Health Hints
One of the most common problems for visitors to the developing world is travelers diarrhea. However careful you are  you may still get an update stomach during your visit. However by taking precautions you can reduce the risk and possibly the severity of  the attack.
We recommend that all drinking water is boiled or chemically treated. This clean water should also be used for cleaning one’s teeth. The easiest way to treat water is with lodine, either in tablet form or liquid.lodine tablets are available at Shonas outdoor shop in Thamel.
In general bottled drinks are safe, but care should be taken to check that the seal. For responsible tourism we do NOT recommend bottled mineral water in Kathmandu or on trek. Boiled water is readily available and we recommend you use iodine to treat unboiled water.
It is very important however to keep drinking. The combined effects of hard exercise, hot weather, high attitude and diarrhoea can cause chronic dehydration very quickly.
With food it is safer to stick to hot freshly cooked food. Avoid fresh vegetables, salad and fruit unless you peel them or you are certain that they have been soaked in iodine for 20 minutes. Please also note that freezing does not kill germs, so ice and ice cream are not totally safe.
In addition to these precautions the standard rules on hygiene should be as strictly applied as much as possible in the circumstances: i.e. washing hands after going to the toilet and before eating.

Shopping
Souvenirs: Kathmandu is addictive for the shopaholic. Finding souvenirs is inexpensive and can be a lot of fun. The main souvenir shopping areas in Kathmandu are Thamel, Durbar square and Asan. The Baber revisited is a former Rana Palace which has been renovated and sports a trendy bohemian look. The compound houses trendy shops and a French restaurant and art galleries. Both Patan and Bhaktapur have a wealth of souvenir shops. Before making a purchase it is worth looking around and comparing prices as they vary greatly. Do not be afraid to bargain but do not insult the shopkeeper by offering a ridiculously low price for something that you do not know the value of, a little humor goes a long way! Shops are open on Sundays through to Fridays, 10 am to 8 pm. Most souvenir shops are also open on Saturdays which is the official holiday.
If you purchase items from any of the shops in the Royal Singi hotel you will receive a 10% discount which will be matched by the shopkeeper and added to our Responsible Tourism Fund.

Trekking Gear: There are many trekking gear shops in thamel. We recommend shonas (near Kilroys Restaurant) which offers great advice and sells good quality trekking gear – everything is fixed price so there is no hassle with bartering.

Books: Pilgrims Bookshop in Thamel has the best selection of books Nepal. It also has a huge handicrafts sections and a garden café.

The Indian Seasons

India has three major seasons: winter, summer and the monsoon. The winter months (November-February) have bright, sunny days and are pleasant throughout India.

The summer months (April-June) are hot in most parts of India. During this period, hill stations such as Shimla, Mussoorie, Nainital, Kullu and the Kashmir valley (North), Darjeeling, Shillong (North-East), Ootacamund, Kodaikanal (South), Pachmarhi (Central India) and Mount Abu (Rajasthan) provide cool retreats.

The monsoon is an amazing phenomenon of nature. Sometime in June, the clouds break in the coast of southern India and are pushed up northwards by July - immersing the entire Indian sub-continent in torrents. Except for the south-eastern region, India receives its major share of rain between June and September. The south-eastern areas receive most rainfall from the northeasterly monsoon between mid-October and December-end. However, the only area which remains dry is the highest desert in the world - the fascinating moonscape of Ladakh. This is the time to trek up here.

Documents & Formalities

• Passports
  All travellers to India must possess a valid passport. It is advisable to carry your passport during your travel while in India for possible identification requirements. Visas
  All foreign tourists to India (barring nationals of Nepal and Bangladesh) must possess a valid visa. Visas are not issued on arrival. The cost of the visa is US$ 30 for upto six months, US$ 50 for upto one year and US$ 100 for more than year and upto five years. Contact the Indian Embassy or consulate in you country with the required documents for issuance of visas. A tourist visa is valid for three to six months. Tourist visas allow multiple entry Tourist visas simplify your visits to neighbouring countries. You will be required to fill in a disembarkation card on your way to India which is required to be submitted at the Immigration counters at the entry airport. Collective Visas
  Foreign tourist travelling in groups of not less than four, under a recognised travel agent, can be granted tourist visas without prior reference, or even granted collective visas for tourism in India. In such cases the following procedure may be adopted.

  • The agency sponsoring the group should furnish four copies of a list containing the full name, nationality, address, date and place of birth and passport particulars of each member of the group to the Indian Mission in the country from which the tour starts, at least three days prior to the date of departure; After necessary checks, the Mission will stamp a collective visa and it will not be necessary to stamp each individual passport. Three copies of the list will be returned to the sponsoring agency; The person in charge of the tourist group will hand over two copies of the list to the immigration authority at the point of arrival in India; The agents in India will also have to furnish a list of the members of the group at least four hours before the arrival of the flight, to the immigration authority. This will facilitate an advance check of the additions before arrival of the flight;

  • In case where the tourist group splits into smaller groups for travel to different parts within India, the immigration authority would grant a collective 'licence to travel' listing the particulars of the members of the smaller groups.

