Going to India end of October. What to pack?

hi kerrylou,
i actually come from an indian/paki/afghan backround. so let me just say that india as is is really hot. especially during august, it's very hot and humid. august is probably the worse time to visit india. but to answer your question, i would pack something you would wear when it's hot outside i.e., shorts, tshirts, skirts. also, if you are not from the states, i wouldn't recommend drinking tap water or any water from there. always go to the market and buy an american brand of water like nestle otherwise you'll get terribly ill! i would also recommend you take some small traveling sized medecines from home incase you get sick, you dont want to intake any type of drugs from india as your body will not be familiar with their medications and you may fall ill. i hope this has somewhat helped you.

*worst*
*if you are from the united states, i wouldnt recommend for you to drink any tap water from india. it isnt properly filtered. *

OP said she is going at end of October, not in August.

End of October will be warm and enjoyable, like a really nice summer day without humidity.

The huge Hindu holiday of Divali is Wed. Oct. 26 and everything will be closed that day (the date changes slightly year to year).

onebag.com hepful site for me

lots of light cotton drip dry layers

hooded Goretex rain jacket always a must

www.weather2travel.com still some rai over there in Oct.

mdtravelhealth.com India for medical prevention of

"Delhi Belly" Happy Planning!

Definitely would NOT pack shorts!

Guidelines for ladies: no shoulders, no knees, and no cleavage should be visible. (That's harder than it sounds, since many tee shirts with longer sleeves have deep necklines.) Loose clothing is both more modest ...and more comfortable if it's warm.

As always, plan to layer - but we rarely had on more than two layers in early-mid November: shirt/tee shirt (I usually wore ones with 3/4 sleeves) toppped with lightweight fleece or knit sweater/jacket to start the day. Looking back at my photos, I wore a lightweight vest a lot too. You may not need that 2nd layer as much in October?

Rain jacket occasionally handy, including Ranthambore where it POURED! Lightweight shawl (that could be tucked in a tote bag/day pack) was handy, especially for covering head in mosques. Also temple socks if you don't like dirty bare feet - I took some hospital footies with tread on soles, but simple low ankle socks worked just fine.

I used packing cubes in my duffle: one for pants, one for shirts, one for "evening" wear (i.e. slightly dressier tops and a reversible skirt). Sometimes that changed to one cube for clean and one for dirty clothes! We found it easy to get clothes laundered in hotels - usually not too expensive.

Kerrylou, did I miss something or did you just not say what part of India you'll be visiting? It makes a huge difference.

However, I have a suggestion. I've spent time in India on several occasions and the more I go the less I take with me. There's a chain of stores called Fabindia that have great clothes at great prices and I head straight there. I'm larger than many Indian women so I shop in the men's department. Cotton kurtas (tunics) and elastic waist pants in beautiful colors and prints and even though I'm definitely on a budget I can afford to buy anything I like there.

When I first began going to India the main store was in Delhi but I'm now finding them in cities all over the country. So I suggest you pack a minimum amount to bring with you and then head for the closest Fabindia store to stock up and they'll be things you can wear comfortably there and at home. I wear mine to work frequently. By the way, I'm 66.

Thank you very much for all your comments. I've preened through it all and have written down all the suggestions. I can't believe I didn't mention where I was going - Rajasthan.
Any particular comments for that area would be helpful too.

Much thanks, Kerry

It will probably be hot and fairly dry in Rajasthan in late October. That's when I sent last year, and we didn't see a drop of rain the whole time, even in Ranthambore (however the year before there were heavy rains).

If you are traveling for 2 weeks, pack for 1 week plus 1 day and absolutely no more. Limit the amount of footwear you take (one pair of walking shoes and one pair of walking sandals).

Budget to do laundry at your hotels. You can get laundry done at most hotels, and you'll be happier if you don't have a lot of luggage to lug around.

I would bring hand sanitizer from home. That wasn't easy to find. Bring extra rechargeable batteries and Flash memory for your camera and other electronic devices (though regular AA and AAA batteries were easy to find, Flash Memory was not).

I found it difficult at times to find a working ATM (lots of ATMs but not all working ... though there's a Citibank ATM at the Delhi airport to the left as you exit Customs, so use it immediately to stock up on cash). For an emergency, I'd carry at least US$300 in cash (ideally $100 bills).

Many of the women on my trip found it more comfortable to wear longer skirts or light-weight cargo pants. I think that's the best option for day-time touring. And be sure to have a lightweight long-sleeve shirt to use as a cover up. The sun is really strong in Rajasthan.

Bring a handkerchief or scarf. It's also very dusty there.

Bring your own mosquito repellant (a small size ... I saw it but only in huge bottles).

