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India shares borders with Pakistan, China and Nepal. To the north it is bordered by the world's highest mountain chain and to the south by plateaus, tropical rain forests, sandy deserts and palm fringed beaches.

India's history goes back to 3,200 BC when Hinduism was first founded. Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism. Judaism, Zoroashtrianism, Christianity and Islam all coexist within the country today.

The coasts of India have their own seafood cuisine, relaxing spas, diving and a variety of water sports. India boasts some of the best beaches in the world with soft sandy beaches with palm trees where the water is crystal clear blue. Take a cruise down the backwaters on a houseboat in Kerala and see the local fishermen getting the catch of the day. Visit centuries old temples or go see a Bollywood film. Every one of India's 27 states offer something different for the visitor, the memories of this exotic and colourful country will last a lifetime!

"HANDY HINTS"

INDIA CLIMATE AND WEATHER GUIDE:

Due to the size of the county, India's climate differs greatly from the North to the South. Basically, India has a three-season year – the hot, the wet and the cool. October to March is the most pleasant time to visit as it is Winter, except for the northern Himalayan regions where late spring and summer April through August is the best time.

Average Temperatures and rainfall (to be used as a guide only)

MAR-JUN   JUL-SEP   OCT-FEB

  Temp/Rain   Temp/Rain   Temp/Rain

DELHI   24-36/20mm   26-34/178mm   11-26/17mm

MUMBAI   25-32/55mm   25-30/482mm   21-30/23mm

JAISALMER   24-38/11mm   26-37/48mm   14-29/36mm

VARANASI   23-38/31mm   25-32/280mm   15-29/19mm

TRANSPORT:

Bullock carts have been traditionally used for transport, especially in rural India. They can still be seen in many of the cities and villages.

Donkeys are widely used in India as a means of transportation. They are usually used for transporting goods and people.

Horse and Carts are still used in smaller towns and are referred as "Tanga", and buggies.

Bicycles are an important mode of travel for much of India.

Manually pulled rickshaws are still a common sight on the streets of Kolktata and they can still be found in Delhi.

Trams can be found in many cities including Mumbai and Calcutta. They are still in use in Calcutta and provide a pollution-free means of transportation

Auto Rickshaws - an auto rickshaw (auto or rickshaw or tempo in popular parlance) is a three wheeler vehicle for hire. They typically have no doors or seatbelts. They are generally yellow or green in colour and have a black or green canopy on the top. An auto rickshaw is generally characterized by a tin/iron body resting on three small wheels (one in front, two on the rear), a small cabin for the driver in the front and seating for three in the rear. Their design varies considerably from place to place. In some locations, they have an extra plank on the seat to accommodate a fourth passenger. Hiring an auto often involves bargaining with the driver.

Local Transport generally includes trains, buses, taxis and auto rickshaws.

ELECTRICITY:

The electric current is 230-240 V AC, 50 Cycles. (Sockets are the 3 round pin variety)

MONEY:

The Indian Rupee (Rs) is divided into 100 paise (p). There are coins of five, 10, 20, 25 and 50 paise and Rs 1, 2 and 5, and notes of Rs 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500.

LANGUAGE:

India does not have a single official language. Hindi is predominately spoken and English is widely recognised and spoken. The different states of India have their own language. A few are mentioned as follows...

Gujarati is spoken in Sadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Gujarat. Bodo and Assamese is spoken is Assam. Bengali is the language of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and also of West Bengal.

Hindi is spoken throughout the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Kashmiri is the language of Kashmir and Jammu. In Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra the language is Konkani. Urdu is spoken in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Andrah Pradesh.

Punjabi is the language spoken in Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana and Punjab. Sanskrit is the classical language of India.

VISAS:

Australian Passport holders and most other foreign nationals require a visa to enter India.

TIPPING:

Baksheesh & Bargaining is common throughout India. In tourist restaurants or hotels, there is usually a service fee that is added to your bill, tipping is optional. In smaller places, where there is no service fee, a tip is appreciated (even if it's just a few rupees). Hotel and train porters expect at least Rs 10 to carry bags, and hotel staff also expect around the same to provide services above and beyond the call of duty. It's not mandatory to tip taxi or auto rickshaw drivers.

Baksheesh can be defined as a 'tip'. Baksheesh also refers to giving alms to beggars. Many Indians implore tourists not to hand out sweets, pens or money to children, as it's positive reinforcement to beg.