Incredible India - (Page 29)

INDIA In A Nutshell Fort at Kumbalgarh. Capital city: New Delhi Currency: Indian rupee Exchange rate: US$1 = 46.64 rupee (approximately) Area: 1,269,219 sq. miles (slightly more than one-third the size of the U.S.) Border countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, China, Nepal and Pakistan Population: 1,166,079,217 Time zone: There is only one time zone for all of India; Indian Standard Time is 5.5 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+5.5) Electric current: 230 volts Language: Hindi is the most widely spoken language and primary tongue of 41 percent of the people; there are 14 other official languages. English is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication Climate/Best time to go: India’s climate is defined by three seasons— the hot, the wet (monsoon) and the cool, each of which can vary in duration from north to south. The best time to visit most of the country is during the cooler period of October to March, although this does vary by region since the country is so large. But India can be visited year-round Tipping: In hotels, porters and room service attendants are generally tipped at the end of the stay; in restaurants, the tip to waiters is around 10-15 percent of the bill. In cases of restaurants of famous and prestigious hotels, generally a 10 percent service surcharge is added to the bill. Tipping taxi and three-wheeler driver is not too common. However, if you want to give a tip, then 10 percent of the fare or leaving the change is enough. If your clients are hiring a car throughout their stay, tip the driver 50-100 rupees per day, depending on the distance traveled. At railway stations, pay the porters around 5-10 rupees per bag Holidays: New Year’s Day: Jan. 1; Republic Day: Jan. 26; Milad-UnNabi (an important religious festival for Muslims, as it is the birthday celebration of Prophet Muhammad): Feb. 26; Good Friday: April 2; Easter Sunday: April 4; Independence Day: Aug. 15; Id al Fitr (End of Ramadan): Sept. 11; Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday: Oct. 2; Divali (Hindu Festival of Light): Nov. 5; Guru Nanak’s Birthday: Nov. 11; and Christmas Day: Dec. 25 Information please: incredibleindia.org k incredibleindia.org I-29 susan schermer http://www.incredibleindia.org http://www.incredibleindia.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Incredible India

Essential India
Dreamy Accommodations
Touring India
Specialized Travel
Quintessential India
Meetings & Incentives
India in a Nutshell
Getting There & Around

Incredible India