This article is meant to be a brief India travel guide for tourists who need some information about means of transport in India . Anyone traveling to India for the first time is sure to be overwhelmed by the diversity of cultures, languages, people, food, climates and almost everything else. It isn’t possible to write a comprehensive India travel guide which can cover even a fraction of what a tourist may encounter in India. We aim to cover as much vital details as possible without drowning the reader with too much information. We have already posted some India travel guides on this website,:
This guide intends to cover some of the general issues related to transport and travel in India. So let’s begin with :
Travel by trains in India
India has the biggest system of railway lines on the planet and the service is very good, if not excellent. Traveling in India on via train gives you the chance to explore India in detail and in general is cheaper than domestic air travel. Train travel in India offers good connectivity all over India for people with all kind of budgets .For someone with an inquisitive and open mind, it’s a great way of meeting all kinds of Indian people belonging to different regions and classes. There are different types of trains with different levels of service catering to people with different budgets and needs. Trains like Rajdhani, Shatabdi are air-conditioned, fastest in India and provide meals. There are other trains like Duronto, Garib Rath, various Express and other trains which offer varying levels of service at different prices.
Apart from that, there are some luxury trains Palace on Wheels, Maharajas’ Express, The Golden Chariot and a few more. These trains are run jointly by Indian railways and tourism ministries of different states in which they operate. Journeying on these trains covers all aspects of transport, food, lodging and sightseeing. Service and level of comfort offered is among the best in world
One major drawback of trains is that it can prove difficult to procure tickets. Another one are the delays which can happen frequently on long routes. If you are very tight schedule, relying on trains for your India journey can backfire.
Inter-city or inter-state travel in India by Bus
In India, travel by bus is 2nd most popular way of cheap travel and in some cases, the only way of public transport to reach places like Manali, Laddakh etc, not yet connected by train network. There are different types of buses available on budget of the traveler. Ordinary buses are usually very crowded and it’s not possible to reserve tickets. They don’t have any air-conditioning or comfortable seats either, But they are very cheap as even a 5 hour journey may cost only Rs 100. Then there are luxury buses with better seats which may or may not have air-conditioning available. They are generally more comfortable and price for a 7-10 hour journey may vary between Rs 300 to Rs 800 for different places and operators. Tickets in air-conditioned buses cost around 1.5 times to double for same kind of seats.
Apart from these, there are luxury buses operated by private as well as government which offer maximum comfort at slightly higher prices. These buses are usually supplied by Volvo or Mercedes and have more comfortable seating arrangements than the rest.
Travel by Car
Connaught place, Delhi
A car with driver is the most comfortable and safest way of travel in India.It is possible to get a car on rent and drive it yourselves, if you have necessary paperwork, but Indian roads are too chaotic for a foreigner. It’s better to hire a driver along with the car. Salary for driver is about Rs. 150-300 per day which is included in rent for the car and you don’t have to pay for his food or lodging. Different varieties of vehicles have different rent prices and they vary between Rs 8 per km to Rs 20 per km for most models which include Ambassador, Tata Indigo, Toyota Qualis and a few others.
Renting a car is a good option for various reasons as you have much more flexibility and don’t have to worry about following a strict schedule or missing a train or worry about tickets. Having a good driver who can communicate well also means that he can help you with finding good hotels, restaurants and other amenities easily. But be wary of drivers who act as touts. A majority of them try to take tourists to businesses which offer them commissions. It isn’t exactly illegal, but tourists should evaluate their choices before making decisions. They should make sure that they are getting good value for their money for the services availed.
Travel by motor-bikes
Using a motorbike (motorcycle) can be a great adventure if you are up to driving on dangerous roads. Royal Enfield is the most popular brand for motorcycle enthusiasts in India. It’s less fuel efficient but is powerful enough for most Indian roads including those on mountains. Motorcycles with engines of 100 to 220 cc are more common and cheaper and cam offer a mileage of 40kmpl to 70 kmpl depending upon various factors. It is possible to rent or buy new or used motorcycles. Rental cost per day for bikes vary between Rs 600 to Rs 1500 in different places for different bikes. While buying, it’s advisable to go for 2nd hand bikes which may cost anything between Rs 12000 to Rs 40000.
