To pack for India...don't take insect repellent for one. You do need insect repellent, but don't take DEET from US. Take odomos. It is widely available in Indian stores in the US, and it is everywhere once you arrive in India. It is also MUCH CHEAPER in India and will do a better job than DEET (my experience and I have been to India more times than I can count.) Do not forget any prescription medication. Take things like advil, Tylenol, also known as Panadol depending where you live in the world, toilet paper (which is expensive in India). Most good hotels and restaurants have an ample supply of toilet paper, however. You can get bottled water in India. Just make sure you buy from a good store. The known brands are Bisleri, Himalayan, Kinley, and there are some others. Do NOT buy "bottled" water from someone walking around on the street. Make sure you have to go inside a sheltered store that is selling water bottles. If you need medicine in India, people get medicine by their chemical names i.e. Tylenol is acetaminophen, and so on. Most places have reliable medications but make sure you check with a reliable local before going out on your own to get medication in India -- medicines there are far cheaper than what you get in US, UK, Canada, etc. Don't assume that just because someone says he is a doctor, known as MBBS in India, that he or she is actually a doctor. There are many quacks in India, so make sure you talk to the right people when trying to find a doctor should the need arise. It's important not to take antibiotics for things that can be resolved with a weaker medicine. Depending on where you are, girls are expected to dress conservatively in more rural areas, and people are generally more liberal as you come closer to the cities but even then, you should not wear anything that is too revealing. You will have a better idea of dress and fashion once you arrive there. Fashion seems to change very frequently in India. Yeah, you may not have "clean water" to wash your hands with before eating. HOWEVER, clean water isn't what you need to wash your hands. What you need to have is SOAP. Once you have water and soap, regardless of the water's cleanliness, you should be fine (my personal experience anyway.) Good soap is generally available. We usually use sandalwood or sandstone soap. Try to avoid buying too much from the touristy areas of towns -- you will definitely be ripped off if you're not careful. Try to go to stores that generally seem like they have fixed prices. That's a bit hard since some shops that post "all prices are fixed" don't really have fixed prices. So it's really your call once you get there... For Hindi: pani = water khanna = food khanna kaya? = Did you eat? Mujhe pani chaiye. = I want water. Peené ke liye kuch chaiye? = Would you like anything to drink? daru = alcohol dhava = medicine thava = frying pan (can also be flat) chaval = rice or flattened wheat bread dal = lentils khatori = small bowl chumchee = small spoon kato = a fork or thorn (depends on context) suri = knife kathar = scissors kagal = paper pagal = crazy (may be used loosely at times) araam = rest / relax pardesi = foreigner gora = foreigner (can be used pejoratively as well -- but not always the case as it can also mean "pale") safed = white lal = red asmaani = blue asmaan = sky baresh = rain buruff = ice Yeah, and be very CAREFUL when getting ICE. Ice is likely made from TAP water, so don't get ice from outside. However, if the water is purified through what is known as the AguaGuard system, then you will likely be safe -- although the best thing to have is boiled water. Most good hotels / restaurants use this Aguaguard system. Do NOT drink the water on some rest stop on a highway, especially if there are flies flying all over the place. If there aren't flies all over, ask where the water has come from. sadu pani = plain water (generally tap water) saaf pani = clean water (generally filtered) When outside, make sure to ask how frequently the filter is cleaned! One time in India, I asked for boiled water in the local language, and I was given boilING water -- which I obviously could not drink because it was too hot. By boiled water, I mean that you take water, make sure it is boiling for about 15-20 minutes, and then put it in the fridge so it cools off. After that process is over, and the water is chilled, THEN you can drink it. Avoid eating salad. As a general rule, if the food is HOT, it is SAFE to eat. If you see salad components on top of cooked food, stay away from it even if the dish is hot though. And yeah, I don't mean to scare you away from the country with all this. I love going to India, and much of my family is there and many of my friends are from there. But it is always good to be as prepared as possible which is why I am telling you all this. A lot of what I am telling you is based on advice given to me by my relatives there. I have a fairly strong stomach and my immune system holds up fairly well when I am in India. But I would be a fool to assume that everyone else would have a similar stomach or immune system. People tend to call me paranoid (which I don't think I am, but the advice I give makes it seem that way), but it is really difficult for me to summarize what I have learned in my trips to India as I have gone back and forth between India and the US around 10 to 12 times over the past 10+ years. Also in Mumbai, I know that taxi drivers have what is known as a fare card. The price on the meter will NOT match the price you have to pay. The meters were added around the 1950s or so. They have not been modified for inflation. So there is a fare card. The fare card has a table. It states the price on the meter and then in another column it states the price you must pay. The night surcharge for the taxi in Mumbai starts after midnight. This information will be listed on the fare card as well. The meter is on the passenger side of the taxi. Either make sure the taxi driver resets the meter before you leave or better yet, learn how to reset the meter yourself. Buses, trains, rickshaws are much cheaper of course. Destinations are written in English and Hindi in Mumbai, but there is one catch. The front of the bus is where you will see the destination and bus number written in Hindi. The back door of the bus is where people exit from -- and that is the place where the number and destination are written in English. Learn the numbers as they are written in Hindi, as they are not Arabic numerals. Going on a domestic flight in India is a great experience as well. I prefer Indian flights a lot compared to flights in US. On a 45 minute flight, I got tea and biscuits. My flight was delayed once, and I got a free snack / meal voucher just because the flight was delayed. Walking: In India, people just cross. Of course, you should make sure that vehicles are far enough away from you before crossing. Expect that when you cross, drivers will go around you, honk at you, stop just short of you (if they even bother to stop), but that they will not hit you. Whether pedestrian signals are there or if they are there, are obeyed, depends on where in the country you are. ok, I think I've written enough now...so if you want to know anymore, just tell me.

nothing fancy and expensive

If you use them, take tampons. They are not available everywhere. Toilet paper is readily available and so is paracetamol. Contact lense liquid is also available but you might want to bring your own if you are not sure of local brands. Insect repellent is a good idea and sun screen. Water purifying tablets are not necessary if you stick to bottled water on which the seals are properly closed. Hand gel seems a bit ridiculous to me. Just wash your hands regularily with soap. I always have rehydration salts with me or ORS. Good if you have stomach problems or didn't drink enough during the day. They are available locally. Not too much clothing but bring a bathing suit.

