quite a long video and there's lots of information. One of the things is that you don't throw toilet paper in the toilet. You throw it in the bin and use a bum gun. It's the best cleanest way to do your business anyway, so embrace it. In terms of mosquitoes, good thing to know.

is that mosquitoes don't actually carry Dengue and malaria, especially if you're going to certain tourist destinations. At least in the daily area, but do take mosquito repellent anyway to avoid the hundreds of bites that you will encounter. Then the next and last thing is airport security is literally crazy guys. If you have Electronics on you like a camera bag, you normally take out just your laptop, forget that you're gonna take got absolutely everything. I'm talking cables, Chargers, drone batteries, propellers like they'll literally take a whole bag of parts and look at every single item individually. It's crazy. Yeah man, a guy even had his big jar of honey taken. He had to eat his honey and pour some of it out. In terms of drawings, I think you should cover that. That's important. Drones, I literally did not pack it in my carry-on. I stuck it in my checked luggage and they did even find my batteries and my controller and they were like where's the Drone, where's the Drone. They don't like drones at all.

then finally, to end this video, the question that everybody probably wants to know: would we travel back to India? The answer is absolutely freaking yes. We loved India, we love the people, and it was just... we look back on that month with such fond memories. We came out with really cool pictures and stuff. We had some ups and downs, that's a given, I think that's always going to happen in India. It is a different place, it's crazy and chaotic and loud and not like home at all, but just... it's amazing, embrace it, you'll look back on it with very fond memories, and you will learn so much about the country and the people and the history and the religion, and you're highly recommended. We'll definitely be back, we're even planning a trip and figuring out where we want to go to next time we're in India. And that's literally basically everything you need to know about India. We hope you guys found this informative, there's a lot of stuff, it's jam-packed, sure, leave any other comments if there's anything else you'd like to know.

maybe we can answer you in the comments. And also, if you have other knowledge for fellow travelers, leave it in the comments below too. We were first-timers to India. We're just sharing what our experience was and what we learned. We've also done a similar video for Barley. You can check it linked above if you're planning a trip there. And once again, the India resource pack is available for you to download from our website, so check it out if you're interested. We'll see you guys in the next video. Bye-bye. Bye. Happy travels and time in India. Thank you. [Music]

INDIA travel guide | EVERYTHING to know before you go

We make helpful travel guide videos from around the world!





Rhett and Claire

India offers incredible food, amazing people, and mind-blowing history and architecture, making it a must-visit destination.

When traveling to India, it's important to apply for the appropriate visa, ensure you have enough cash, and be aware of the best time to visit, which is during the winter months.

Packing breathable, loose-fitting clothing and comfortable walking shoes is essential, especially if you plan to use buses or trains for transportation.

Pack necessary medications for stomach issues, thrush, anxiety, and eye/nose problems, but they are also available in Indian pharmacies.

Bring rehydrates, protein bars, warm clothes, and mosquito repellent, especially for northern regions and the Himalayas.

Download essential apps like Zomato, Uber, Google Maps, and Booking.

Accommodation options in India vary widely, from hostels to luxury resorts, with limited availability of airbnbs and co-working/co-living spaces.

Utilize Uber and Ola for convenient transportation, especially due to potential language barriers with local drivers.

Transportation and Budget Tips for Traveling in India

Uber is recommended for avoiding tourist scams and offers a variety of transportation options, including tuk-tuks and luxury cars, all in one app.

Trains are a fun and affordable way to travel, especially in first or second AC class.

Flights within the country are accessible and reasonably priced, and esmytrip.

com is highly recommended for booking flights and trains.

In terms of budget, India is very affordable, with an average cost of $80 per day for two people, and travelers can spend as little as $15 per day as a backpacker or up to $80 per day for a comfortable experience.

Luxury travel in India offers limitless, extravagant options for accommodation and experiences.

Experiencing India: Luxury, Traffic, Language & Culture, and Food

Luxury in India is affordable, with options for a luxurious experience for as low as $100 a day.

The traffic is intense, with 12 lanes of bumper to bumper cars and unexpected delays, but the Metro system is recommended for efficient daily travel.

The country is rich in culture, with a diverse religious population, predominantly Hindi-speaking locals, and a strong influence of Hinduism.

The food in India is diverse, affordable, and offers a wide range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, with the majority of traditional dishes being vegetarian.

Bottled water is the safe option for drinking, as tap water is not recommended for foreigners.

Bottled water is readily available in most stores and restaurants, so there's no need to worry about it, especially when staying at a homestay or hotel.

Alcohol may be a bit hard to find in India, as it's not commonly sold in restaurants or stores, but specific bottle shops do offer it.

While travel insurance is not a requirement to enter India, it's highly recommended due to the affordable yet high-quality medical care in the country.

It's also advisable to get vaccinated for Hepatitis A and B, typhoid, and rabies before visiting India, and a 30-day tourist visa is usually sufficient for a stay, but the country's size and attractions may require multiple visits.

Wi-Fi in India is variable, with high speeds in some places and low speeds in others, so be prepared to rely on mobile data.

Consider getting an International driving permit only if you plan to hire a motorbike, as renting a car is not recommended.

Tipping in India is often expected, especially with guides and drivers, so be prepared for some extra expenses.

Laundry services at guest houses and hostels are affordable and convenient, usually costing no more than 10 to 15 dollars per load.

When traveling in India, it's important to be cautious of floods and landslides, especially during the monsoon season from April to September.

Consider skipping the Delhi Spice market and spending more than one night in Agra, but a trip to Tso Moriri Lake is recommended for its scenic beauty, despite the challenging journey.

Skip Amber Fort unless you have a local guide to avoid a bad experience.

Visit Diaper for its architecture, activities, and food, and definitely see the Taj Mahal in Agra.

Consider planning a trip to Leh, which the travelers loved, and if you're a fan of the Dalai Lama, don't miss his teachings in Ladakh or Dharamsala.

Indian people are hospitable and welcoming, so safety as a solo or female traveler shouldn't be a big concern.

Be cautious of scams with Uber drivers asking for cash, avoid unauthorized taxis, and be wary of being lured into unexpected tours.

Be cautious of pushy guides at tourist sites, especially at the Taj Mahal, who offer to take photos and then demand money.

Use legitimate ATMs in secure locations to avoid card swallowing scams.

Remember not to throw toilet paper in the toilet and to use mosquito repellent to avoid bites.

Airport security in India is thorough, so be prepared to have all electronics carefully inspected.

Despite the challenges, the travelers highly recommend embracing the unique experience of India and look forward to visiting again.