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03/06/2014

The 5 essential items to travel in India

A website contacted me with an original idea: a post on what to carry (the 5 essential items) when traveling to India! And since their staff is very nice, I got quickly convinced. So here is what I prepared...

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1.     Large cotton scarf

Essential: can be used as a scarf to protect you from the cold in air-conditioned places, as a sheet (to lie on or to cover yourself) for an impromptu nap anywhere, as a skirt to hide your legs before entering a mosque, as a burka to get protected from the sun, as a towel to wash your face, blow your nose etc. Alternatively, an Indian dupatta can also do...

2.   Sarouel

Very convenient: it hides your legs away from hungry eyes and the sun, very comfortable and very airy (you don’t sweat much in it, even under 35 degrees!). It is in the same spirit as the Indian salwar (a kind of baggy pants, very light, to be worn under a tunic).

3.   Sandals

Flip-flops/chappals are very nice but not very easy to walk with and when you hit a stone, or a hole, while wearing them, you can really hurt your feet very very bad. Spartan sandals are comfortable, good to walk and they are easy to remove (a must in India where you spend your time removing your shoes to enter temples).

4.     Gavroche cap or Stetson Hat

When you love hats... The simple cap to avoid sunstroke, or the Stetson hat to be the star of the day ;)

5.    Ray Bans

Because good luck trying to walk around under the Indian sun without good sunglasses...

6.     1969 Denim Jacket by Gap

Just because I love it!

 

And we could add (though it is less fashion-oriented):

  • a camera,
  • mosquito repellant,
  • visa,
  • a good sense of humour,
  • sunscreen,
  • patience,
  • deodorant (a lot of deodorant) and double-skin bandages for blisters,
  • an Indian SIM (useful for air ticket booking (and time change, cancellation) and GoogleMap),
  • medicine to stop diarrhoea and medicine to stop constipation (which generally follows the stop of diarrhoea),
  • foam earplugs,
  • and for those who are not prepared to cross certain hygienic limits: wipes, tissues, anti-bacterial and tampons with applicator (for amateurs).