Beginner's Guide to India - Feedback on new section

I'm putting together a FAQ section for newbie travelers to India. From time to time, we get very basic questions like "Where should I go in India?", and "When is the best time to travel to India?". A lot of information has been posted on the forum about topics like this, so I'm planning on consolidating all the tidbits of info into a series of "articles".

So... my question to you is: What are some of the articles that this "Beginner's Guide to India" section should have?

Some that the moderators and I thought would be helpful:

1. Best time to travel to India
2. Safety in India, i.e is it safe traveling in India? Is it safe traveling alone as a female?
3. Popular destinations in India, basically a snapshot of the popular destinations indiamike.com users go to.
4. Health & Wellbeing: innoculations, antimalarials et
5. Visa questions and answers. Do I need a visa to visit India? How long can I stay for?
6. Travel in India: Should I travel by train? How do I book a ticket?

Let us know your thoughts!

Food Safety: How to scrutinize the restaurant you are about to eat in. When/where is it safe to go nonveg. All about water. etc.

That is a good idea!

There are also a lot of posts about crossing borders to places like Nepal from India and what not...maybe you could put something about that.

At least a link to the train manual.

Yes!

IndiaMike's repository of train Info, and DD's collection of it is one of our greatest assets

In fact it is an International Treasure!

How about adding a few suggested itineraries for 2-4 weeks trip covering popular tourist spots in Rajasthan,South India etc.Questions regarding this keeps cropping up a lot.These could be then used as templates for individual itineraries.

Good idea

Absolutely!

Beach's post (of which I don't remember the title), but you know what I mean.

The absolute best piece of guidance I've ever encountered in regard to restaurants was written by "Andy the Hobo" at http://www.hobotraveler.com/newslett...39insert.shtml
[Hey, while you're at it, read all of Andy's pages on India.]
ISSUE: 139 DATE: February 6, 2004
TITLE: Hobo TRAVEL TIPS- Varanasi India -Is the restaurant clean?
TIP: IS THE RESTAURANT CLEAN? LOCATION: Varanasi, India

[You have to scroll halfway or so down his web-page to get to it. Re copyright issues see Andy's publication note at the end.]

IS THE RESTAURANT CLEAN?
...
Travel is a good time to get off the nipple and learn to make choices. I do believe that people are capable of learning how to choose a clean and nice restaurant.
...
BEFORE YOU EAT, ORDER OR SIT DOWN:
1. Look for the smile on their faces.
2. Walk around confused.
3. Ask to have the table cleaned off.
4. Go into the kitchen.
5. Ask to use the toilet.

Look for the smile on their faces.
A restaurant is a spiritual moment when you couple food, hunger, and the place together for money. Why pay for pleasure when the spirit it bad. Smiles are th sign of happy people.

WALK AROUND CONFUSED!
It is best to walk around a restaurant confused and disorientated, do not just walk in and sit down, you are way too late at that point to get up and walk out. The goal of walking around it to check out the place and give the place an interview.

Walk into a restaurant and ask? Can I see the menu? Stand and read the menu, do not sit. Ask to see the food you wish to eat. Tell them, "I do not understand, and walk into the kitchen."
Do not ask permission. Most poorer countries will allow you in the kitchen with no problem. So just walk on in the kitchen and make yourself at home.

Ask the staff to wipe off your table. You can ask the waiter to have the table cleaned, if this is a problem, then there is a problem with the restaurant. A good restaurant will be worried they missed something while a bad restaurant will be put out that you asked.

Ask to use the toilet? They need to use the toilet also... huh?

WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
1. You hope they have a toilet!
2. Do they clean the table with a clean rag and soap?
3. Are the tops of the condiments, catsup, mustard, salt, etc clean?
4. Are the hands, fingers and fingernails of waiter or waitress clean?
5. Are the clothes of workers clean?
6. Are there napkins on the table?
7. Is there soap in the toilet?
8. Walk into the Kitchen and inspect the place.
9. See whether the mess is ground in dirt versus just a new mess.
10. Is there a waste or trash bin? A good restaurant will have a place for trash.
11. Is the menu clean? I really mean this. Is the paper clean?
12. Do they have a menu? Not as important.

It is very sad that I feel a need to write this tip, but I have
noticed that people need a "Wake Up Call." The MTV Generation has lost the ability to think on their own, and the globalization of the Music, Movies, and Television has created a world of robots not taught to think on their own.

Go out into the world and ask why.
Why is this good? Why is this bad?
You should be able to say more than...
"Because I like it." or
"The food is good."

A critical mind should be able to create a list of reasons why a place is good or bad. If you can only come up with one reason off the top of their head, then that is the depth of their mind. "One level."

I try to think on level 10.
I hope or strive to tell both the good and the bad.
I strive to be able to advise on any situation.
10 Reasons why something is good.
10 Reasons why something is bad.

The good and the bad is the complete story.
To only know one side of the coin is the "Ugly."

Just another day in Paradise!
PLAN YOUR ESCAPE...
Be a Hobo, and leave your mark.

X Hobotraveler.com was HERE!

Life is good.
The Hobotraveler.com

As always, these are suggestions. Please realize I am giving guidance, and there are always other opinions.
“One mans paradise, is another mans hell”
This way we do not all go to the same place.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> <><><>
Article written by Andy the Hobotraveler.com
On year 7 of Hobo trip around the world.
Budget Travel, Jobs, and Adventure, etc
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that's very sound and detailed advice, but.....every time you go into a restaurant??? think i might die of hunger


As for the OP, i notice that one of the most common questions on both here and, particularly on TT, is about arrival in delhi. i.e. how to get from the airport in one piece and where to stay.
So maybe some an article on the major cities, delhi mumbai chennai etc?

A good, quick trick is to ask for their coldest drink with the menu as soon as you arrive. The temperature of the drink being a barometer to the efficiency of their refrigeration system ... if any. This is especially useful if you are going nonveg or dairy.

While I think a primer on How to Get from Delhi Airport to Your First Hotel would be important, I would also like to see a short note [with similar info] on Alternative Airports to Consider, eg, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore.

[Several decades ago, a main attraction of the ORIGINAL fall-apart paperback "Southeast Asia on a Shoestring" was that it told a traveler EXACTLY how to do things -- which inspired confidence, eg: "Step outside the front door of the airport terminal, turn to your right and walk about 100 paces until you see the blue building on your right; walk about 5 paces down the alley running along the side of the building to the red door on your right; the guy sitting outfront will be Sammy; ask him about a room for the night."]

Hey nadreg, u can also add.. places to stay [ recommended by IMers ].
and OR places u should visit.

Awesome idea!!!! Then there won't be people like me clogging up the treads asking plain ol boring questions that older india mikers have answered a million times over.