What Not to Do While Traveling in India

Friends, Bohemians, journeymen…lend me your eyes; I come to talk about the DO NOTs while traveling in India, not to list the Dos.

In simpler words for those uninitiated in the parlance of lunacy, let’s talk about what not to do while you are traveling in a place like India (by the way…what in the world do we mean by “a place like India”? I have no clue. Do you?).

If you look up any search engine, you’d find plenty of advice related to the same topic as we intend to lecture upon today. Those are like what our angelic mommies would tell us while sending us to the warfront…Don’t forget your passport…Don’t Skip Health Insurance…Don’t Attract Attention to Yourself…Don’t forget to book your Vaccinations….Don’t forget to pack a map, satellite navigation…and other such foolery that would probably be of as much help as a cracker is at the war zone. I say this because I know that if you are visiting this page, it surely means you are one of those who consider travel to be a lust that would lose its charm and appeal if any rhyme or reason is bequeathed to it. Free as a bird and open as the sky above, you’d like to travel and unravel the mystery of this world and the secret of your own self. Therefore, you’d definitely not forget what you absolutely need to quench your travel thirst. The rest can be taken care of.

I think this is enough of convoluted digressions for the day now. Let’s get to the point. What should you NOT DO while traveling in India? Let’s check out a few tips.

• Do NOT go by what your Lonely Planets and other travel pages might suggest…you’d miss out on the real stuff that India is made up of. Use those as the means, and not the end. Simply put, travel to the famous travel destinations but interact with the locals to find what lies beneath and around. Trust me on this…if you want to see the Taj…find out a bit more about the place and you’d come back as a more enriched person.
• Do NOT trust the touts and the sick and the poor…India is more honest, healthier, and richer than that. You don’t need to shell out money for things you do not need. There are international crime rackets working behind the palpable face of poverty and theft that somehow characterizes India till date. Ignore them and contribute to the cause of eradicating both poverty and sluggishness.  
• Do NOT miss out on staying with the locals, wherever you go, because that is the best way to experience India. You might want to check out travel ideas such as eco-tourism, community tourism, tea tourism, and so on to stay close to nature, explore India, and know us…Indians.
• Do NOT switch on your mobile phones, iPads, or other gadgets unless in case of emergency. Being unwired should be a pervading motivation while traveling in India.
• Do NOT stay away from the herbal stuff that the Sadhu might offer…you might just get a chance to experience the mystery of all creation!

There are numerous such other tip that we can share with you. Maybe some other day…