What you should bring

The temperatures in the parts of India where we’re going to visit could be equated to Toronto in mid-September – still warm in the daytime, but cool at night. So here’s my suggested list of what to bring, and I recommend that you travel light, because we’ll be on the move starting from the day after arrival. And remember, you don’t have to bring enough to last for the full 14 days, because we’ve built a laundry day into the itinerary.

• A sweater or windbreaker for the evenings

• Cotton trousers/skirts; jeans are OK; shorts are OK, but avoid short-shorts and mini-skirts

• Long and short sleeve shirts/blouses

• No real need to bring a sports jacket, tie or party dress

• A good pair of walking shoes

• Sun hat; women will have to cover their heads in mosques

• Camera; if using the film type, don’t bring film. Kodak or Fuji film is very inexpensive in India when compared to the price in Canada.

• Sunglasses and sun screen are recommended.

• A flashlight due to possibility of power failures.

• 115/120 VAC 60Hz to 220/240V, 50Hz adapter

• Bring your own Rolaids – you might need them.

• And don't forget your Tilley Hat

Medication: If you need medication to stay alive, ask your doctor for the generic name (not the brand name) of that medication. That way, if you loose your pills, you’ll be able to pick some up in India for about one tenth of the price that you paid in Canada. No kidding! 

Malaria: Yes, protection is recommended. Ask you GP about protection. You must take a weekly pill starting one week before you depart Canada until one week after you get back – that’s about 4 pills. India is not in the yellow fever belt, but they may check your passport to see if you have been in a yellow fever zone in the last six months. If so, you may be asked to show your inoculation record booklet at the airport to ensure you’ve been inoculated. I’ve been in and out of India at least fifty times and they checked my book once!

Tourist Visas: You’ll need a Tourist Visa to enter India. Click here for information on obtaining a Tourist Visa. Of course, you’ll also need a valid Canadian Passport but you already know that! You’ll only require a single entry tourist visa for the trip.

What we’ll bring

• A basic First Aid Kit – bandages, ointments, pain killers, iodine, itch pills, etc
• Sewing kit for your rips and tears; and postage stamps for your postcards.
• Travel iron that’ll work with Indian current – not all hotels provide one.
• Laptop computer to store photos if the memory of your digital camera is full. We’ll transfer your photos to your CD before you leave India.
• Everyone will be given an Indian Rupee to Canadian Dollar cheat sheet in order to help you to assess your bargains. Exchange rate will be as of 24 Oct.

We all should bring our Sense of Humour 

While we’re trying our best to cover all angles. There will, however, be times when our sense of humour will turn negatives to positives.