Fast Facts
Language: English is widely spoken in India. Excellent multilingual
speaking guides and escorts are easily available throughout the
country.
Government: India is the world's largest democracy having gained full independence from Great Britain in 1948. As a Republic, the head of State is the President, whose role is mainly ceremonial with the real power allocated to the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The parliamentary system is based on the British Westminster system.
New Delhi is the home of the Indian Parliament and is situated on Raisina Hill along with the various ministry buildings and the Presidential Palace. The Prime Minister's residence is also in New Delhi.
Population: Over 1 billion!
Money: The Indian rupee (Rs) is divided into 100 paise (p). For changing currency you must present your passport. For small amounts change at the hotel. For large amounts the bank has a better rate. ATMs are available in certain cities. Hotels will give cash against a credit card and will charge a service fee. All major credit cards are accepted in hotels, shops, restaurants.
Time zone: Time difference between East Coast of Australia and India is -4 ½ hours winter and -5 ½ hours summer.
Weather: Indian weather itself is divided into three distinct seasons -- winter, summer, and the monsoon. Generally, the best time to visit India is during the winter, when the weather in most places is relatively cool and pleasant.
This is an overview of the weather which is common to the various tourism areas in the central/northern parts of India - Mumbai, Rajasthan and Delhi
Winter:November to March is an excellent time to visit India. The weather in Mumbai is perfect! The days are warm and sunny and the evenings pleasant.
New Delhi & Rajasthan: Winter mornings are fresh and often foggy. The days are sunny and pleasant, without rain but evenings are fresh
Summer Season - March to May: This is the best time to visit the Wildlife Reserves (Tigers!!!). The days are very hot and the humidity is low, however towards the end of May, the Monsoon clouds start appearing and the humidity levels are on the rise! The desert state of Rajasthan is very hot during the day however the many monuments, palaces and forts are designed to offer comfortable relief from the heat - they are built for "catching the cooling breeze"!
Monsoon Season - June to September: The southwest monsoon, which is the main monsoon, comes in from the sea and starts making its way up India's west coast in early June. By mid July, most of the country is covered in rain. This gradually starts clearing from most places in northwest India by October.
NB: The Hill regions of India are perfect places to visit during the Monsoon
Southern India: The beachside resorts of Goa and further south in Kerala are best visited during the Indian winter months.
Average Indian temperatures are for the main tourist centres of Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan are:-
Health / Visa Requirements: Like in any other part of the world, basic precautions with regard to water and climate need to be taken. The level of medical doctors and hospitals is on par with any other part of the world. Every traveller should have all the standard vaccinations up to date. Please seek your own medical advice well in advance of travelling.
Visa - it is necessary to obtain a visa for travel to India.
Safety: The security measures introduced by the Indian Government has resulted in greater safety and comfort. A special task force has been deployed in virtually every city. Outside the major cities, India is safer than most countries in the world. One needs to use the same degree of common sense as they would in any other part of the world.
Food: All types of cuisines available such as Continental, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, etc. Guests will NOT have to ONLY eat Indian food for the duration of their visit. Hotels in India can cater to ANY special meal requests.
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Government: India is the world's largest democracy having gained full independence from Great Britain in 1948. As a Republic, the head of State is the President, whose role is mainly ceremonial with the real power allocated to the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The parliamentary system is based on the British Westminster system.
New Delhi is the home of the Indian Parliament and is situated on Raisina Hill along with the various ministry buildings and the Presidential Palace. The Prime Minister's residence is also in New Delhi.
Population: Over 1 billion!
Money: The Indian rupee (Rs) is divided into 100 paise (p). For changing currency you must present your passport. For small amounts change at the hotel. For large amounts the bank has a better rate. ATMs are available in certain cities. Hotels will give cash against a credit card and will charge a service fee. All major credit cards are accepted in hotels, shops, restaurants.
Time zone: Time difference between East Coast of Australia and India is -4 ½ hours winter and -5 ½ hours summer.
Weather: Indian weather itself is divided into three distinct seasons -- winter, summer, and the monsoon. Generally, the best time to visit India is during the winter, when the weather in most places is relatively cool and pleasant.
This is an overview of the weather which is common to the various tourism areas in the central/northern parts of India - Mumbai, Rajasthan and Delhi
Winter:November to March is an excellent time to visit India. The weather in Mumbai is perfect! The days are warm and sunny and the evenings pleasant.
New Delhi & Rajasthan: Winter mornings are fresh and often foggy. The days are sunny and pleasant, without rain but evenings are fresh
Summer Season - March to May: This is the best time to visit the Wildlife Reserves (Tigers!!!). The days are very hot and the humidity is low, however towards the end of May, the Monsoon clouds start appearing and the humidity levels are on the rise! The desert state of Rajasthan is very hot during the day however the many monuments, palaces and forts are designed to offer comfortable relief from the heat - they are built for "catching the cooling breeze"!
Monsoon Season - June to September: The southwest monsoon, which is the main monsoon, comes in from the sea and starts making its way up India's west coast in early June. By mid July, most of the country is covered in rain. This gradually starts clearing from most places in northwest India by October.
NB: The Hill regions of India are perfect places to visit during the Monsoon
Southern India: The beachside resorts of Goa and further south in Kerala are best visited during the Indian winter months.
Average Indian temperatures are for the main tourist centres of Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan are:-
- January to February -Day temperature between 22 C to 26 C
- March - Day temperature between 34 C to 36 C
- April to May - Day temperature between 35 C to 42 C
- June to mid Sept - Day temperature between 30 C to 37 C
- Mid Sept. to Oct - Day temperature between 33 C to 37 C
- November to December - Day temperature between 24 C to 28 C
Health / Visa Requirements: Like in any other part of the world, basic precautions with regard to water and climate need to be taken. The level of medical doctors and hospitals is on par with any other part of the world. Every traveller should have all the standard vaccinations up to date. Please seek your own medical advice well in advance of travelling.
Visa - it is necessary to obtain a visa for travel to India.
Safety: The security measures introduced by the Indian Government has resulted in greater safety and comfort. A special task force has been deployed in virtually every city. Outside the major cities, India is safer than most countries in the world. One needs to use the same degree of common sense as they would in any other part of the world.
Food: All types of cuisines available such as Continental, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, etc. Guests will NOT have to ONLY eat Indian food for the duration of their visit. Hotels in India can cater to ANY special meal requests.