About India
This section of the site is currently for my own reference, but I thought someone looking to do an IVHQ placement in India might also find it handy.
Information
Costs:
When the trip is done, I will archive this information separately. But for now, here's a running tally of the costs so far.
Prior to travelling:
- Registration fee - $232 USD
- Orientation week, Taj Mahal day tour and three weeks program fee - $892 USD
- Vaccinations and medical supplies (first aid kit, anti-malarials, etc) - $440 USD
- Indian Visa (Single entry tourist visa) - $100
- Flights (a bit of a grey area as I combined this trip with other travel, so this is an estimate) - about $1600 USD
- Indian SIM card and credit - $60 USD
- Supplies (travel towel, various medications, sleep sack, sunscreen, insect repellant, adaptor kit, etc) - $250 USD
In India for four weeks of travel, touring, shopping, eating out, and drinking a whole lot of water I spent about $1200.
Making the total for this trip somewhere in the neighbourhood of about $5000.
SIM card info:
Some good information on getting a SIM card in India and what you'll need to do so.
http://www.indiamike.com/india-articles/buying-a-prepaid-sim-card-in-india-as-a-foreigner
Also on the SIM card issue, after some reading about the possible delays and hassles of getting a SIM in India, I looked into pre-buying one before I left. The eBay seller onixtak has pretty solid feedback on selling pre-registered and activated SIM cards from many different countries. This means you are ready to go from the time you hit the ground. I've gone ahead and bought one for Airtel in India, and I'll let you know how it works out.
About Beggars:
I know from my own reading and from talking with friends and family, that begging is a huge problem in India. I admit, I can be a soft touch... But here's some really convincing reasons not to give money to beggars: http://www.slate.com/articles
Blogs About India
I found a wonderful blog of a young lady who spent 6 weeks in India on their Dharamsala program. She also did the one week orientation, which I hope to do as well. Her blog can be found here: http://followthesparkledust.blogspot.com.au/
A great blog from an expatriate woman loving in India. She is very well written and has a wealth of knowledge about being a foreigner and dealing with a new culture: http://www.whiteindianhousewife.com/
Another expat blog. I find I'm gravitating towards the experiences of people newly encountering and navigating India, not because I think they know more, but because there are always unique challenges when you are a visitor to a new place. (Of particular note, I found the entry on small talk pretty interesting. Read it here.) The author moved to India in 2010 to start a small business and shares many of his experiences: http://learningindia.in/