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Namaskar and welcome to Incredible India, where culture echoes, tradition speaks, beauty enthrals and diversity delights.
We are pleased that you have chosen our vast and beautiful country as your holiday destination and hope that your expectation
and experiences here will bring you back again and again to discover and rediscover the " Wonder that is India

will sideswipe you with its size, clamour and diversity. Nothing in the country is ever quite what
you expect and the only thing to expect is the unexpected which comes in many forms and will always want to sit next to you. India is
a litmus test for many travellers and some visitors are only too happy to get on an aircraft and fly away, but if you enjoy delving into convoluted cosmologies and thrive on sensual overload, then India is one of the most intricate and rewarding dramas unfolding on
earth. India – the land to travel to, a haven of tourism delights, a civilization to tour through. Tourists come to India for its wealth of
sights, cultural exuberance, diversity of terrain and in search of that special something, an extra punch that only India promises and
delivers. Teeming with over a billion people who voice over a million concerns in fifteen hundred different languages, India is where
people live with variety, thrive on diversity and are too familiar with largeness to let it boggle them. Mud huts and mansions face
off across city streets. Lurid luxury and limp living are inhabitants of the same lane.

From the smoky mangroves of the Sunderbans to the steaming Thar Desert, sizzling cities like Mumbai and Delhi to the scintillating
villages of Khajuraho and Hampi, from the heights of the Himalayas to the deep blue waters around the Andamans, India is a travel
haven – a tour package that frustrates and delights, as demanding as it is rewarding. It demands that the traveller be prepared for its
own strange forms of tourism offerings - the crowds at Pushkar, for pushy mendicants at Haridwar, for high commercialism at spiritual
retreats. But equally, it means that he be prepared for an overwhelming warmth in the people, ease of conversation, and to be stunned
into speechlessness by the beauty, sometimes the manmade and often the natural.

But what exactly is it that gets two and a half million people to pack their bags, book their tickets, buy industrial size cans of suntan
lotion and enough toilet paper to supply the entire population of Liechtenstein for a month, and wing their way to India? Given that this
is the land of the Taj, granted too that tea, tobacco, tempestuous democracy and terrific travel are a great combination but surely that's
not reason enough. There must be more because between truisms and half-truths, India has inspired more than any one place's fair share
of travel lore. And, perhaps that's what it is - the legends of India - that's what inspires people from far and near to travel here, to sort
out for themselves what's true and what's just a whole lot of tourism pamphlet hype. If that's what you're going to be doing, here's a bit
of India tourism mantra to help you on your way: Expect Nothing and Everything will be Yours.

A country of staggering topographical variations whose rich and incredibly diverse cultural heritage has been shaped by 5000 yrs of
history. A land where the ancient and the contemporary exists side by side, where thousands of brilliant images fill the soul with wonder
and where quaint and startling contradictions juxtapose to lend an extraordinary vitality, texture and poetry of life. The history of India is replete with mythology, archaeology and cultural heritage in its variegated manifestations. India is as luxurious as it is squalid, some places
as featureless as some absolutely spectacular. Yet with its vast diversity it has unity. Covering more than three million square kilometers,
India is home to masses of humanity — 1 billion people at last count — and a bewildering pantheon of gods and monsters. Temples and shrines are around every corner, and throughout the year there are hundreds of religious festivals. Here, religion is an intrinsic part of life. Religious rules influence the people's daily chores, clothing, food, marriage, education, and politics. About 80% of the population are Hindu and 11 percent are Muslim. Although India is rich with tradition,the country and its people are not trapped in the past. India has a thriving computer software industry and is the world's second-largest software exporter. Indians are also avid movie producers; the Indian film
industry Bollywood, is the largest in the world, producing about three times as many full-length feature films as Holywood

From the deserts of Rajasthan to the tropical forests of Kerala, India is a great destination for anybody with an adventurous spirit.
India has 59 national parks and more than 250 wildlife reserves, housing many animals that are unique to the area. In this overpopulated country with underdeveloped roads & developing infrastructure, leaving the cars and buses behind trekking and camel safaris are
great ways to get from place to place not forgetting the costly option of flying. Click on Map to see the Tourist Map of India

LOCATION India is a sub-continent, the largest democracy in the world, a country so vast, spread over a land mass
of 324 million sq.kms, with a population of 1 billion, with 14 major and 220 minor languages with 845 dialects and 30 Million God's, each state having its own racial and cultural heritage, dresses, eating habits, religious customs and festivals. It occupies
the 7th place in the world in respect of it's size. Forming a natural border, the Himalayas, extends throughout the northern region,
with the countries of China, Nepal & Bhutan bordering it in the north, Bangladesh in the south east, Burma (Mandalay) in the east
and Pakistan in the north west direction. The coast line is 6000 kms in length and extends east to west through south. Beneath its distinctive bulge, India narrows like an elephant's trunk to drink from the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and the Arabian sea. Such thirst is understandable. The greatest deserts of the world - the Mexican, the Sahara and the Arabian - lie at the same latitude. But India extends far beyond its Thar desert and this extra altitude provides, rain forests,alpine meadows, towering peaks and glaciers.