Bring a few granola bars or some kind of snack that you like. Given long traveling times and expensive snacks out on the road, you may want something. But salty chips and fruit are easy to find and not that expensive.

We were in Raj. in 2010 at the exact time you will be there, late Oct. It was quite warm, around 95F but dry as its desert. What cities are you planning to see? I agree about drinking bottled H20 however there is a local brand of bottled H2O called Bisleri which we drank all the time and it was fine. No worries. I would recommend eating yogurt daily as it helps to keep you intestinal flora normal. Also and speaking for someone who has been to India six times (my wife is from Raj.) I must say eat at only the better restaurants you can find and avoid meat. We did this as meat in not processed as well as in the US. I like the idea about bringing meds from home in case you get "Delhi belly" . Also the hand sanitizer Doug mentioned is a great idea as well. As far as the best or worst times to visit India it depends on what part of the country you will be in. We once spent the mo. of August in Delhi and yes it was warm and humid but to go to Delhi in May or June is impossible for us unless you can withstand temps of up to 115F! In parts of Raj. temps get ridiculous even in the spring. My niece in Ajmer told me that this April temps hit 47C or around 117F. Yikes. However in the south like Kerala temps are more moderate. My other niece moved to Pune from Ajmer and temps there are in the 80's so the best months depend on location. Delhi is best for tourists in winter, like Dec. or Jan. Its in the 60's in the evening which is pretty cold for them but nice for us. Cheers, Larry

a couple of pairs of comfortable slacks -- no shorts!!

knit blouses

walking shoes

sandals

jacket for cool nights

a hat

scarf for some temples that may require them for women

nightwear

maybe a shawl

Indian people are modest and expect the same from visitors to their country. [When we were in Ranakpur, a woman in a tour group was required to put a peach-colored shift over whatever she was wearing because it was considered inappropriate.]

We drank only bottled water, and brushed our teeth with only bottled water, and took our meds with only bottled water. Don't open your mouth in the shower. And see a reputable travel doc to find out about vaccinations. The time to start is NOW because it takes several weeks/months for antibodies to get to adequate levels.

I'm very big on preventive measures. Much easy than having to be sick in a hotel room somewhere.

depending on what a travel doc recommends it could be less time than that. For our trip all that the CDC recommended was malaria pills which in our case required a dose one week B4 leaving.

It used to be six months for hepatitis -- three shots.

Hepatitis A is two shots, at least 6 months apart -- but you get excellent protection for up to one year from just the first one.

If you also want Hepatitis B, there is a combo shot (A+B) where you would be well protected with 2 out of the three shot series; the first two are typically one month apart. You can do an accelerated series of all three A+B jabs in 21 days, but then you need a booster at the one year point.

Correct. I forgot about the Hep. A+B.

for hep B you need to be tested after the shots--at least 6 weeks---to see that they worked effectively

You might want the Hep B antibody follow-up test if you're planning on risky behavior (some tattoos, body piercings, acupuncture, multiple sexual partners, dental work, auto accidents) -- the average tourist doesn't need to go that far. The test is just one more expense -- worth the money perhaps if you're at high risk and want to be sure you're protected, but not essential for most people.

...but we digress from what OP should pack in her suitcase!

Well its helpful however to mention health concerns when going to India. It might even be life saving. Having been there 6 times and once getting typhoid fever I tell everyone to check with a travel MD or the CDC about current recommended health precautions. Malaria prophylaxis in almost always recommended and one yr. we had to take an encephalitis shot and at times typhoid is recommended as well.

Skibumette is right, the OP has asked about what to pack. I think everyone on the planet who travels already knows about the dangers or soon will. India is a place that no number of vaccinations or amount of care can prevent illness all the time. I do my due diligence but we are still susceptible to food poisoning. Not everywhere every time but often enough that I consider it the price of travel there. If it's not 1 thing it's another. One should know it and then get back to packing.

Actually that is not true unless you know how everyone on the planet thinks. There is nothing required to enter India though there is much recommended. I don't think its either right or wrong to mention other issues with traveling to India. Be more more open minded. Have a nice day.

My purpose in taking the time to post on travel websites is to promote a more open minded approach. If I need to be chided on my views I invite more pertinent approach.

If you want to fish try a river.

kerrylou: here's what I packed for a THREE week trip to northern India last year in November; this all fit in a 25" duffle with space left over. You could easily reduce this by 1/3 -- I would aim for Doug's idea of ONE week plus one day's worth of clothes...then add in another pair of slacks and a couple of tops if you want more variety.

