What to take on Holiday to India
If you are not organised packing for a holiday can be a stressful experience. I have a friend who calls the day before going away crying that she can’t find her passport (although her clothes are all sorted for the trip). Therefore my first piece of advice is to leave plenty of time to pack, and be sure that you know where your passport, tickets and money are. You can buy any forgotten essentials whilst you are travelling. It’s often much cheaper to do this anyway (especially if you’re based in the UK).
Take a backpack with you if you are planning to move around a lot. Though you can take a suitcase and then pack the backpack lighter for days out.
Footwear needs to be comfortable, slip on shoes are great when visiting temples. If you plan to see several temples in one go then those fashionable buckled gladiator sandals will be very frustrating. Bear in mind good footwear often get stolen outside temples so it may be worth buying a cheap pair to wear while doing the temple trails. You may like to pack a pair of smarter shoes as well as hiking boots if you’re going to be trekking.
A basic first aid kit should be packed containing plasters, bandages, painkillers, mosquito repellent, sting and bite cream, diarrhoea remedies and water purification tablets. Do not forget to take malaria tablets which you should start taking a week before arrival in India.
Top ten things you must take on a holiday to India
1 Travel Insurance – sensible and necessary. Make sure you know what it covers and how much for. For example my insurance only covers me for up to £150 cash, therefore I have made sure I will not keep more than that in cash with me.
2 Sun cream – India is HOT and the suns rays can be very strong so be sure to pack decent sun protection (a hat and sunglasses would be a good idea).
3 Snacks – I always take small packs of dried fruit and nuts as emergency snacks when travelling. In an effort to avoid ‘Delhi belly’ I am careful to eat well cooked foods only while in India, if safe sources of sustenance are not available then I can have my snacks.
4 Ipod – it is nice to stick something relaxing on your Ipod when you are soaking in the scenery. If your body clock is out and you are up when others are sleeping then you can listen to music without disturbing anyone. I know I am so considerate…
5 Tissues – Indian toilets can be a traumatic experience for the untrained. It does depend on where you go but many places just have squat style toilets with no tissues. Personally I’m fine with washing with water but I must dry myself. Take a good supply of travel tissues with you.
6 A good reading book – People on trains can be quite nosey and ask you a lot of questions. I don’t mind this too much but it can get irritating when you are asked the same thing repeatedly. If you are travelling around India you may it useful to take something to read to avoid unwanted conversation as well as to pass the time.
7 Lightweight bath towel- it is best to take your own towel as some hotels may not provide them. I sometimes prefer to use my own anyway.
8 A camera – you will want to capture your memories while on holiday so take a camera and important accessories such as battery charger and USB cable.
9 Anti bacterial hand gel- If you are travelling a lot then you might have to face an array of scary toilet facilities. Be hygienic by using an antibacterial hand gel after going to the loo (even if you washed your hands with soap and water) and particularly before eating.
10 A guidebook or at least some maps of where you are travelling. I tend to borrow guidebooks and read them before going. I photocopy any relevant maps and have found that works for me really well.
Peace of mind process (make a photocopy for home, and save to your email the following)
Passport number
Tickets departure times/ terminal etc
Hotel booking info
Insurance documents
Travellers Cheques- contact number and serial numbers
Credit cards- numbers and cancelling contact number
Take a bag that will hold all of this as well as your cash/cards. Be sure to keep everything with you or locked in a safe.
Toiletries
If you usually use ethical products then make sure that you take them with you. It would take a lot of time and effort searching for vegan animal friendly products in India.
I take the following:
Lush Coalface facial bar (a chunk of 5 cm by 4 cm), Lush Gorgeous Cream decanted into a tiny container, Pure Nuff Stuff Hair and Body Bar and Pure Nuff Stuff Custom Conditioner decanted into a small bottle
Clothes
Focus on comfort and take some kaftan type tops to cover up if you are visiting places that warrant this. Your holiday wardrobe should be a capsule wardrobe- each item should ‘go’ with at least three other items. Some old favourites of mine are combats that can be rolled up to three quarter length, jeans, white cotton tunic and lightweight cotton trousers.
Natural fabrics such as cottons and with some lycra are great, and crinkle type fabrics will eliminate the need to iron. Don’t take anything that requires dry cleaning, any laundry that many hotels provide is likely to be bashed against a rock while being washed with plenty of powder and water. Take hardwearing fabrics.
My Holiday wardrobe
Several cotton tops and tunics
Three pairs lightweight combat trousers (one waterproof)
Two pairs light cotton trousers ( I am favouring Aladdin trousers)
Knee-length cotton skirt
Jeans
Floppy sun hat
Sunglasses
Nice dress for evening
Cotton shrug top for evening
Comfortable walking shoes for day
Gladiator sandals
Accessories/jewellery
Evening bag
Plenty of underwear
I tend to pick up some dupatta scarves and cheap sandals when in India as both are very useful when travelling. A scarf is a good way of covering up in the sun and you can get some beautiful ones in traditional styles.
