India Goa

Passports & Visas:
Full passports are required by all British visitors and must be valid for at least six months after you return to the UK.

A visa must be obtained from the Indian High Commission in London, Birmingham or Edinburgh prior to travelling.  A six month tourist visa currently costs £30 and can be applied for by post (allowing 8 weeks for delivery) or in person with a valid British passport.  Alternatively use you can use a Visa service provider, however there is likely to be an agency fee (approximately £30) in addition to the £30.      

Health:
No vaccination certificates are required for travel to India (unless entering from an area infected with Yellow Fever).  However, immunisation against tetanus, typhoid and hepatitis A & B is recommended, a course of anti malaria tablets may also be required.    See Health Advice leaflet for further details and it is also advisable to consult your GP for individual and up to date advice. 

Avoid raw salad, cut fruit, cold cuts, fresh juice and yogurt.  Instead of tap water opt for bottles of sealed mineral water of well known brands such as Evian & Himalayan.  To prevent mosquito bites use a suitable repellent.

Currency:
You are not allowed to bring Indian Currency, the Rupee, into the country or take it with you when you leave.  In most major cities you can change travellers cheques and currency (Sterling & US dollar preferable).

Rupee notes come in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500. In 1996 the Reserve Bank of India decided to stop printing INR1.00, INR2.00 and INR5.00 notes, but there is still a sprinkling of these in circulation. There is a INR1000.00 note but this is quite rare. The rupee (Rs) is divided into 100 paise (p). The paise comes in coin denominations of five, 10, 20 (all no longer being issued) 25 and 50. There are also rare rupee coins in denominations of one, two and five.

The most effective way of changing money is in large amounts as infrequently as possible at the larger banks in the major cities.  Credit Cards are widely accepted and a growing number of cities and larger towns have ATM’s which accept all major UK debit and credit cards.

Tipping:
There are no norms for tipping or baksheesh as it is called in India.  Porters and doorman are usually happy with 5-10 rupee tip. In restaurants check the bill before deciding whether to tip, in the larger establishments a tip is normally included on the bill however in smaller establishments 10% is usually more than adequate.  Tipping a taxi driver is optional and is not normally expected however you are expected to offer a baksheesh to people who offer you a personal service.

Climate:
Hot tropical weather with considerable regional variations. The climate is dominated by the Asiatic monsoon. From Jun-Sep the country is influenced by the rainy monsoon from the south west. At this time rainfall can be very heavy, particularly over the higher regions facing the sea. The coolest time with the driest weather is between Dec-Feb. The weather gets hotter from Mar-May with continuing drought. The rains tend to start in late May in the south, arriving up to 6 weeks later in the north.

 
General information about India:
Location : Asia
Local Time : 5.5 hours ahead of GMT.
Capital : New Delhi
Language : Hindi (in the Devnagari script), 18 other languages. English widely used
Electricity : 220V AC 50Hz
International dialling : 91
Tap Water : Not drinkable, avoid ice.  Bottled water is widely available
Driving : Driving is on the left. International Driving Permit recommended, temporary license available from local authorities on presentation of National license
Airport : Delhi Indira Gandhi International or Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International
Business Hours : Banks: 1000-1400 Mon-Fri, 1000-1200 Sat
: Offices: 0930-1700 Mon-Fri, 0930-1300 Sat
: Shops: 0930-1900 Mon-Sat
Departure tax : None (all taxes included in your air ticket).
Flying time : approx 8.30 hour on a direct service

Food:
Goa offers a wide range of cuisine including Indian, Goan, Srilankan and Chinese at remarkably low prices.  Local delicacies include fresh seafood with a special emphasis on kingfish, tiger prawns and lobster, spicy chicken vindaloo and vegetarian curries. For those of you intending to taste Goan and Indian cuisine in restaurants it is worthwhile to mention the grade of  ‘spiciness’ at the time of ordering. Food is generally described as mild, moderate or spicy hot!!! For the uninitiated it would be worth ordering a mild version to begin with. 

Allow approximately £7 per day for lunch and dinner. Bottled mineral or soda water is advisable at all times.

Clothing:
Lightweights for most of the year with warmer clothing between Nov-Mar. Rainwear is required between June and October during the monsoon season. Sun hats, sun glasses and comfortable shoes recommended. Please ensure that upon entry into the country that all sports/walking shoes are clean and free of mud as they may be confiscated to be disinfected which may take several days and will incur a charge to the owner.