Flights and Travel Guide to India

Overview

India is a bamboozling and beautiful place, where holy cows can be seen basking on heavenly beaches right next to modern hotels and ancient exquisite temples sit flawlessly at home besides gleaming offices. Roaring trains go by rural villages where life hasn’t altered much for hundreds of years now, and through it all reflects almost one-sixth of the globe’s population. India is varied, vast and, above all, unforgettably stunning.

India is one of the most diverse, mystic and vibrant countries of the world. The nation has a huge treasure of wonders and natural beauty that cannot be witnessed anywhere else. This amazing country has one of the richest collections of monuments and historic structures that strongly depict the traditions, rich culture and customs of the people in this country. It is often stated that in order to get acquainted with India, just reading about it is not enough. You will not get a true understanding of this enchanted place until you visit it and experience the allure and vibes of the country yourself.

Geography

The geography of India is described by its physical features, a country located in South Asia lying completely on the Indian Plate in Indo-Australian Plate’s northern portion. The country is positioned on the equator’s north between the east longitude of 68°7′ and 97°25′ and 8°4′ and north latitude of 37°6′. India is the world’s seventh-largest country, with the land area of about 3,287,263 square kilometers in total.

Climate

The weather remains hot most of the year with region to region variations. December to January is the month where the coolest weather lasts, with fresh evenings and mornings mostly and sunny days for the most part. However March through June experience really hot weather when it gets dusty, dry and unpleasant. Summer is the time when this country witness’s monsoon rains in most regions anywhere between the months of June and early October.

Getting in

Due to its vast existence, getting to India is not much of a complexity. India is recognized as a subcontinent thereby it has entry points through air, sea as well as road. As the world welcomes the technology advancement, one can easily travel to this country. However travel by air continues to be the most common modes of transportation to India by majority of the tourists.

Major airports

India has quite a few airports that cater to the international and national flights. A myriad of tourists and travelers take benefit of these amenities. There are a total of about 20 international airports and several domestic airports. The important Airports in India are:

• Indira Gandhi International Airport of New Delhi
• Chattrapati Shivaji International Airport of Mumbai
• Begumpet Airport of Hyderabad
• Calicut International Airport of Calicut
• Chennai International Airport of Chennai
• Cochin International Airport Limited of Cochin
• HAL Airport of Bangalore
• Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport of Kolkata
• Raja Sansi International Airport of Amritsar
• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport of Ahmedabad
• Trivandrum International Airport of Trivandrum.

Major airlines

The main operators are:

• Air India
• Air France
• British Airways
• Etihad Airways
• Jet Airways
• Kingfisher Airlines
• Lufthansa
• Qatar Airways

Travelling in and around

India is huge and there are plenty of interesting ways to travel around and in it, the majority of which could not very well be described as punctual or efficient. Mentioned below are different means through which you can get around India and get to explore it:

By plane

India’s uncertain and large size roads make flying a practical option, especially since in the few years prices have tumbled. Even India’s remote mountains and offshore islands states are served by flights

By train

India boasts of the largest network of railway lines in the world today, and the rail system can be said to be very efficient, if not always on planned schedule. Travelling on Railways of India gives you the opportunity to explore the Indian scenic beauty and landscape first hand and is generally more economical than flying through domestic flights. Also is it one of the safest ways to travel around this country.

There is an immense variety of trains here following a broad hierarchy from normal to luxurious:

1. Rajdhani Express
2. Shatabdi Express
3. Duronto Express
4. Jan Shatabdi Express
5. Garib Rath Express
6. Superfast Trains
7. Mail/Express Trains
8. Fast Passenger Trains
9. Passenger Trains
10. Local/Suburban Trains

By taxi

In central located of large cities like stations or airports reliable pre-paid taxis are accessible and will save your money as well as the hassle of bargaining. As a caution, always remember to collect the receipt from the respective counter.

