India can be dirty, hot, congested, and chaotic. India has heart-wrenching poverty, some of the worst roads in the world, and demands constant vigilance regarding water and food but India is also one of the most colorful countries in the world with extremely friendly people. Know before you go with my favorite 25 Travel Tips, in no particular order, with five “don’ts”:

1. U.S. Citizens can apply for a 10-year visa to India that doesn’t cost much more than a 1-year visa ($150 vs. $85 – as of 4/09). One visit is all it takes and, you’ll be back since it’s impossible to really travel throughout India in one visit.

2. Try to fly on India’s two best domestic airlines. Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines…View image. Avoid flying all domestic routes of State-owned, Indian Airlines if there’s another choice.

3. Prepare for stringent security at airports including pat-downs. Women go through one line and men, the other. Tags are placed on all hand luggage (including purses) and stamped by security after pat-down. Security also stamps boarding passes. The stamped tags are checked before boarding the airplane. Miss a stamp? You are not getting on that flight. It’s your responsibility to make sure they are stamped! You also have to identify your luggage on some routes before getting on the plane. The luggage sits on the tarmac, you point, they load in cargo, you board plane.

4. Use ATM machines and enter enough 00′s. Do the math before stepping in. 49R=$1 US, 490R=$10, 4900=$100, etc. You get the idea.

5. Expect high frustration levels if you book tickets and travel through India on your own. Spend the few extra Rupees and let a local agent deal with all the hassles. Case in point — We decided to fly back to Kolkata from Bubaneswar. Agent issued an e-ticket, took credit card, sent “boy” to the train station to cancel, refunded $5 after cancellation fees. Worth every Rupee.

6. While sightseeing in the big cities, look for a nice restaurant or hotel to use their toilets or you’ll be very unhappy. Outside cities, go in the bushes.

7. Wear sandals. You’ll be taking shoes on and off repeatedly throughout India.

Bubaneswar temple detail, India
8. If you aren’t familiar with Indian food, print off a glossary from the Internet. That’s what I should have done.

9. Make multiple copies of passport and visas. You’ll need them at every Restricted Area and hotel in India.

10. Expect to be overcharged by taxis. There’s no way around it unless a local is riding with you. After a screaming match with one driver, our guide told us later that meters aren’t up-to-date and to double the meter rate for the correct amount. How would we know that?

11. Carry a light jacket to use on over air-conditioned trains and planes even if the outside heat is unbearable.

12. Internet service runs around 20R/hour and India uses a really neat method for security. Show passport or identity card. Hold passport/card facing computer screen – click. Face built in camera on screen – click. Fill in personal information and it’s a one time thing as long as you return to the same internet office/cafe. If you go elsewhere, have to go through the entire process again.

13. Bring ear plugs. Useful in even the best hotels for protection against very loud guests.

14. Coffee and/or tea is usually served with spoonfuls of sugar pre-added. Ask before you order.

15. Bangles break easily and are made from sharp glass. Be careful and don’t pay more than 20 Rupees for a set of 12.

16. Tandoor ovens aren’t usually turned on until evening in India. Ask if the oven is on before ordering and being disappointed.

17. Take a camera with a good telephoto lens. Essential when you can’t get close to the subject.

carrying terra cotta pots in India
18. Consider bringing a cheap, instamatic camera in case yours gives up the ghost, extra batteries and additional memory card. Can you imagine being in Mongolia or Antarctica without a camera? (Watch the video…)

19. A flashlight comes in handy during cave visits and the ubiquitous power outages.

smiling child
20. Most Indian beaches are extremely polluted. Locals use them as toilets. Cows, goat, dogs and other animals will share the sands with you. What do you expect?

21. Don’t order cooked food on Indian trains or you may end up eating more than you bargained for. Crunchy, and still alive, insects.

22. Don’t pay more than 12 Rupees for a 1-liter bottle of water. Even the locals drink bottled water in India (if they can afford it).

23. Don’t give anything to beggers, children or adults. Not pens, money, sweets. Each time someone hands out, it sets a precedent for those who follow and a cacophony of “pen, pen, pen” reverberates from big cities to the smallest hamlet. Give to a school, hospital or charity in India. They’ll be happy to accept your present. And, whatever you may give is never enough. Case in point — At the airport, a man literally yanked the suitcases out of ex-Marine’s hand and walked into the parking lot with us running after. Jet-lagged, ex-Marine gave him a tip even though he hadn’t done a thing. The man looked at the money and said, “Is that all you’re giving me?” I furiously shouted, “Then give it back if it’s not enough!” He, and the tip, disappeared.

24. Don’t eat any perishable food that’s been sitting in the sun and/or outside all day. And, food poisoning occurs in nice restaurants too. Not just in India, but throughout the world.

25. Don’t expect the same climatic conditions throughout India. India has deserts, glaciers, humid tropical regions, rainforests, islands along with different monsoons. I scheduled a trek in Himachal Pradesh not realizing it was rainy season. Check the weather before you go.

Sheila and local schoolchildren at a road stop in India
The last day in Kolkata, a man walked down Sudder Road (a main thoroughfare) with a sheep on his back while his small son led their herd of goats down the middle of the street. If that doesn’t stop you in your tracks, nothing will. Please don’t let “Slum Dog Millionaire” or hearsay deter you from visiting India. After all, India is incredible…