Culture Shock - Traveling to India for the First Time

Ladakh, India by mckaysavage, on Flickr Creative Commons

Take a look at the two photos - the top one is Ladakh in North India and the below one is Kerala in South India. India is a huge place and it isn't just the landscapes that are so diverse - the people, cultures and languages are too. So depending on where you go and travel to throughout India, your experience of the culture change could be very different from place to place. I started off in Delhi and travelled in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh before heading to Ladakh. Each area was very different.

My point is, if you travel through India you will experience different levels of culture shock and you will love some places and hate others and that is ok! You do not have to love everywhere you visit!

Munnar, Kerala. Credit: tornado_twister, on Flickr Creative Commons

In the crowd by Poi Photography, on Flickr Creative Commons

With a population of approximately 1.1 billion in India, you are never far from humanity. If you like your personal space, forget it because you will not be getting any here! You will have to get used to being shoved, pinched and in close proximity to people all day, with people shouting in your face to get in their rickshaw, buy their wares or give them money.

Indian people are extremely friendly and hospitable though and the only time I felt overwhelmed was when people were trying to sell me stuff or beg which can feel extremely harassing and aggressive. Be prepared to be strong and stand your ground!

Indian people are very polite and will ask you lots of questions about your life, you may even be required to have your photo taken with complete strangers! Indian people also are extremely clean and well dressed, and I was told that they don't understand why rich western people come to India and dress like tramps - and nor do I actually, there is no need to look a mess. Seriously, if you keep yourself well maintained when you are travelling and make an effort to be neat and clean you will find you are respected a lot more in your interactions with Indian people.

naptime, anywhere by mackenzienicole, on Flickr Creative Commons

Feed Me - Agra by Rolling Okie, on Flickr Creative Commons

These photos aren't just small areas of India that you may occasionally see. Trash is everywhere in India, and this really upset me. It is (or would be) a beautiful country and all this stinking garbage is just horrendous. You will see people collecting trash to sell - like water bottles. You will see cows eating the trash, which gets caught up in their gut and kills them. The state of the Ganges is disgusting, polluted and dirty - and it is meant to be spiritual.

India is a very dirty place and the depth of the filth is something you just cannot comprehend until you have seen it. I recommend reading this excellent article Dirty India from Matador Travel

"India - " street atmosphere " : Agra (Uttar Pradesh) by Vincent Desjardins, on Flickr Creative Commons"

This ties in with the volume of people in India - there are lots of people so there's lots of traffic. And it is (to our western eyes) chaotic, dangerous and disorganised. In Delhi I saw a beggar get run over by a rickshaw, right next to me, the wheels went over his head. He was bleeding badly and the driver who ran him over just got out of the car and dumped the begger on the side of the road.

I noticed that every vehicle on the road will play chicken with the other and what should be a two lane road becomes six lanes! Cows really do wander about in the traffic and taxis do not have seat belts or wing mirrors! Drivers hoot and use hand gestures to communicate to each other, we don't understand but they do and you just have to trust that you will arrive at your destination safely. Road accidents are very frequent in India, check out this article from the Indian Express

Traffic by Alex Graves, on Flickr Creative Commons

I traveled mostly by train for long distances, and even the train stations were cause for much frustration and confusion for me! Often platforms are not numbered (but people still know where to go, apart from me!), buying a ticket involves a long wait in a disorderly pushing and shoving queue and long delays are frequent. It is well worth reading about how to buy a train ticket, the scams you may be up against in train stations and the many different classes of carriage in the trains, the Lonely Planet and Rough Guide books have great sections on transport. I found that it is best to research things like this as much as possible beforehand, it helps to know what you are up against!

India bus travel by Shayan (USA) on Flickr Creative Commons

You will read about scams in any good guide book and it is well worth making yourself aware of the various ways people may try to dupe you of your money! Check out this forum on indiamike.com with advice from other travellers about popular scams and annoyances.

Familiarise yourself with the typical scams you may face, but don't let the possibility of them happening to you ruin your trip. Remain relaxed but aware, keep your wits about you and stand firm against anyone persistent.

Beggars are everywhere in India and some are very badly disabled and others are very little children. I was told that I would stop noticing the beggars and extreme poverty after a while, but I never did. See this link for rules for dealing with beggars in India

Children on the street in Delhi by dominikgolenia, on Flickr Creative Commons

Getting diarrhoea in India is pretty much an inevitability. Even if you buy mineral water or use water purification tablets, just a bit of water in your mouth when you take a shower or using the tap water to brush your teeth can cause you to have a tummy upset. There are also flies everywhere, and if you manage to keep them off your food when you are eating, who is to know that flies didn't land on your meal when it was being prepared.

I had a stomach upset for 6 weeks in India, it was unlike anything I had experienced before! You kind of get used to it, luckily I had no fever so I continued doing what I wanted for the most part. I just had to make sure there was a toilet within running distance! I only took medicine to help bung me up when I was traveling around, other wise I think it is best to, erm, let it all out!

Make sure you stay hydrated and if it gets all too much get out to the cool mountains in the North or the beautiful beaches of Goa and relax!

Jalebis in delhi by gingog, on Flickr Creative Commons