India has a single time zone (GMT +5.5 from October to March)

Monsoon arrives in south of India by 1st of june and starts creeping towards north, it doesn’t rain heavily all the day but virtually every day, it seems water coming down in small instalments which does not effect the temperature that much, but makes conditions very humid. It really rains during July and effects severely southern kerala .

NB: MOST OF INDIA’S WILDLIFE PARKS ARE OPEN FROM 1ST OCTOBER UNTIL 30TH JUNE BUT IN THE NORTH THE PARKS DO NOT OPEN UNTIL NOVEMBER

The international access code for India is +91. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for the United Kingdom). International calls can be expensive especially if made from hotels; it is cheaper to use a calling card. Alternatively, there are telephone agencies in most towns which are identifiable by the letters STD for long distance internal calls and ISD for the international service.

The local mobile phone operators use GSM networks and have roaming agreements with most international operators.

Internet cafes are available in the main cities and resorts.

All services expect small tips, including porters, guides, hotel staff, and waiters in small establishments. In tourist restaurants or hotels a 10% service charge is often added to the bill.

Drink only bottled water and ensure that the seal on the bottle is intact. Meat and fish should be regarded as suspect in all but the best restaurants and should always be well cooked and served hot.

Salads and unpeeled fruit should be avoided. Health facilities are adequate in the larger cities but limited in rural areas and small towns.

Travelers are advised to take out medical insurance.

India is generally a fairly tolerant society however visitors should be aware of religious and social customs. When visiting temples and other religious sites, visitors will be required to remove their footwear and cover their heads.

In general women should dress conservatively both to respect local sensibilities and to avoid unwanted attention.

Drink only bottled water and ensure that the seal on the bottle is intact. Meat and fish should be regarded as suspect in all but the best restaurants and should always be well cooked and served hot.

Salads and unpeeled fruit should be avoided. Health facilities are adequate in the larger cities but limited in rural areas.

Travellers are advised to take out medical insurance.

Peak Season: October - April

Off Season: May - September

Almost all hotels in India observe 12 noon as check-out time.

Categories of hotels:

Heritage Hotels - Generally available in Rajasthan and Gujarat, may be classified in of the above categories. These traditional havelies (cottages) and palaces have been converted into Heritage Hotels after due modifications keeping the guest comfort in mind.

Budget Class - Simple with or without attached toilets non-air-conditioned. Less than 2 star.

Standard Class - Comfortable, Air-conditioned, with at least one restaurant. 2/3 star category. No swimming pool. Health club etc.

First Class - A first class air-conditioned hotel with more than one restaurant. May or may not have a swimming pool. 4/5 star category. Some of the smaller towns may not have such category hotels. els.

Deluxe Hotels - A 5 star deluxe hotel with all the luxuries, you would find in a hotel of such category. These category of hotels are available in some major cities only.