Heart of India
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Heart of India Plus optional extensions in Bhutan: The Hidden Kingdom or The South of India: Kerala & Cochin or Kathmandu, Nepal 2016 Overseas Adventure Travel Heart of India Handbook Table of Contents 1. TRAVEL DOCUMENTS & ENTRY REQUIREMENTS ................................................................. 3 YOUR PASSPORT ....................................................................................................................................... 3 VISAS REQUIRED ...................................................................................................................................... 4 EMERGENCY PHOTOCOPIES ...................................................................................................................... 5 AIRPORT TRANSFERS ................................................................................................................................ 5 2. HEALTH ................................................................................................................................................. 6 IS THIS ADVENTURE RIGHT FOR YOU ? .................................................................................................... 6 STEPS TO TAKE BEFORE YOUR TRIP ........................................................................................................ 7 JET LAG PRECAUTIONS ............................................................................................................................. 8 STAYING HEALTHY ON YOUR TRIP .......................................................................................................... 9 Altitude Illness (optional extension to Bhutan) .................................................................................... 9 3. MONEY MATTERS ........................................................................................................................... 10 HOW TO CARRY YOUR MONEY .............................................................................................................. 10 Cash .................................................................................................................................................... 10 ATMs .................................................................................................................................................. 10 Credit Cards (and Debit Cards) ......................................................................................................... 11 CURRENCY .............................................................................................................................................. 12 TIPPING ................................................................................................................................................... 13 SHOPPING IN INDIA ................................................................................................................................. 13 4. CLIMATE: A WORD ABOUT THE WEATHER ........................................................................... 16 Climate Charts ................................................................................................................................... 17 5. PACKING JUST WHAT YOU NEED .............................................................................................. 19 YOUR LUGGAGE & LOCKS ..................................................................................................................... 19 LUGGAGE LIMITATIONS ................................................................................................................ 20 CLOTHING SUGGESTIONS ....................................................................................................................... 21 TRAVELER ’S CHECKLISTS ...................................................................................................................... 21 A WORD ABOUT ELECTRICITY ............................................................................................................... 24 6. LEARN ABOUT YOUR DESTINATION .......................................................................................... 26 INDIA AT A GLANCE ................................................................................................................................ 26 BHUTAN AT A GLANCE – OPTIONAL EXTENSION .................................................................................... 28 NEPAL AT A GLANCE —OPTIONAL EXTENSION ....................................................................................... 30 CULTURE & POINTS TO KNOW ............................................................................................................... 33 SAFETY & SECURITY .............................................................................................................................. 35 COMMUNICATIONS ................................................................................................................................. 36 7. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................ 37 SUGGESTED READINGS ........................................................................................................................... 37 SUGGESTED MOVIES ............................................................................................................................... 41 USEFUL WEB SITES ................................................................................................................................. 43 Travel Documents 1. Travel Documents & Entry Requirements Your Passport Please take a moment to confirm that your passport meets all of these requirements: • It should be valid for at least 6 months after your scheduled return to the U.S. • It should have the recommended number of blank pages (see below for details). • The blank pages must be labeled “Visas” at the top. Pages labeled “Amendments and Endorsements” are not acceptable. Recommended number of blank pages Know that this recommendation is based on a “worst case” scenario. When you are on this adventure, you might use fewer pages, depending on the whims of the Immigration official on duty that day. Since the consequence of having too few pages can be severe—you could be denied entry into a country—we at OAT feel that in this case, safe is better than sorry, and we strongly recommend that you follow these guidelines. • Main trip only : If you are taking only the main trip, you will require 2 blank passport pages. • Pre-trip extension to Bhutan : You will need 2 more pages for a total of 4. • Post-trip extension to Kerala : This extension does not require any additional pages. • Post-trip extension to Nepal : You will need 2 more pages for a total of 4 blank passport pages. • Both a pre- and a post-trip extension : Add the number of pages required for each of your extensions to the 2 pages required for the main trip. If you need to renew your passport: Contact the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) at 1-877-487-2778, or visit their website at www.travel.state.gov for information on obtaining a new passport or renewing your existing passport. You may also contact our recommended visa service company, PVS International, at 1-800-556-9990 for help with your passport. HOI 16 11/02/15 3 Travel Documents Visas Required We’ll be sending you a detailed Visa Packet with instructions, application forms, and fees about 100 days prior to your departure . In the meantime, we’re providing the information below as a guideline on what to expect. This info is for U.S. citizens only. All visas and fees are subject to change. ° India—visa required. This visa must be obtained in advance. You must obtain your visa for India before you leave home. If you are taking the optional extensions to Bhutan or Nepal, you will need a multiple-entry visa for India. • Bhutan (optional pre-trip extension)—visa required. We recommend you obtain this onsite. A photocopy or scan of your passport will be needed before departure. There are two steps to obtaining a visa onsite: The first step is advance registration, and the second is the formalities that you complete when you arrive in Bhutan. To register with the Bhutanese government in advance, you must send a clear color photocopy of your passport informational pages (the page with your photo and the opposite page) to OAT no later than 45 days prior to your departure. You will receive detailed instructions for Bhutan and a return envelope in your Visa Packet. Please Note: The cost of this visa onsite is $40 U.S. cash per person. In addition to this fee, the local government will also charge a Bhutan Tourism Development Fee of approximately U.S. $12 per person and a Bhutan Airport Tax of approximately U.S. $18 per person. Because these fees are subject to last-minute changes without notice, we suggest you bring more than $70 in cash to cover any unexpected changes. • Nepal (optional post-trip extension)—visa required. We recommended you obtain this in advance. Although a Nepal visa can be obtained on arrival, we recommend that you obtain your visa before you leave home, because entry requirements can change at any moment and the only way to ensure that you will not encounter problems at the border is to obtain your visa in advance. A 15-day single-entry visa should suffice for our extension. Embassy contact information If you are staying longer in any of these countries, you should check with their embassy for the applicable regulations.