India

Fact File

Population

1.16 billion people

Capital City

New Delhi

Currency

Rupee: 1 USD buys about 55.1 INR (as of August 2012)

Language

Plentiful – 14 official languages and hundreds of dialects, 41 percent of the
population speaks Hindi

Attractions

Taj Mahal, The Himalayas, Jaipur

Local Lingo

नमस्ते (Namaste)	Hello.
शुक्रीया बहुत धन्यवाद (Shukriyaa bahut dhanyevad)	Thank you very much!
भारत एक अद्भुत देश है (Bharat ek adbhut desh hai)	India is a wonderful country.

Did You Know?

• India is the world’s largest, oldest, continuous civilization.
• It is also the largest English-speaking nation on the planet.
• The world's first university was established at Takshasila in 700 BC.

Contact Us: For more information about India you can email us at india@rusticpathways.com.

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“India is, the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.”

Mark Twain

Packing List

 

To Help You Come Prepared...

All of the items below are guidelines. If you are doing a combination of trips over two or three weeks, be sure to check the packing lists for all sections of your trip to pack appropriately.

Temperatures in northern India vary based on altitude, but generally remains quite warm during the day (upper 80s) and gets pretty chilly in the night, depending where you are.

Bring with you any medications that you will need while you are away. You will need to tell staff what medications you have brought during your orientation period. This is done privately, but it is essential that you disclose to your staff all medications you are carrying.

Pack lightly for your journey! Airlines in India will not allow a checked bag weighing more than 15 kilos, so please pack accordingly. You must also be able to carry and load your own luggage, and space in the vehicles is limited. If you have any questions about the India packing list please feel free to e-mail our India team at india@rusticpathways.com.

Carry-On Luggage

A small backpack is the best carry-on bag and will be useful on your program day-trips.

• Passport with Indian Visa
• Airline Tickets
• Wallet with about $100 emergency money
• 2 Photocopies of the front 2 pages of your passport
• 2 Photocopies of your Indian Visa
• Sunglasses
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrush
• Journal and Pen
• Refillable, durable - but empty - water bottle. Stay hydrated on the flight!
• Snacks
• Book - Suggested reading: Dalai Lama’s autobiography Freedom in Exile, Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure by Sarah Macdonald
• Camera - Don't forget to bring your chargers, batteries and memory cards! You can also bring your USB cords for downloading pics for emails
• Medications - Must alert staff, but keep these in your carry-on in case your luggage is lost).

Make sure everything you pack in your carry-on complies with the new carry-on regulations of the TSA.

Checked Luggage

A medium sized duffel bag or large backpack work best. Wheeled bags are OK as long as they are medium sized and can easily be carried like a duffle over rough terrain.

Please bring at least a few outfits that can get dirty or destroyed for service work or adventure activities.

CLOTHING ITEMS

• Lightweight long pants (4)
• Underwear (7)
• Socks (7)
• Swimsuit (modest)
• T-shirts with sleeves (5)
• Long sleeve t-shirts (2)
• Sweatshirt
• Hat
• Lightweight rain jacket
• One pair of shorts (modesty is important in Indian culture)
• Tennis shoes
• Sandals that are strapped (Tevas or Chacos are recommended)
• Cheap, lightweight flip-flops

TOILETRIES

Please pack all items that could leak in a PLASTIC or ZIPLOCK bag

• Soap or body wash
• Shampoo & conditioner
• Sunscreen
• Lip balm
• Aloe Vera
• Insect repellant (one heavy in DEET and one natural citronella)
• Hand sanitizer (1-2 bottles per week, keep these with you!)
• Wet wipes or towlettes
• Small packs of Kleenex tissues - Always carry these with you as public toilets in most of Asia do not supply toilet paper - you are meant to bring your own
• Towel (1-NOT white)
• Contacts and solution

ADDITIONAL ITEMS

• Flashlight/Headlamp w/ Extra Batteries (to read at night or in the case of power outages)
• Watch or Clock with an Alarm
• Heavy Duty Garbage Bags (2) *for packing wet and dirty clothes/shoes
• Large (one gallon) Ziplock© Freezer Bags (4)
• Sleep sack - REI has some great options
• Small Personal First Aid Kit (our guides will have comprehensive first aid kits on hand, but having a personal kit is always helpful)
  • Band-aids
  • Triple Antibiotic Ointment
  • Anti-itch Cream (1 Benadryl Anti-itch Gel works great)
  • Medical Tape
  • Moleskin or preferred blister care
  • Preferred Mild Pain Reliever
  • Antihistamine (Benedryl or preferred type)
  • 2 Non-adherent, sterile dressing
  • 2 Gauze dressing
  • 5-8 Sterile wipes

OPTIONAL ITEMS

• Hindi phrasebook
• Small photo album of your family and friends to show the locals
• Deck of cards, or other small travel game like dominos
• Musical instruments are always appreciated if they can be easily carried
• Frisbee, hacky sack, or other fun, easy-to-carry items

PLEASE NOTE – Rustic Pathways will not be responsible for ANY lost or stolen items. During travel it is common for items to be lost or stolen so please bring only items you are prepared to part with.