Practical Information

Visa

India

To avoid possible problems at immigration, make sure your passport is valid for a minimum of 180 days at the time of entry into India.

Travellers from the UK, US, CA and EU normally need a visa to enter India. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.
Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/india
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/india
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/india/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/India.html

Travellers eligible for an e-visa, which includes those from the UK, US, CA and EU, can apply at www.indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html.

For more information on applying for your Indian Visa, including details required for your start hotel and local reference contacts, please click on this link: Indian Visa Information

Vaccinations and Health

India

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, hepatitis A, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, rabies and tuberculosis. The risk of malaria is slight, but you may wish to consult your doctor or travel clinic for further advice.

You will also require a yellow fever vaccination certificate if arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Proof of a polio vaccination may also be required by some travellers. Please confirm all requirements and recommendations with your doctor or travel clinic.

Additionally, dengue, a viral disease spread by mosquitoes, is a known risk in India. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, so we strongly recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Some of our India trips spend time at altitude. In regions over approximately 6,560ft (2,000m), there is little risk of mosquito-borne diseases. For trips above 9,840ft (3,000m), there is a risk of being affected by acute mountain sickness. Our itineraries are designed to enable everyone to acclimatise to these altitudes, but you should be aware that it is still possible for you to be affected. Please see the Trip Notes for further information.

The risk of malaria on this trip is slight, but you may wish to consult your GP or travel health clinic for further advice.

Dengue fever and/or Chikungunya are known risks in places visited on this trip. Both are tropical viral diseases spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for either, and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. We recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

The Travel Health Pro website recommends to have a rabies vaccination on this trip, as cycling is considered a higher risk activity.

Local Time

India's time zone: Asia/Kolkata (UTC +05:30)

Electricity

India's electricity: Plug types C (two round pins), D (three round pins) and M (three round pins) – 230V, 50Hz

Money

India's currency: Indian rupee (INR). Please note, it is illegal to import or export rupees. Do not accept torn or very dirty Indian banknotes from banks or in change as they will almost certainly not be accepted as legal tender in India. You can normally change money back from rupees into US dollars or British pounds at the departure airport, but you must produce an exchange receipt showing that you changed money in India.

ATM Availability

ATMs are widely available throughout this trip (Visa and Mastercard are best). However, you should not rely on these 100 percent of the time, so bring cash too. You can bring British pounds or US dollars to exchange. You can pay with credit cards in bigger shops all over India, but please inform your bank before departure that you are travelling to India and carry the relevant telephone number with you in case they block your card.

Extra Expenses & Spending Money

Many sites now charge a small fee for camera use. Allow at least 600 rupees (approximately US$7) per day for personal expenditures such as snacks and soft drinks.

India has very good shopping opportunities, especially for locally made goods. During your trip, it is highly likely your local guides will take you to emporiums and workshops where these goods are made. Many people find this a great opportunity to buy local handicrafts, silk and carpets. Guides often assume visitors want to go shopping, it is very much part of the culture, but if you do not wish to go, please make this clear to your local guide at the time.

Optional activities

Additional optional activities are as follows:

Fort Kochi:

• Kathakali dance show: 700 rupees (approximately US$9) per person, based on a minimum of four people

Tipping

Tipping is part of the culture in India. However, it can often be an awkward affair, especially when you’re in an unfamiliar country. As such, your tour leader will offer to arrange and look after a tipping kitty, which is used to tip hotel staff, local guides, airport transfer drivers and other support staff on the trip.

Your tour leader will suggest how much to contribute, depending on group size, but it is usually around 3,200-3,600 rupees (US$39-US$44) per person. At any time during the trip, your tour leader will be happy to show you an account of how the kitty is being distributed.

Tips for the tour leader and drivers and cycle crew are not included in the kitty and are at your own discretion. Our local leaders and staff are paid well and fairly for their work; however, if you wish to show your appreciation, our recommendation is as follows:

• For the driver, assistant leader, and mechanic: Around 350-440 rupees (approximately US$4.50-US$5.50) per passenger per day
• For the tour leader: Around 350-440 rupees (US$4.50-US$5.50) per person per day.

Where possible, please try to tip in the local currency.

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips that improve life for the people and places we visit and look after the planet we explore. Find out more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here, and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People:

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

• The use of a local guide means our customers are well informed about local traditions and cultural-social sensitivities.
• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally owned hotels and restaurants, the emphasis on eating locally produced food, and by supporting other local enterprises.
• The hotels we stay in are dedicated to hiring local staff, this helps to benefit the surrounding community by providing employment opportunities and income alternatives where they may be otherwise hard to come by.
• Our local partners share a commitment to projects that benefit their communities.
• This tour encourages guests to visit local cafes and restaurants and use markets to purchase traditional crafts.

Places:

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

• Read about our commitment to nature protection and restoration here including our rewilding commitment for every customer who travels.
• By travelling in a small group, led by a local guide, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• We visit national heritage sites and the entrance fees included generate income used to upkeep and develop these important monuments and nature parks.
• Our trips adhere to ABTA’s industry-leading animal welfare guidelines to ensure the best possible practices with regard to working animals and wildlife viewing. Read our animal welfare policy here.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively eliminate or reduce waste, for example eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles and instead providing refills for reusable bottles.
• Paper bags are used as an alternative to single-use plastics where possible.

Planet:

How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

• Read about our climate action here, including our carbon reduction and compensation commitments.
• Accommodation and restaurants in the itinerary use locally sourced food which has not been transported long distances.
• In some restaurants there is the option to have plant-based meals.
• This trip favours locally owned and run accommodation.

Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

• Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish behind in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, we’d ask you to consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: Please bring your own reusable water bottle on this trip; filtered water will be provided where tap water is not drinkable.

Cultural respect

• Best to ask before photographing people, ceremonies or sacred sites.
• It’s polite to use only your right hand when eating something without cutlery and when handing money and small objects to someone else.
• Before entering a holy place, remove your shoes and give them to the shoe minder. When you collect your shoes again give the minder a few rupees. You’re permitted to wear socks in most places of worship.
• Religious etiquette advises against touching the heads of locals, even children, or directing the soles of your feet at a person, shrine or an image of a deity. You should not touch a carving of a deity.
• Dress and behave respectfully when visiting religious sites, don’t wear shorts and sleeveless tops – this applies to both men and women. A head cover for women and sometimes men is required in some places of worship.
• Generally, it is best to dress modestly throughout your time in India as a sign of respect.
• Making the effort to fit in is invariably appreciated so being aware of these aspects of cultural respect will assist you during your travels in India.

Important Information

Water safety

This trip includes time by a lake, river or sea, where there may be opportunities to swim. You should always seek local advice before deciding whether to swim. Open-water or wild swim spots should be treated with extreme caution. Information on how to keep yourself safe while swimming is shown here.