Packing for India

[ChickenWine]

Hi,
Next month I am travelling to India for 16 days and very excited! My trip is:
2 nights in Delhi at a 5 star hotel (looking to relax by the pool here)
overnight train to Amritsar, then 2 nights in a guesthouse
2 nights in Dharmashala staying in a guesthouse
1 night in Mandi
2 nights in Shimla
2 nights in Rishikesh- one night in a B&B, one night camping next to the Ganges
2 nights in Delhi- a five star hotel again to relax after travelling around!

my main activities are visiting holy sites, walking and visiting historic sites.
what should I pack? Ie Footwear, skirts vs trousers etc? I’m planning to go shopping for this soon and I have no idea where to start! Also, not just clothes but more practical
things too! Any ideas welcome

Take lots of hand sanitizer and use it every time you touch any money.
don’t eat salads and don’t have ice cubes. I also avoided rice because it was kept warm for a long time.
DD and I did India twice in pull on cotton trousers and cheap t-shirts (Primark or similar). In fact we tended to throw them away as we travelled. I always save old knickers and take them on touring holidays and throw them away too. Also old socks.
Wear trainers.
Put your packing in cubes and use your suitcase like a cabin trunk. We never unpacked and put any shopping under the cubes out of the way.
If you are taken somewhere and like something, buy, On our first day we went to a place selling tablecloths and I only bought one thinking we would see more. But that was our one and only chance for tablecloths!
Are you on an organised tour? If so, the tour manager will tell you when it is safe to eat salad or have an ice cube. Our’s also protected us from street vendors - once you stop to talk to one you will be surrounded.
If you are offered a day trip from Shimla to the Monkey Temple and lunch out, take it. We really enjoyed it and you go into the Himalaya.
If you are going back to the same hotel in Delhi you should have the opportunity to leave a bag in the luggage room eg your dirty clothes and clean clothes for the last two days.
We loved India and I hope to go back. Enjoy!

You are so lucky! Yes agree with PP, avoid ice and salads as they may have been washed in tap water, but a nice restaurant will be fine. I'd personally avoid Yogurt or icecream too. Enjoy, Indians are lovely people and have such a rich culture. Pack things light weight that you can layer, check what the temperature will be when you go there and remember you can always but more things when you get there.

Check the seal is intact on bottled water before you open and drink it.
Take and use hand sanitiser.
Wear lightweight cotton clothes and don’t underestimate modesty, keep your arms, legs and cleavage covered to avoid unwanted attention.
Indian people are kind and hospitable, try to take this at face value and enjoy it!

You can pack very light.

Loose linen trousers
Long sleeve linen shirts
Trainers
Couple of dresses
1 pair of non-trainer shoes
Shawl

Dress modestly everywhere. It is respectful and will make you feel comfortable.

Take good insect repellent and use it. Dusk is particularly bad for mozzies.

Use bottled water for brushing your teeth / washing your face.

Poolside in Delhi? Might not be a good idea. Heavy pollution isn't great for sitting around in. And there are far more interesting things to do.

If you are on a tour, bear in mind that your tour guide will be taking backhanders from every trading opportunity he takes you to. This is common practice, called baksheesh. But means you will pay WAY over the odds anywhere he takes you.

Do not get involved if the tour guide asks for guests to contribute towards a "tipping kitty". It is tipped straight into his pocket. Carry small money and give your own tips if you want to.

Take a cotton sarong with you - or you can buy one there. Very useful for throwing over your shoulders when you need to (religious place or for sun) or around your waist if you are wearing shorts for the above reason.

I disagree about yoghurt. I ate it every day of my month long backpack journey as it's full of healthy bacteria. I had no stomach problems. Good hotels and good guests houses will be using "good" water for salads and ice cubes.

Don't avoid yogurt (Lassi) in India, one of the best things for you to drink after bottled water (with factory seal).
Comfortable walking sandals.
I wouldn't bother with too many clothes as you can buy cotton trousers and tops when you get there more suited to the climate. (Linen looks awful when you are sweating all the time)
Mosquito repellant is easily bought there, Odomos is a good one. Take small hand held battery fan - small torch for evening walking or if the electric goes off in the hotel, which happens even in 5* star ones. I always take my roll up hat with a large brim but always end up buying one there.
Sun cream and after sun is better from UK, adulterated ones are common in India and in some places unavailable.
Have a great time.

