WHAT TO BRING

Documents

Important: Make photocopies of all these and keep them in a separate place from the originals

1.Passport

2. Extra passport-sized photographs for various forms and applications

3. Medical insurance identification forms and claims forms. Remember to check with your insurance carrier to make sure that you have medical evacuation coverage.

4. International Health Certificate (if you have one)

5. International Students Identification Card (ISIC)

Money:  We suggest that each student have about $1,000 for travel, gift and other personal expenses.  As on home campuses, the amount of money needed depends on the individual. 

Bring all the money you think you will need.

It is best not to bring large amounts of cash with you. Bring only enough U.S. cash for expenses in the U.S. airports (snacks, meals, transportation to and from the airport).

Do not travel in India with large amounts of cash.

Credit and Debit Withdrawals: ATM’s are available in Delhi to withdrawn money from your US bank accounts.  Credit card and debit cards can also be used to withdrawn funds from US accounts through banks in India. The withdrawal limits are set by your bank. If you choose to bring a credit card, keep it in a safe place and record the credit card number to keep with your documents along with the number to call if stolen.

Traveler’s Checks: You can also carry your money in the form of traveler's checks. Take traveler's checks in large denominations ($50‑$100) because you are charged for each traveler's check exchanged. Any major brand of traveler's check is okay.  Watch the exchange rate for optimal times to exchange the checks.

Charity: You will see very many very poor people in India.  There are truly needy beggars in India, such as lepers, and Indians usually give them small coins. So I carry small Indian coins with me for that purpose. I discourage giving to professional beggars in the cities. I occasionally meet someone I want to help in a significant way. For this purpose, I set aside a certain amount of the money I bring to India for charity.

IMPORTANT: There is an exchange bureau in the international airport before you leave arrival area.  It is open 24 hours a day, is quick, convenient and gives the same rate as a regular bank.  Cash some money ($100 or so) when you arrive, so you don’t have to spend your first day in India in a bank. 

Luggage

First, you need to read carefully Air India's baggage requirement for both checked and carry on luggage at:

http://www.airindia.com/page.asp?pageid=171

We will be traveling economy class. Make sure that the number of bags and weight of bags does not exceed the limits set by Air India.

Remember, you will be carrying your luggage for considerable distances. So think carefully about your luggage. It is a good idea to pack, then walk around for an hour or so with your luggage to see how you feel. If you have too much weight or feel terribly burdened, you need to unpack and discard the least necessary items. Remember, you can find just about everything you need in India, at much less expensive prices.

Make sure your luggage is strong, rain resistant, and able to take a lot of abuse and dirt.

If you plan on shopping in India, bring a large sturdy,  theft-proof piece of luggage with a secure locking system. I always bring extra clothes (to give away in India), food, and water in this piece of luggage. I empty the suitcase in India and fill it with books, clothes, and other things that I purchase in India. I use the turtle-shell sort of luggage, which is virtually impenetrable  by thieves. This type of bag is also great for carrying expensive pieces of electronic equipment. You do not have to carry this bag with you all over India, though. We can store heavy pieces of luggage in Delhi. Another possibility is to wait and purchase an extra piece of luggage in India if you need one. Prices are considerably lower in India and you can find good luggage.

Mark your luggage so that you can easily spot it. Make sure you have secure identification cards on your luggage. I paint my name on my luggage in large letters in case my identification cards are torn off.

Luggage is sometimes lost by the airlines. Try to pack your most essential and expensive items in your carry on luggage. Make sure that you have a written description, including the brand name of your luggage, which you keep with your travel documents. This is important if your luggage is lost.

Travel Guide Book

A guide book, like Foder's or Lonely Plant (I prefer Lonely Planet) is useful, but not required. I imagine we have several between the members of the group. I am bringing a copy of Lonely Planet's guide with me, so anyone who like can borrow it. Having your own book may be useful, though, during your break.

Food and Drink

If you have room in your luggage, bring a couple of large bottles of your favorite kind of bottled water. Having one to drink on your first day in India, makes the transition a little easier. You can save the other bottle for times when you are feeling particularly queasy. It is just nice sometimes to have water from home.

Also, bring some of your favorite non-perishable food items with you for the times when you are feeling homesick for your own regular food. I like to bring almonds and dates. I know someone who takes a suitcase of canned tuna fish with her when she goes to India for long periods of time. You can get peanut butter in India, but it is slightly different from most peanut butters in the US. If you bring chocolate, make sure it will not melt. Good quality de-hydrated camping foods are light and nice to have for a change.

