GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT INDIA

Weather

A few tips to help you enjoy India better.

Climate
India enjoys a wide range of temperatures, ranging from sub zero temperatures in the Mountains, to very hot summers in the plains (48^oC). The following is an example of what can be expected in the major cities.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Agra
min ^oC	7	10	16	22	27	30	27	26	24	19	12	8
max ^oC	22	26	32	38	42	41	35	33	33	33	30	24
rain mm	16	9	11	5	10	60	210	263	152	24	2	4
Delhi
min ^oC	7	10	15	21	27	29	27	26	25	19	12	8
max ^oC	21	24	30	36	41	40	35	34	34	33	30	23
rain mm	25	22	17	7	8	65	211	173	150	31	1	5
Jaipur
min ^oC	8	11	15	21	26	27	26	24	23	18	12	9
max ^oC	22	25	31	37	41	39	34	32	33	33	29	24
rain mm	14	8	9	4	10	54	193	239	90	19	3	4
Bombay (Mumbai)
min ^oC	19	20	23	25	27	26	25	25	25	25	23	21
max ^oC	29	30	31	32	33	32	30	30	30	32	32	31
rain mm	2	1	-	3	16	520	710	439	297	88	21	2
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Cochin (Kochi)
min ^oC	23	24	26	26	26	24	24	24	24	24	24	24
max ^oC	31	31	31	31	31	29	28	28	28	29	30	30
rain mm	10	34	50	140	364	756	572	386	235	333	184	37
Madras (Chennai)
min ^oC	20	21	24	26	28	28	26	26	26	25	23	21
max ^oC	29	31	33	35	38	37	35	35	34	32	29	28
rain mm	24	7	15	25	52	53	84	124	118	267	309	139
Calcutta
min ^oC	14	17	22	25	27	27	26	26	26	24	18	14
max ^oC	27	30	34	36	36	34	32	32	32	32	30	27
rain mm	14	24	27	43	121	259	301	306	290	160	35	3
Goa
min ^oC	19	20	23	25	27	25	24	24	24	23	22	21
max ^oC	31	32	32	33	33	31	29	29	29	31	33	33
raim mm	2	-	4	17	18	500	892	341	277	122	20	37
Varanasi
min ^oC	9	11	17	22	27	28	26	26	25	21	13	9
max ^oC	23	27	33	39	41	39	33	32	32	32	29	25
rain mm	23	8	14	1	8	102	346	240	261	38	15	2
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

Best time to visit the plain of North India and the South is October to March. For trekking in the mountains, the best times are May to August.

General Information

Dress- Casual wear is suitable for travel in India. Light cottons are recommended from spring to autumn. In winter however you will need warm clothing and preferably a wind cheater. Early morning and late evenings are very cold in Rajasthan in winter.

People in rural India are quite conservative. It is advisable for ladies to wear modest clothing.

Currency
The decimal system of coinage is used in India, with 1 Rupee = 100 Paise. Bank notes are in denominations of 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 & 1 rupee.

Coins are in 10, 5, 2, 1 rupee and 50, 25, 10 and 5 paise denominations.

Value vis a vis US Dollar - 1 USD = Rs.42.5 (05 Apr '99)

It is not necessary to purchase local currency prior to your arrival in India. Foreign exchange counters at the hotels provide the same official rate of exchange as the banks or the airports. It is therefore not necessary or recommended to purchase local currency at the airport. However, it is recommended to purchase small denominations for use as tips or for small purchases. All credit cards are accepted at the city hotels you will be staying at. Smaller hotels and wildlife park lodging accept cash in local currency only.

Restrictions - No Indian currency may be brought into or taken out of the country. There is no restriction on the amount of Foreign currency that may be brought into India. However, if you are carrying more than US$ 10, 000.00 or its equivalent, the same must be declared on arrival in the Currency Declaration Form.

All visitors to India are advised to change money through AUTHORISED MONEY CHANGERS and to obtain a receipt for all such transaction, because it will help you to reconvert unused Rupees into foreign currency at the time of departure.

Credit Cards - All Major Credit Cards are normally accepted in most city hotels, restaurants and merchant establishments. In small towns, jungle lodges and villages, you may be asked to pay in cash.

Some establishments add a handling surcharge on payment by credit card.

Cuisine - In the city hotels restaurants serve European as well as Indian and Oriental cuisine. In the more remote areas and smaller hotels and palaces the food is basic and mainly Indian. We suggest that in these areas you request vegetarian food since this tends to reduce the risk of stomach upsets. The hotels that we use are keenly aware of the western visitor's reaction to Indian food and they take great care in the area of hygiene. While health problems can occur, these are usually minor and often result in the change of diet and time zones.

Entry Procedures:
Citizens of all countries including Commonwealth Countries require visas to enter India.

Multiple Entry Visa will be required for those intending to visit the neighbouring countries like Afghanistan, Burma, Pakistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bangladesh.

A tourist visa is valid for 3 months stay in India. It can be extended for a further period of 3 months.

A visitor whose stay extends over 90 days must register with the Foreign Registration Office and get an exit endorsement on the Registration Certificate from the same office before departure.

Customs and Regulations on arrival:
a. Tourists who do not have any dutiable goods or unaccompanied baggage can pass through the green channel, while others must go to the red channel for customs clearance.

b. Importation of:

a) 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 gms of tobacco: Alcoholic liquor upto 0.95 litres is permitted duty free.

c. Importation of personal jewellery, cameras, binoculars, tape recorders, transistor, professional equipment etc. is allowed duty free, provided a TBRE (Tourist Baggage Re-Export) form is completed on arrival.

On Departure:
a. The TBRE (Tourist Baggage Re-Export) form and the goods entered therein must be produced before Customs for verification at the port of departure.

b. The export of animal skin, ivory, antique, gold coins and articles other than jewellery is permitted only if an export license is acquired from the Joint Controller of Imports & Exports, Government of India.

Special Permits:
Even with a visa one cannot travel to certain areas without a Special Permit. These areas include Assam, Meghalaya, Darjeeling, Sikkim and Laccadives.