Despite the wealth of potential travel locations that exist around the world, there are some that remain decidedly more popular than others. Take the magical and mystical destination of India, for example, which is home to numerous sites of interest and a rich cultural heritage that defies all logic.
Despite this, India is also one of the most challenging destinations for novice travellers and those with a limited experience of international culture. India is also a nation of extremes, both in terms of social and political beliefs and the climate changes that take place throughout the year.
3 Tips for travelling to India: How to stay safe and make the most of your experience
Rather than avoiding India as a holiday destination, however, travellers should instead commit to behaving responsibly and absorbing as much information as possible prior to their trip. With this in mind, here are three tips that will help you to get the most from your India sojourn: –
Learn about the Indian Culture
This is arguably the most important consideration, as India’s cultural heritage is a rich tapestry that has multiple prominent threads. While this adds to the appeal of India, it can also cause an issue for uninformed or ill-prepared travellers who are not use to a set of social and behavioural values that are so far removed from their own. Hindu is also the dominant religion in India, so it is important to develop a basic understanding of the values that underpin this to avoid offending locals. Traditional social orders and hierarchies are also integral to Indian culture, so this is something that you will need to pay heed to when interacting with residents.
Embrace and scale the language barrier
If you are used to travelling to European and Mediterranean resorts, you are probably used to English being a dominant language. This is not the case in India, however, where English is not one of the recognised or official languages used nationwide. In fact, there are three dialects used in principle including Hindi, Urdu and Bengali, so it may be worth learning some purposeful phrases before boarding your outbound flight.
If you are struggling for time and can only learn one dialect, I would recommend prioritising Hindi ahead of the others.
Book an organised tour to aid your travel experience
India is also a huge country, defined by diverse terrain and parched, arid landscapes. Its winding inner-city districts can also impact on your coordination, so this is certainly not a nation where you would want to get lost. This underlines the merits of investing in an organised tour, with service providers such as Wexas offering a host of guided excursions that help you to see various parts of the country in comfort and safety. It is hard to underestimate the importance of this, especially if you are travelling with friends and loved ones!
[…] don’t miss anything. There is so much to do in India; it’s a good idea to plan in advance to make the most of your visit. Join a safari trek or ride through the jungles where you can see tigers, birds, snakes and many […]