Are you travelling to India?

If you are then boy do I have some good information for you! Guess what? I live in India, so I can help you or anyone you know who is travelling, out.

I'm sure you've done your research and looked at multiple stories of the positive and negative of the country. Lets face it, every country has its good side and bad side. You just need to make sure you don't travel with an already established negative outlook.

Lets Get Started!

• Prepare To Haggle

If this unsettles you, I suggest you either try to overcome this or just pay the price you are being told, which will always be 100X more than what they would quote to an Indian.
Never ever settle for the price being quoted to you the first time. Its always going to be hiked up. Let me give you an example in $ for convenience sake.

You like a leather bag, the shopkeeper knows you like it and probably want it, so the shopkeeper says $300.
For the love of god, please do not say "OKAY" and pay the price. HAGGLE, HAGGLE AND HAGGLE.

Tell him that you are not ready to pay that price and that you will pay $100

Now, he will say, "Give me $250" then you say no, and start walking away , so eventually he will ask you what you want to pay him, and you say $100, to which he will not agree, and would probably meet you halfway at $150, BINGO! Agree and pay him. You've got yourself a good deal!

• Carry Pepto Bismol

It's India, everything is a little spicier here. If you want to try Indian food, you better make sure you carry some stomach relief medicine. You're going to need to go to the bathroom.

• Traffic

I'm sure you've heard about the chaotic traffic. It is what it is. Embrace it or hate it. It goes one of two ways. You either adapt to seeing cars honking, mediocre sense of traffic rules or you end up hating every time you go out and ruining your trip. Embrace, its chaotic organisation, things work, no one gets hurt, it all fits in like tetris.

• Indians Speak English

Yes, Indians speak English. You can communicate with even the most basic English. Left, Right, Food, Help, Money, No, Yes.
If you have an address, just show it to someone and they will help. If I know one thing, its that Indians love to give directions. Everyone is willing to help!

• Personal Space

Sooo, you do know that you're coming to the 2nd most populated country in the world, right? :) There will be a lot of people, everywhere.
One thing you will definitely notice is that there is no personal space or boundary here. People tend to get very close while queuing, walking, talking. It's just a thing. It's hard to explain but please don't be offended by it. Noone means any harm.

Indeed, as I said, there are always negatives and positives, I see them too, believe me. But I feel like the positives outweigh the negatives.

As a traveller, it's entirely up to you how you choose to perceive the things you see.

Thank you for taking the time to read my first indepth post. If you like this, please do let me know :)