Update March 13: added hotel WiFi pricing, food tips
Ground Transport
If you haven’t arranged a pickup from the airport with the hotel or your
airline, you can grab a car from level P7 of the parking garage with the Ola
or Uber apps. Uber is a little strange in India, sometimes the driver won’t
come but won’t cancel the ride to avoid the penalty, so
they’ll wait there not moving until you cancel the ride or call them.
For this
reason (among others) we suggest using Ola instead.
They take cash as payment at the end of the ride, so be prepared if you haven’t
set up another payment mechanism.
The ride from the airport should cost between Rs.500 and Rs.700 ($8-$11). If
someone tries to give you a ride for Rs.1500, you’re probably being ripped off.
The local taxis are black and yellow and you can hail them off the street.
All the local cabs have meters — make sure the cabbies turn them on! They’ll try
to get you to agree to a flat fare and rip you off, don’t fall for it. The meter
starts at Rs.22 (unless it’s a car with A/C).
Communications
WiFi
The hotel has WiFi, but it costs $20/day if you’re not an IHG Loyalty Program
member. We recommend you sign up for free on
their site using your
email address before coming so you can enjoy free WiFi at the hotel.
Mobile
It will be more convenient to have a local number and data plan for when you’re
out and about. That way if there’s any changes to the plan (which happens here
frequently) you’ll be in the know on the WhatsApp group.
If you have an unlocked phone, the cheapest option is to get a SIM card here
and just put money on it. There are kiosks at the airport for Airtel Wireless,
and the hotel may be able to get you a SIM card for Airtel or Vodaphone.
Bring a copy of your Visa and a passport-sized photo of yourself to make
this go super fast. Recently the government has made the registration process
for prepaid SIM cards more involved, but they’re still available and very cheap.
Enough data and calling for a month costs $5.
Your carrier in the US may also have a roaming plan you can activate before
leaving. Verizon offers a $10/day plan that’s charged only on days it’s used.
This will be your only option if you have a carrier-locked phone.
Language
Most people speak some form of English and you shouldn’t have too much of a
problem being understood.
Also, haggling is definitely a thing.
Weather
India is hot - plan for temperatures between 80 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit and
humidity. It’s definitely 2-showers-a-day weather. This is still a relatively
conservative country so plan for loose cotton or linen clothing, as opposed
to super short/see through things ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Mosquitos
Mosquitos are a thing, especially in March unfortunately. We’ll be fumigating
the wedding venue and setting everyone up with basic supplies but definitely
feel free to bring your own mosquito repellent as well. Malaria, Dengue Fever,
and Chikungunya are all mosquito-borne illnesses that can make you ill for weeks
on end, so you’ll want to avoid getting bitten as much as possible.
While by no means necessary, some people visiting choose to take malaria pills
as well. YMMV.
If you do get stricken with a tropical illness, we’ll take you to the
doctor, but prepare for Clark to push absurdly-large sounding doses of Vitamin C
on you until you get better. The scientific literature is pretty full of
evidence of its
usefulness fighting
viral infections
with zero side-effects, but few practicing doctors appear aware
of this to date.
Food Safety
The “Bombay belly” is real. If you’re not used to eating on the street in Asian
countries, we suggest you avoid street food altogether.
If you’re used to eating on the street in Asian countries, we still recommend
staying away from anything uncooked and/or made with water on the street - so
no chutney, juice, or iced drinks. This doesn’t hold for nice bars or
restaurants, as they will use filtered and UV sanitized water.
Water
We recommend sticking to bottled water during your entire stay. Check the cap
for a factory seal. The tap water is not safe for drinking, and some
sensitive travelers have stomach issues drinking even the filtered water.
Unwanted Attention
Due to some cultural constructs, and also a great deal of curiosity, some Indian
men might have formed certain, er, false notions about the sexual availability
of foreign women.
Also, if you’re white you might attract a lot of (possibly unwanted)
attention — ie. people asking to take pictures with you. Just be aware
and stay safe.