Travel in Indian cities by auto-rickshaws (tuk-tuk)
Auto/ tuk-tuk/three-wheeler is a good albeit slightly uncomfortable choice for short-distance travel inside Indian cities. Due to their small size, they can dodge traffic rush easily but have slow speeds which is actually good due to less safety features. Before getting in to an auto, always confirm with driver about fare. They’ll either go by distance covered on meter or ask for a flat fare. It’s different in different cities. Rest precautions are similar to those followed while hiring taxis anywhere in the world.
Well, this is gist of what a tourist should know about various modes of transport while traveling in India. We hope that it proves useful for some people. Email us at info@indiafoodtour.com or use this contact form for feedback or more information.
Goa is popular not only for its beaches, parties and nightlife, but it also has some superb street foods. Street food in Goa excels in all aspects and there is no denying to the fact that street food both South Goa and North Goa is lip-smacking. Bebinca is a type of pudding and a traditional Indo-Portuguese dessert. Traditional Bebinca has seven layers. The ingredients include plain flour, sugar, ghee, egg yolk, and coconut milk. It is a traditional sweet of Goa .It is also easily available to carry and preserve for a long time or eaten fresh. Chorizo Pav is a famous delicacy in Goa. Locals enjoy it as a breakfast item or even as a tea-time snack. Eaten with bread, this spicy pork meat preparation is made using a pre-cooked sausage, onions and potatoes. Gadbad Ice Cream , Goan’s favourite is served in a tall glass or bowl. It is a combination of different ice creams served in one serving, topped with noodles and jelly. The perfect summer special everyone will enjoy the Gadbad Ice Cream on a hot summer day. Vindaloo represents the diverse culture of Goa. One of the most popular street foods in the state, it is known for its spicy flavors enriched with vinegar. Made with boneless pork, a variety of Indian spices are added to the dish to make its taste memorable, including cloves, cumin, cinnamon, Kashmiri pepper and many others Ras Omelette is a regular omelette served with some chicken curry.It is garnished with coriander, onions and a dash of lime juice sprinkled on top of the completed dish and has omelette dipped in it.
The cuisine of Bihar is largely similar to North Indian cuisine but has influences from other East Indian cuisines especially Bengali cuisine. The scrumptious and exotic Bihari dishes are highly capable of tingling the taste buds of every food connoisseur. Khaja is deep fried in oil and the ingredients use is wheat flour, sugar, mawa. It is very crispy. It tastes amazing when it melts in the mouth and its wafery texture makes it very tempting. It is known for its puffiness. Laung latika is a traditional dessert of the food of Bihar. At the centre is clove which makes it stand apart from the others. The pungent taste of the clove with the sweet stuffing dipped in sugar-syrup melts in the mouth. The complex amalgam of tastes altogether makes Laung Latika exclusive to Bihar. Litti Chokha can be considered as the dish of Bihar. It was started as a meal of poor and then was sold on carts on the street Chokha is prepared by mashing boiled vegetables ,adding spices and chopped onion, garlic etc and served with Litti as a complimentary delicacy. Malpua is a popular dessert sweetmeat that can be found in Bihar.It involves mixing flour, milk, sugar and mashed bananas and deep frying them so that the edges get crispy while the centre is still soft. Thekua is the most commonly prepared snack of Bihari food. It is a mixture of wheat flour and jaggery .One can also use rice flour instead of wheat flour and sugar instead of jaggery to make different varieties of Thekua. Tilkut is made from sesame seeds and jaggery makes its taste more flavored. Tilkut is cooked with a sugar base rolled into a ball filled with copious amounts of crushed sesame seeds. The tilkut gets tastier, softer with sesame seeds.