You will be fine to wear whatever you want around the hotel and if you go to a fancy restaurant (though I would highly recommend trying out any more casual spots!) but when travelling around and outside of those spots I would dress as modestly as possible. Tourists tend to be wearing baggy trousers and loose t-shirts. People are very fashion conscious for evening dinners etc.

5 star hotels will be very airconditioned so you may want a light cover for the evening. I found in December I was fine in t-shirts but I was constantly asked ‘don’t you feel cold?’ And a relative told me that really it meant people thought I couldn’t afford to buy anything warmer! 😂

I used to get very sick whenever I went to India, but now I only eat hot food. Its so worth trying the street food, but ONLY if you see them cooking it fresh in front of you and then don’t have any of the chutneys added.
i specifically remember my mum (who was born and raised in India) getting very sick from yoghurt, we were told it was homemade so she ate it, but turns out these relatives bought it from the market. We also got very sick from chutney left on a table at a fancy restaurant, which we assumed would be fine as it was 5 star, but we all got VERY sick.
Places like the Taj though rely on their foreign tourism and they test the water daily as they can’t afford to let their guests get sick. You will find that a lot of places now use ‘Aru’ water which is safe to drink, some sort of filter.

the food is OUT OF THIS WORLD so don’t let that scare you. There is a place called Bikanervala which is kind of like a roadside restaurant chain. but it’s exceptional food and cheap.. you won’t see tourists there though so you may be started at a lot, but it’s so worth it..

Young women do wear a lot of jeans etc. perhaps with a kaftan style top which you could buy there. There is a real trend of mixing eastern and western.

you could even buy some Indian
suits when you are there if you wanted to and wear those.

If you go shopping in Delhi have a look in a shop called Nicobar (have quite a few branches there) - they have some fabulous Indian style boutique clothes.

Dress modestly - not just at holy sites but everywhere - cover your cleavage, shoulders and knees. It's respectful and will save you getting hassle.
Sad to say, this applies by the pool too. I, like you, planned a couple of days relaxing by the pool in a nice hotel in Delhi, only to find the male guests openly ogling me, some even filming me, because I was wearing a swimming costume. I gave up and left the pool. I'm a middle aged woman btw, it's not that I'm a model or anything.
For walking and travelling, wear lightweight, breathable, loose fabrics.

The food in India is incredible. You can help avoid getting a bad tummy by sticking to vegetarian dishes, of which there are plenty. It's not like a lot of places where vegetarian is a small corner of a menu, they fully embrace it.

Be prepared to haggle when buying anything, it's expected, don't feel awkward about it.

India is an incredible place. I've been three times to different areas, I loved all of it, even when it was hard work!

I'm going myself! Trousers or long skirts I've been advised and tops that cover the shoulders plus long sleeved shirt as a cover up (sun and some holy sites). I always carry a scarf too as sun protection and religious sensitivities.

I echo the only eat hot food thing, it's done me well in every country where you might doubt the water supply - in fact the places I have had issues are Spain and the USA not exotic climes (I think we let our guard down in "safe" places.

We have had all the vaccines though at drs recommendation, didn't cost us so thought we might as well.

I usually pack light with an almost empty suitcase and pick up things while I'm there. Cotton or silk scarves are great to buy locally – perfect for covering up when visiting holy sites. White cotton clothing is ideal for staying cool during the day.
A tip for mozzies: I swear by strong vitamin B tablets – apparently, they don't like the taste, and it helps keep the bites at bay. I always eat the local pickle/curd. It seems to stop me from getting sick – but that's just what works for me
Hope you have an amazing trip!

I went almost 40 years ago and we were told to take small packs of pens, pencils and notebooks as children will beg.

No don’t take things to hand out to
children. It’s not good to encourage begging. Better to give to a local school. You could ask your tour operator.

And yes, light cotton clothing is the way to go.

Have an amazing time!

