My first trip to India. Planning , What to Wear, and Getting There.

I was very excited to have the opportunity to travel to India, but there was much to do before the visit.

Preparing for your visit to India

•Travelers PASSPORT MUST be VALID for 6 months beyond your stay in India.
• Visit your travel clinic for vaccine and medication requirements and suggestions.
• Arrange your accommodations  before the Visa application. Visa application requests this information.
• Apply for a Visa early enough to ensure approval before your trip.(Unfortunately I cut it little too close and was getting nervous ) . I used Travisa to make the process easier and faster.
• Purchase an airline ticket
• Make sure you have an adequate supply of prescription medications as well as over the counter medications. Pack them in your carry-on bag in case your luggage is lost.

What should I wear?  I wanted my clothing to be respectful of the culture.

• Advice from my Indian friend, Neelam, along with posts I found online were most valuable in planning my wardrobe. Bloggers who gave me good advice for what to wear in India.
http://mismatchedpassports.com/2016/08/19/what-to-wear-in-india-fashion-tips-for-female-tourists/
http://www.journeywoman.com/girltalk/india/ShePacksforIndia.htm
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/163044448986264962/ Bloglovin’

Thank You

In Summary the best Clothing choices:
• No shorts, short dresses, and show no cleavage. Basically nothing revealing or sexy.
• I went with: Capri pants with long shirts. The traditional Indian Kurtis, borrowed from Neelam, with leggings or jeans. Kurtis are a long cotton shirt with side slits, very comfortable and pretty. I bought a couple more while in India. Most of the women I saw in Hyderabad wore Saris, even on motor bikes, or Kurtis. I was glad Neelam encouraged me to borrow a couple of hers, otherwise I would have felt out of place.
• Scarfs and shawls are very practical for covering up and adding color to your wardrobe.
• Comfortable shoes, sneakers and sandals are a must. I would not recommend high heels as the sidewalks are broken in many spots.

Getting to Hyderabad India from Boston requires a lot of fly time.

We flew tourist class on Qatar Airways.
The first flight from Boston to Doha was about 12 hours. The plane was very comfortable and equipped with a TV monitor for movies and games at every seat. Headphones, pillows and blankets were also provided at no extra cost. They served 3 meals along with drinks and snacks. No need for the snacks I had packed. The second flight from Doha to Hyderabad was 4 hours long in a smaller plane but still comfortable. The amenities were similar Great flying experience.

We arrived in Hyderabad at 2:30 AM. I’m glad we arranged for a car to take us to the hotel, Vivanta by Taj, https://vivanta.tajhotels.com/en-in/begumpet-hyderabad/ . Luckily we had arranged and paid for that day’s stay and did not have to wait for an afternoon check in. We immediately went to sleep.
A great hotel and services throughout our stay.