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Touring India trip planning Questions/Answers FAQ Page 2 Question I am travelling to India in late September for six weeks. I fly into Mumbai from Australia at 7.50pm on Friday 28 September. My Intrepid tour leaves from Delhi on Sunday 30 September. I would prefer not to stop in Mumbai (I'll have some time there on my way home). But I don't know what time I should book my domestic flight to Delhi for. There are a couple of flights around 10.30pm - but is that enough time? How far/long would it take me to get from the International terminal (Qantas) to the domestic terminal? And how early do I need to check in for my domestic flight (in Australia you must be there at least 30 minutes before hand). If I need more time I may just stay at the airport and wait until the next morning to get a flight (at around 6pm). Many thanks, Anna Answer Your concern that you may not have enough time is valid. However it may be possible to connect with a 10:30 pm Mumbai - Delhi flight if your flight from Australia arrives in time and your baggage is not delayed. Consider the following: 1. Even if your flight lands as scheduled at 7:50 pm, you will have to clear immigration/wait for your baggage/clear customs and this can take about one hour or more. Domestic discount airlines will forfeit fares and not issue refunds for no-show passengers. In case you are delayed and cannot make the flight, you may incur additional charges. Reporting time is about 60 minutes before flight departure for domestic flights. Unless the flight is overbooked the airlines normally hold your seat even if you don't show up 60 minutes before departure time. If you can let the domestic carrier know the details of your arriving flight then they may hold your seat for the Mumbai Delhi flight as long as you can show up in time for the required security check before departure. 2. To go from the Mumbai international airport terminal to the domestic terminal you can take the Airport courtesy bus that usually runs at 30 minute intervals. The courtesy bus leaves from a secure area. If you prefer you can take a taxi. If you decide to take a taxi then use the prepaid taxi service. You can pay for the pre-paid taxi service at the airport terminal; the cost is approximately Rupees 150. Mumbai’s international airport (Sahar) and the domestic airport (Santa Cruz) share the same runways but the entrances for the domestic and international terminals are different. The distance between the two terminals is 2.5 miles. Do not take a private bus or any other type of private taxi that touts offer to arriving passengers outside the airports. NEVER share a taxi with unknown people. Prepaid taxis are safer. Facilities are not so great to spend extended time at the Mumbai airport and spending the entire night after a long flight may be quite tiring. You may consider going to a nearby hotel. There are several hotels near the airport. For a modest two star hotel near the airport the cost is about US$ 80 plus a 10% tax. Hotels near airport usually provide free shuttle service to airport on request. When making reservations for your Mumbai to Delhi flight take into consideration your arrival time in Delhi. If you are making reservations for your flights via a travel agent then they should be able to help with your Mumbai-Delhi flight sector. Many international airlines offer a free domestic flights on local airlines when they are not flying to the city of your choice. Sometimes you just need to shop around to get the best deal. I find that there are presently (August 2007) 45 flights between Mumbai and Delhi daily. So selecting an appropriate flight should not be a problem. Try and pick flights where you do not arrive at your destination late at night. Good luck and have a great trip. Question What are the places worth visiting when visiting Srinagar? Answer  Srinagar is a picturesque city, It has beautiful lakes like the Dal lake and Nagin lake which provide delightful houseboats holidays for tourists. Instead of staying in a hotel many tourists prefer to stay in houseboats when visiting Srinagar. It is quite an experience living in houseboats. There are hundreds of boats around and salesmen paddle from houseboat to houseboat to sell their wares. Imagine being sold bottles of soft drinks, fruits, nuts, fresh flowers, shawls, carpets from a boat. Some of the places to visit in Srinagar are: • Dal Lake: Spread over 18 square kilometers. Boat rides are popular here on boats that are called Shikara’s. You can actually use these Shikara (boat) to go sightseeing along the lake. o Nagin Lake is smaller and a part of the Dal Lake. Swimming and water skiing facilities are popular here. • Some of the other locations of interest to tourists are: • Mugal Gardens • Nishat Bagh • Pari Mahal • Shalimar Bagh Srinagar was once compared to Switzerland and used to be a popular tourist destination. Terrorist activities such as kidnapping of foreign tourists in the past have kept tourists away from Srinagar. Many foreign travel advisories issue warnings about traveling to the state of Jammu & Kashmir where Srinagar is located. Do check the travel advisory of your country before traveling to Srinagar. Question Hi I am from Australia and am going to take my 2 daughters aged 18 and 20 to India in Dec 2009 for 5 weeks. We have booked an individual tour with Incredible India tours for the whole trip. They have sorted out all the accommodation and trains and drivers etc. I have paid for half the cost through the bank exchange and will get the rest paid before We leave. I assume this is the usual procedure? This is a big company so I assumed it was. Is there anything I should ask for before arriving. I also wanted to know if I can easily sent items back to Australia in the mail that we may purchase on the way to minimizeour luggage?our luggage? Thanking you monica Answer I would hope you have done your homework before selecting the tour operator you are dealing with. India I believe does not have any stringent licensing regulations when it comes to tour operators. So selecting a reliable tour operator is quite a task and usually it is better to deal with a local licensed travel agency to book your travel arrangements. When dealing directly with Indian tour operators check that they are at least approved by the Indian Ministry of Tourism and are members of the (IATO) Indian Association of tourism operators. A list of IATO members is available on their website. Here is a link to their website: http://iato.in/Members.aspx Items that you buy and want to send back to Australia can be sent back by mail or courier services by air and sea easily. If you make your purchases from reputable stores they will ship the items to your Australian address. Question I am going for a shopping trip to Dubai for purchasing jewelry for a wedding. I am a resident of South Africa. Do I need a visa? (Nimesh Patel) Answer  Some countries citizens are issued visas upon arrival in Dubai, South Africa I believe is not one of these countries. For a tourist visa you will require a visa and a sponsor for your visit. The sponsor usually applies for a visa on your behalf. If you have friends or relatives living in Dubai they can act as sponsors. Hotel/tourist companies etc can also apply on your behalf. Tourist visa is valid for 30 days. Your travel agent in South Africa should be able to guide you or contact the UAE embassy in your area. In case you are interested, nationals of the following countries are granted a single entry visa upon arrival in the UAE: Australia, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, Canada, USA, France, Germany, New Zealand, Japan, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Belgium, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Finland, Spain, Monaco, Vatican, Iceland, UK (with right of abode sticker on passport) and holders of Hong Kong SAR passports. This list may not be complete and subject to periodic change by the authorities so check with the UAE embassy for latest information. Continued on Next Page: >>