  Transit Visas
  Transit visa are granted by Indian Missions abroad for a maximum period of 15 days. Exemption from Registration
  Foreigners coming to India on tourist visas for 180 days or a shorter period are not required to register themselves with any authority in India. They can move about freely in the country, except to restricted/protected areas and prohibited places. Nationals of Bangladesh are exempt from registration for up to six months. If their stay exceeds six months, they have to register themselves with the concerned authorities. Family passports issued by other governments are recognised without discrimination. Landing Permit Facility (For group tourists)
  Foreign tourists in groups of four or more arriving by air or sea, sponsored by recognised Indian travel agencies and with a pre-drawn itinerary may be granted a collective landing permit for a specified period of time on the written request of the travel agencies. The Immigration Officer must have full personal and passport details of the group members, the itinerary, an undertaking to conduct the group as per their itinerary and an assurance that no individual will be allowed to drop out from the group at any place. However, such landing permits do not entitle Israeli group tourist to visit the state of J & K unless they are specifically cleared by MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs). Tourist Groups
  A tourist group arriving by air, ship or by a chartered or scheduled flight may be granted a collective landing permit for a period of upto 30 days by the immigration authorities on landing, provided the group is sponsored by a recognised travel agency and a pre-dawn itinerary is presented along with details of passports etc., of the members, and the travel agency gives an undertaking to conduct the group together. Extension of Visa
  As a rule, no extension of stay is granted on a Tourist Visa. Tourist visas are available for a maximum period of 180 days. No charges are levied for visa extension within the maximum period of 180 days. Identical passport photographs are required. However, in the case of an extension beyond 180 days, which is allowed only in exceptional cases, an extension fee which varies for different nationalities is charged. In case a foreign tourist has obtained extension beyond three months of stay in India, he/she will have to surrender his/her Certificate of Registration and Residential Permit before leaving India.

• Other Types of Visas
  If a foreigner wishes to come to India for a purpose other than tourism, he should come after obtaining an appropriate visa out of the following:

  • Business Visa
    A foreigner can obtain from an Indian Embassy abroad. A multiple-entry business visa valid for five years, provided he wants to come for business. Foreigners of Indian origin can obtain a five-year multiple-entry visa for business, to meet their relatives etc. Student Visa
    A student visa can be obtained from the Indian Embassy on the production of proof of administration and means of sustenance while in India. The visa is valid for one year but is extended in India for the duration of the course. The visa will be valid for the duration of the course of five years, whichever is less. Foreigners wanting to study yoga, music, vedic culture, dance etc. are required to apply well in advance with all necessary particulars. Indian embassies may consider granting visas for upto a period of five years. Conference Visa
    Delegates coming to attend international conferences in India can be granted Conference Visas to cover the conference as well as tourism purposes. Delegates are advised to apply to the Indian Embassies well in advance. Foreigners wishing to undertake trekking, botanical expeditions, mountaineering expeditions, canoe-rafting, etc., in a team may be granted visas for the required duration on presentation of full details. Sports teams or individual sportsmen wishing to participate in international sports events being held in India may be granted visas. Foreign journalists, mediamen, documentary and feature film makers may obtain necessary visas after due formalities as required by the Indian Embassy.

  • Employment Visa
    Foreigners wanting to come to India for employment should apply for an Employment Visa issued by Indian missions. Initially granted for one year, it can be extended in India upto the period of contract.

Money Matters
The Indian currency is the Rupee and it is a fully convertible currency. The Rupee notes are available in denominations of 1000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1. Coins are available in the denominations of 5,2,1 (rupee) and 50 and 25 paise.

• Foreign Currency
  Foreign exchange/currency brought into India must be declared at Customs should the value of foreign currency exceed US$ 2,500 or the aggregate value of the foreign exchange including currency notes exceeds US$ 10,000 or equivalent. You can exchange money at international airports where 24-hour exchange facilities are available through banks and approved money changers. You can also change money at nationalised banks and other banks in the country.

Customs On Arrival
There are two customs clearance channels. The green channel is for travellers carrying non-dutiable items while the red channel is for travellers carrying dutiable items.

• Duty-free items
  Duty-free items which you may bring to India include personal effects like clothing and other articles but not if this is commercial merchandise. All expensive electronic equipment/s must be declared at the Customs on arrival - which will be re-checked on departure. Take care to obtain an Export Certificate for these items if you are travelling to neighbouring countries and intend a multiple entry. You can not bring in gold coins, gold or silver bullion into the country. Weapons brought into the country should be licensed and declared. Any cash or travellers cheques over US$ 10,000 or equivalent must be declared. Possession of narcotics is strictly prohibited. Personal effects which are not used during your stay must be carried back to you. Gift worth Rs. 4000 for tourists of foreign origin and Rs. 12000 for tourists of Indian origin, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 gm of tobacco, one litre each of wine and spirits is allowed free of duty.

