Full Stop India

Travelers who don’t speak Punjabi, the official language of Punjab, far in the Northwest reaches of India, fear not; Hindi is widely spoken as well as English.

Arranging for a hotel room on your last night in India will be one of the smartest decisions you can make during your journey. Having the comfort to shower, change and pack your bags before departing for the long wait at the airport can make all the difference in your flying attitude. Travel agencies, in an effort to keep itinerary costs down, will schedule travelers on full day of sightseeing after the morning hotel checkout. Once this is complete, tourists are shuttled to dinner and then straight on to the airport.

Travel to the seven sister states of North East India by foreigners or Indians can be limited and requires the use of permits in some states. Ethnic issues as well as the sensitive nature and proximity to the borders of China, Bhutan, and Myanmar deems this necessary. A similar permit is needed for travel along [...]

Baksheesh: payment (as a tip or bribe) to expedite service. Source- Merriam Webster
Baksheesh and it’s chronic use in India can be a cause of anger, resentment and confusion by foreign tourists. Even Indians themselves can be frustrated by it’s hold on day-to-day living. And while outward appearances may have one thinking baksheesh is nothing more [...]

This service, provided every weekend for more than 4 years now, was a program I had hoped to arrange during a brief visit to Bangalore in March, 2010. My calendar did not have me in this tech-centered city over a weekend, however, their website mentioned special weekday tours could be arranged. After a couple of [...]