Travel Tips
Clothing
Formal clothing is always the best option for business meetings, although casual attire is accepted. The formal dress for men includes long-sleeved shirt, tie and a jacket, and women wear long skirts, sari or salwar kameez.
The traditional Indian dress for men consists of a turban or pagari as head gear, an angarakha for the upper part of the body and a dhoti or pyjama for the lower part of the body. The colour and the style in the way the turban is worn reflect upon a person's cast and region. The Udaipur pagari is flat, Jaipur pagari angular and the bands in Jodhpuri safa are slightly curved.
Colourful skirts called ghaghara, blouses called kurti - kanchali and head gear called odhani, make up the traditional dress of Rajasthan women. The skirts are narrow at the waist and wider at the ankles.
Climate
The summer season in Jaipur (from April to July) is extremely hot and the temperature sometimes reaches up to 45ēC. Daytime during the winter season is sunny and pleasant, the nights are cold and temperature drops to around 5ēC, and the evenings are foggy. Dust and thunderstorms are followed by the monsoon season (from July to August) and most of the rainfall is experienced during these months. Another hot spell is experienced during the post-monsoon season.
Business Hours
Public and private offices are open between 9:30 am and 5:30 pm from Monday to Friday, while some are open on Saturdays, but closed on Sundays
Shops open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm from Monday to Saturday
Post offices operate between 10:00 am and 5:00am on weekdays and between 10:00 am and 12:00 noon on Saturday
Banks provide services from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on weekdays and from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon on Saturdays.
The Central Bank in Ashok Hotel and the State Bank of India at the airport are open 24 hours.
Restaurants are generally open until 11:00 pm and nightclubs and discos close much later.
Holidays
January 26: Republic Day
August 15: Independence Day
October 2: Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday
December 25: Christmas Day
Other public holidays such as Idu'z Zuha / Bakrid (Feast of the Sacrifice), Muharram - Islamic New Year, Sri Rama Navami (Birthday of Sri Rama), Eid al-Fitr - End of Ramadan, Holi and Diwali are also featured in the calendar but their dates change yearly.
Electricity
The electric current is 220 volts and 50Hz. Sockets used are round, two-pin variety. Power fluctuations are frequent in India; therefore safety measures must be taken to protect electrical appliances.
Health Risks
Travellers are advised to buy bottled drinking water from reputed stored and not to consume water directly from the taps. Consumption of contaminated food and water may lead to gastroenteritis, typhoid, cholera or jaundice.
The yellow fever immunisation certificate is mandatory for those who have travelled across Africa or Papua New Guinea, within six days of arriving in India and the certificate is valid for ten days after inoculation. Those without the yellow fever certificate are liable to be quarantined for up to six days. Vaccinations against small pox and cholera are not required.
Currency
The local currency is the Indian rupee, which is further divided in to 100 paise. Paper notes come in denominations of 10, 50, 100 and 500 and coins come in denominations of 1, 2 and 5. Older notes of 1, 2, 5 and 20 rupees are also used, though not often. Coins are also available in 50, 10, 20, 5, 2 and 1 paise. Counterfeit bills are common in India. If you are given a soiled bill, request for a newer one as others may not accept it. Carry small bills to avoid the hassle of changing money.
Credit Cards
Major credit cards such as American Express, Diners Club, Mercard, MasterCard and Visa are accepted by large organisations, but tourists are advised to carry Indian currency when travelling. Credit cards can also be used to get cash advances in rupees.
Tipping
A 10% tip is the standard for sophisticated restaurants, where the bill does not include a service charge. Small change is accepted at small-scale eateries. Round off taxi fares or add a few more rupees for exceptional service. For porters, tip one rupee per bag.