CLIMATE Few countries encompass as richly varied a landscape as India's, watered by the monsoon and burnished by the sun. The southwest monsoon dominates from late June to end of September, bringing high humidity and heavy rain. As these winds retreat in October, the land dries out and humidity levels fall. The southeastern coasts however, get rain and cyclonic squalls until January. During November, with the strength of the sun diminishing, the winter season starts in the northern plains. Until February the weather remains cold 41Dgrees F in the Himalayas and its foothills, where skiing is possible, pleasant in the plains and warm in South India, except in cooler uplands. India's summer, which runs from March to May, is hot and dry, with flurries of wind raising a dusty curtain over the northern plain and max daytime temperature averaging 40 degrees C. South India is sultry and hot but temperatures are usually bearable between 80 to 84 degree F. April is one month which is pleasant

BEST TIME TO TRAVEL India has such a wide range of climatic factors that it's impossible to pin down the best
time to visit weather-wise with any certainty. Broadly speaking October to April tend to be the most pleasant months over much of the country. In the far south, the monsoonal weather pattern tends to make January to September more pleasant, while Sikkim and the areas of north-eastern India tend to be more palatable between March and August, and Kashmir and the mountainous regions
of Himachal Pradesh are at their most accessible between May and October.The deserts of Rajasthan and the northwestern Indian Himalayan region are at their best during the monsoon. The trekking season in the Indian Himalaya runs roughly from April to November, though this varies widely largly depending on the trek, altitude and region. The ski season is between January and March. Fairs & Festivals happen all around the year.Mail us for dates of particular festivals which may determine the timing of
your visit. Click on Map for Tourist Map of India

DOCUMENTATION
Entry Requirements
IMMIGRATION All tourists must carry a valid visa for India.Nepalese or Bhutanese citizens need no passport or visa but should possess suitable documents for their identification when proceeding from their respective countries. Disembarkation cards must be completed and presented at the Immigration Counter on arrival at airports. Embarkation cards
must be presented at the respective exit point counter on departure. Visa & Special Permits is granted by the Foreigners Regional
Registration Offices located in Delhi, Calcutta, Mumbai & Chennai. In State Capitals and District Headquarters application should be submitted to the Home department in the State Capital, or to the Police Commissioners office. Special Permits Restricted and Protected Area Permits may be submitted to the Foreigners Registration Office or the Chief Immigration Officer at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkatta & Chennai. Protected Monuments Permission for photography at protected monuments to be obtained from The Director (Mouments), Archeological Survey of India, New Delhi. All visitors are required to carry a passport valid at least for the next 6 months.

Visa exemptions include:
1) Bhutanese and Nepalese visitors who are staying for less than 3 months
2) Nationals from the Maldives, if they are staying for a maximum of 90 days (this includes any periods they may have spent in India up to 6 months prior to the visit in question),
3) Transit passengers who have a follow-on ticket within 72 hours of arrival as long as they are not going to leave the airport.
4) Special restrictions apply to Pakistani and Afghan nationals.
5) Via on Arrival -15 countries awating final approval from the cabinet. Likely to be implemented by 2010.
Its always wise to check updated visa requirements prior to travel

SPECIAL INNER LINE PERMITS Travellers require permits from the Indian government to visit the states of Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland in the northeast. In the Indian Himalayan parts of Kullu District, the Spiti District of Himachal Pradesh, and areas of Uttar Pradesh & South India (Lakshwadeep) also require authorization.Tourists of foreign origin or Indian origin (other than tourists of Nepalese / Bhutanese origin arriving from Nepal / Bhutan respectively) are treated as tourists for the purpose of duty free allowance under Baggage Rules. A foreign passenger not normally resident in India and coming to India as a tourist can stay in India only for a period of six months. However, he/ she can extend the stay by seeking permission from Foreigners Registration Officer, usually situated in the office of Commissioner of Police. This process is not very complicated. If the visa, for stay in India is for more than 180 days,a Registration Certificate and Residential Permit should be obtained from the nearest Foreigners' Registration Office within 15 days of arrival. 04 photographs are required for registration.
/CUSTOMS- One is advised to report to the appropriate channel for custom clearance, which are two in number. The Green Channel is for passengers carrying non dutiable goods and the Red Channel for those with dutiable items. Currency over
the value of USD 10,000 has to be declared.

