The Golden Chariot - Travel Tips

Clothing

• Formal attire is recommended during the entire journey on The Golden Chariot.
• It is best to avoid high heels; flat sandals will do just fine.

Social Interaction

Indians are very freindly people who are helpful if in case you need assistance.

Beggars

Do not let them hassle you and as we don't recommend encouraging them by giving any kind donation.

Tipping

• In hotels and restaurants, tips are not normally included in the bill.
• Some hotels include service charges on their bills. In such cases tipping is not necessary.
• The standard tip is 10% of your bill.
• In hotels, porters and room service attendants are normally tipped at the end of the stay, though an early tip is likely to get you better service.

Sightseeing

• Dress codes for religious places can include covering your head, being barefoot etc.
• Some temples do not permit any leather articles at all in their premises.
• Most museums in India are closed on Mondays and Site Museums, those near archaeological monuments, on Fridays.
• Photography is not always permissible, and at many places it is permitted only at a fee. There is usually a higher fee for using a video camera.
• Smoking is not allowed at public places. All properties of the Indian Railways including trains and railway stations are strictly non smoking zones with stiff penalties for violations.
• English is spoken at almost all tourist centers, but you can also request Government-trained and approved guides who also speak different languages, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Italian or Russian.

Health Precautions

• Always drink bottled water.
• Always carry a kit of the basic emergency medicines you might need for diarrhoea, fever, etc. Band aids and an antiseptic ointment may also come handy.
• It is recommended that you carry antibacterial hand wipes or hand sanitizer.

Others

• Keep extra photocopies of important documents such as passport, flight ticket, insurance and any other relevant documents.
• In cities you can change major foreign currencies and any brands of travelers' cheques.
• Most big cities have ATMs, which accept Visa and MasterCard as well as American Express.