India Cricket Tour Information
Welcome to India
Many thanks for choosing to ACT in India for the first India Tour in our history not to have a schedule change. #StayTuned! Perhaps I have put the moz on us but prepare to travel as planned.
India changes daily, and what is agreed yesterday, isn't always valid tomorrow. We do our best to know the lay of the land before it tilts to make your time as unique and enjoyable as we make every tour.
This info is to help you prepare, apply for a tourist visa, know what to expect and what to do when you arrive in India, Nagpur, Dharamsala, Ahmedabad, or New Delhi if you starting your time in the Capital.
This also includes details on where we meet for drinks, how to get about, and how to stay safe so take the time to read it!
We are in India and will update any information as we go along.
LAST UPDATED: February 5 with:
Pre-Test Drinks In Nagpur | What To Bring
On This Page:
- India Tourist Visa
- What To Bring To India
- Money In India
- Communication In India
- Domestic Transfers In New Delhi
- Airport Transfers In India
- Hotels In India
- Drinks Parties In India
- Match Days In India
- Getting About India
- Day Trips In India
- Safety In India
If there is anything you need to know that we haven't covered, please ask
India Tourist Visa
Read India Tourist Visa Information after the following important facts:
- Australian passports require an e-visa to enter India for multiple entries up to 90 days on a 1-year or 5-year visa. Multiple entry 30 day e-visas are available. Apply only on the India Government Visa Website.
- 30 Day US$25 / 1 Year US$40 / 5-Year US$80
- All Nations Visa Fees Here
- Visas only take 1-2 days to be issued and are valid from the day they are issued
- If you apply for a 30-days visa now, it may expire before the Test Match in Dharamsala has started
DUTY FREE: You are allowed to import two litres of spirits, and 100 cigarettes. If you carry them though, you are shooting yourself in the wallet. Like anywhere, duty free is after immigration in New Delhi, where you can buy your favourite tipple. You are only allowed 2 litres but if you pool resources they will give a few sweeties.
What To Bring
Face Mask: Though the stance has softened since October (no longer mandatory on flights) you may still be expected to wear a face masks when you least expect it.
Aussie Flag: We will have a pole of flags to use, but are boomerangs at the end of the day. If you have your own flag, bring it along.
Travel Plug: Travel plugs to suit Indian hotel rooms will be provided. There may be universal sockets, but these often do not cater for Australian plugs.
Power Board: You no doubt will need more than one socket so pack a power board so you can use your curling wand whilst charging your phone.
USB Plugs: Along with your curling wand, don't forget to pack a few bonus USB plugs and cables as these are now the most common item left in hotel rooms. These are however as common as samosas if you do leave them behind.
Sunscreen: Almost impossible to find in India. Bringing it to the cricket is another thing.
Wet Wipes: Invaluable to keep you refreshed on a smoking hot day at the cricket... when not in the snow of Dharamsala.
Toilet Paper: There's no such thing as a 12 roll pack of scented lilac three-ply bog-roll in India. There is perhaps no such thing as bog-roll at the cricket either, if not simply limited, so bring a spare roll or two depending on how many days' play you are attending.
Personal Medication: Paracetamol, ibuprofen and off-the-shelf medicines are stupidly cheap in India and even available pill-by-pill. One strip of 20 paracetamol / ibuprofen pills will set you back Rs50.
Prescription medication may not be available so bring what you need to cover your time. Pharmacies are never far away
IMODIUM
If you feel inclined to bring your preferred clotting agent, please do. It is available at all pharmacies across the land.
Reusable Shopping Bag: Single-use plastic bags are still rife across India so if you plan to shop, albeit for fruit or snacks from the market, beer or spirits from the wine-shop, bring your own 'bag for life' to help cut back on plastic. Bags are not given when buying alcohol.
Gifts: Gift giving is not as prevalent as it is in Pakistan however consider bringing small gifts to use as tips for hotel or bar staff, taxi and tuk tuk drivers. They appreciate any gesture.
Trinkets such as 'Aussie' lapel pins, fridge magnets, chocolates and biscuits, stickers, school pens and whatnots keep the smiles long and broad.
Clothes: On the tail-end of winter in New Delhi and Dharamsala especially, you should bring a fleece, a woolly hat, and your favourite tracky-dacks just to be safe. You will be given 2 cotton shirts as part of your tour. Bring your preferred hat too, as this is something we no longer give as everyone has their favourite.
Money In India
As affordable as India is, the value keeps getting better with the Aussie dollar now collecting near Rs60, as per a recent credit charge.
- Rs592 was debited as A$10.26
The Indian Rupee is displayed as INR or Rs in notes: Rs 10 | Rs20 | Rs50 | Rs100 | Rs500
Rs10 & Rs20 are being replaced by coins, so expect many variants.
For New Delhi Arrivals:
CASH
In the baggage hall, before you have your bag x-rayed for 36 bottles of Grange, there are two banks. The closest to the exit gate, Thomas Cook offered RS52.47, whereas the one hiding on the far left, offered Rs53.73.