Duty Free Items
(A) Personal effects like clothing and other articles new or used, which one may reasonably require, excluding merchandise for commercial purposes. These items should be taken back on final departure from the country
(B) Travel souvenirs up to a total value of Rs 5000/-. Gifts may be brought in free of duty by tourists visiting India for a stay of
over 24 hours
(C) Cigarettes, Cigars, Tobacco and Alcoholic beverages subject to 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250gms Tabacco and 1 litter each
of wine and spirits

Baggage Rules and Declaration All items brought into or taken out of India are subject to exchange management and customs duties are imposed at the specified rates. Similarly, importers / exporters are required to obtain a license or Customs Clearance Permit (CCP) to import/ export goods into/out of India. They are also required to obtain Import Export Code (IEC) Number.
If you are above 17 years you may import the following in without attracting duty: 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco, a litre of alcoholic drink, 250 ml perfume, gifts up to a value of Rupees 4000 (foreign passport holders), gifts up to a value of Rupees 6000 (Indian passport holders) and articles of personal use. But its best to check with the authorities for the specific details. It is illegal to bring in drugs, gold and silver bullion, plants and coins that have gone out of use.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE Indian currency is not permitted to be brought in or taken out of the country without
prior permission from the Reserve Bank of India. Foreign Currency/ Exchange brought into the country must be declared at Customs where the value of currency notes exceeds US$ 2500/- or the aggregate value of exchange including currency notes exceeds US$10,000/- or its equivalent. Money changing facilities are available at the airport - 24 hours. Also through banks
and authorized money changers in the city. Foreign Travel Tax at time of departurei levied @ Rs 350/- for travel to neighboring countries and Rs 700/- for travel to all other countries, which is now a days incorporated in your air ticket price at time of purchase.

EXPORT REGULATIONSProhibited Items
Animals Export of all forms of wild animals including their parts and products is banned Plant Export of all wild plants,
seeds or parts is banned.
Antiquities Export is banned on all items over100 yrs old Click on Map for Tourist Map of India

/HEALTH
The entire Indian sub continent has the same health hazards so one line of defence should cover you on all territories. The major risks to your health from the armies of mosquitoes are malaria, encephalitis, kala azar and dengue. Cover your arms and legs; be liberal with the repellent and in problem areas sleep under a mosquito net. Traveller’s diarrhoea is another running problem and year after year traveller after traveller gets the ‘loosies’. Ensure it’s nothing nastier by avoiding green salads, uncooked food, and water that you haven’t sanitised by dropping an iodine pill into. Slightly more serious is the risk of contacting AIDS, Hepatitis B and other sexually transmitted diseases. For your sake and the sake of the people you’re visiting always use a condom. Have safe responsible sex.

For climbers and mountaineers: look out for symptoms of altitude sickness/acute mountain sickness. If you ascend above 3500 meters too fast you might feel nauseous, sleepless, and your head may ache. In this case your body is telling you that you’re having acclimatisation problems so let’s descend, buddy. Jokes aside, this is a very serious situation to be in and the only thing to do is to descend. Also carry sunscreen with minimum SPF 20 to escape sunburn.

The quality of health services is not consistent. Urban centres, particularly metros, have good hospitals, well stocked late night/
all night chemists, highly competent doctors and top of the line medical services. Conversely, rural and semi-rural areas have very limited facilities. Stick to the larger cities if you are anticipating trouble. Medicines are fairly cheap in India. Though chemist shops in the cities are well stocked, it is always a good idea to take along prescription drugs. Travellers from yellow fever areas are required to have an inoculation certificate. Prior inoculation for poliomyelitis is recommended.

Vaccinations Foreign tourists should be in possession of Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate conforming to International Health Regulations, if they are originating or transitting through Africa or South America. The validity of this certificate is for a period of
10 years. No other vaccination certificate is needed, but for personal protection, inoculation is recommended for cholera, typhoid, malaria and hepatitis. You may contact your local Indian Embassy for further information. As a precautionary measure vaccination against Hepatitis B is recommended, if staying for a longer duration

Health Precautions Foreign tourists should be in possession of their Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate conforming to International Health Regulation, if they are originating or transiting through Yellow Fever endemic countries.

