Prepare for your trip
India is everything, and more, all at once.
It's a sensory potpourri; a visual explosion of bright saris, lumbering cows, marigolds, incense, spices and bursts of sunlight - where you're guaranteed to craft your very own Darjeeling Limited experience.
As for the language, Hindi isn't spoken by everyone in India - in fact there are more than 20 languages spoken throughout the country and English tends to serve as a common one.
A few Hindi phrases will definitely help along the way: "Namaskar" (hello), "shukriya" (thank you), "aap kaise hai" (how are you), "kitna hai" (how much) and "naam kya hai" (what's your name), may come in handy on your trip.
As for money, you'll be dealing in Indian rupees - there are about 55 rupees to each Aussie dollar. Credit cards are widely accepted, but make sure you know all your pin codes as signing has been phased out around the country.
WHERE TO SHOP
Rajasthan is famous for its colourful embroidered textiles, clothing, homewares, gemstones, silver & gold jewellery, pottery, carpets and durrie rugs, antiques and furniture. As well as miniature paintings, papier mache puppets and embroidered leather shoes.
To buy precious and semi-precious gemstones head to the "pink city" of Jaipur, where gorgeous blue-glazed pottery is also made. Jodhpur holds a treasure trove of shopping bounty.
Marble wares inspired by the Taj Mahal, some of them exquisitely detailed and inlaid with semi-precious stones, can be sourced in Agra, while Varanasi is a popular place to pick up silk and saris.
Delhi is globally recognised for quality and very affordable pricing across a variety of goods.
On this specially created SHOPPING tour, you will be taken to a diverse range of personally researched markets, wholesale stores and factories, that have been tried and tested over many years by founder of TIKKA TOURS Claudia Wolf. You will be able to purchase anything from small to large items, and arrange for a shipment to be made back to Australia.
