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Home > Destinations > Far East > India > Know
Before You Go (Southern India)
The more you know about the destination and the conditions you can expect on your Wildland Adventure, the more you will enjoy your experience. We invite you to call our destination specialists at 1-800-345-4453 so that we can answer any questions or concerns. The following information will also help you prepare for the exciting experience ahead and enable you to get the very most from your trip.
Air Travel Arrangements
We are pleased to assist you with your international flights to India. Although we do not issue airline tickets ourselves, through associated travel providers we are able to offer discounted bulk rate fares with preferred airlines and are familiar with the best schedules and routing. International flights for Wildland Adventures’ trips to Northern India arrive in the capital city of Delhi. There is no obligation to purchase your international tickets from Wildland Adventures although our fares are usually competitive. The principal airlines that we recommend from the U.S. to Delhi include Thai Airlines, Indian Airlines, and Cathay Pacific across the Pacific, and British Airlines, Lufthansa, SAS and KLM across the Atlantic. Domestic flights in Southern India (when applicable) are included in the cost of your Wildland Adventure.
General Health
Once you sign up for a trip, we provide detailed information about health precautions and possible immunizations for travel to each destination. A consultation with your doctor, a local travel clinic, or public health office will help you decide which medications or inoculations are necessary for your safe participation on the trip. Although we have no licensed medical experts on staff, we have considerable destination experience and are more than familiar with the environments and conditions under which you will be traveling. We are here to help you find the professional advice that you need concerning immunizations you may need for your trip. Preventative measures against infectious diseases may require advance planning for immunization. All travelers, but especially pregnant women and parents traveling with young children should consult their physician or pediatrician well in advance of departure.
As in any developing country, you want to be careful of what you eat and drink. Contaminated food and water are the usual sources of organisms that cause travelers’ diarrhea (and dysentery). Avoid uncooked foods in low quality restaurants and street vendors, drink bottled water and practice basic hygiene. Taking such simple measures will greatly reduce your risk. Most people who visit India experience some effects of dietary change, and those traveling to the Himalayas may experience some altitude related effects. Typically symptoms include shortness of breath, dizziness, headache, insomnia and loss of appetite. Plenty of rest, fluids and headache remedies are helpful.
Recommended immunizations for India
With simple precautions, travel to India is safe. There are no immunizations required for travel to Southern India. Recommended immunizations you should consider for travel to India are:
Hepatitis A: (all travelers over one year in age). Vaccination should be given at least two weeks (preferably four weeks or more) before departure.
Typhoid: (all travelers). Vaccination is normally oral (4 capsules on alternate days), or a single dose injection. The injectable vaccine (Typhim Vi) is probably preferable to the oral vaccine in pregnant and immunocompromised travelers.
Polio: (all travelers). Any adult who received the recommended childhood immunizations but never received a booster as an adult should be given a single dose of inactivated polio vaccine. All children should be up-to-date in their polio immunizations and any adult who never completed the initial series of immunizations should do so before departure.
All travelers should be up-to-date on routine immunizations, including Tetanus-diphtheria, Measles, and Varicella (chickenpox). Cholera vaccine is not generally recommended, even though outbreaks occur (see below), because most travelers are at low risk for infection. But a Yellow fever vaccine is required for all travelers arriving from a yellow-fever-infected country in Africa or the Americas, or arriving from or transiting through the following countries: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia.Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Trinidad and Tobago.
Any person (except infants up to the age of 6 months) arriving without a certificate within 6 days of departure from or transit through an infected area will be isolated for up to 6 days.
Other recommended but secondary protections include: Japanese Encephalitis: (only recommended for long term - one month plus – travelers visiting rural areas). Peak transmission occurs from May to October, during and just after the monsoon: Hepititis B: (only recommended for travelers likely to have intimate contact with local residents or potentially need blood transfusions or injections, especially if visiting for over six months). Rabies: (only recommended only for travelers at high risk of animal bites).
Please consult MD Travel Health for contemporary and complete travel information updated daily for physicians and travelers.
VISA and Passport Requirements
A passport is required for entry into India and should be valid for six months after your return date. A visa is required for all American and Canadian citizens. Non-US citizens should check with the embassy or consulate of India in your country of origin.
Indian Consulate VISA Page: http://www.cgisf.org/
U.S. State Department Passport Services
Reading List
Enrich your travels by using our recommended reading list and online ordering through Longitude Books. For each destination, we feature "Essential Reading," four or five books that are a comprehensive introduction to each region. This list favors well-written, concise books that capture the spirit of a place including guidebooks, memoirs, histories, field guides, natural histories, novels or other great books. You will also find the new and hard-to-find books, field guides, various classic accounts of exploration, travel narratives, books on art and archaeology, novels, essays and well-written academic books.