By bus

The second most popular way of getting around and across stated as well as the only cheap means of visiting many areas that are not on the rail network like for example Dharamshala are the buses.

By car

Tourists either have the option to drive themselves or rent a car with a driver. However those who do not plan to stick around for a longer duration, driving your self is not recommended for a number of reasons. Traffic jams, complex roads, rash drivers can turn your vacations into a night mare.

By auto-rickshaw

One of the most common means of traveling in India is the auto-rickshaw, also referred to as ‘rickshaw’ or only ‘auto’ sometimes. Most inhabitants usually call them as a “three wheeler.” They come very handy for short-distance journey with in cities, especially since they can easily weave their way through tiny alleys to bypass bigger cars stuck in long travel jams. However these are not suitable for long distances.

Things to do

India for long has been recognized for its cultural history and diversity. Adding a fascinating ouch to India’s spectrum has been the IT boom in the last decade. In today’s world, it is one the most happening Asia’s nations, where a tourist will find something new every time he/she visits and will still feel that there is still much to explore. However just from seeing the assortment there are many things to do in the exciting country of India.

Go Shopping

Shopping is definitely fun in India, off course if the right places are visited. You will find a variety of art pieces, which have immense aesthetic value and can be amazing keep sake and a great house decoration. You can get pieces from South Indian culture, Rajasthani culture as well as East Indian culture. Also, you can bargain to a great extent in this country, provided you know the art to bargain.

Night life

India has an exhilarating nightlife. It also experiences great deal of diversity; you have the option to choose from a soothing ghazal mehfil to a happening rock party. There are number of lounges and pubs which can be an awesome chilling out hangouts. One of the frequent events in India are the concerts. You can either attend a dance program or a classical music program.

Fair & Festivals

Streets seem to come to life for three nights and days at the Goa Fair(carnival). It is held in mid February and is a weeklong event where you can witness floats, lively processions, graceful dances, the strumming of guitars and of non-stop festivity.

Another one is the Surajkund Mela where Craftsmen from all across the country assemble at Surajkund during February’s first fortnight to participate in the yearly celebration recognized as the Surajkund Crafts Mela.

A very famous one is Holi which is celebrated in spring. It is a festival of colors. It is celebrated in the month of March or April, showing gratitude towards spring.

Diwali-”Diwali” is the festival of lights, where the darkness is illuminated of the New Year’s moon, and strengthens the close relationships and friendships along with a self-realization.

National Parks

Tourists can have a close encounter with the wild depending on the terrain and area where national Parks can be found. But what sets India’s National parks from others is their exquisite variance that. Whether it comes to the aqua fauna, flora and avifauna or witnessing a variety of wild forms in their innate surroundings while riding on an elephant or inside of a jeep, wild ventures here are simply astounding!

1. Bandhavgarh National Park- located in Umaria District, Madhya Pradesh.
2. Ranthambore National Park-located near Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan.
3. Kaziranga National Park- located in Golaghat, Assam.
4. Kanha National Park-located in Mandla District, Madhya Pradesh
5. Royal Chitwan National Park (Nepal)- located in South West Of Kathmandu, Nepal

India Dos and Don’ts

Every nation has a different nature of its tradition and culture. And when it comes to a huge country like India, a lot of caution needs to be taken.

There are a few social conventions that you should keep in mind and follow so that you don’t hurt the Indian sentiments. One of the most important things is the greeting. In this country, people greet each other by saying the word “Namaste” while folding both their hands together. Be sure you remove your footwear before entering any temple. As a matter of decency, women are expected to dress up modestly. Revealing, short and tight clothes are not considered very respectable.

The foremost thing not to do is create any sort of obscene scenes on the roads. Regarding the journey, the visitors are strongly suggested not to travel to the terrorist affected areas in the Jammu and Kashmir. Importing any sort of pig meat products, livestock and animals are strictly prohibited. Also avoid from traveling into the rural areas during the monsoon season, as there are many chances of unseen hazards such as landslides etc.