Health Certificate Citizens and travellers coming from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom & ECU countries do not
require any vaccination certificate or inoculations. Others check with nearest Indian Mission or Embassy in your country

Precautionary Measures To avoid Malaria, Dengue, carrying mosquito repellents, nets, clothes covering the body and using sprays against insects in rooms is sufficient. A first aid kit carrying adhesive bandages, thermometer, water-purification tablets, antibiotics, antiseptic creams and mosquito repellents is advisable. Drinking only mineral or boiled water curbs down the chances of stomach ailments, thus whenever going out carrying a bottle always comes handy. At Eating Joints, though sticking to a vegetarian diet is recommended, eating only thoroughly cooked meat is advisable. Avoid Pork products, fried food from vendors and excessive oil
/CUISINE
The Indian Cuisine shows big variation and with great local specialties. Punjabi, Bengali, South Indian, and North indian food are just to mention a few. Generally the Indian food is spicy, but you can also get non spicy food. If you like food, India is a great place.
It's quite amazing how a indian woman with a few basic ingredients can turn out the must exquisite and tasty meal. If you want to have a little taste of indian food take a look at indian cuisine tour

How to eat Before eating remember, never eat with left hand, it's very impolite, sit on it if you can't remember it ! Even when eating south and north are different. North Indian's eat with their fingertips while south Indian use the whole palm of the hand to make a ball of rice

Where to Eat Don't worry about not being able to find a place. No matter how small a city, there will always be a place to eat. You have the MNC's churning out junk food and you have street side Dhaba's selling exotic delicacies. Street places Don't miss them, some can be really good. And you'll be able to see how it's prepared. Indian lodges is the place where the Indians eat. Serves basic meals and is very cheap. Restaurants Category above lodges. Good value, often the best food is served here. Up Market Restaurants - Besides being expensive, they offer no extra. Trains The food is good & hygienic

SAFETY
India is a reasonably a safe travel destination. Political disruption is usually localised and everyone’s aware of there being potential trouble days ahead. Areas that may be avoided are Jammu & Kashmir and parts of the Northeast, which in any case have restricted tourist activity. Cases of mugging, theft and worse aren’t completely unheard of but by and large serious crimes against travellers are few and far between.

BASIC PRECAUTIONS <>HANDY & MUST FOLLOW TIPS FOR TOURISTS
Never leave an unlocked suitcase in a hotel room
Never leave baggage unattended at airports or train stations.
Women travelling alone should never get into a taxi or rickshaw if there's a second man accompanying the driver.
Women should also chain lock their door when they are in their hotel room
Everyone should be alert in crowds for pickpockets
Keep your money and travel documents close to your body (perhaps in a pouch slung around your neck, tucked out of
sight under your shirt) AND Do not put all your money in one place
One should be careful while using his or her credit cards
Always be alert of tricksters & beggers
Keep your money and travel documents close to your body (perhaps in a pouch slung around your neck, tucked out
of sight under your shirt)
Keep several photocopies of your passport, insurance, travellers’ cheques etc. scattered through your luggage,
If you are travelling alone, do not advertise it.
If you lose your passport lodge a First Information Report at the local police station and contact your embassy.

1) C'MORE advises to be extremely vigilent and alert in the dark. One of the things that protect travellers to India is the vast crowds in any place. The multitudes however, disappear into their homes at night, and you go from having a huge thick safety quilt to a flimsy sheet! Try your best to be in a familiar area when it gets dark. If you are not, at least know how you can get to that area from wherever it is that you happen to be. Many women travellers wear the long tunic and loose pyjama dress of Indian women called the salwar-kameez and find that it substantially dissuades unwanted male attention.

2) C'MORE advises that travelers avoid Gujarat and the Ayodhya area of Uttar Pradesh. We also advise against visiting the
western part of Jammu & Kashmir state or Kishtwar in the Zanskar region. Foreign travelers in this area have been targeted by Kashmiri separatist groups and several have been kidnapped or killed. Official sources also encourage putting off non-essential travel to the states of Assam, Nagaland,Tripura and Manipur, and due caution should be exercised if traveling in Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Mizoram. Parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are also considered dangerous due to local banditry.
FESTIVALS & RELGION
The Indian calendar is one long procession of festivals. These are as varied in origin as they are large in number. There are innumerable national, regional, local, religious, seasonal and social festivities. This is not surprising considering the fact that
India is the land of gods, goddesses, saints, gurus and prophets. Mail us for dates of particular festivals