India Warnings Or Dangers Tips by Canadienne Top 5 Page for this destination

Curious Looks

One of the things can be very difficult to adjust to is the amount of attention that non-Indians attract. In our own countries, most of us pass our days “blending” into the crowd, but in this country it is simply impossible to do so.

Although some of the attention from men definitely veers into leering, much of the staring is out of curiosity, plain and simple. It can sometimes be intense, but it's not intended to be upsetting.

Selecting a Movie

The selection of the “right” Bollywood movie to view can make a big difference in the success of the experience. Talk to locals you meet and find out what's popular and why.

We saw Ek Hasina Thi at the end of our trip, as we hadn't been savvy enough to research a good second choice when our first choice was sold out. Ek Hasina Thi is a plot-based movie, with no songs. . .I understand enough Hindi to translate for my friends when they needed, but it really wasn't the best selection for a viewing without subtitles.

Go for musicals, go for family dramas (where the emotions speak more than words ever could), go for comedy (where the reaction of a full audience will prove as entertaining as the show). . .but make sure you don't miss out on this essential experience.

Security Checks

This photo is from the security gates at the Taj Mahal complex, but I've also encountered security checks in a few other temples and sites in the country.

It's worth noting that cell phones, flashlights, walkmans/Discmans, food, and even pens will result in a request to check them at a cloak room. I've never had a problem with theft from any cloakroom, but items of irreplaceable value should always be left at home.

The security checks for flights within the country were mixed ~ I had to remove batteries from my cameras & alarm clock before one flight, but not before the next.

Bees' Nests

Agra Fort, Udaipur’s City Palace, the Taj Mahal and many other places all harbour enormous bees’ nests under the overhang of their sculptured windows and arches.

This is fine for most people (as people are fond of telling me, "if you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you"), but if you’re a bit phobic (as I am), be forewarned. It’s best to take your breaks/pauses in open spaces, away from nooks like these.

Free Guides

Free, or included-with-entry guides, are not really the deal you might think.

We passed up on the opportunity to hire a private guide at Bikaner's Junagarh Fort, as we were advised that one came with our ticket. There was a guide, leading a goup of predominantly Indian tourists, but we really got the short end of the deal. He was obviously more comfortable in Hindi than in English, and I know enough of the language to know how much was not being translated for us.

All of his attention was focused on moving us through the fort as quickly as possible, even to the annoyance of the rest of the group. He started speaking before people were within earshot, then refused to fully repeat what information he had given. . .all in all, it was a disappointing experience, since we were not able to leave the group and wander alone.

The extra cost of the private guide, who would have gone at our pace and answered our questions, would have been a worthwhile expense.

Kalighat Temple, Kolkata

The Kalighat Temple is one of the more-visited sites in Kolkata, but there's a very smooth operation underway for tourists. As soon as you arrive anywhere near the temple, you are whisked in through one of the entries and met by a priest (I knew something was up as soon as I tried to explore the outside lanes before entering ~ everyone seemed very disgruntled), who will take you on a "tour" of the temple.

Obviously, anyone who offers assistance like this will expect a tip/donation at the end, and I typically have no argument with compensating for this type of service. However, when you reach the final stage of the Kalighat Temple tour, you'll be shown a book of signatures with donation amounts written next to each name and country (in strangely dissimilar handwriting). The amounts began at 1000 rupees and moved upwards. . .I was browbeaten to give more than I offered. I stood firm, signed the book and wrote in 100 rupees, but I'm certain that has since been adjusted.

The temple is interesting, but this experience ruined the visit for me. . .I've had many pleasant tours of temples, without the same kind of aggressive sham at the end.

Bumps in the Road

This "warning" is a big one ~ anything that can go wrong often will. Trains are late, tires go flat, taxi drivers get completely lost. . .you have to be willing to let go of frustration, otherwise you'll become hopelessly mired in it.

Never pin your hopes on getting somewhere at an exact time, or on having the exact meal that you ordered. . .simply be willing to enjoy what comes your way as part of the experience of travel in this country.

Amber Fort, Jaipur

We took an elephant ride up the cobbled pathway to the Amber Fort . . .what I hadn't realized is that the elephants are steered using a sharp metal pick on their heads. Our elephant was not the only one with rivulets of blood running down the side of his face.

Better idea? Enjoy the exercise of walking up the pathway ~ it'll help burn off all the naan and barfi. :-)

Anti-Malarial Meds

Anyone traveling to malaria-infected countries will be faced with a choice of meds. I took Doxycycline, which has the side-effect of making you photo-sensitive (ie. sun sensitive). However, I also had an allergic reaction to it. . .even without initial sun exposure, my skin (on hands, arms and neck) burnt all day long. It looked as if I had a sunburn, felt as if I was on fire. . .and it was aggravated by eating or drinking anything warm/hot, being in warm temperatures (in India!) and movement. I was faced with the choice, six days into my trip, of stopping the meds or going home.

I dropped Doxy and covered for it with the liberal use of Deet-based mosquito repellants when I was in an area that had mosquitos. You should bring Deet from home ~ I never came across products in India. You can also buy mosquito coils in India, so I used those in the hotel rooms on occasion.

End result ~ I finished my trip painlessly and bite-free.

Camel Treks

It's a very popular excursion ~ the sunset or overnight camel trek into the desert ~ for group or individuals travelling in India. My cautionary advice comes only from my own experience ~ that of being thrown violently from a camel, outside of Pushkar.

There were about four of us, each camel with a walking guide. . .mine started bucking suddenly, threw me partway off (one foot still stuck in a stirrup), then galloped in circles, before I finally got my foot out of my shoe and managed to push myself away from the camel. I was bruised, scratched and otherwise uninjured, but shaken. I think we all know that camels have nasty dispositions, but I've never been cautioned about this kind of response before. . .