Fever Tree, one of premium natural mixer brands held an event launching their premium brand, Robert Parker. The event was hosted by British High Commissioner Sir James Bevan. British deputy PM, Mr. Nick Clegg was guest of honour for the event. POST RELEASE New Delhi, 25th Aug 2014: The age of the dismal mixer is over with the introduction of Fever-Tree (The Premium Natural Mixer) in India. The capital witnessed the sophisticated launch of the iconic super premium brand Fever Tree, The World’s Best Tonic Water – Robert Parker. Making its foray into the Indian Market, this is the first venture of the company in the subcontinent and it has made headline for bring Indian Tonic Water back to India. The event was hosted by The British High Commissioner Sir James Bevan in honour of British Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Nick Clegg’s visit to India. The event was attended by Mr. Tim Warrillowm (co-founder & Director Fever Tree) and Mr. Anuj Kushwah (Managing Director Kaama Impex Pvt. Ltd) who is the importer & distributor for the Fever-Tree Brand in India. An exquisite evening of luxury, delight and splendor, the event celebrated amongst the crème de la crème of Delhi. Proudly served in 7 of the top 10 restaurants in the world Fever Tree is one of the most premium and iconic brand coming out of UK. India is the 50th export market for Fever-Tree. Fever-Tree was recently named Tonic of choice in an independent survey of the world’s leading bars and restaurants Mr. Anuj Kushwah, Managing Director of Kaama Impex Pvt Ltd says “Every decision we take at Kaama is keeping in mind the consumers needs and experiences, hence the choice of bringing Fever Tree to India. Fever-Tree is an iconic brand and we are proud to launch in India.” This August, Fever-Tree, the premium natural drink mixer company, will launch their Indian Tonic Water in India, the home of Gin & Tonic and the brand’s 50th export market. The British company, which sees 70% of sales come from export, is looking to continue its dramatic rise and commitment to bringing consumers the perfect gin and tonic wherever they are in world. Fever-Tree will travel as part of a UKTI delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg across India. As part of the government policy to boost British export and David Cameron’s commitment to increase trade to £1trn by 2020, the trade envoy will hold events in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore from 25th -28th August. Founded in 2005, Charles Rolls and Tim Warrillow identified a need for premium mixers to accompany the fast growing array of superior spirits available on the market and travelled from the Congo to the Ivory Coast in pursuit of the highest quality ingredients. Fever-Tree now has a range of 14 natural mixers and an annual company turnover of £25 million. Tim Warrillow comments: “We are delighted to bring premium quality, full flavoured Indian Tonic Water back to the birthplace of the gin and tonic. In 1820, the Malaria-plagued British Army in India inadvertently created the cocktail by mixing their regular dose of quinine with sugar, water and local fruits and of course their daily ration of gin. We have been championing the gin and tonic boom across Europe over the past years and will now, almost two hundred years later, return an all-natural premium tonic water back to its spiritual home.” Charles Rolls comments: ‘India is now one of the five largest gin markets in the world and will provide us with a long-term platform for growth. Traditionally a whisky market, white spirits have grown in the region in recent years and we hope to capitalise on the popularity of Western drinking habits in bars, restaurants and hotels.” Since its launch, Fever-Tree has collected a vast number of awards, including the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, Exporter of the Year at The Grocer Gold Awards, and the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for London and the South. For the third year, Fever-Tree was earmarked by The Fast Track 100 as the fastest growing non-alcoholic drinks company in the UK and included in the highly respected list. About Fever-Tree Founded in 2005, the company is one of the UK’s fastest growing companies with a turnover of £25 million in 2013. Fever-Tree sources the world’s finest ingredients from natural sources, including quinine from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ginger from the Ivory Coast, India and Nigeria, and lemons from the slopes of Mount Etna, Sicily. Fever-Tree has a portfolio of 12 mixers which are available to buy in the UK from Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose. Fever-Tree products are served in the most prestigious venues across the world, from Claridges in London to Raffles in Singapore and the Burj Al Arab in Dubai.
