Meal plan
Breakfast:
Normally breakfast is available at the hotel where you stay. Depending on the hotel, the breakfast is complimentary and can be in western style, local style or a combination.
Lunch:
Usually Tima Tour and Travels doesn’t include lunch because travellers sometimes want to stay somewhere longer or shorter. Or in addition, they may need other minor changes during daily sightseeing. Therefore it’s better to decide the lunch site at that particular moment rather than pre-arrange it. For sure our drivers are happy to advice good places to you and Tima Tour and Travels strongly suggest qualified local restaurants or hotels around the scenic spots for the sake of your health.
Dinner:
Your meal plan doesn’t include dinners as some travellers might want a little culinary adventure themselves (unless you have that requirement). Enjoying the local food is one of your best experiences in India. So consequently Tima Tour and Travels offers you this flexibility of food choice and surely your driver is always glad to give you his advice.
Visa & Passport
As a foreign traveller, you must obtain a visa before arriving in India and therefore make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months before your planned date of return.
Usually, a standard tourist visa suits most travellers. Moreover, you need additional permits if you go to certain places in destinations like Andaman Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Kashmir and more. A tourist visa does not allow an extension of stay.
Please note that visa requirements are subject to change and specific nationality. In addition, do check with the Indian Embassy of your residence country beforehand. You can apply online for an Indian e-Tourist Visa at https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/index.html.
The Indian Government provides ‘Visa on Arrival’ enabled by Electronic Authorization. But be careful: not every entry point provides this kind of visa!
Traffic & Transportation
Roads are very crowded with cars, trucks, bikes, pedestrians and animals. It looks like there are no road rules at all. Therefore Tima Tour and Travels recommends using a local driver to navigate and negotiate the busy roads for you.
Tima Tour and travels offers you a clean and well-maintained private vehicle. A licensed driver will drive you during your tour so your comfort is fully guaranteed. However, the road and traffic conditions are worse than most people expect. For safety reasons, we drive at a slower speed during the tour. This inevitably makes travel from city to city by land a bit tedious and exhausting. In most cases we advice you it is better to fly between cities.
India civil aviation industry is booming these years. Air travel is time-saving and choices are abundant. From government-run airlines to privately-owned full-service airlines, the prices and services vary largely among different carriers. The flight we choose will fully balance between budget, comfort and schedule for you.
Rail travel is slower most of the times and sanitary conditions aren’t pleasing. On the other hand, for those who request a train journey as a local experience, we can arrange some of the very few clean and comfortable train journeys in India.
Accommodation
India offers an incredibly wide range of accommodations. Heritage properties (former Raj guesthouses, royal palaces and forts), modern hotels, boutique guesthouses and homestays are all widely available.
Hotels charge government tax between 10 to 12.5% on your final bill in some states of India. In addition some hotels also add an extra service tax.
Wi-Fi, sometimes free of charge, sometimes offered at varied prices, is available in most of the hotels where business centres with computers are accessible.
Hotel standard voltage is 230-240V. Indian sockets request round 3-pin plugs. In conclusion: it is better to bring an international converter kit with a set of adapter plugs to make sure you can use and charge your various electrical appliances.
Tima Tour and Travels fully respects your budget and taste and therefore books the hotels according to both facilities and service to make you have a comfortable stay during your trip.
Food
In India food is as diverse as its people, rice and Indian bread are major staples. Indian cuisines use spices and herbs a lot. But surprisingly, Indian food is not that unbearably hot and it is aromatic and delicate in flavour. If you’re not a fan of pungency but really want to taste the authentic flavour, then request the restaurant to omit fresh green and dried red chilly which are only pungent ingredients.
Quality and hygiene conditions of restaurants do vary considerably in India. Please be assured that those we handpicked for you are finer ones and trustworthy in all aspects. Hotels we arrange usually serve breakfast in both Indian (a milder way) and continental style.
India also offers a wide range of fruits.
You will find good Chinese food as well as American-style fast food in major tourist cities.
Health
Tima Tour and Travels recommends vaccinations for typhoid and hepatitis A.
We also advice you to get vaccinations for tetanus and polio if you haven’t had a booster in the last 10 years.
And you also better prepare medicines for malaria and diarrhea. These are basic information and recommendations can be subject to individual difference.
Therefore we suggest you visit a doctor or travel clinic in advance to ensure that you receive all the necessary immunizations and medications.
Mosquitoes transmit both malaria and dengue fever. In conclusion: do remember to bring along strong repellent against the mosquito.
Typhoid, diarrhea and hepatitis A are waterborne diseases, so only drink bottled mineral water and avoid salad which may be washed in unhygienic water.
Money
You don't need to declare cash and bank notes up to US$ 10,000 or equivalent at the time of entry.
US Dollar, Euro, Pound Sterling and other major currencies are exchangeable into Indian Rupees at airports and exchange offices in major cities.
Whenever you exchange currency or travellers’ cheques you will have to show your passport.
Remember that the exchange rate at airpots or hotels might be a little bit high. During your tour, you can, if you wish, ask the driver to take you to good official money changers.
Those are available at various places in the city and the charges will be less high. These money changers also authorize and provide a proper receipt of the money exchanged.
Officially, you cannot take rupees out of India. Spend all of them before you leave.
On the other hand, you can change any leftover rupees back into foreign currency, most easily at the airport.
ATMs or cash machines are available in larger towns.
Please consult your bank in advance to determine whether you are be able to use your ATM / credit cards.
Language & Religion
India is a place where various religions coexist. Hinduism prevails and around 80% of the population is Hindu.
In India the Muslim community is the second largest religious group. The rest of the country’s population is Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, Jew and Bahai.
Hindi is the official language (which is spoken as a mother tongue) though the Indian Constitution recognizes 18 national languages.
English is also widely spoken in big cities. Most Indians living in urban and semi-urban towns are multi-lingual.
Weather
India has three major seasons: summer, monsoon and winter.
Summer (April – June) is hot and sticky in most parts of the country.
During the monsoon season (July – September) the plain receives the major share of its rainfall and therefore there is a lot of humidity.
Winter months (October-March) are pleasant throughout India with bright sunny days.
It is more popular to travel to India between October and March however many travellers welcome summer with the easy accessibility of air-conditioned hotels, transport and leisure facilities.
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