Coffee: Most places serve chay (black caffeinated tea with milk and sugar). Usually you can ask for black tea, but finding decaffeinated tea or coffee is rare. So bring you own teabags. When coffee is available, it is usually instant coffee. If you are a coffee addict, bring your own ground coffee and means of making it. If you need sweeteners other than sugar, bring your own. Honey is available in India.

Academic Supplies

--All notes and material you have gathered for your independent research project

--Academic journal (2 three-subject spiral notebooks and 1 one-subject notebook or 2 four subject notebooks if you can find them.

--Personal journal book of your choice. Some of the prettier ones are often the most inconvenient in which to write. A study spiral notebook works well.

-Note pad or small notebook for taking notes on field trips.

--Pens, pencils and stationery and/or drawing paper

--Small date appointment book. You will have a busy and changing schedule

 

--Optional: personal laptop computer and small printer. We will have a PC printer along that students will be able to use for assignment. Bring an adapter for Indian electrical current (220) if one is not already built into your computer. Printing facilities for Macs are unavailable. You also need a set of international plug adaptors.

 

Clothing

In General: 

Travel Light! Don't over-pack. Clothes are very inexpensive in India. You are encouraged to wear Indian clothes if you can.

Type of clothes. Do not pack for the program as if you were going camping. We will go trekking, and you can bring appropriate shoes and hiking clothes if you like. For most of the trip, you need to dress up rather than down, but in comfortable, light-weight clothes. Mussoorie can get a chilly, so a few warm but lightweight layers would be good, as would walking shoes or boots.

You will be required to dress in keeping with Indian standards of decency. Indian dress is rather conservative, so dress accordingly. It is fine to express yourself, but do it in Indian style. If you wear something inappropriate, you will be asked to change.

Don't bring delicate, expensive clothes as the laundry service will devastate them.

Heavy winter clothes are not needed..

Items for Both Men and Women:

You need to bring several pair of clothes as laundry can take up to one week to dry in Mussoorie. It will be extremely damp inside and out during the rainy season, and sometimes it can rain everyday for a week or more!

Footwear:

For Mussoorie, rain-resistant walking shoes or boots, with ankle support is best.

You will be taking your shoes on and off often, as it is customary for to remove shoes before going into homes or religious structure. Keep this in mind when selecting shoes. Shoes that provide support, but are easily removed are best after we leave Mussoorie. You also need to avoid wearing leather shoes, as they get moldy in monsoon weather.

Sandals, flip-flops or strap with support (such as Tevas or Teva-type) are very practical.

If you wear walking shoes, remember that you will be walking through mud, dung, and dirt. Nice, white shoes do not stay nice and white long.

 

You will need light outer wear. Windbreaker, sweater, fleece jacket. Men and women wear shawls in India, which are inexpensive.

 

You will need light rain wear and a fold-up umbrella. Disposable ponchos that cost about $1 are great and take up very little room in your luggage.

 

Hat. Rain resistant and crushable is best.

 

Sunglasses (polarized are great  in intense sunlight)

 

For Women

Indian women do not wear clothes that are revealing, transparent or tight; rather, they wear loose, long and billowy clothes in hot weather.  You will probably want to buy clothes in India as they can be very inexpensive. When we wear Indian clothes, we should wear them as they are normally worn in India. Sari slips look like great cotton skirts, but should only be worn under a sari.

What you do need:

Robe (very important)  Ankle-length, long-sleeved. You can find these in India.

Panties. Five pair. Remember, we will send our clothes to be washed vigorously by dhobis (washer people). Silk, Thong, or other delicate underwear will have to be hand-washed and hung to dry in your room. Cotton is more practical and is strong enough to be sent to the dhobi. Good underwear is hard to find in India.

Bras. Two or three

Socks: Five pair (Remember to bring socks that are appropriate for the footwear you bring. Socks that draw away moisture from your feet are best).

 

What you can bring (drip-dry, wrinkle free are best)

 Tops with short or long sleeves. No sleeveless or see-through tops.

Long dresses with short or long sleeves. No sleeveless dresses.

Long skirts

Loose long pants. No short

Swimming suit. No thongs or string bikinis, please. Two-piece is okay.

 

For Mussoorie, where the weather can be chilly:

Silk underwear

Fleece long pants

Light jacket. Not entirely necessary as you can buy beautiful shawls in India for $10 and up.

For men:

What you need:

Underwear: five

Socks: five (Remember to bring socks that are appropriate for the footwear you bring. Socks that draw away moisture from your feet are best).

Tops:

      At least two good light weight, wrinkle-free dress shirts.

