Tammie
India Survival Guide – A practical guide to staying well, relaxed & smiling
Health, Food & Staying Well
Do not drink tap water.
Be careful when brushing your teeth — bottled water is safest.
Street food is not recommended due to lack of refrigeration (yes, it’s sad, but being sick is sadder).
Stick to fruit with skins (bananas, oranges).
Chopped fruit at hotel breakfast buffets is generally fine.
Take snacks from breakfast for the day — a banana or croissant can make you very happy in busy traffic.
Two meals a day is often plenty. On long driving days, chips, coffee, fruit, or ice cream usually do the trick.
Photos, People & Getting Around
You may be asked for photos, especially if you’re blonde.
We don’t recommend agreeing, as it quickly opens the floodgates.
Cricket conversations can be very time‑consuming — entirely up to you!
We don’t recommend walking alone at night.
Even during the day, be cautious of overly helpful men telling you you’re going the wrong way and offering to show you down a dark alley 😱
(Don’t panic — it’s usually just to sell you some cushion covers from their cousin 😉)
Beggars, Vendors & Haggling
For safety reasons we suggest you dont give cash to beggars, this can quickly attract a crowd and may cause a stampede situation, which puts everyone at risk.
Street vendors can be persistent — try not to get bent out of shape. Always remain polite and calm.
Haggling is part of the process. Decide in advance what you are prepared to spend.
If you can’t agree on a price, just walk away. That’s completely acceptable and often the quickest way to resolve things.
Hotels, Rooms & Laundry
On arrival, flush the toilet and turn on the hot water straight away.
We request non‑smoking rooms, but occasionally this doesn’t happen.
Complaints are often resolved with air freshener, which apparently makes it non‑smoking again.
Laundry: always check your items when they’re returned.
True story — I once paid to have socks washed that never came back.
I was told I paid for the washing, not the having, of the socks.
Try not to murder front office staff if this happens — I was dragged to the bus once. Very embarrassing. (Still not over it.)
Toilets & Money
Toilets aren’t everywhere, but we’re very good at planning comfort stops.
Toilets often cost money, and you’ll never have small change — pay for a friend 😉
Carry cash for shared meals and small expenses.
Final Words
India is friendly, fun, and surprisingly relaxed to travel in.
Remember — you’re on holiday. Enjoy it.
We’re just making som suggestions to keep you safe, well, and smiling.
xx
