ROTARY NID INDIA TRAVEL INFORMATION
Many of you are experienced travelers and will already be aware of much of the information in this document. Some information is specific to an NID visit and we are including it in the hope that you will find it useful in the preparation for your trip.
Information about India
• Specific temperature and time/date information can be found at: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=176
o Delhi / Agra are 10 ½ hours ahead of the East Coast of the US
o Approximate January / February Temperatures in °F:
DELHI CALCUTTA AGRA
High – 70’s High – 70’s High – 70’s
Low – Mid 40’s Low – Mid 40’s Low – Mid 40’s
• The Republic of India is a federal republic and a Member of the Commonwealth of Nations that occupies one-third the area of the United States and borders China to the northeast, Pakistan to the west, Nepal & Bhutan to the north, and Burma & Bangladesh to the east.
• President: Pratibha Patil, of the governing Congress party, was elected president in July 2007, becoming the country’s first woman to hold the post. Prime Minister: Manmohan Singh (elected 2004)
• Population (2008 est.): 1,147,995,898 (growth rate: 1.5%).
• Principal languages: Hindi 30%, English, Bengali, Gujarati, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Kannada, Assamese, Sanskrit, Sindhi (all official); Hindi/Urdu; 1,600+ dialects
• Religions: Hindu 81%, Islam 13%, Christian 2%, Sikh 2% (2001)
• Literacy rate: 61% (2005 est.)
• Monetary unit: Rupee
• Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $2.989 trillion; per capita $2,700. Real growth rate: 9.2%. Inflation: 6.4%. Unemployment: 7.2%. Arable land: 49%. Agriculture: rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry; fish. Labor force: 516.4 million; agriculture 60%, services 12%, industry 28% (2003). Industries: textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software. Natural resources: coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land. Exports: $140.8 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): textile goods, gems and jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals, leather manufactures. Imports: $224.1 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): crude oil, machinery, gems, fertilizer, chemicals. Major trading partners: U.S., UAE, China, Germany, UK, Singapore (2006).
source: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107629.html
Things to do before departing
• Get a tourist visa for India. You will need 2 passport sized photos. Go to the Consulate General of India’s website that is associated with the state in which you live – find out which Consulate at this link http://www.indianembassy.org/embassy/cgi.htm. Find the “Visa” section on the Consulate’s site. The link will take you to a visa outsourcing service, Travisa Outsourcing Inc., https://indiavisa.travisaoutsourcing.com/. Follow their online directions. This service allows you to track the status of your visa application online.
• Ensure all of your necessary vaccinations are current. Visit the CDC’s website to determine what vaccinations are needed http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationIndia.aspx. Most vaccinations required are good for ten years. Note: they do take a couple of weeks to take full effect so get them as early as possible. Contact your doctor or an infectious disease doctor for specific recommendations and vaccinations. Consider getting a flu shot as well before traveling.
• If you are taking it, start your malaria medication as directed, typically 1 week prior to departure. Pack these meds in your carry-on bag in its original packaging.
• Ensure you have enough of your prescription medications for the duration of the trip plus a couple of extra days supply. Pack these meds in your carry-on bag in their original containers.
• Notify your credit card company of where and when you will be traveling so that they will not block charges you make while abroad.
• Check with your bank to ensure that your ATM card will work in India and inform them of dates / places of travel so that they will not block your account.
• Bring approximately $200 – $400 in US cash – small bills or traveler’s checks – to exchange in the event that your ATM card does not work when you need cash. Some establishments will accept credit cards, others will not.
• Make six copies of the main page in your passport and Indian visa and three copies of the credit / ATM cards you are bringing
o Leave one copy of the main page in your passport, Indian visa and credit / ATM cards you are bringing with someone at home
o Pack three copies of the main page in your passport and Indian visa to give to the tour leader for use at hotel check-ins in India
o Pack two of copies of the main page in your passport, Indian visa and the credit / ATM cards your are bringing to carry with you in case of emergency – put each copy in a different place.
