Clothing

Felicia

"Casual" can range - and I was just wondering if blue jeans are acceptable for the tour and for India travel. They are not torn or tight.

Also, what about shorts, as long as they are only a couple of inches above the knee?

Would rather err on the conservative side, but also want to be comfortable.

Thanks!
Felicia

British

I would not wear shorts, you want to be as respective to the culture as possible and not attract unwanted attention from men. Jeans could be too heavy depending when you go, both in weight and temperature. This is an incredible tour, very hard to process at times.

Felicia

British wrote:

I would not wear shorts, you want to be as respective to the culture as possible and not attract unwanted attention from men. Jeans could be too heavy depending when you go, both in weight and temperature. This is an incredible tour, very hard to process at times.

British, thanks. Think I'll forgo both the shorts and jeans. Having been, what do you think about leggings with long tunics and/or capris and short sleeved tops? Also, I'm reading mixed opinions about wearing kurtis (which appear to me to be long tunics). Some say it's a "when in Rome" thing and good to wear and others say it's ridiculous to try to dress like an Indian woman.

Thoughts?
Felicia

British

Our Tours director wore the Indian long tunics and loose Indian cotton black pants, I loved the look. I think leggings would be Ok as long as the clothing on top came down to your knees otherwise leggings reveal the body too much for the culture, remember you do not want to attract those men, even though the Oberio waiters are absolutely adorable!

Felicia

Thanks for the input. I'll probably pass on leggings and just wear skirts more often than not.

British

I forgot to mention another practicality. Shoes! We never wear shoes in our home, never have done for maybe forty years because of tracking germs dirt fertilizer and so on inside. But this trip, there is so much cow pooh in unexpected places like steps. You will see men peeing in the streets everywhere. So be sure that any shoes you take can be washed when You get home or thrown away. Isolate any shoes in plastic bags in your suitcase during traveling.
Short sleeves, I stand by my suggestion of not wearing anything less than three quarter sleeves. You don't have to worry about covering up in temples, offending any locals, use less sunscreen and avoid more insect bites. They really are a good compromise when deciding what to wear for weather changes too.

DAB3

We plan to go in January. How much of a factor will weather be when planning your clothing?
DAB3

Felicia

Looks like the weather is on the cool side in January, average high about 69 and average low 46. (My kind of weather!) I'm going in Feb. and it will be cool in some places, but a bit warmer than January.

Something in your post sounds a bit like you haven't booked yet? If you're going in January, you need to be sure your visa is processed on the fast track ~ meaning you'll have to pay additional. I used CIBT's concierge service and although it was a bit expensive, it was worth it because of the details required on the application. By the way, I highly recommend them. They stayed in great communication with me. I think CIBT is who Tauck uses. I clicked on a link and it took me to their website, although the link had another name. Also, I've used CIBT before and liked working with them.

Anyway, I started the process about a week before Thanksgiving and got my passport back about 3 weeks later. The holiday held things up. You've got Christmas coming up and I imaging it will be really delayed as a result of that.

I got the weather information from www.weatherbase.com.

Felicia

DAB3

Hi,

We’re all booked and visas are now in hand. Forgot to ask about “dress codes” I understand the need to cover up in temples etc... What about evening events? Jacket and ties for men? What’s appropriate for women? Haven’t traveled with Tauck before.

Doug

TauckTim

Hi DAB3,
In India, plain cottons or cotton/synthetic blends are the most practical and the coolest in summer. It is best to avoid synthetic fabrics that do not “breathe.” For protection from the harsh sun, a hat with a wide brim is recommended. When traveling during the fall season, a collapsible umbrella comes in handy. During the winter months, sweaters and light jackets are required.

Shorts, minis and tank tops are inadvisable unless you are on a beach. In small towns and cities especially, people may tend to stare if you expose too much skin. Recommended clothing includes trousers, capris, skirts, tops and shirts. India offers some good cotton, which is trendy and affordable.