Negligible in terms of overall spending, but don't cash in more than a few bucks at the airport, as you get better rates using your card (accepted everywhere) or withdrawing from an ATM.
Rs10,000 from my current account on January 26, cost A$174.77 at Rs57.21.
A foreign exchange guru in Connaught Place will give us Rs2 per dollar above what is offered. His details will be shared then.
When you receive money, there's a good chance you will be given a wad of Rs500 notes. Thankfully Rs1000 are no longer in circulation. Large notes are difficult to offload in a nation that perennially has 'no change' so do what you can to rid yourself of them at any convenience.
ATM's
ATM's are everywhere you look. Though connected to CIRRUS and PLUS networks, your withdrawal may still come off your credit card even after selecting Current or Savings, so stay connected to the internet on your phone to double-check. If it comes off your credit card, then pay it off at the time to avoid cash-advance fees.
The maximum you can withdraw from an ATM is Rs10,000 (A$200)
Credit cards are widely accepted at cafes, shops, bars, souvenir stores, supermarkets and wine-shops. You need cash for your rickshaws, buying street food, eating at greasy spoons, and at the cricket.
When changing rupees back into AUD$ you may be asked to prove where you got the rupees. Be sure to keep at least one foreign exchange receipt from the bank or ATM, with a value higher than that you are changing.
Communication In India
Arriving at New Delhi airport (as most of you will), when you leave customs and enter the arrivals hall, Airtel network is pretty straight in front of you. If arriving in Bengaluru or Mumbai, the same process should apply.
Get connected here. If you wait until you are in the city, bizarrely you first need an Indian mobile number, to buy an Indian mobile number. The network sends a 'One Time Password' (OTP) to an alternate India number for verification. They will not send it to your Aussie mobile. Airtel at the airport is excused from such madness, so get connected there.
WiFi connections and other online services in India will only send an OTP to an Indian mobile number. If you wish to use your Aussie mobile and pay A$5/day for the very-generous 174kb of data, before paying A$1+ for each MB thereafter, so be it. Just make sure you have WhatsApp installed.
Rs450 will give you 1.5GB per day and unlimited India calls and texts for 28 days. An additional Rs300 gives you another 50GB for the 28 days. Each time you 'recharge' your 28 days resets.
If you need more data the magic word is 'recharge'. Don't ask for mobile credit or top-up, the shopkeep may not have any idea what you are talking about.
Importantly, you contact us in India via Whatsapp ONLY. It is imperative, if not connected to wifi, that you have a data on your phone and Whatsapp installed.
Taxi drivers, hotel management, tour operators, bus drivers, even airlines, all use Whatsapp. Install it, send endless photos & videos to friends and family back home for free, call or message us when you have questions, and when you get home do with it as you please.
You do not need your Australian SIM to use your Australian Whatsapp number. When you get data, DO NOT SWAP or CHANGE your Whatsapp number to your India mobile number, as you may be prompted. Once Whatsapp is installed with your Australian mobile number, any internet connection can be used.
Our Whatsapp Number:
- +61.402.222217
We will create a Whatsapp Group to ask questions, confirm places, times, and even share useful tips such as good bars or cafes found. Please send us a message (letting us know who you are!), as we may not yet have your number in our phone.
Domestic Transfers In Delhi
On landing at the International Terminal (T3) in New Delhi, you are thrown into the street. There is no airside domestic transfer channel. If you fly from Terminal 2, you are in the same building, just follow the signs.
IndiGo and SpiceJet depart Terminal 1D, but re-check as they often change at last minute (in India, never!) for operational reasons. Catch the inter-terminal shuttle bus from outside the international terminal below, at Pillar 10. Buses run every 20mins and take 15mins to reach the terminal.
If connecting domestically, IndiGo and SpiceJet arrive at Terminal 1C (it's an arrivals ONLY terminal). From there, catch the shuttle bus to Terminal 1D (5-mins) for IndiGo and SpiceJet departures. The bus departs on your right as you leave the terminal. It is signposted and you need not cross a road.
If arriving at T1C and connecting to any other airline including international, catch the one shuttle bus to International (T1) and Domestic (T2). Again, re-check the terminal for domestic departures. This bus leaves on your left as you leave T1C.
DHARMASALA FLIGHT DEPARTURES
If staying at IBIS Aerocity or NOVOTEL Aerocity on Feb 26 before we fly on Feb 27, we will transfer you to the terminal. We will share your departure time once we confirm which flight you are on.
If you are staying at WTI Hotel, please use their free airport transfers to Terminal 1D.
If you are staying at any other airport hotel, please make your own way to the domestic Terminal 1D.
UBER & OLA
Uber and Ola pick up points are clearly signposted once you leave any terminal.
Airport Transfers In India
Once you have your rupees and SIM card, our transport gurus will meet, greet, and drive you to the hotel in Nagpur, New Delhi, Dharamsala, and Ahmedabad.
