Attractions
India is an experience!
A country that effects all of your senses and gives you memories for life. that is a country with a big variation in nature. Everything from deserts, lush jungle, beaches that go on for miles to the world’s highest mountain chain, Himalaya. But what most people are left with after a trip to India are the people, the smiles and the hospitality.
You can get more information about Indian here:
Here is some useful information that’s important that you read before departure.
Distance and transport
India is a big country with big distances. The signs along the roads and the train- and bus information is rarely in English and many symbols can not be understood by foreigners. When travelling with Indian Adventures there will be a Norwegian tour guide that knows the country and the culture. All transport will be taken care of our tour guides.
The traffic in India differs strongly from our Scandinavian traffic culture and on our motorbike tours you will learn how to drive in India. The country has left-sided driving and the horn is used frequently. The varying road standards makes the average speed significantly lower than what we are used to from our Scandinavian countries. Our Royal Enfielders are the perfect vehicles to experience exciting driving in one of the world’s most exotic countries. As always when travelling in exotic countries, it can be necessary to make changes in the program on the spot due to unexpected circumstances.
Registration and terms for cancellation
The deposit is 6000 NOK. This deposit has to be paid at least 14 days after registration. We will send you an email regarding this. The remaining balance has to be paid at least 60 days prior the trip. When booking a trip that departures in less than 60 days, the total amount has to be paid at once.
Cancellation protection
We recommend that our travellers have some sort of cancellation protection. Indian Adventures offers no cancellation profection but you can easily get an insurance that covers cancellations from your insurance company.
The banks often have travel insurance and cancellation insurance that are linked to their payment services. If you haven’t got an insurance like this our ordinary cancellation terms applies. See Travel Insurance.
Compulsory full cover insurance on 1000 NOK is not included. This amount is paid together with the remaining balance 60 days prior departure. This insurance covers all the damages on the motorbike, such as big or small. No excess.
Travel insurance
You have to make sure that you have a good travel insurance that covers damages, home transport and luggage!
Force Majeure
We will do our best to book our trips as planned or with necessary changes if something unexpected would occur. If external circumstances (“force majeure”) makes it impossible to implement the travel plan, no reduction in price is normally made.
Motorbike tours
Read classification for motorbike tours to find out which one will suit you best.
Number of participants
Normally a minimum of seven and a maximum of 15 participants per group in addition to Norwegian tour guides.
Expectations of participants
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- That you have some sort of experience as a motorcyclist.
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- That you are prepared for an adventure trip and not a charter holiday.
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- That you work in a group and can show respect to others.
Equipment
Kindly bring your own helmet, driving equipment and rainwear. The packing list will be sent in forehand to the information meeting that normally takes place two months prior departure.
Great stuff to bring: A small flashlight, Leatherman tool, sunglasses and a water bottle. We recommend a waterproof bag or a small backpack that can be attached to the motorbike where you can store your camera, drinks etc. This can also be great to bring on our hiking tours up in the mountains.
Personal medications for diarrhea that can be caused by unknown food are great to bring. You should also bring sunscreen and mosquito repellant.
Driving in India: we drive on asphalt roads for the majority of the trip, but you have to be prepared that some roads are going to be unpaved. Driving on Indian roads is exciting. You always have to be on the lookout for some gravel when turning, be on the lookout for potholes and animals, even when we’re driving on nice paved roads. After some training you will get used to driving on the left side. One thing that’s different from our kind of traffic to Indian traffic is flexibility. Even though it might seem chaotic there is a system that works. You will notice that you have to pay a lot more attentions at pedestrians, bikes, animals on the road and the cramped accessibility.
You will receive tips and tricks on how to drive in India at the meeting we’ll have before the trip where we will go through some information.
Drivers license: All drivers must have a valid motorcycle license from your home country. You will also need an international drivers license. You can get it by contacting the closest NAF office, or online: http://www.naf.no/Bilferie/Forbered-bilferien/Internasjonalt-forerkort/
Luggage: the maximum weight is usually 20kg on checked in luggage. Normally you also get 8kg as hand luggage.
Your luggage will be transported in a support vehicle. Don’t pack too much – remember: less is more. Sometimes we have to carry our own luggage short distances from the car to the hotel.