Most Indians dress in modest clothing. To respect Indian sensitivities, when in public it is recommended that women should wear skirts below the knees or longer, or relatively loose slacks, avoiding sleeveless blouses, tight pants, and shorts. Young women and teenage girls, especially those dressed in tight or short dresses, may attract undesirable attention. Men should avoid going shirtless; trousers are preferable to shorts. These suggestions are especially important when visiting rural areas or tradition-bound urban areas.

For formal occasions, such as the welcome and farewell dinners, we recommend “smart casual,” to suit a tropical climate. To enter a holy shrine, women should wear a long skirt, dress, or trousers.

A bathing suit is also recommended, as you will find that many of the hotels used on this itinerary offer beautiful swimming accommodations.

In addition, you may want to bring along a good pair of binoculars, sunglasses that block out ultraviolet rays, and a supply of strong sun block.

We recommend that you pack your prescription medicines (an adequate supply to last through your journey) along with your travel documents and a change of clothing in your carry-on bags to avoid any inconvenience, in the event that your flight is delayed or the airline loses your luggage.

I hope this helps!

-Tim

DAB3

Thanks Tim!

Your very helpful and prompt response is appreciated!

Doug

British

Each Tauck tour group is unique and so may vary widely in their dress decisions. On my Spotlight on INDIA tour in A February many of the women wore nothing but black day and night, hard to know how often they changed their clothing, practical choice. Me, very rarely wear black which in my first culture meant funerals and mourning and you never wear black at weddings. So I wore colorful (colourful) choices. Can't remember about men wearing jackets. My hubby wears a nice shirt that could also be worn during the day. The Oberoi hotels are very fancy but the staff will treat you well whatever you are wearing as long as you are modest because as far as they are concerned you are a wealthy guest. One woman on our tour wore exquisite jewelry, something different almost every day. We sometimes take no jewelery not even wedding rings, this trip could be appropriate for that, I wore a very realistic but modest fake plastic wedding ring and engagement ring this tour, one lady commented and said I should be careful wearing them, note to self, chose even cheaper looking fakes next time. Took a couple of cheap but wow factor necklaces that several woman asked where I bought them, and a few colorful scarves. The necklaces particularly are nice from the street vendors who the tour guide will speak with and bring a selection onto the bus at a negotiated price with them, so I wore those too. Shoes, take at least one pair that you don't care may get ruined stepping in un-noticed cow pooh even on steps or can be thoroughly washed at home, isolate shoes in your luggage. Men pee in the street all around you too, I kinda had a game about how early each day I saw my first one. I am easily pleased at site seeing I guess! Back to subject, you are going in January, it will be cool/cold early morning like the trip on the Ganges River. Take light jacket or layers you can remove as it warms up. It never got too hot for us.

DAB3

Thanks Tim!

Your very helpful and prompt response is appreciated!

Doug

DAB3

Thanks British,

A very nice and informative outline on what to wear etc... I welcome any other advice you have. How about activities such as private tours on individual time?

Best regards
Doug

British

Private trips on tour-- very little time off during tour to do your own thing. There is a paid for but optional tour to Kajaraho (sp) sorry middle of the night so not looking up spelling---that is fantastic and not to be missed. Unfortunately all but three of us were too tired to go and preferred to chill out at the hotel that afternoon. We loved it and it was one of the highlights of the tour. Our guide was wonderful and took lots of photos of us together with well practiced views of the sites behind us that I was able to Incorporate into my photo book since you tend to have fewer photos of both of you on these trips. I think you might find that when you do have any free time you need to chill in the sanctuary of the hotel because INDIA is so overwhelming to the senses that you just have to get away from it to be able to enjoy the next adventure. I guess that is what the rest of our group was doing or they still had jet lag. We try to avoid Jetlag affecting our tours by arriving to the tour starting point two days early instead of one, if we could afford the time we would arrive even earlier like Jan does. On that note, one lovely couple ended up taking three and a half days to get there because of weather delays in February, arriving literally just before the welcome meeting, they were such troupers. This happened to us on a Canada tour when we chanced it arriving on the day and being mislead about when the tour started. Thank goodness no time changes to worry about to that destination.

DAB3

Thanks British,

A very nice and informative outline on what to wear etc... I welcome any other advice you have. How about activities such as private tours on individual time?

Best regards
Doug