Income Tax Clearance
If a person not domiciled in India intends to stay in the country for more than 120 days, an Income Tax Clearance' certificate is required in order to leave the country. This document will prove that the person's stay in India was financed by his own money and not by working or selling his goods. The foreign section of the Income Tax Department at Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai issues these certificates on being shown the person's passport, visa extension form and the currency exchange receipts which have been used by the person.

Inland Air Travel Tax
An Inland Air Travel Tax is leviable at 10 percent of the basic fare, on all passengers embarking on an inland air journey. Passengers paying their airfare in foreign exchange will be exempted from payment of this tax. In addition infants, cancer patients, blind persons and invalids (those on stretchers) are also exempted from this tax after fulfilling certain conditions in the relevant notifications.

Check-in time for all domestic flights is one hour before departure.

Guides
Trained English speaking guides are available at fixed charges at all important tourist centres. French, Italian, Spanish, German, Russian and Japanese speaking guides are available at most of the important cities. Since the Language speaking guides are limited in numbers, enough notice should be given to your travel agent to block them for assignments. Unapproved guides are not permitted to enter protected monuments and tourists are, therefore, advised to ask for the services of guides who carry a certificate issued by the Department of Tourism/Archaeological Survey of India.

Healthcare
While travelling If a foreign tourist originates from or has transited through endemic Yellow Fever countries (Africa, South America, Papua New Guinea), he/she must possess a Yellow Fever Vaccination certificate. No other vaccination certificate is mandatory though you may like to consult your doctor for innoculation against typhoid, hepatitis A and meningitis. If you are a health fanatic, you may like to consider innoculation against polio, measles, mumps, cholera etc. However a few careful precautions will make sure that even if you do not take the innoculations, you are protected.

International Airport Facilities
The international airports offer a range of services ensuring that the traveller on business can continue working while waiting to catch an international connection, or when transferring between international flights. These include gourmet restaurants, business centres and are equipped with state of the art equipment including word processors and telefax. Airports also provide the tourist with such facilities for leisure as duty-free and handicrafts shopping, informal snack bars, nursery and baby care rooms, and even an art gallery. Duty-free prices in the airport shops are very competitive, offering you bargains on international merchandise.

Travelling within India

• By Air
  There are three large domestic airlines which fly across the country. The state-owned Indian Airlines with the largest network, Jet Airways and Sahara Airlines.
  
  Indian Airlines
  Commanding a large and modern jet fleet, the Indian Airlines (IC) network, spans the country's 3,000 km from Leh in the north to Thiruvananthapuram in the south, and about the same from east to west, covers all important places of tourist interest. Indian Airlines links 59 cities in India and 16 in the neighbouring countries including Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Kuwait, U.A.E., Oman and Malaysia.

  • Indian Airline offers a variety of special fares aimed at encouraging tourist travel  Discover India  USD750, permits unlimited travel within India for 21 days.  India Wonder Fare USD300, permits unlimited travel within India for 21 days.  South India Excursion 30 per cent discount on USD tariff for travel on specific South Indian Sectors.  Youth Fare 25 per cent off on USD tariff for all tourists between the ages of 12 and 30.

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  • Reservations
    Reservations on Indian Airlines flights can be made from any where abroad in a matter of minutes through the SITA Airlines Communications System which is linked to the airline's Real Time Computer Reservation System. Indian Airlines has inter-line agreements with over 120 airlines worldwide and the offices of any of these airlines or their agents have been enabled to issue tickets on IC flights. Jet Airways
    India's largest private airline operates a fleet of Boeing 737-300/400/500 jets to 36 domestic destinations. The airline has Interline agreements with over 117 international airlines and facilities include 24-hour flight information and reservation, computerised check-in, free coach service at the Mumbai Airports, a choice of meals including vegetarian /non vegetarian diabetic, low cholesterol, Jain meals etc.

  • Sahara Airlines
    The airline has a fleet of nine Boeings and four helicopters (Dauphins and Equirriels). With Interline agreements with various national and international airlines, value added services on Sahara include an in-flight library, valet service, tele-check-in for both "Y" and "J" class, personalised reading kit and meal preference (Jain meals and diabetic meals are standard fare and customised meals for Sahara Royale passengers Include Thai, Italian, Continental and Indian, as well as health meals).

By Rail
The Indian Railways network is incredibly extensive (the second largest in the world) and if you want to see the country unfold in front of you, this may be the best mode of travel. The rail network, of course, is more extensive than the air network and may take you to a greater number of places. The Railways operate nearly 7,800 passenger services a day over a route length of approximately 63,000 km.

You can opt for the luxury tourist trains such as Palace-on-Wheels and the Royal Orient, the superfast Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains or the other regular trains which are divided into 15 zones. Most trains run daily. However, tourist or other special trains may have a limited schedule. Special holiday trains are also often run during holiday and festivals. There are also steam-hauled 'toy-trains' in the hills which offer a quaint experience.

The regular trains usually have the following classes of accommodation

• 1st Class (Air-conditioned) 2-Tier Sleeper (Air-conditioned) 3-Tier Sleeper (Air-conditioned) Executive Chair Car (Air-conditioned) Chair Car (Air-conditioned) 3-Tier Sleeper Class
• Ordinary Class