     Casual shirts or nice T-shirts. No sleeveless "muscle shirts."

Bottoms:

     At least one light weight, wrinkle-free casual dress pair of pants

     Three pair of jeans or other casual pants. No pants with holes.

     Walking shorts. The length should be closer to your knees than your groin. These should only be used for hiking and lounging in your room. Not for street wear. Pajamas. Light weight. Not entirely necessary as you can buy Indian pajamas.

Bathing suit: Not too revealing.

Equipment

Easily concealed purse, pouch or money belt for passport and money.

Small flashlight. Pack in carry-on luggage as batteries are sometimes confiscated.

Small pocket knife or multiple purpose one. Put this in your check-in baggage. Do not bring knives or other sharp objects in your carry on luggage. They will be confiscated at airport security.

 

PolarPure, small hand pump or other water purification system, like tablets (see below under Other Preparations for more details). We will have five water filtering devices with us on the program, but you might want one of your won.

Sleeping-bag liner or single sheets. You can sew up single sheets to make a liner.

Duct tape

.

Weekend or day-pack

Extra bag for storing things you don’t need the whole trip

Flashlight with extra batteries and bulbs

Water bottle(s), liter size (two is good; at least one)

Sunglasses (polarized are great for the strong sunlight)

Plastic bags or stuff sacks

Sewing kit

Small towel and washcloth; some prefer lightweight, fast drying camp towels

Insect repellent

SMALL musical instrument (recorder, harmonic, etc.)

Walkman for tapes, esp. with recording capability (the latter especially good for independent project interviews, and for Hindi study)

Combination or padlock; locks for luggage

Watch and small travel alarm

Camera and slide film; Kodachrome is not processed in India; Ektachrome is; print film, including Kodak, is readily available so no need to bring that

Camera batteries (AA=s are readily available)

Herbal tea bags

Medical and Personal (suggestions, not required)

Food supplements like multivitamins

Take a 5-month supply of subscription drugs; allergy medicine

Extra set of prescription glasses/contacts; copy of prescription

Contact lens solution is available but bring glasses for traveling and fieldtrips

Deodorant (not readily available)

Conditioners are available but expensive; good shampoos, soaps and lotions are available

Refillable sample-size containers of shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste for weekend fieldtrips

Chapstick or Blistex

Dental floss

Prophylactics or contraceptives

Tampons: Some brands are available but best to bring your own; without plastic applicator which is a pollutant and not easy to dispose of.  Sanitary napkins are available in many brands including Carefree and New Freedom. You also need to bring small plastic or paper bags for disposal of sanitary products.

Sunscreen

Insect repellent (especially for mosquitoes)

Band-Aids

Anti-diarrhea pills

Re-hydration packets

A motion sickness tablets for help driving up and down winding mountain roads (This is very important for some of us. Non-drowsy tablets work best for me)

Prescribed tablets for anxiety for traveling up and down winding mountain roads. Sometimes just driving down the highway can cause considerable anxiety.

Antibiotic cream for cuts

Face wipes, astringent pads, hand-sanitizer (very useful)

 

Gift Ideas for Your Home Stay Families

and Other Helpful People in India

You will probably want to bring a gift to your Indian host family.  Moderate gifts are best.  The intention is not to demonstrate wealth, but to offer thanks and appreciation.  Choose one or two things from the following list or come up with your own comparable ideas.  Something that is personal or connects to you and the place you are from is best.  Things you made, or that relate to America are appreciated.   Photographs of your house and family are always good to bring with you to show people, not necessarily to give them.

Small toys (dolls, cars, etc.) Kids love them.

Small electronic devices: games, travel clocks, CD players. If you have anything that you don't use anymore, bring it along. Someone will love it.

 

T-­shirts ‑‑ especially those with the name of a college or of someplace in the U.S. are good gifts for younger males in your home stay family. Most Indian men will wear medium or large.

 

Baseball caps with school or regional logos.

 

Hand creams and body lotions in nice scents and containers.

 

Make up.

 

Hair clips and ornaments, ribbons, (also available in India)‑-­for younger females in your home stay family.

 

Inexpensive U.S. style pierced earrings (suitable for teens but not women ‑‑ they usually wear only gold jewelry.

 

Refrigerator magnets

 

Frisbees ‑- bring your own, too.

 

 

Playing card games ‑ Old Maid, UNO, etc.

Jacks.

 

Calendars with photos.

 

Good pens, of all varieties.

 

Post‑it note pads

 

Folding umbrellas.

 

 

If you have room in your luggage, bring clothes, children's shoes, and anything else you can. There are a lot of very needy people in India.