Guided trip: Motorcycle tours with Indian Adventures are guided. This means that we drive together in a group. Trips on your own is not possible. Only exception is short trips on days where you will be informed about it. Believe us when we say it’s for your own safety. It’s not a good experience getting lost in a country where you don’t speak the language and where road signs are incomprehensible.
Health and vaccines
Check with your health center/doctor about your health regarding the trip.
You should consider these vaccines:
Hepatit A and B and Tyfoid vaccine.
Dukoral dinking vaccine is recommended to avoid diarrhea.
Generally there is a good standard on the Indian health products, especially in the bigger cities with great hospitals and highly educated doctors.
Climate
The best time of going on a trip in the Himalayas is between April and November.
Food and hygiene:
We try to stick to restaurants that we know have good hygiene, but one rule that is great is follow is: fry it, boil it, clean it or let it be. On our trips from Shimla to Leh we have our own chef with kitchen.
You can not drink the water from the tap. Buy water in a bottle with a sealed cap. In most places we find small kiosks where you can by mineral water, fruit and snacks.
Single rooms: Most of the places we stay at have a great standard, but some of them don’t have the possibility of single rooms. A request of a single room can not be guaranteed in all cities. We will do our best to find a solution for anyone who wish a single room.
Passport and visa: We will talk about visa applications at the information meeting we’ll have before the trip.
Your passport has to be valid at least 3 months after getting home from the trip.
The terms and conditions may vary depending on your nationality. Contact the embassy for more information.
You will submit your visa applications from the embassy’s webside www.indemb.no or at www.blsindia-norway.com.
Se current information on the website.
Embassy of India
Niels Juels g 30, 0244 Oslo
Phone: 24 11 59 10/24 11 59 22 – Telefax 24 11 59 29 (Visa department)
For questions, please contact BLS India (cooperates with the Indian embassy regarding visa applications):
BLS International Services Norway
Bygdøy Alle 10
0262 Oslo
Phone : + 4722 55 55 44 Telefax: +47 22 55 55 34
email : info@blsindia-norway.com
website : www.blsindia-norway.com
N.B. Remember to write the exact same name that’s issued in your passport when you register for this trip. If it doesn’t match you can get in trouble when checking in and getting in to the country.
Double check that you have copies with you of all important travel documents such as passport, drivers license, travel insurance and tickets if something unexpected would occur.
You have the responsibility to check that your travel documents match your booking.
Religion & language
There is religious diversity in India. About 80% of the population are Hindus. There are about 14% Muslims. There are also Buddhists, Sikhers and Christians in India. There are lots of different ethnic groups, especially in east India. The main language is Hindi. India used to be an English colony before it got its independence in 1947, hence why many people speak English. There are additional 24 languages that is spoken by more than a million people, such as Urdu, Punjabi and Tamil.
Voltage
The voltage in India is the same as in Norway, 220W.
Time difference
The time difference to Norway vary. When it’s winter here, India is 4.5 hours ahead of us. When it’s summer, India is 3.5 hours ahead of us (example: when the time is 12:00 in Norway (summer), it is 15:30 in India. When it is 12:00 in Norway (winter) it is 16:30 in India).
Currency and price level
Currency exchange is 1 USD = 67 INR (June 2018). Check the exchange rate with your bank before departure since it can vary a bit.
There is a large number of banks and mini banks in Delhi and you can exchange your currency at all international airports. We recommend bringing your Visa or MasterCard and make a withdrawal in Delhi. Cash works best in the Himalaya, even if some hotels and restaurants take card.
India is a cheap country where you can make lots of bargains. When shopping in India it is important that you remember to haggle since it is a part of the culture. When you get your first price you should definitely get it down to at least half of it, but there are also some companies who only have fixed prices.
Your safety
Indian Adventures DA is a member of the Travel Guarantee Fund: www.rgf.no
The purpose of the travel guarantee scheme is to ensure the customer who has purchased a travel package against any loss in case of bankruptcy, chord or insolvency with the organizer. The customer is legally covered when purchasing packages if the organizer has issued warranty in Norway. The fund will therefore refund the bond that the customer paid before the trip was cancelled. If trip gets cancelled in the middle of the trip, a compensation will be sent to the customer for the rest of the unfulfilled trip. In addition, cost of stay and home travel is part of the package trip. The travel package is governed by the Travel Packages Act with regulations.
Literature
Lonely Planet India
India. bv Torbjørn Færøyvik