How to plan your trip to India

What comes to most people's mind when they think about India is the Taj mahal, or Mahatma Gandhi, or elephants. For me, the Dancing Bears of India come to mind. I think of those poor sloth bears who live horrible lives of torture and abuse just to entertain tourists and earn a little money for the bear trainers.

They are why I am going to India: to work with Wildlife S.O.S. the charity that saves and rehabilitates these bears. When I was thinking about creating a lens about Saving the Dancing Bears of India, I contacted Karen de la Carriere because I knew that she supported an organization saving and rehabilitating these bears. A very exciting thing occurred when we started talking ...

Karen de la Carriere of Thomas Kinkade fame, inspired and turned over the making of the Dancing Bears lens to me, even though it was dear to her heart because of my connection with Bears.

We're going to India! That's right, this summer, Karen and I are going to visit with Geeta and Kartick and the rescued Dancing Bears ~~ we are on a mission to get the last Dancing Bears off the streets ~~ and we will be back with so much more info. We can bear-ly contain our excitement!

Our trip has been postponed but we still hope to go some time and visit Geeta and Kartick and see the bears!

You need a passport to be able to travel out of the country. In the United States, you now need one to travel to Canada and Mexico as well.

I knew that I needed a passport so I did an Internet search and downloaded the application form and requirements. Applying for a passport is quick and easy.

Department of State's website is fairly straight forward. They have a Passport Acceptance Facility Search Page where you put in your zip code and it will search for the facilities nearest you.

I found that the post office in the small town about 13 miles away would take my picture (you need 2 passport photos) and send my completed application to the Department of State.

Currently (July 2008), it takes about 2 weeks to get the passport back. You can expedite it and get it even sooner.

Items needed to apply for Passport:
1. Passport application, which you can download from the Download passport application. I downloaded the forms and filled them in with black ink.
2. 2 photos (the Post Office charges $15 for 2 photos)
3. Official birth certificate: must be official, meaning they have the seal and include the filing date.
4. Photocopy of driver's license

The complete package that is mailed to the Department of State. I took my completed application and birth certificate and driver's license photo and had the post office that took my picture, expedite my passport package right after taking the pictures.

I've never had a passport as an adult so my passport book was $100. For the latest fees, click Passport fees

NOTES:
1. When you get you pictures taken, have them take 2 extras as you will need them for your VISA.

MY COST:
2 passport photos - $15.00
Express mail (there) - $16.50
Express mail (back) - $16.50
TOTAL - $48.00

You need an official copy of your birth certificate. Although I thought I had one -- it even had a raised seal on it -- the U.S. Dept. of State refused it so I had to get another one.

The link to find out, by state, where to get an official state copy of your birth certificate can be found at Birth Certificate by State. There, you click on the state you were born in and you'll get the contact name, address and phone number.

MY COST:
OK State dept of Health - $10 new birth certificate
Money order for OK State dept of Health - $1.05
Express mail (there) - $16.50
Express mail (back) - $16.50
TOTAL COST: $44.05

Many countries, including the United States and India, require that foreign visitors get a VISA to enter the country.

A visa doesn't permit entry to the country, it simply indicates that your application has been reviewed by a representative at the embassy or consulate, and that the officer they have determined that you are eligible to enter the country for a specific purpose. Usual reasons are tourist, business, education, or conference.

The immigration officer at the embassy or consulate also decides how long you can stay for any particular visit.

For India, I needed a passport and a VISA.

I live 5 hours from the nearest Indian Embassy, so instead of going there, I applied through a service that expedites VISAs and passports called, Travel Documents Systems, Inc. (TDS) with locations in Washington, DC, New York and San Francisco.

Items needed for the VISA:

1. Cover sheet (provided on TDS' website includes payment information and authorization)
2. Passport (you must send in the original)
3. 2 passport-type photos ($15 for 2 at a post office)
4. VISA application form (filled out online on TDS' website)
5. Travel Agency or Airline Itinerary (E-Tickets are usually accepted)

I also included my own cover sheet that simply stated. "We have not made airline reservations yet. August 25 is out estimated trip date to leave the U.S." since I estimated our time and could NOT send in the itinerary.

NOTES:
A. They don't tell you until you are through, but all of your answers should be in CAPITAL letters!

B. Also, if a question does not apply to you, enter, "NOT APPLICABLE".

MY COST:
2 passport photos - $15.00
TDS handling - $45
India Consular Fee / 5 year VISA - $163
Fedex overnight - $23
TOTAL = $246

It is recommended for trips out-of-country that you see your doctor 4 to 6 weeks before you leave for a check-up. Also to see if you would have any problems being vaccinated with live vaccines.

My doctor send me to the Department of Health Services, Public Health Clinic, for vaccine information. They charge $55 for a travel visit where they go over your trip, past vaccines, brief medical history and determine the vaccines you need.

I was very impressed with the county of Sonoma's clinic. I found out that to go to India, I had to have several vaccines, which I got after my travel consult. They were: Hepatitis A/Hepepatitis B Combination vaccine; Mengingococcal Polysaccharide vaccine; Polio vaccine; Typhoid vaccine; Malaria medication

NOTES
1. You vaccinations will vary by your health, your past vaccinations and where exactly you will be traveling in India. Also, if you are traveling to other countries.

For instance, I did not have to get a Yellow Fever vaccine for India. However, if I had traveled into India from a country that required a Yellow Fever vaccine (one where yellow fever is present), then I would have had to have one.

2. I got a prescription for Malaria medication that I have to take 1-2 days before my trip, every day on my trip and every day for 7 days after I'm back.

3. My medical insurance did not cover these expenses, so check with them first to see what they cover so you can plan for your expenses.

MY COST
Travel Consultation - $55
Hep A-Hep B Combination - $48 *
Mengingococcal Polysaccharide - $102
Polio vaccine - $32
Typhoid vaccine - $50
Hep A - Hep B booster #1 - $79 **
Hep A - Hep B booster #2 - $79 **
TOTAL: $445

* When they combine Hep A & Hep B, 2 additional boosters are needed - one in 1 month and another in 6 months.

** They charge $48 for the booster and additional $31 for the visit.

This little guy has since been RESCUED!



All royalties raised on this lens are donated to Wildlife S.O.S. for their "India Bear Rescue" Project to rescue Dancing Bears in India.

To learn about little cubs like this one and other Dancing Bears, click Saving The Dancing Bears Of India

For the inspiring true story of the Dancing Bear Rescue in India (told with photos and videos) and meet the Co-founder and Director of Wildlife S.O.S. aka BEAR MAN, click HERE.

Here's a picture of a sari worn by Squidoo Lensmaster The_Homeopath. Beautiful, huh?

You too can make a page like this one and have all or a percentage of the Squidoo Royalties go directly to Wildlife S.O.S. to help save the bears.

The lens can be on anything you want. About your cat, your car, whatever you care about. Believe me, you are an expert in something. If you don't think so, put together a lens about something you are learning -- walk us through the steps -- the where, why, when and how of it.

To make a lens now, click

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