When you decide to visit India for the first time

People say that India is not like any other country, and I think that can be said from the practical point of view. India is not exactly a book today and visit tomorrow sort of destination and I believe good organisation and preparation is essential. Here is my step by step preparation advise once you decide to visit India for the first time.

Step 0 Health: This really depends on your general health, lifestyle and where in India you might be visiting and for how long etc… If you have any concerns or are/trying to be pregnant, you might want to consult your doctor before purchasing a ticket.

Step 1 Passport: Passport should have at least six months validity from the date of arrival in India. They also say that the passport should have at least two blank pages for stamping by the Immigration Officer.

Step 2 Flights: I started to look for and booked our flights 3 months in advance. £306 return, not bad specially for a holiday period (UK).

Step 3 Visit your doctor: We went to our GP (General Practitioner = doctor’s) and were given pre travel assessment forms. We returned our completed forms and our prescriptions were ready within a week.

Step 4 Visa: Can not be applied too early, but visit the official website to understand the procedure. E-visa tends to be a little cheaper than a ‘normal’ visa. Visa fee is country specific, but for many countries it is around 50USD. I started my e-visa preparation 1 month in advance. It is not that difficult, but pre-application preparation can be time consuming. Read more about India e-visa here.

Step 5 Vaccination: We were prescribed Hepatitis A and Typhoid, but there was a real shortage of Hep A. I called several local pharmacies, but nobody had it. The only option was to pay for it privately for £65 (£45 for Typhoid). We decided to go only with Typhoid (£8.50 on National Health Service). We made this decision based on the duration (9 days) and nature (large city sightseeing, staying in hotels) of our visit. We were advised to take our vaccines 2 weeks prior to travel. We purchased the vaccines as soon as we booked the appointment with a nurse as they could be out of stock and left them at the pharmacy (so they can keep them properly), later we picked the vaccines up on our way to the doctor’s.

We did end up taking Hep A. When we went to see our nurse for Typhoid vaccination, nurse said that they had a few Hep A vaccines that someone booked but never collected. She said we may as well take them rather than leaving them to go to waste.

Step 6 Shopping: See ‘What to take to India‘

Step 7 Set the right expectations: We often hear that as a foreigner you will either ‘love or hate’ India. I personally think it’s not that simple. You will certainly be bombarded with many elements of culture shock and we all deal with it differently and hence have different impression of the country. Do not let others discourage you from traveling to India but at the same time do not let cheerful vloggers (or bloggers) or pretty travel magazines fool you into thinking that everything is ‘magical’ and ‘incredible’ there. Do as much research as you can about your destinations. Expect the dirt, filth, noise, chaotic traffic, extreme pollution, scammers, street beggars, challenging taxi drivers and an upset stomach. Use your common sense and be vigilant, listen to other people’s advice but do not let them worry you, do what YOU feel comfortable with and create your own experience of India.

Disclaimer: This is a personal weblog and only represents my personal experience and opinions. I am not a visa or medical expert.