Indian Food Blog: Himachal Pradesh The snow-clad mountains, lush green valleys, the freshness in the air, tranquillity in the environment, these are a few things that describe Himachal Pradesh at its best. From the road vendors to the authentic cafes and restaurants, Himachali people will pour their hearts out in their dishes. Akotri is made with buckwheat mixed with wheat that is usually prepared on occasions of festivities.The thought of a buckwheat cake might not sound so great but is both scrumptious and healthy. With the goodness of ghee, it provides you with enough nutrients and calories to survive a good hike. Sidu is a local bread made from wheat flour. The flour is kneaded and set aside for some hours for the yeast to settle and the dough to rise. The dough is put on the bonfire to be par-cooked and then later steamed to complete the cooking. This distinct bread is usually enjoyed with ghee . Ambal has mouth-watering taste due to the mixed sweet- sour flavours. Ambal is pumpkin dish usually served with rice and rajma. The dish is neither totally liquid nor totally dry. This dogri dish packs a lot of flavours and is a must try during the winters. Madra is a delicacy that belongs to Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. This dish consists of the soaked chickpeas or vegetables. Madra is one of those dishes that represents the food culture of Himachal Pradesh and is available at every restaurant, and on festivals, offered to you with utmost love. Rajma Chawal is a delicious dish and contains good quality of carbohydrate and protein that can suit your taste. This popular dish is loved by people of all age groups. Rajma Chawal is perfect for a Sunday brunch or on a get-together with family and friends. It is cooked by using rajma(kidney beans) rice, onions, tomatoes and melange of spices. Kheru is a very tasty and authentic himachali dish. It is served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Kheru is prepared with sour curd, coriander seeds, onions. Kheru is usually served with piping hot rice but can also be eaten with rotis or parathas. Sepu Vadi is simply a mouth watering dish. Sepu Vadi is cooked mostly on wedding occasion in Himachal Pradesh .Normally this dish is made with spinach , curd gravy and split Urad Dal.
When it comes to food, Maharashtra will never disappoint you. From the world famous pav bhaji to the delicious bhelpuri, Maharashtra has a lot to offer to food lovers. It is food heaven for both vegetarians and non vegetarians alike. Basundi is a sweet dish made in Maharashtra. It is condensed by boiling the sweetened milk on low heat which gives it a nice flavour. Sugar, cardamom or saffron is added to augment the flavour and texture. Different types of basundi are custard apple basundi and angoor basundi. Bhelpuri is a savoury snack common in Maharashtra.It is a mixture of puffed rice, chopped onions,chopped tomatoes,tamarind chutney. Bhelpuri can be served in a lot of ways, but usually it is served on a paper which is folded in the form of a cone and is consumed using a paper spoon. Misal pav has a spicy and tangy lentil curry which is made with moth beans and is served with Pav bread. At times, it is eaten with yoghurt to lessen the spice.It is decorated with a slice of Lemon and Onion Coriander sprinkled on it. This street food is readily available at any street food joint and served hot. Modak is extensively eaten during the Ganesh Chaturthi Festival all around the state. The sweet filling is made up of fresh-grated coconut and jaggery, while the soft shell is made from rice flour, or wheat flour mixed with maida flour. The dumpling can be fried or steamed. Pav Bhaji is one of the spiciest, vegetarian dish. It is a mixture of boiled vegetables along with a lot of Spices and Onion Coriander mixture for garnish.Fresh and thick slices of bread, smothered in butter served with a delicious mix of moderately spiced vegetables. Vada Pav is the most favorite snack in Maharashtra.It is Potato Bhaji ball dipped in Besan Flour and fried in hot oil. It is stuffed in Pav with Garlic Chutney and fried Chilli. VadaPav is super delicious when served hot- hot spicy and slight crunchiness. It is also known as ‘INDIAN BURGER’.
Manipur has been dubbed “The Jewelled Land” due to its natural beauty. The food of Manipur is considered to be very healthy as they use a fresh vegetables a lot. The preparations are simple yet, tasty. Manipuri food is spicy and contains less oil. Chakhao Kheer is a delicious kheer. It has a pleasing shade of purple and is prepared using milk, black sticky rice, and cardamom powder. It’s typically fancy with dried fruits like raisins,cashews or different nuts. It is usually prepared on special occasions like festivals and weddings. Eromba is prepared nearly always with a fish referred to as Ngari. Eromba is made by boiling a large number of vegetables together with some Ngari and king chili. It’s mixed till the mixture becomes sort of a paste. Kangsoi is a vegetable stew that consists of seasonal vegetables that are cooked and flavored with sliced cloves, garlic, onions, salt, maroi and a touch of ginger lidded with ngari, dried fish, or deep-fried fish items and water. The stew is mostly served with rice and consumed piping hot. Singju is a kind of dish that consists of chilies, tomatoes, onions ,finely cut banana stem, cabbage, banana flower, lotus stem, a reasonably scented herb, tree beans, coriander leaves, ginger mixed with ngari fish. Singju is seasoned with red chili powder, salt, roast chickpea powder and roast herb powder.
