Travel insurance - Tips & Advice - Holiday destination guides
There’s a reason why the Indian tourist board branded itself ‘Incredible India’. This vast and ancient country is so jam-packed with incredible extremes that sometimes it’s hard to believe what you’re seeing. Love it or hate it — usually swinging between the two — what most visitors agree on is that they just can’t wait to go back.
Why go?
Sensation
From brightly coloured saris peppering the sun-baked fields of Rajasthan to cars honking past cows in ramshackle streets, what India does more than any other destination is provoke the senses. It can bombard you with extremes and leave you reeling from the sensation. Whether that’s from the breathtaking scenery, the huge contrast between rich and poor, or the ancient beliefs and history that seem to pervade even the most modern establishment, this is not a place that can fail to leave its mark. It’s exciting, inspiring and heart-wrenching all at the same time.
Adventure
Huge mountains, tropical jungle, sparse desert, sweeping coastline, mystical rivers and secret backwaters — India boasts such a vast range of natural wonders that you could keep coming back for years and still not explore it all. A cross-country train journey is one of the best ways to witness the full extent of India’s geographical contrasts and is an experience in itself. Adventure holidays are yours for the taking: going trekking or kayaking for example.
Relaxation
Many people come to India to chill out and make the most of ancient practices such as yoga, meditation and ayurveda (the ancient Hindu art of medicine). Combine these with a holiday on a tranquil beach in Kerala or Goa and you could find yourself in paradise. Converted palaces or colonial buildings also afford luxury accommodation but without the price tag — find one with a spa and float home.
Past to present
Some 5,000 years ago, an ancient civilisation flourished in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, its nomadic founders travelling across the Himalayas from Sumeria (now Iraq) to settle there. It was known as the Indus Valley Civilisation and from here sprang ancient forms of writing, religion and ayurveda.
Since then many kingdoms and empires have flourished in India including the Mahajanapadas kingdom and the Gupta Empire, a period that was known as ‘The Golden Age of India’. During this time Hinduism and Buddhism also spread into much of Southeast Asia.
Islam arrived in the 8th century, and by the 15th century most of northern India was under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate, and subsequently the Mughals. During this period, art and architecture flourished. Meanwhile, the Maratha Empire and Vijayanagara Empire established themselves in the west and south of India.
Beginning in the mid-18th century and into the 19th century, India was gradually annexed by the British East India Company. After years of British rule, India finally gained independence in 1947 after being partitioned from Pakistan. Its eastern wing then became independent Bangladesh in 1971.
Lie of the land
Most of India lies on a peninsula that juts into the Indian Ocean, giving it a coastline of more than 7,000 kilometres, with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Bay of Bengal to the east. It is bordered by Pakistan, China, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
The country is so vast that the climate ranges from equatorial in the far south to alpine in the upper reaches of the Himalayas. Most of northern, central and eastern India lies on the fertile Indo-Gangetic Plain, with most of southern India on the Deccan Plateau and parts of the west on the Thar Desert. The major rivers are, of course, the Ganga (Ganges) and the Indus. India also holds claim to two major offshore groups of islands: the Lakshadweep islands and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
When to go
India has hot tropical weather but this does vary from region to region. Generally speaking, the coolest months are from November to mid-March — although there are still plenty of sunny days — with the hottest weather from April to June. Monsoon rains occur from mid-July to September and things can get very wet and stormy on the coast. For area-specific climate conditions visit http://www.hcilondon.net/tourism-information/weather.html. Visitors should also consult the Government’s travel advice guide to India before they go at www.fco.gov.uk.
Getting there
The range of cheap flights to India has significantly increased over the past few years. Check www.flightmapping.com/Asia/India for details of cities that you can fly to direct or for good transfer points. This includes major hubs such as Delhi and Mumbai, plus Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata. You can also get direct flights to beach destinations in Goa from London and other destinations in the UK.
Red tape
British passport-holders require a visa. A short-term tourist visa costs £30 from the High Commission of India, India House, Aldwych, London WC2B 4NA. Download a form from www.hcilondon.in/visa.php.
Stay insured
Crime and health risks are present in India so don’t travel uninsured. It is especially important to check the FCO website for details of countries that are not recommended for travel, as these could invalidate your Direct Line travel insurance. The site also gives helpful advice on country-specific travel health and avoiding crime.
If you are thinking of taking part in any activities such as trekking or kayaking while you’re in India, please make sure you are covered on your travel insurance policy. If you are a Direct Line travel insurance policyholder, please call us for advice. You can also read more about travel insurance for activity holidays on this site.
Find out more
Find more holiday ideas at www.incredibleindia.org. Or pick up a copy of Lonely Planet’s India Country Guide or The Rough Guide to India to take with you. The Story of India by Michael Woods and India with Sanjeev Bhasker also offer valuable insight, tying in with popular TV shows.
With Direct Line it’s quick and easy to sort out travel insurance. Our Discoverer policy is perfect for gap years, backpacking holidays and longer trips to India. For shorter trips or frequent travel, try our single trip or annual policies. Simply apply for a travel insurance quote online today.
If you only do three things:
- No visit is complete without a trip to the romantic Taj Mahal at Agra and its beautiful gardens. Built under the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal, it is considered one of the finest examples of Mughal architecture.
- You won’t get a better view of life on the river Ganga (Ganges) and all the magic and myth it embodies then in the holy city of Varanasi (Benares). Poets, philosophers, pilgrims, writers and musicians flock to its shores and the place is awash with temples and art.
- Cruise through the emerald green Keralan backwaters of South India on a houseboat. The reworked kettuvallam (‘boat with knots’, where not a single nail is used in its construction) glide through this Venice of the East, revealing lush paddy fields, sprawling plantations and a wealth of animal and bird life.
At a glance
Country name:
Republic of India
Capital
New Delhi
Population
1,129,866,154 (July 2007 estimate)
Official languages
Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit
Currency
Indian Rupee (INR)
Dialling code
+91
Time zone
GMT +5:30
Related information:
Advice on activity holidays – some tips on how to stay insured when you want to be more active on holiday
Hidden treasures – how to travel to more unusual destinations both ethically and safely
Backpacker travel insurance – read up on the options available to you with Direct Line
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