Practical
Information for the India Trip
This is from 2015. It will be updated for 2018 over the spring
semester or early summer of 2018 as information becomes available to us
regarding flights and other details.
Passport/Visa
1. Carry
your current valid passport with valid Indian visa with you to the airport on
the day of departure!
Flight
Schedule
2. Here
are all the flight segments:
|
Flight Segment |
Date |
Departure |
Arrival |
Flight |
|
a.
Atlanta – Amsterdam |
Dec
11 |
8:26
PM |
10:15
AM (12th) |
KL
6012 |
|
b.
Amsterdam – New Delhi |
Dec
12 |
12:45
PM |
1:00
AM (13th) |
KL
871 |
|
c.
New Delhi – Hyderabad |
Dec
13 |
7:05
AM |
9:15
AM |
9W7053
(Jet
Airways) |
|
d.
Hyderabad – New Delhi |
Dec
18 |
2:30
PM |
4:40
PM |
6E
442 (Indigo
Air) |
|
e.
New Delhi – Paris |
Dec
24 |
1:25
AM |
6:10
AM |
AF
225 |
|
f.
Paris – Atlanta |
Dec
24 |
8:00
AM |
12:15
PM |
AF
3620 |
Luggage
1. Delta
permits one carry-on bag plus personal item like laptop or purse or camera in the
cabin. One checked bag up to 50 lbs is free on the international flight. The
measurement restrictions are a total of 62 inches (length + width + height) for
the checked bag. Please make sure you stick to these limits to avoid extra fees
and delays.
2. Keep
a small backpack with you so that during sightseeing trips you can carry water
and any other small items with you.
Note : Keep all ID, money, cards,
keys, glasses (lenses), medication,
camera and valuables in your
carry-on!
Hotels/Accommodation
1. We
will stay on campus at the housing tower at ISB Hyderabad. A few
students may be housed at a Holiday Inn near campus if enough
rooms are not available on campus. These rooms will be single occupancy.
2. In
Agra, we will stay at the ITC Mughal hotel. These rooms will
be double occupancy.
3. In
Delhi, we will stay at The Lalit
Hotel. These rooms will be double occupancy.
4. In
Chandigarh (Mohali) we will stay at the ISB Mohali campus housing. These
rooms will be single occupancy.
Local
Transportation
All local transportation for activities that are
part of the study abroad program will be arranged for you. For exploring a city
on your own time, taxis, Uber, auto-rickshaws, metro trains etc. are available.
Telecommunication/Internet
Access
On campus at ISB, you should have access to Wifi. Making all your phone calls via Wifi
will help you avoid extra charges on your phone plans. This can be done via
Skype, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, etc.
You can also sign up for an international plan on
your phone for 30 days. Most carries have such plans. AT&T has one called
Passport, for instance, that gives you access for 30 days to voice, text, and
data. You will not be able to switch the SIM card on your phone in India. For
security, the Indian government requires an application that takes 24-48 hours
to process before you are permitted to purchase a SIM card there. Given our
short stay, that is not worthwhile.
Note:
Make sure Data Roaming is turned off
during your flight! You can turn it on in India if you have signed up for a
plan to receive data. Otherwise you will see big charges on your phone bill!
Clothing
1. Temperatures
in the cities we visit will be roughly as follows in December:
a. Hyderabad
– Max. 80-85 degrees, Min. 55- 60 degrees.
b. Delhi
and Agra – Max. 70-75 degrees, Min 45-55 degrees.
c. Chandigarh/Mohali
– Max. 70 degress, Min 40-45 degrees.
So Hyderabad will be very pleasant with at most a
sweater or light jacket in the evenings or early morning. Delhi/Agra and
Chandigarh are cooler, but all the sightseeing will be in the daytime. At night
the hotel/dorm room should have milder temperatures indoors, as well as
blankets as needed, so heavy clothing is not needed.
For company visits or any dinners arranged, please bring one or two pairs of
semi-formal clothing (collared shirts, khaki or dress pants for men and
something equivalent for women). For most lecture sessions and for sightseeing,
informal clothing is fine. Make sure you have shoes that are comfortable for
walking reasonable distances.
Laundry
ISB Hyderabad will have laundry services provided at
minimal cost. So plan for about 4-5 days of clothing, which can then be washed
on Tuesday or Wednesday (Dec. 15 or 16) and reused.
Time
difference
Indian Standard Time (IST) will be 10:30 hours ahead
of EST in December, when the US is back on Standard time. For example, 9:00 PM
in the US on Dec. 15th will be 7:30 AM in India on Dec. 16th.
You can set your Smartphone clocks to show you both times.
Meals/Water
Most of the meals are included as part of the trip.
Only on a couple of days will you be responsible for your own dinners (Delhi
and Agra).
Ice is usually limited in availability to add to
drinks. Also, avoid it, because the water it is made from may not be safe.
Stick to bottled water or soft drinks at all times. Most digestive problems
originate from water that is not clean enough.
Money
There are ATMs on the ISB campuses, though there may
be a nominal charge to use them. Bring a couple of hundred dollars in cash, and
if possible, a credit card for any purchases you wish to make.
1 USD = 64 INR (Indian Rupees), roughly. The rates
change frequently.
You can convert dollars to rupees at the
airport. Most stores, restaurants will
take credit cards.
Electricity
Indian power supply in electrical outlets is 220/230
volts, as opposed the the 120 V in the US. Most
modern phone chargers can handle that automatically, but please check your
phone/laptop charger/Hair Dryers. You will need an adapter to plug it in, since
the sockets are different in India (see photos below). If your charger cannot
take 230 volts, then you will need an adaptor that converts it to 120 V. Best
Buy or Frys Electronics will sell adapters. Worst
case, you can get one at the airport, but it will be more expensive.
|
|
|
Suggested
things to carry with you
·
Mosquito
repellent (30-40% DEET)
·
Hand
sanitizer
·
Pepto Bismol (Heart Burn, Acidity)
·
Immodium (Diarrhea/Dysentry)
·
Ciproflaxin (get prescription
filled in the US if needed) for diarrhea
·
Malaria
prevention med (prescription)
·
Tylenol
·
Other
OTC meds commonly used (cold, cough etc)
·
Cereal/Energy
Bars/other Favorite snacks if you wish
·
Copy
of main pages of passport (leave one set at home in the US)
Other suggestions
Keep a change of clothes with you in the
carry-on bag on the flights to India.
Keep a toothbrush and toothpaste in the
carry-on.
Pack a light jacket and sweatshirt with
you in the carry-on bag.