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Climate
India
has three major seasons: winter, summer and the monsoon.
The winter months
-
(November-March) are pleasant throughout
India
with bright sunny days. In the northern plains, the minimum temperature at times
drops steeply and there is snowfall in the hills. In Maharashtra and the south and
in eastern
India
, however, December and January are pleasantly cool, never really cold.
The summer months
- (April-June) are hot in most
parts of
India
, and it is during this season that hill resorts such as Shimla, Mussoorie,
Nainital, Kullu and the Kashmir valley, Derjeeling, Shillong, Ootacamund,
Kodaikanal, Pachmarhi and
Mount
Abu
provide cool retreats.
Monsoon
- The south-west monsoon usually breaks about the
beginning of June on the west coast and reaches elsewhere later. With the
exception of the south-eastern areas,
India
receives the major share of its rainfall between June and September.
- The
south-eastern areas receive most of the rainfall from the north-east monsoon
between mid-October and December-end.
- Traditionally,
India
had been most popular in the winter months. However, with easy availability of air-conditioned
hotels, transport and leisure facilities (such as dining and
shopping), the summer months too have become popular, and
India
has become a year-round tourist destination.
Language
- English
is commonly spoken and is the most important language for national, political,
and commercial communication. Hindi is the national language and primary
tongue in Bihar , Haryana , Himachal Pradesh , Madhya Pradesh , Rajasthan ,
Uttar Pradesh , Uttaranchal & Delhi .It is also well understood in
Gujrat , Maharashtra , Punjab & Chandigarh but is not the Primary Language
.
- There
are 21 other official language that are Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu,
Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and
Sanskrit.
Dining -Indian Cuisine
Visitors will be amazed at the variety of Indian
cuisine, so different from the popular, if erroneous, impression of all Indian
food being just curry. In truth, each region has its own cuisine, and these are
carefully researched and preserved through restaurants that offer both the cuisine
in its authentic form as well as the ambience to brighten the dining experience.
Very often, the spices are mild, and of course, there is a wide dining choice for
both the vegetarian and the non vegetarian. Initially, it is best to be guided by
a friend familiar with the cuisine, or the maitre’d at the restaurant. Popular
choices include Kashmiri, Punjabi, Hyderabadi, Luchnavi, Bengali and South Indian
as well as Goan cuisine.
International Cuisine
In all metro cities, and most major towns, there is
a wide choice of international foods available to the diner. The most ubiquitous
because of its popularity is Chinese cuisine, but the diner is offered such fare
as French, Italian, Spanish, English, American, Thai, Japanese and Lebanese, among
others. Restaurants can also be theme based, and the décor complements the
cuisine. In several, the food is impeccable, making
India
truly a gourmet country.
Local Touch
Food hawkers selling traditional and local
delicacies make up the everyday scenes in big or small towns throughout the
country. One can try, people from all walks of life frequent these food
stalls.
Electric Current
Voltage in most places is 220 AC, 50 cycles, though
a few areas have DC supply as well. The tourist is advised to check the voltage
before using his electric shaver or any other electric appliance.
Telephone
Local calls can be made from public phones, whether
coin or card operated. International calls can be made from phone booths with card
phone facilities or at any Telecom offices. Most hotels are equipped with IDD
services with a minimal service charge. - Useful Phone Directory
Business Travel
The business traveler need have no worries about
conducting his work in
India
. He can be met at the airport and a car put at his disposal. To assist him with
his work, most hotels have efficient business centers that can provide him with an
office, secretarial help and the use of all modern office facilities. In addition,
direct dial facilities on phone are available to all major Indian and
international cities, making them accessible to the traveler form his hotel room,
or from business centers located close to major centers of commerce. Equally, the
telefax facility is available in all major cities, from the hotel or from a
business centre. The English language is widely spoken, understood and written,
but should you need assistance in other languages, translators are available and
your hotel will be happy to contact them for you.
Business Hours
The country runs on a normal eight hours a day
system with Saturday as half day and Sunday as a day of rest. Department Stores
and supermarkets are open daily from 10 a.m. to 08 p.m.
Sightseeing
It is advisable not to pack too many things,
Just carry things that can be used up and thrown out at the end (creams, shampoos
etc.) Though a lot of variety is available in the big cities. For daily traveling,
must consist of a hand towel, a small bar of soap, a toilet roll, face tissue or
handkerchiefs and a bottle for water. A camera, with ample roll of films (good
quality films are available in the big cities), a pair of binoculars, which can
help with looking closer at birds, wildlife and detailed carving on buildings.
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Travel Tips