• Consider purchasing travel insurance to cover trip cancellation / interruption, baggage delays, and/or health issues (if not covered under your current health policies) while abroad.
• Get plenty of rest in the days prior to departure and consider adjusting your sleeping schedule in order to begin to acclimate to the time change several days before you leave.
Rotary-specific information
• Familiarize yourself with Rotary’s involvement with the Polio Eradication Program in order to handle interviews by journalists and questions from locals by visiting RI’s website: http://www.rotary.org/en/ServiceAndFellowship/Polio/Pages/ridefault.aspx
• Check with your home club before leaving to determine whether matching grants are a possibility as Rotary clubs in India will be looking for matching grant partners. Please take care to not make promises you cannot keep.
• While on the NID, do not hesitate to point out that you are traveling with a team of Rotarian volunteers and that we have paid our own way to travel to India to assist with the global polio eradication efforts. Do not hesitate to be advocates for the global program, the local Rotarians’ efforts and the work of the local health workers.
• Key definitions
o PolioPlus: Rotary launched the PolioPlus program in 1985 and contributions to the PolioPlus program continue to support the most essential components of polio eradication activities in our partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and UNICEF. With Rotary’s community-based network worldwide, Rotary is the volunteer arm of the global partnership dedicated to eradicating polio.
o PolioPlus Partners (PPP): In 1995, a sub program of PolioPlus, the PolioPlus Partners program, was developed to allow individuals, Rotary clubs and Rotary districts the opportunity to directly contribute to polio eradication projects submitted by fellow Rotarians in polio-endemic, importation and high-risk countries through the PPP Open Projects List. Contributions to PPP go directly to Rotarians conducting social mobilization and surveillance activities. Social mobilization is organized community activities designed to help make immunization activities successful. Rotarians play a critical role in these activities by using PPP funds to purchase:
• Media and posters to communicate where and when the immunization activities will occur
• Caps, aprons, badges and megaphones to identify health care workers and volunteers
• Stickers or balloons to reward children and parents to encourage future participation
• Bicycles, 4-wheel drives and motorcycles to distribute the vaccine
• Vaccine carriers, refrigerators and ice packs to maintain the integrity of the vaccine.
• For more information about Chandigarh and the Rotary Club of Chandigarh:
o www.rotarychandigarh.org
o http://www.chandigarh.nic.in/
Traveling to India
• Drink lots of fluids while on the plane and avoid alcohol and large amounts of caffeine, which can be dehydrating.
• Move around often while on the plane to aid circulation and prevent swelling.
Arrival in Delhi
• You will arrive in Delhi after approximately 24 hours of travel. Watch out for your belongings as the airport environment can be hectic and you will be tired.
• After collecting your luggage and exiting customs, someone will be there with a placard to meet you. Do not accept another offer to take you anywhere or let anyone “help” with your luggage.
Communication while in India
• Pack a list of emergency contacts from home.
• Give your emergency contacts at home the final NID itinerary with hotel information and local contacts.
• It is preferable to tell family and friends at home not to expect to hear from you during the trip.
• Although hotels will generally offer email access, both the fees and wait times can potentially be high.
• You will be able to make international phone calls from hotels on a limited basis – these will most likely be very expensive.
• It is possible to set up your Blackberry or equivalent PDA to receive email and even phone service while in India, if your plan and device allow for it. You must arrange this with your carrier before you leave the US.
• Phone cards can be made available in some areas and this is the best way to call home. More information about that will come later.
Electricity
• Electricity in India is 230 volts / 50 hertz (versus 120 volts / 60 hertz in the US), therefore a CONVERTER will be needed to use appliances that do not work on 230 volts / 50 hertz.
• Generally, plugs in India are two round prongs, therefore an ADAPTOR will be needed to use for appliances that work on 230 volts / 50 hertz, including those that require charging (e.g. cameras, PDAs, electric razors).
