Entry Regulations:

All Canadian citizens require a Canadian passport valid for at least six months beyond the date of your entry into the country. An entry visa is necessary to enter India. Visas must be acquired from the nearest Indian Embassy, High Commission, or Consulate.

Please check with your country’s Foreign Affairs office to find out about entry requirements for non-Canadians and Americans.

Climate:

Hot tropical weather with variations from region to region. Coolest weather lasts from December to February, with cool, fresh mornings and evenings and dry, sunny days. Really hot weather when it is dry, dusty and unpleasant is between March and May. Monsoon rains occur in most regions in summer between late June to September.

Currency:

The Indian Rupee is the basic unit of currency. At present, the exchange rate is INR44.31 for CAD$1 and INR44.50 for US$1. As exchange rates fluctuate each day, please check the current exchange rate near your date of travel.

Electricity:

The current used in India is the 220V, 50-cycle system.

Tip: This system may differ from the one you use at home. If it is different, please purchase an adaptor from a travel store near you, to take advantage of the power ports in your hotel room.

Language:

India has 22 officially recognized languages, however 33 different languages and 2000 dialects have been identified in India. Hindi, in the Devanagari script is the official language of the Federal government of India. English is an associate official language.

Health Requirement:

Vaccination certificates are not required of Canadian or American tourists unless they have visited a country where Yellow Fever is endemic. If you are from another part of the world, please check with a travel medicine professional for more information on possible requirements.

Many travel illnesses are prevalent in India. Please visit a travel medicine professional wherever you are departing from.

Airport Facilities and Tax:

There are main international airports in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Calcutta. There is a departure tax of 500 Rupees, which is formulated into the price of your airline ticket.

Shopping:

Each region has its own specialties, each town its own local craftspeople and its own particular skills. For fabrics, silverware, carpets, leatherwork and antiques, India is a shopper’s paradise. Bargaining is expected. You can check for reasonable prices at state-run emporia. One of India’s main industries is textiles. Of the silks, the brocades from Varanasi are among the most famous. Rajasthan cotton with its distinctive ‘tie and dye’ design is usually brilliantly colorful, while Chennai cotton is known for its attractive ‘bleeding’ effect after a few washes.

Cuisine:

The cuisine of India is characterized by its sophisticated and subtle use of many spices and herbs. Considered by some to be one of the world's most diverse cuisines, each family of this cuisine is characterized by a wide assortment of dishes and cooking techniques. Diversity is a defining feature of India's geography, culture, and food. Indian cuisine varies from region to region.

For more information please visit:

http://travel.indiamart.com/places/index.html

http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/report-en.asp?country=128000