Well , It all depends where in India you are travelling. If you can mail me the places you intend to visit I can suggest you accordingly. Mail m at:- 1. info@shahtravels.com 2. holidayshah@yahoo.com Best regards Shamim

You will be able to get pretty much everything you need in India! Oddly enough, I'd recommend a nail brush!! Having constantly grubby fingernails really started to annoy me. Being able to scrub them clean was a strangely satisfying feeling! What's also very useful is hand sanitiser. Very easy to carry around and ensures you can give your hands a quick clean (without water) at any time. Particularly useful given that eating with hands is common. A lot of people in India get sick not from the food itself but from ingesting whatever they have on their hands. If you DO get sick, you can buy ciprofloxacin over the counter in India. It is a great antibiotic and a single dose can cure most stomach problems instantly.

Toilet paper is NOT rare in India, you can get it in many shops, only if you go off the beaten track you need to buy a supply before you leave. Take some hand sanitizer with you, that could always come in handy. Almost everything else you can buy in India. Also wetwipes! I have been living in India for the past 10 years, so believe me, I do know. You also get almost all medicine in the chemists. Panadol is available and very cheap. And yes, I agree, don't pack skimpy cloth! Honor the people here.

toilet paper / wet wipes. lotsa of them. other than those, lotsa patience (for all the staring, late trains & buses, smelly pavements smelling of urine, lack of hygiene) & lotsa gusto spirit to experience India's diverse culture, taste her wide array of cuisine, and travel her vast geography. you will either love or hate india but if you pack all of the above, you will go into the former category -like me. :)

I've been to south India twice, eating with my right hand, drinking local water, eating only local food (very spicy compare to north!!), been devoured by mosquitos, cleaning my butt like everyone does there: water and your left hand! No pills, medication, prescription, vaccines or whatever our countries can invent and i never even felt sick... Either i've been very lucky, either all this is just a big paranoïa! These kind of countries are not for city-slickers, get a bit of adventure if you go there!!

To begin with,decent clothing.Theres nothing more than scantily dressed foriegners that could piss indians off..A first aid kit,containing anti-bacterial meds,basic medicines,mosquitos repellent(our country is very famous for that)toilet paper(good idea) a good camera,and a local handbook to brush up on hindi a bit..tats too much to ask,bt since ur gonna be here,why not enjoy all the entire package.

Apart from maybe bringing the first roll of "luxury" stuff from home, there is no need to pack lots of toilet paper; contrary to previous answers it is widely available to buy in India, just not provided in public loos !! Most corner shops/stalls sell small rolls, particularly in the touristy areas and any big town. For mosquitoes, you should try the Indian brand Odomoss - a widely available and pleasant smelling cream which seems to work well on the local mozzies and doesn't contain DEET. You can minimise the chances of getting stomach bugs by eating strictly vegetarian while you're there and opting for the yummy local dishes rather than "western" recipes. Trust me, it's worth it - has worked for me for all 4 trips I've done to India. Nevertheless it's wise to pack a good supply of anti-diarrhoea pills. Enjoy your trip !

A good Camera and lots of memory cards. The colors in India are simply amazing. Here are some of the shots I took: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gov/sets/72157594574067560/

nothing, leave your beleavings at home, you are going into a fantasiy-film, Boom to all teh Gods of India

Anything you like to take when you get sick. You prbobley will and the only question then will be for how long and how much weight are you going to drop. Try following India up with a tropical beach, you'll be looking good in a bathing suit. lol. Water purifying pills, toilet paper, hand cleaner. Good luck.

Don't pack to much stuff! You can buy nearaly everything there. Toilettpaper is very rare in India. MAybe its a good idea to pack it... Medication for the first few month, after you can buy more! Pack linen clothing and be carefull that its short sleeveed and not only a top... My experience was: Indian clothing was the best type to travel round with. Be carefull by buying things: NEVER (!!!!) forget bargening!!!!! =)

medication and prescription, tolilet paper, the rest you buy there. Now nearly everything is available in big cities.

very little

linen clothing and take some toilet paper. insect repellent and antibacterial hand jel.

gerneral antibiotic,first aid medication,anything elsed you buy it there.

Jurrian has good advice. I would add that you should bring a minimum of clothing, since you can buy clothing very cheaply there and you'll fit in a little better wearing local clothing. My personal opinion on DEET is to use something milder and healthier. There are citrus based insect repellents that work well on most people. In hotels, they'll give you repellent to plug into a socket at night, works quite well.

desinfectant hand gel - you might not have clean water to wash your hands with before you eat - with your hands. Also, bring insect repellent with the ingrediënt DEET - it's the only thing that really works. Last one: it's better to pack a larger, half full bag, than a smaller, full one. Unless you enjoy the struggle of fitting it all in everytime you have to pack. Good luck!