• A hairdryer may or may not work, even with a converter and an adaptor, and can in fact be damaged. Some hotels may have hairdryers, but it is not guaranteed that they are in working order or that you will get one due to their limited supply. Access to clothing irons will also be limited.
• It is not advisable to bring your laptop as internet access may be sketchy AND you will have more to carry around with you.
Rotarian Gifts
• Indians like to exchange gifts – expect to get and give during our trip.
• Bring 5 banners from your local club to exchange, and if you have them District pins as well.
• Please bring a gift for your host family that is approximately $30 – $40 in value and reflects something about where you come from (e.g. a coffee table book of your city).
• Bring a couple of hometown souvenir t-shirts or baseball hats and a handful of smaller items with your city’s name such as pens, magnets, playing cards or Rotary products to give to local Rotarians that help you during your NID experience.
• Consider bringing photos of your family, friends and home to share with your hosts and fellow NID participants.
Note: Our Rotary hosts will be footing most if not all of our expenses during our NID day home stays, including meals.
Optional Items
• Feel free to bring stickers, hard candy, pencils, pens, toothbrushes and other small items to pass out to the many children you will meet on the street.
• If possible, we will be doing some type of project so items to bring will be announced as information is made available. It may be books, medical supplies, blankets, etc.
Luggage
• Please bring ONE 22” – 25” rollaboard suitcase, expanded position is fine, and if needed, ONE additional smaller-sized soft-sided duffel or similar type of carry-on bag. This will help ensure that all bags fit in our transportation vehicles while in India.
• An additional purse, camera case or small bag is fine as well.
• Please note that many airlines permit only ONE carry-on bag on international flights. When traveling through certain international airports (London, for example), security will not let you through at a new terminal with more than one carry-on. Be sure to check this in advance of travel.
• Check with your airline for specific carry on and checked luggage size and weight restrictions. Generally airlines allow two checked bags per person, 50 lbs each, with certain dimension restrictions. Exceeding these restrictions can be very costly.
• Do not lock your luggage. It is not unusual to have bags opened during security inspection.
• Consider packing a small roll/amount of duct tape in case of luggage damage.
• Remember, carry-on liquids, gels, creams, eye drops, must be in a QUART size ZIPLOC clear bag; one per person. No item in the bag may be larger than 3 oz (e.g. you cannot bring a toothpaste tube larger than 3 oz that is partially used). It is preferably to put all liquids other than medications in your checked baggage.
• Domestic flights inside India allow one checked luggage so PACK LIGHT.
Attire
• Bring comfortable walking shoes/sneakers. We suggest you bring an old pair (possibly enhanced with new insoles/inserts) to use during the NID days that you can leave behind when you depart.
• Bring comfortable clothing and layers as it will be chilly in the mornings and evenings.
• Most Indian buildings and homes do not have central heat or air; plan sleeping attire accordingly.
• Please dress conservatively; women should not have exposed shoulders or knees/thighs.
• Several mosques will require you take your shoes off and / or cover your head when visiting – bring easy slip on / off shoes and old socks or airplane socks for your feet and a bandana / scarf for your head.
• Bring one dressy casual outfit – sport coat and tie for men, similar for women (pants are fine).
• NID volunteers may be given a polio eradication team vest and hat for identification when immunizing. These items, plus the banners and posters you will see displayed, are part of what a donation to PolioPlus Partners purchases to aid in NID activities.
Security
• Please do not bring expensive jewelry.
• It is preferable to leave your laptop home as you will have minimal time to use it, but this is up to you.
• Bring something secure such as a money belt to store your cash and passport while travelling and sightseeing.
• A fanny pack, a lightweight vest with many pockets or deep pants pockets are additionally useful for carrying snacks, tissues/toilet paper, insect repellant and hand sanitizer.
• Always leave the hotel with a business card stating the name of hotel, street location and phone number in case you become separated from the group.