4 pr. slacks (wore one/packed 3)
1 reversible cotton jacket (early mornings/evenings)
lightweight fleece (airplane and early mornings)
reversible (solid/pattern) vest
lightweight rainproof anorak
reversible skirt (evenings)
shawl (lightweight pashmina would be ideal)
8 tee shirts (about 1/3 coordinated with slacks/skirt for pm)
4 blouses
several scarves to mix/match
hat (collapsible)
Buff (headband but can cover face if lots of dust)
shoes: wore one pair; packed different color + ballet flats (pm or slippers)
underwear (some quick dry)
nightgown

I pack separate quart-size zip lock sacks for:
sunscreen/insect repellant,
laundry (soap, Tide to Go, Shout wipes)
OTC/prescription meds
small First Aid Kit (bandaids, blister pads, Neosporin, small Ace wrap for twisted ankles)
makeup
hair products
contact lens stuff

While other do, I can't convince myself to do ONLY carry-on for longer trips -- so I put at least one change of clothes in my carry-on, just in case my duffle arrives that day after me!

Excellent list skibumette. Thank you

Please do keep in mind that you'd be a hard case indeed if you didn't shop in India. If you bring less than you think you might need it gives you the perfect excuse if you need an excuse. As I mentioned above I find the men's kurtas fit me better and I'll add that I wear the men's styles at home much more often than I do the women's. At home the men's look less "costumey" so feel less pretentious for me to wear routinely.

If you don't want to carry purchases home or if you do buy things to wear and find your suitcase too full you'll have the opportunity to have one of the great Indian experiences - the Post Office. I always mail things home to lighten up on long trips and look forward to my P.O. jaunts. They pack your things for you and the price of mailing by surface mail is very reasonable. AND everything I've ever sent has arrived home. Sometimes one wishes one could have gone along as it must have been very exciting to arrive in that condition, but always intact and nothing broken. I thoroughly recommend the Indian P.O. experience.

Kerry if you would like a smaller list this is roughly what I took for 3 weeks in Jan/Feb
3 pr. slacks (wore one/packed 2)
lightweight fleece (airplane and early mornings)
lightweight rainproof jacket
5 T shirts/ shirts (all quick dry)
1 longsleeved lightweight shirt for days when the sun is too much
hat (collapsible)
shoes: wore one pair; packed sandles
underwear (some quick dry)
something to sleep in
wash bag with toothpaste, shampoo etc
laundry (Tide in a zip lock & a travel clothesline)
OTC/prescription meds
Sunscreen & bug spray
First Aid Kit (bandaids, blister pads, Neosporin, small Ace wrap for twisted ankles rehydration powders)

Hope that is helpful

Speaking of hats have you ever heard of Tilley hats? Look them up on line. They are guaranteed for life and pracically indestructible and designed to protect from the sun and ventilate. They are far better for sun and heat protection that the standard baseball cap. In my profile pics I have mine on. I've had it for 2.5 yrs. now and had it dry cleaned recently and its like new. Have fun. Larry

We were in Rajasthan a couple of years ago in early November and most of the time it was very hot and sultry. However we did have one cold, damp day which caused considerable discomfort to locals (see pic here: http://wasleys.org.uk/Asia_websites/asia_09_mw/29ToNarlai/image-html/02IMGP2651.html ).

We take Paramo long sleeve shirts which have good UV resistance and Tilley underwear. These are light and very quick drying (especially if towelled) so we wash each night at the hotel.

LOVE my Tilley hat: it collapses flat in my suitcase, washes in the machine (air dry and if neeeded, stretch it over your knee) AND I successfully used their replacement insurance. They replaced the same item for half price.

Wasleys: Very true in that when you are used to temps in the high 40's C 10C seems like the arctic.

@jacketwatch, Very true. We were in Ladakh recently and on the passes at 18,000 ft we (from UK) were prancing around in shirtsleeves and getting strange looks from Indian tourists from the plains - where it was in the 40s - who were muffled up to the eyeballs.

We once spent the mo. of August in Delhi so I took advantage and played golf at the Delhi Golf Club. I walked and drank h2O constantly, wore shorts and was soaked. My B-I-L,s son wanted to come with me to check out golf so he walked as well. In long sleeves and long pants and barely broke a sweat. . BTW that was a very nice pic, like the kind you see in travel mags.

Correction. it was my BIL's neighbors son.

@jacket watch, you make some very good points...

Thank you. I think most here made some good points too. I'm glad I'm not the only one who ever heard of Tilley hats. Cheers, Larry

Pack as little a possible. Maybe two tops and two pairs of pants max. I dressed "Indian" during my time in Rajasthan and couldn't have been happier or more comfortable. I second the Fabindia advice - they sell beautiful clothes. You can also purchase very inexpensive cotton kurtas etc in stalls lining the streets wherever you go.

Thank you. I love the suggestion about shopping at Fabindia. Seems like a smart idea.

Kerrylou