23 Feb 2008 03:21:11 | swati
India travel
The subcontinent of India lies in south Asia, between Pakistan,
china & Nepal. To the north it is bordered by the world’s
highest mountain chain, where foothill valleys cover the north
most of the country is 29 states. Side by side with the country
staging topographical variations is its cultural diversity, the
result of the coexistence of a number of religions as well as
local tradition. In the extreme north is the high attitude
desert of Ladakh, local culture is visibly is shaped by the
faith- Buddhism as well as by the harsh terrain, Indian culture
is observed in the colorful tribal lifestyles of the
northeastern states of Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura & Manipur with
their folk culture.
Indian mountains provides us hail skiing,river running
mountaineering and trekking. Its beaches provide lazy sunbathing
as well as wind surfing and snorkeling and its jungles provide
shooting wildlife-with a camera.
Features of India are ayurveda, art & culture, pilgrimage,
religion & cult, fashion & beauty, fair, festival, cinema
society history and legend. These all things make India best and
different from other country.
Tourist come to India for its wealth of sights, cultural
embrace, diversity, of terrain and in search of that special
something an extra punch that only India promises and delivers
teeming with over a billion people who voice over a billion
people who voice over a million concern in fifteen hundred
different languages.
All visitors are required to carry a passport valid at least to
6 months. Visa exemptions include:
1. Bhutanese and Nepalese visitors can stay for less than 3
months.
2. Nationals from the Maldives can stay for a maximum of two
days.
3. Transit passengers have follow on ticket within 72 hours of
arrival as long as they cannot go to leave the airport.
Special instructions apply to Pakistani and Afghan nationals.
It is always wise to check updated visa requirements prior to
travel. How do I get there? By air:-
Major gateways include; Indira Gandhi international airport in
new Delhi, Chennai international -20 km from city, Chhatarpati
Shivaji international airport in Mumbai-14 km from city, Netaji
Subhash Chandra Bose international airport Calcutta -18 km from
city. Airports tend to be an outskirts of cities. Prepaid taxi
services and auto-rickshaws are station outside the terminus to
get you into the city.
By rail:-
Railways do not cut across international borders in this part of
the world except understanding. Express that runs between
Amritsar (India) and Lahore (Pakistan). However, in many cases
it is possible to travel until the border by train. By road:-
Except the Lahore-Delhi bus (4 times in a week), there are no
cross borders coach services. It is possible to drive into India
with the requisite paperwork in order. Even driving in from
Nepal now requires a permit. Permits may arrange through the
Indian embassy in your country.
By sea:-
Several international cruise lines include stopovers at Indian
ports. The popular destinations are Goa, Mumbai, Kochi,
Kezhikode, Calcutta and Chennai. There are no regular passenger
services; the services between Rameshwaram (Tamilnadu) and
Srilanka has been identifying suspended. Travel by water is
not popular but there are ships to the Andaman’s from Calcutta,
Chennai, and Vishakha Putnam, backwater cruises in converted
rice boats called Kettuvatams are a delight in the lazy lagoons
of Kerala. They can purchase at major through travel agents.
Advance, reservations are necessary because this is a first
come, first serve service. Where do I stay?
There is enough variety in tourist accommodation in India for
the visitor always finds comfort; degrees of luxury through will
be directly proportionate to the degree of the depth of your
pocket. Hotels are grading on the star system-5 star being fully
air-conditioned, with a coffee shop, multiple specialist’s
restaurants, pools, sauna, Jacuzzi, health center, in house
shopping and all the razzmatazz. Down to hostels, ashrams and
public works guesthouses; dormitory style living with rationed
hot water (just about enough for a decent shave), no smoking and
no drinking restrictions and curfew.
About Author :
swati gupta