OT: Wife went to India (New Delhi) for her Company? Any advice for those who've been there?
- Thread starter Mr. Potter
- Start date
Never been there but from reading press accounts, (particularly for female tourists)- tell her to be very careful on public transport and not travel alone.
Many people from my company have been there on business. BE VERY CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU EAT! Do not eat from buffets, do not eat any chips where they do not give you the unopened bag, do not drink anything where you do not get the unopened bottle. Good luck to your wife.
India is one of those places that has a lot of great things to see and great culture to experience...IF you're with someone speaks the local language (though most speak english, that doens't matter) and who knows what areas to stay out of.
You can see luxury and squalor on the same block.
You can see luxury and squalor on the same block.
A
anon_xdc8rmuek44eq
Guest
Also - only bottled water. For drinking, brushing teeth, etc. If she's on the company dime I hope they spring for a driver/car for her - even if she wants to go shopping or whatever. Would be weary of taxis if traveling alone. She will be amazed at the poverty and income disparity there.
Yes, she'll be sari if she doesn't....
Tell her to get back to the good old USA as soon as possible.
Next time: Tele-conferencing
To paraphrase Dave Attell, the best thing to do in India is pack and get the **** out!
Make sure the place has functioning AC. I never went with my company and anyone who did go never went back a second time.
She's the company. So its her dime. She's staying at 5* hotel but it isn't USA 5*. My Father In Law went with her I'm watching the offspring. Hopefully she comes away with a new manufacturer.
A
anon_xdc8rmuek44eq
Guest
Five star or not be careful. My wife travels to India and stays at five star hotels and still requests bottled water for everything and absolutely no raw fruits/veggies. Good that her father is going - that may make taking regular taxis a decent option. My wife actually got rotavirus at a five star hotel on a trip to Peru. Good luck.
Finally. I was looking for the reference to that Seinfeld episode. Good job, Bob.
I love the scene where the Indian parents tell Elaine not to go to India.
IIRC: "India is a dreadful, dreadful place." [The Mom, I think]
In all honesty an American woman should not travel alone in India. Go with a guide or groups.
All other things above hold true-also
Lots of pick pockets at the Taj-be careful. Go to the Agra Fort about 2 km from the Taj. It's also beautiful
Don't eat from street vendors or local restaurants -she won't be used to the cooking style or spices
It's not like any other place. It has tremendous beauty but also heartbreaking squalor.
All other things above hold true-also
Lots of pick pockets at the Taj-be careful. Go to the Agra Fort about 2 km from the Taj. It's also beautiful
Don't eat from street vendors or local restaurants -she won't be used to the cooking style or spices
It's not like any other place. It has tremendous beauty but also heartbreaking squalor.
It's important to curry favor with the local pols.
When driving tell her not to hit the gas Patel too hard or she'll run over a sacred cow ("May the sacred cow of India drop a doodoo on your lawn." -- Carnac the Magnificent)
Tell your wife to bring back with her the 150,000 jobs or so that American companies farmed out to that country!!
Why? So American companies can farm them out to another country?
You honestly are not naive enough to think Americans will work that hard and for that cheap do you? LOL.
A stripper works for dollars sir!
Nobody is MORE productive than the American worker!
Nobody!!
I've only been to Bangalore, but I've been there 6 times. The Indian people are not threatening and largely peaceful. India can be a culture shock. Tell her not to drive and to take large vehicles to get around. It's simply safer. I've never had a problem with Montezuma's revenge in India, but I've had it bad other places in Asia. Probably the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in was in India, The Leela Palace. Third world countries have the nicest hotels. Indian food has lots of curry and can be spicy, but I love it. Really, there are much worse places to go than India. Some things to watch for... cows are sacred and wander around town, loose. 70% of Indians are vegetarians. Those vegetarians are also tea totalers. Be aware when dining with them. Otherwise, they are regular people with the same problems we have.
Leela Palace is an excellent suggestion. Fantastic hotels. Obelroi is also well regarded.
Avoid cashew whiskey.
There are worst places in the US than India-Luke rural western Pa for example.
Avoid cashew whiskey.
There are worst places in the US than India-Luke rural western Pa for example.
A friend of mine has traveled there on business many times. He told me two things.
1. It is the worst smelling place on earth.
2. From the moment he lands all he thinks about is the moment they shut the door on the plane for departure.
Whenever I see a picture of Mumbai, the smell comes back.
My tips:
- Five star hotels in India are excellent, but avoid anything less.
- Only water from unopened bottles should pass your lips. If you are in a restaurant and the waiter brings you a bottle with a broken seal, send it back. Some places will refill used bottles with tap water, and that is bad news.
- The food is excellent, but stick with nicer restaurants, and avoid street food completely. I love hole-in-the-wall places and have had great experiences in some countries. India is not a place for that.
- If you order domestic beer, order the export version; the stuff the breweries make for the locals is nasty.
- The people are generally very nice, but don't offer the beggars food; they don't like it. Begging is their job, and don't want to be paid in food anymore than you do. It's a different culture, and the street people are experiencing the dark side of the concept of "karma."
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