India – Facts for the journey

Facts, figures and data for your tour of India
A first overview of India as a travel destination

Food and drink in India

Indian cuisine is varied and excitingly spiced. In restaurants, the basic choice is between “meat” or “vegetarian food”. The main difference between the regions:

North India: It is typical for North Indian cuisine to eat more bread than rice, and much more meat, especially goat and lamb. Tandoori dishes from the clay oven and samosas, stuffed dumplings, are a specialty.

East Indian cuisine: a lot of thalis is eaten here, pots with chicken, fish, lentil dishes and vegetable curries. Rice and naan are also served. Thalis means that the pots are refilled until you are full. Finally, there is khir, an aromatic rice pudding.

South Indian cuisine: Rice is the staple food here, along with lots of fish and coconut milk. Away from the coast, people mainly eat biryanis, rice dishes with vegetables, nuts, chili, sometimes raisins and, of course, meat.

West Indian cuisine is characterized by minorities depending on the region. Christians eat pork and beef, otherwise millet, lentils or more vegetarian dishes are served.

Mineral water is the preferred drink in India, alongside soft drinks and juices. Beer and wine cost almost as much as the whole meal. Not every restaurant is allowed to serve alcohol. Chai is often drunk after a meal.
Ganz viele Infos zu den typischen indischen Getränken gibt es gleich hier.

Money and credit cards in India

The Indian currency unit is the rupee. One euro is equivalent to around 80 INR. Rupees may neither be imported nor exported! ATMs can only be found in cities, credit cards are accepted in larger hotels and restaurants. However, as the internet is not well developed or fluctuates greatly, especially in rural areas, credit card payments cannot always be guaranteed!

Health, Vaccinations for India

• Vaccinations are not compulsory. Protection against tetanus and polio is good.
• Don’t drink open water, “Boil it, peel it or leave it!” This is the rule for fruit and vegetables.
• Don’t forget sun protection.
• We always recommend that you discuss which vaccinations are important and necessary with a tropical medicine specialist well in advance of your tour. This also depends very much on the areas you want to travel to and the choice of hotels.
• Initial information on safety and the latest news is always available from the Federal Foreign Office.

Geography and inhabitants of India

India is almost 3.3 million km2 in size and the sixth largest country in the world. India has 15200 km of borders and 7516 km of coastline. India is home to 1.3 billion people, making it the most populous country in the world after China. The average age in India is 24.7 years. More than 80% are Hindus, a good 10% Muslims, 2.6% Christians, the rest are Sikhs, Buddhists and 0.4% Jains.

Politics and economy Facts about India

India, consisting of 28 federal states, has been the world’s largest parliamentary democracy since its independence. The Indian parliament was divided into lower and upper houses based on the British model and has legislative power. Eligibility to vote applies from the age of 18 and the head of state is the president.
In terms of gross domestic product, India is the 7th largest economy in the world with more than € 2400 billion. The master is generated in Mumbai. The most important economic sectors are the service sector including IT, heavy industry and agriculture.

Security in India

It is best to leave valuables at the hotel, women should not dress too provocatively and should not travel alone at night. Further information is always available from the Federal Foreign Office.

Telephone and Internet

The Internet works in India (mostly :-)) without any problems, many hotels already have WLAN. Roaming charges must be clarified in advance with the telephone provider. In rural areas, the internet usually fluctuates a lot and it is often not possible to establish a stable connection.

Behavior

When dressing, one should avoid short and revealing clothing. Beggars are a profession in India. Children should not be given anything, as they will not go to school if they earn money in this way. Drugs are an absolute taboo subject in India.

The family is the center of life in India. Three generations often live in one house. If you are invited to a family home, you always bring a gift. In traditional families, the guest eats first, then the host, and the rest of the family at the end. Photography is allowed in India, but you should always ask the person if it is okay. However, showmen or snake charmers earn their income from this. Couples should not walk hand in hand in public, nor should they kiss or exchange caresses.