A lot of people suffer from upset stomach and other related illness by consuming unsafe water and food while traveling. A few people are blessed with iron stomach and immune system better than Terminator. But for rest of us, a lot of effort is spent on not getting sick whenever we step outside our homes for any period of time. This issue is of particular importance for people who are traveling to foreign countries. You will find different notions of hygiene, cleanliness and even different pests and germs in different places. For example, communicable diseases like malaria are almost completely eradicated in western world, but they still claims hundreds of thousands of lives in many other countries. Although, this topic can be written about in a very detailed manner, time and space constraints dictate that I limit this article to basic precautions related to water and food safety only. Although, this article is written with India in mind, these are some general instructions which hold true almost everywhere. So let’s begin with Food Safety Rules For Travelers Taking even basic precautions related to food safety and hygiene can save you a lot of trouble. High end restaurants and hotels are considered cleaner than most road-side street food vendors. But this is not true everywhere in very case. One such case in example is freshness of ingredients used. A lot of ofstreet food vendors prepare their dishes earlier in day or during the work hours and serve them as fresh as possible. Meanwhile, restaurants usually prepare large quantities of their most popular food items or ingredients and store them in refrigerators to be heated up just before serving.Here are some points for you to keep in mind when eating food in India or almost anywhere else in the world: a) Get food only from a recommended and trusted source Many street food businesses have good reputations among their customers for solid reasons. If you don’t know much, then take advice from your local friends, guides etc . But make sure that they have no commercial stake in recommending you something. Observing the customers is also a good way of making a choice. A good food vendor will have large number of customers compared to a non-trusted one. Food safety is always important to good vendors. b) Always make sure that the utensils used in serving are clean. Most street food vendors use disposable plate, spoons made of plastic, leaves, cane etc. But if metal utensils are being used, ensure that they are clean first. Use your own wipes, napkins etc to clean them if not sure. c) Do not eat at any place where the food is not covered and exposed to dust and flies. These are major source of germs and observing this basic food safety precaution alone can save you from lots of trouble d) Have fresh food In some places, the food you ask for is prepared right in front of you out of semi-prepared ingredients. Not every vendor brings 100 % read to eat food with him. So, if you see food cooking before being served, it’s very likely that it’ll be fresh. A good food vendor will usually pay heed to your requests and prepare the food exactly to your requirements. But if there are other people waiting, he may have to pay more attention to others. e) Precautions related to food are can be very confusing. People may follow all the hygiene and cleanliness related precautions, but may still suffer from an upset stomach due to some unknown food intolerance or allergy they did not knew about earlier. It can be really difficult to avoid such incidents. In case you know about your food intolerance and allergies, confirm with the vendor before consuming anything. If that’s not possible , try only small portions to check whether you are okay with it. If you have no side-effects and like the dish, go on to enjoy larger portion. Also, always keep a basic first aid kit consisting of a few medicines for an upset stomach, antacid, antihistamines etc. Water Safety Rules For Travelers Contaminated water causes biggest source of preventable infectious diseases worldwide. A number of potentially fatal infectious diseases can be prevented from spreading by just using clean water. Fortunately for travelers, it’s pretty easy almost everywhere. One of the most convenient solutions is to use branded bottled water. It’s easily available almost everywhere and comparatively easily. Some people consider it expensive. It is if you consider that it’s just ordinary water, but considering the alternative of spending so much money on medicines, it’s good enough. Even with bottled water, make sure that you buy only the original brands and properly sealed bottles. If in doubt, leave it and buy it from some place else. But what happens when you are in a place with no bottled water ? Unless you are near a river source with clear fast moving water, glacier etc. you have to boil and filter before drinking. You can use water purifying tablets or drops. Sometimes it causes slight change in taste of water but most people will accept it. Portable filters are another option. There are many types of big and small filters available in market. One portable filter as big as a pen and is used as one would use a straw. It’s very lightweight and small and can be carried in a pocket. Additionally, you can use bottles which come with water filter already fitted in. Most of other filters are are usually too big to lug around comfortably. If you are not carrying your own water filter, then best option to quench thirst are bottled water, juice or soft drinks, in that order. We hope this article may help you keep safe while traveling in India. Contact us for any feedback or information.
