India Adventures

India offers immense geographic diversity from Himalayan trekking landscapes to tropical coasts and historic cultural regions, with the best areas to explore including Ladakh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Kerala.

Ladakh & the Trans-Himalaya: Ladakh’s high-altitude desert landscapes and ancient monasteries offer spectacular trekking and cultural exploration along historic Himalayan trade routes.

Sikkim & Eastern Himalaya: Sikkim’s forested mountains and Buddhist monasteries provide rewarding trekking beneath the towering peaks of Kanchenjunga.

Uttarakhand & the Indian Himalaya: Uttarakhand’s alpine valleys and sacred pilgrimage routes offer classic Himalayan trekking in regions such as Nanda Devi and the Garhwal Himalaya.

Rajasthan Desert Kingdoms: Rajasthan’s desert landscapes reveal historic forts, caravan cities and colourful cultural traditions across the Thar Desert.

Kerala & the Western Ghats: Kerala combines tropical forests, spice plantations and coastal lagoons explored on walks, boat journeys and cultural visits.

India’s climate varies significantly depending on region, altitude and season. In many lowland areas temperatures typically range from 10°C to 35°C (50°F–95°F) depending on the time of year, while mountainous regions are considerably cooler.

In the Himalayan regions of northern India, trekking areas between 3,000m and 5,000m (9,800–16,400ft) experience much colder conditions. During the main trekking seasons daytime temperatures generally range from 0°C to 15°C (32°F–59°F), while nights often drop below freezing, particularly at higher elevatio

India experiences three main seasons across much of the country: a cool dry season (October–February), a hot dry season (March–mid-June) and the summer monsoon (mid-June–September) which brings most of the annual rainfall.

The best time for hiking, trekking and adventure travel in northern India is generally May–June and September–October, when mountain conditions are most stable and temperatures are comfortable for trekking in the Himalaya.

India is +5 and a half hours ahead of UTC/GMT

Hindi (41%); Bengali (8.1%); Telugu (7.2%); Marathi (7%); Tamil (5.9%); Urdu (5%); Gujarati (4.5%); Kannada (3.7%); Malayalam (3.2%); Oriya (3.2%); Punjabi (2.8%); Assamese (1.3%); Maithili (1.2%); Other (5.9%), including Kashmiri, Sindhi and Sanskrit

As befitting a nation of such ethnic diversity, India is home to huge linguistic diversity. Most Indians are multilingual and many people speak a great number of different languages

Hindi is India’s most widely spoken and official language, and the primary language of 41% of the population. Along with Hindi are another 22 different official/recognised languages, plus hundreds of other major and minor languages and regional variations/dialects

English is an “associate official language” and India’s most common lingua franca, and is widely spoken in business, law, politics, education and tourism. Hindustani is India’s second most common lingua franca, but is considered technically to be a variation/combination of Hindi/Urdu languages, rather than an official language itself

Indian Rupee

We recommend that you bring a small reserve of US dollars, Australian Dollars, or Euros, all are readily exchangeable in Delhi and Leh.

Credit cards and ATM are available in most large cities and hotels, however it is not recommended to rely on these solely. Always keep a watch when your card is being processed and please note that you will be surcharged for the use of your card.

+91

Electricity in India is 230 Volts, at 50 hertz. The most common pin type is C. (2 round prong).

India Entry Requirements – e-Visa and e-Arrival Card

1. Mandatory: e-Visa (Electronic Travel Authorisation)

All travellers must obtain an electronic visa (e-Visa), officially known as an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), before arriving in India.

Visas are not available on arrival.

This applies to citizens of eligible countries, including Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

When to Apply

• e-Visas can be submitted from 120 days before arrival

• Early application is strongly recommended.

Apply only via the official government site:

https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html

What You Need to Know

• Print a hard copy of your approved e-Visa – required at airport check-in

• Your passport must be machine-readable – handwritten or damaged passports may be refused

• Your visa will be stamped into your passport on arrival

• Immigration queues can be lengthy, regardless of visa type

• Not all Indian airports accept e-Visa entry – confirm your arrival airport is eligible

e-Visa Types

• Tourist e-Visas are available for 30 days or one year, check with your reservations consultant to confirm the appropriate option.

• Avoid third-party providers – only apply through the official website

2. Mandatory: e-Arrival Card (Within 72 Hours of Travel)

In addition to the e-Visa, all travellers must complete an e-Arrival Card online within 72 hours prior to arrival in India.

This applies to:

• All foreign passport holders, including Australian citizens

• Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders

Apply here:

https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival/

How to Complete the e-Arrival Card

1. Gather your details – passport, visa (if applicable), flight itinerary and accommodation

2. Visit the official site – linked above

3. Complete the form – enter your personal, passport, travel and stay information

4. Submit online – must be completed before departure

We recommend completing this as early as possible within the 72-hour window to avoid delays at immigration.

Your safety is our number one concern. Our safety track record is exemplary thanks to careful management and thorough consultation with local partners. Our industry leading risk management procedures have become a skill that we continue to refine. Our leaders in the field are highly trained and have safety as their number one priority. Expert leaders, risk assessments, quality inclusions and your financial security all come standard when you travel with us.

Please refer to our Travel Advisory page for updates on recent events, travel warnings and advice.

We strongly recommend that all clients take out travel insurance at the time of booking to cover against sickness, accident, loss of baggage, unexpected alterations to travel arrangements and travel disruption, emergency evacuation, cancellations, etc. Insurance information is enclosed with your pre-departure information. Please contact us if you would like to obtain a quote for your trip duration.

We suggest that you consult your doctor, local government inoculation centre or a travel medical specialist in order to get the most current advice regarding vaccination requirements.

Money and valuables should always be stored safely when travelling. Keep your passport with you at all times and do not leave it in your main luggage. You will need it to change money and check into hotels. Where safety deposit boxes are available, we recommend that you use them. Keep jewellery and valuables to a minimum.