INSERT LINK TO INDIAN reading list
Travel Supplies and Packing List
We provide you with a specific packing list and recommended travel products for your trip once you have signed up for your Wildland Adventure. Two companies we recommend for travel supplies include:
ExOfficio
We highly recommend their performance engineered, quick dry and lightweight travel apparel designed for outdoor-oriented adventure travel.
www.exofficio.com
TravelSmith
A resource for every travel clothing category and a variety of specialty travel products.
www.travelsmith.com
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the accommodations like on a Wildland Adventure itinerary in India?
Accommodations on your Wildland Adventure in India are as diverse as the country itself. In Southern India we use a combination of modern luxury hotels and Maharaja’s Palaces; from grand historic royal residence to boutique style ex-prime minister’s converted homes. Each accommodation has been chosen for its standards, its ambiance and character, and its convenience to our route and activities.
2. Is there a lot of crime and theft in India?
In short; no - or at least, no more than anywhere else. Outside of the main tourist areas and big city centers, crime and theft are minimal. In more heavily touristy areas, as one might expect, incidences of theft increase. Violent crime directed against travelers is rare. To protect against possible theft in touristic areas, we recommend some basic precautions that, if followed, will in most cases remove any chance of the inconvenience of losing your travel documents and travel funds: carry your essentials (passport, traveler’s cheques, air tickets, driver’s license etc.) in a traveler’s wallet close to your body, or leave them in your hotel’s safe in each city. If you follow these basic precautionary measures you should be fine. Please note: Air tickets can often be left with the local agent to be reconfirmed on your behalf whilst you are traveling. Check with the local Indian agent. And DON’T forget to pick up your valuables and documents from the hotel safe when you depart for your next destination!
3. What is the weather like in India?
The India subcontinent is vast. The weather in India is thus varied and should be researched in relation to the specific region through which you are traveling. We have a climate and weather section on the web site which should be very helpful to you in this regard. On Wildland’s web site, please go to the India home page and click on Seasonal Climate section in the reference list located at the top of the page on the left hand side.
4. We hear a lot about the poverty in India, can you tell us more?
In comparison to the West, poverty in India is widespread – material poverty, that is - spiritual poverty is another issue. Although poverty is perhaps more evident in Northern India, Southern India can still leave an impression on visitors. For those only able to manage a short visit to India, the contrast between the materialism of the west and the very real poverty in India is so great that in some cases it becomes the dominant impression. But to see only the poverty is to miss the true nature of India and its peoples, and to misunderstand the unique relationship Indians have with poverty and their world. Hinduism has been around a long time, since the invasion of the Ganges Plain by the ‘Aryans’ in the fifteenth millennium BCE. Like all religions, Hinduism began as a socio-political control mechanism; a method of establishing dominance by an elite through moral and fear-related coercion. Many of those flaws are still apparent, such as the rigid caste system based upon skin color. But Hinduism’s longevity has meant its reinventions have been frequent and varied and it has lost that sense of moral superiority that still defines younger religions. Hinduism has become tolerant and inclusive, seemingly able to accept and even absorb other ideas and theologies much more readily. Much of this comes from the long view Hinduism cultivates. Hindus live multiple lifetimes and must learn deep spiritual lessons over their many reincarnations in order to reach Nirvana (heaven). During these multiple lifetimes they will experience every level of material wealth and every level of spiritual development. If they are rich, they will be poor next time, if they are of low caste, they will be high cast next time. And it is this viewpoint which allows of such a unique relationship with poverty and a sense of community much larger than an individual’s immediate caste. Visitors often relate that people they met in India have little material possessions but seem so much happier than the wealthy visitors.
4. What is the baggage weight limit on Indian domestic flights?
Indian domestic flights are governed by the normal international luggage weight limit of 44lb / 20kg per person. (US regulations are unique in that they allow travelers a much large allowance, but only in and out of US cities). Please be aware of this when packing.
Destination Information
For further information about India we recommend the following websites:
CIA World Factbook
General International Travel References
1. Time zone converter throughout the world
www.worldbuddy.com
2. Currency converter
www.oanda.com/converter/travel
3. Worldwide climate patterns of monthly rainfall and temperature averages
www.worldclimate.com
4. How To Take Travel Pictures Like A Pro
www.fodors.com/focus/
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