Top 10 Tips

Before you go

• Investigate your options first, and think about what kind of gap year is right for you. While travelling around India is a hugely exciting and rewarding experience, often the best way to get to know the country is through living and working with its people. The best option is usually a combination of work and travel.
• If you intend on travelling with a friend, ensure that you are compatible enough to be able to spend long hours together without strangling each other. Remember that one of the joys of travel is meeting new people and making new friends.
• Visit your GP and make sure you have all relevant inoculation jabs well in advance of departure.
• Time your visa application well - remember that visas are valid from date of issue and not from date of arrival in India.
• Good travel insurance is a must, especially health insurance. Make sure any valuables are insured against theft; travellers cheques are the best and safest way of carrying money.
• A little prior knowledge about India before you go can make your gap year experience all the more enjoyable. Travel writer William Dalrymple has written several fascinating and often very funny books on India, including "The Age of Kali", "The White Moguls", and "City of Djinns: a year in Delhi".

On location

• Theft is largely a rare occurrence in India but as a foreigner you could be a target. Always take good care of your valuables. Keep a separate record of your travellers cheque numbers and some photocopies of your passport.
• Be careful what you eat. Make sure all food is freshly and thoroughly cooked. Drink bottled or purified water. India is largely vegetarian, and it is a good idea to avoid eating meat, but make sure you keep up your protein intake by eating plenty lentils and nuts.
• Always respect local traditions and codes of behaviour, especially with regard to dress. This respect will always be returned and will make you trip more rewarding.
• Be flexible and patient; often in India things don't always go immediately to plan, but unpredictability is all part of the adventure.