ADDITIONAL PACKING LIST SUGGESTIONS
• 1 ROLL OF TOILET PAPER (or you can purchase toilet sheets)
• Liquid Hand Sanitizer (Purell)
• Antibacterial Wipes
• Small Pillow or Neck Roll
• Small Blanket
• Eye Mask for Sleeping
• Earplugs
• Fast Drying Towel
• Sunscreen
• Sun / Rain Hat
• Bandana
• Sunglasses
• Safety Pins
• Resealable Plastic Bags – assorted sizes
• Cough Drops
• Ace Bandage / Ankle Bandage
• Warm Socks
• Flip Flops / Shower Shoes (you will need these in homes coming out of the shower)
• Camera / Charger
• Small Flashlight
• Travel Alarm Clock
Medicines / Prescriptions
• It is unlikely that you will be able to purchase over the counter or prescription medicines while in India. Bring the prescription and non-prescription items you require in their original packaging. Pack these items in your carry-on bag. Bring enough for the entire trip including travel days plus a couple of extra days.
• As prescribed by your doctor, bring an antibiotic to combat travelers diarrhea – Cipro is the most common.
• As prescribed by your doctor, bring malaria medication. Start this medicine prior to your arrival in India following your doctor’s recommendation (usually 1 week). Malaria medication must continue to be taken after you leave the malaria risk area, according to the prescription.
• Bring vitamins as desired – consider a chewable option.
• Bring a steroidal / cortisone cream, an antibacterial cream, Band-Aids, aspirin, Tylenol or your preferred choice of such medication.
• Bring insect repellant containing at least 28% DEET. Malaria is prevalent and mosquitoes carry many other diseases as well.
• Bring Pepto-Bismol chewable tablets and Imodium AD in the event of stomach upset.
• Bring heartburn / anti-gas medication.
• Bring contact solution if you wear contacts. Pack eye glasses in your carry on, even if you are a contact lens wearer. A second pair of glasses is also a good idea.
• Consider bringing eye drops as the pollution in Delhi can wreak havoc on the eyes.
• Consider bringing a decongestant if you think the high levels of pollution in Delhi will bother you.
Food
• Road travel distances in India are long – typically a 5 to 6 hours drive between the cities – and normal mealtimes may be delayed. Additionally, you will be eating unfamiliar foods. Please bring protein bars, granola bars, power bars, nuts, dried fruit or other snacks to ensure that you have something to eat while en route or in the event you prefer to eat something familiar for a meal.
• DRINK ONLY BOTTLED WATER and make sure the seal on the bottle has not already been broken – including in restaurants and hotels.
• Keep bottled water next to the bathroom sink. Use it for brushing your teeth and rinsing your mouth. Do not drink tap water from the sink or water while in the shower. Consider bringing multiple toothbrushes in case you rinse one under running tap water. If you do, throw it away and use another.
• Do not eat raw vegetables or fruit that you cannot peel.
• Hot foods are generally safe foods. Hot tea and coffee is safe to drink if the water has been boiled.
• Consider bringing electrolyte packets that can be purchased at your local pharmacy or health food store as these can be easily mixed into your water bottle.
• Always take your bottles of water that have remaining water in them with you when you leave the hotel.
• Do not buy water on the street under any circumstances.
Note: You will be provided with fresh bottled water on the bus on a daily basis.
Monetary Tips
• Already included in the cost of the trip are tip for drivers, tour guides, etc. – approximately $4 per person per day.
• Feel free to give an additional tip if you wish.
Final Thoughts
We go to India as ambassadors of Rotary and of our country. We go to thank the local Rotarians and health care workers for 20 years of effort towards the global eradication of polio. We go as cheerleaders to encourage them to continue their work in these final years needed to finish the job.
The pace of life in India might not be what we are accustomed to. Events or meals organized by others may take longer than you expect or want. Please be patient and respectful of our hosts, as well as tolerant and accepting of different customs and religions.
The key to being a successful volunteer team member is flexibility. Although we will have an agenda, please be prepared for and open to changes.
Look out for your fellow travelers to make sure no one is left behind and have a life-enriching experience!
DG Nancy