Begging is organised in India and the money goes to the top of the chain. Gone are the days of giving kids pencils and paper, they just want cash.
Just eat what you fancy within reason, food poisioning comes from contaminated food or water, from person to person, cross contamination, meat, eggs, fruit and veg etc, so anything really
. Sun doesn't give you "delhi belly" as I have read on other forums just be aware of not staying in it for hours and Slip - Slap - Slop. Slip on a shirt, Slop on the sunscreen and Slap on a hat.
We have spent many months at a time living in different parts of India and can count on less than 1 hand how many times we have been ill. Squits at times but the local chemist can cure that with a couple of pills.
Only do essential shopping in UK and leave your suitcase fairly empty or you will regret it. 😁
You will love it and glad you are very excited about going.

@Proudbitch - do you mean RO water which stands for Reverse Osmosis filtration.

Pack light and buy stuff there! Although trousers come up very short. Cotton definitely. I would buy a scarf there because then it will be a wearable souvenir!

Mosquito net
Cuffed trousers for evening walks
Toilet roll - public toilets are generally holes into the ground
Slippers
Anti diarrhoea meds
Anti histamines
Anti sickness
India has many smells - so a miniature perfume spray in case things get funky

The days of slumming it in India back pack stylee I think are long gone. The hotels IME are clean and modern and Indian 5 star hotels are something else.

It will be warm so wear loose layers. The guests in the 5 star hotels will be very smart and well dressed so I wouldn't personally be wearing old shitty clothes that are to be thrown out after wearing.

Just wear normal summer clothes and flat comfortable shoes.

I think so - maybe the brand name is just ARU water filter. It’s what some of my relatives have anyway and I saw it at one of the five star hotels

I have lived in India, so some of my first hand observations whilst I lived there.

I have been ill a number of times from those 5* hotel (and yes the Taj). Try and keep away from the hotel buffets, get items cooked fresh, inc breakfast.

Water I had a RO tap in my kitchen but you can still get ill, I relied on drinking bottled water only and RO was for cooking. Drink only bottled water and check the seal yourself, no ice for me or ice cream. (unless I made it)

Curd/paneer, I made my own, but generally its fine to eat.

Eat foods that you can peel/boil/cooked fresh, but watch those spices if your not used to it, lime juice with sparkling or still bottled water is a good thirst quencher, but ask for it without sugar.

Water in showers, now this has been talked about in many travel blogs, but my friends and work colleagues always told me to shower with my mouth firmly closed and be careful if you wear contact lenses to keep eye closed due to water born parasites (obviously not wearing lenses in the shower), some even went as far to advise mouthwash when in the shower, never did go that far.

Swimming pools even in those high class 5* ones attract men to just sit or stand at the side and stare at women, its a bloody pain the the backside, and I have many a time to the pool guys to get these men moved, and had a hissy fit when one guy decided to sit on the edge on my sunbed on my towel......dozens empty all around.

You will be asked for selfies, if people are being polite, or just take your pic anyway and sidle up to you and the lack of personal space can get very uncomfortable with people getting too close.

Clothing, I wore a lot of loose linen trousers (never wore dresses or skirts) and kurtas, a long tunic kind of top which you can buy a lot of when your there if needs be, cotton or linen, never sleeveless and more covered up up the front. You can buy dupattas which are scarfs to cover up more if needed. I always had cotton slip on socks to wear when going into temples etc. your feet will either be very hot or get very dirty. Birkenstocks are always my choice of footwear, but general flip flops by the pool or beach. But a lightweight walking sandal would be fine. Most of the bigger supermarkets sell clothing as well as general clothing shops, but I do like Fabindia and Anukhi.

Toiletries, now of course you can get all the toiletries you need there, but usually not the brands that are important, good quality sun lotion face/body/head if you dont wear a hat (like me), deet deet and more deet, Joungle Formular is the way to go, the local Osmos was usless for us and at first got bitten badly. Also aftersun, I am particular about my brand and dont like any other. Make sure you cover up at dusk, and mozzies have a preference for darker coloured clothing.

Make sure you have tissues in your bag as many places have either a squat toilet and dont have paper.

You can get anti diarrhea tabs from any pharmacy and they work well, but take some paracetamol/ibuprofen, wet wipes, hand sanitiser, some plaster inc ones for blisters. And of course any of your regular medication if you take any as well as a copy of your prescription.

Keep away from the dogs......

Thats all I can think at the moment....

Oh and dont give money out no matter how bad you feel, its sad to see but organised gangs just take money from the kids mothers with the babys, I used to watch the kids get their bandages put on of a morning,,,,,the ones with the fake blood, then off at night not an injury in sight.