Colors of India (Inbound Tour Operators)

Here, are some traveling tips while you travel to the varied regions of Incredible India!

Do’s

Exchange money only through authorized money changers or from within the hotel, you are staying. All leading hotels have this facility for their in-house guests. Else contact your travel agent for the same.
It is quite a closed society. So avoid wearing clothes that are too revealing and too scanty.
Leave your shoes behind and cover your head (for women) while you enter any religious place.
Check photography and filming details at any monument.
Always ensure that your passport and other valuables are safe.
Always reconfirm your return flight tickets well in advance.
Check for necessary foreigners permit while traveling remote places of India.
Avoid shopping and sight seeing through locals, cab drivers and touts.
Always carry packaged mineral water while traveling and buy them only from your hotel, known shops or take advice from your guide/escort.
Always carry mosquito repellants. The ones available in India are pretty good but it is advisable to bring along your own stock of bud repellant creams in case you develop an allergic reaction to the ones used here.
In case you do fall ill, visit a doctor and relax. Just think of it as another experience!
Keep a small first aid kit with you with your essential medications along with band-aids, anti-septic ointment and mosquito repellants.
In case you are traveling during the summer months, take extra protection as the sun is very strong and it can get mercilessly hot. Carry hats, sunglasses and most important sunscreen lotions. Keep drinking water to prevent de-hydration.
Honking is a necessary evil in India and almost a habit to the drivers. So don't get worked up if the driver behind you constantly honks even if it is a red light!
Tipping is not mandatory. It genuinely depends on the services rendered.
Check your travel insurance papers if they offer medical coverage in case of an untoward incident in a foreign land. Most hospitals in India do not treat foreign nationals if they do not have proper medical insurance.

Don’ts

Do not purchase rail/coach/air tickets through unauthorized travel agents/touts.
Do not accept eatables from strangers.
Do not encourage beggars. It is a racket.
Do not roam around into the late hours of night.
Do not buy articles made from rear / endangered species or animals, which are banned.
Avoid over friendly people while traveling.
Many public places and hotel premises are now banned from smoking. Check out before.
Do not get coerced into shopping by touts, cab drivers or strangers.
Alcohol and non – vegetarian foods are not allowed in religious places.
Do not have cut fruits or salads from roadside vendors. They usually have very high contamination levels and are a breeding ground for germs.