The capital of India is full of magnificent landmarks, museums, temples and parks. The shopping opportunities are plenty and the food is exotic. At the same time, New Delhi is dirty, crowded and full of scammers.
The city is also infamous for “Delhi Belly” – diarrhea and food poisoning experienced by many visitors. Most my friends who were in India suffered with their stomach so I’ve decided to be a bit more paranoid than usual.
1. Bottled water
The first rule of survival – only drink from the bottled water. The tap water or the water from train stations are a big fat “No”. Bottled water is cheap and does not contain microbes. When you buy a bottle, make sure that the plastic cap is intact.
2. Anti-diarrhea meds
In case you fall into “Delhi Belly” curse, take the medications to help you against food poisoning and diarrhea.
3. Passport and money pouch
Tourist places in New Delhi are as full of pick-pockets, as they are in other big cities. Carrying your passport and money under your clothes in a secret pouch is a good idea. Put a small amount of money for the current purchases in your handbag or a zipped pocket so you don’t have to reach the secret pouch frequently.
4. Learn to emphasize “No”
This is the place to practice a strong “No”, even if you are generally a “Yes” type of person. A rule of thumb – if there’s an Indian addresses you first and that person is not wearing a uniform of a security guard or ticket inspector, than he/she wants your money and would not hesitate to cheat you.
I learned the hard way.
The attraction areas are crowded by unlicensed guides who would aggressively sell their “assistance” – you may expect some type of scam. This may be either selling you low-quality souvenirs for 10x price, or getting you to an overpriced shop, or asking money for showing you the way to your destination, or just simply begging.
4. Bargain like an Indian
Always bargain with rickshaws, autos or taxi driver and set a fixed price before you get inside. Do not buy into their stories like “The hotel is closed/burnt down/moved, I will show you a better one” or “The museum is closed today, let me take you to a sightseeing tour”.
They would take you to places that pay them commissions (and your hotel is probably still in its place, and the museum is open anyway). Bargaining is a skill you definitely need in India if you want to pay just a “tourist price”, not an “ignorance tourist price”.
Nevertheless, India keeps you stay focused. You may need to say “No” to someone literally every minute. Just survive the first day, it would be easier afterwards.