- We Need Your Flight Details If You Haven't Yet Shared Them. We Can't Pick You Up If We Don't Know When You Arrive
If arriving in New Delhi for one night (or more) and staying at IBIS Aerocity or NOVOTEL Aerocity before flying to Dharamsala, you must make your own way to the hotel. Our gurus will drive you the following morning to the terminal.
If you are staying at WTI Hotel, please use their free airport shuttle.
ARRIVING IN NEW DELHI
New Delhi Metro costs Rs20 for the 5mins journey to Aerocity Metro, from where it is 500m walk to the IBIS hotel. Rickshaws are waiting outside Aerocity Metro, and should only charge Rs50 to reach the hotel.
New Delhi Metro costs Rs60 one-way to New Delhi Railway Station.
Walk out of the arrivals hall and the ramp down to the metro is 10m in front of you, on the right.
TRAVELLING INDEPENDENTLY
If you are enjoying our match tickets and drinks package, and making your own way from any airport, pre-paid taxis with 'fixed price' fares are at all international and domestic airports, and primary railway stations.
Both Uber and Ola operate extensively in India with clearly signposted pickup points at airports in New Delhi and Ahmedabad, with Nagpur to be confirmed. Dharamsala airport is too small to warrant dedicated pick-up spots, but I honestly didn't check if Uber was available in Dharamsala.
Hotels in India
- Feb 6-14 Nagpur
- Feb 14 - 22 New Delhi
- Feb 22 - 26 Rajasthan
- TBC
- Feb 26 - 27 New Delhi
- Feb 27 - March 7 Dharamsala
*ACT is living neutral at Dadhwal B&B. We have 1 room available if you are booking our Match Tickets & Drinks Package. Contact us for details.
- March 7 - 15 Ahmedabad
- March 15 - 18 Mumbai
- TBC
- March 18 - 21 - Visakhapatnam
- TBC
- March 21 - 23 Chennai
- TBC
Tour Drinks' Parties
The night before each Test we will meet at 6pm at these bars or restaurant (Ahmedabad), where you will receive match tickets, apparel and transfer info.
- Nagpur: Lalamama Brewing Company Feb 08
- New Delhi: Royal Plaza Feb 16
- Dharamsala: GK Conifer Feb 28
- Ahmedabad: Radisson Blu Mar 08
Match Days In India
Test Matches start at 0930am, with the toss at 0900am. If we have a transfer we must leave on time, especially Day 1. We will guage traffic and ground entry to determine if a change of time is needed for Days 2-5.
"Better three hours too soon, than a minute too late!" Bill Shakespeare (and Jimmy, though Jimmy uses a few more colourful expressions)
Nagpur - Transfers:
- Day 1 - 0800am
- Toss 0900am | 1st Ball 0900am
- Day 2, 3, 4, 5 - 0845am
- 1st Ball 0930am
New Delhi - Make Your Own Way
New Delhi Metro station 'Janpath' is 400m around the corner. Take the purple Metro 3 stops to DELHI GATE. Exit Gate 5. Our expected entrance gate is there.
- Day 1
- Toss 0900am | 1st Ball 0900am
- Day 2, 3, 4, 5
- 1st Ball 0930am
Dharamsala - Make Your Own Way
Infinitea, GK Conifer, and Dadhwal B&B are 6 - 12mins walk to 'Main Entrance Two'. Dhauladhar Hills Resort will take 30mins but you can use your shared taxis if you wish. Please coordinate with all others using your vehicle, just don't jump in and drive off on your own.
- Day 1
- Toss 0900am | 1st Ball 0900am
- Day 2, 3, 4, 5
- 1st Ball 0930am
Ahmedabad - Transfers:
- Day 1 - 0745am
- Toss 0900am | 1st Ball 0900am
- Day 2, 3, 4, 5 - 0845am
- 1st Ball 0930am
We must stress that we won't wait and you won't be the first person we've left behind. You do not have to take the transfers, these are included if you want them. Just let us know if you aren't.
Getting About India
RICKSHAW
The best piece of information when catching an auto-rickshaw / tuk-tuk:
- Rs40 per kilometre
Many rickshaws have meters that they use, or apps on their phone that they also use, but often claim they are broken. Mumbai has always been the fairest with fare cards and meters used since our first visit in 1996. Chennai is still the most dastardly.
Our visit to India last October introduced us to something never seen; rickshaw drivers that asked for the correct fare. In Ahmedabad the driver asked for Rs120. I thought it would be Rs200, whilst expecting him to ask Rs250. #GoFigure
We never ask the price before we ride; we get to the end and then haggle. What's the guy going to do, drive back to the start?
If you search where you want to go, you will know how far the journey, and how much to pay if the driver doesn't use or have a meter. You will by-and-large need to tell the guy which way to go anyway, so you might as well know the approx fare first. Get to your destination and then worry about the price.
Uber and Ola can be a good source of an 'approx' rickshaw fare, but since you can book a rickshaw using your preferred phone app, just use this for a 100% lock-in rate.
MOTORBIKE
The easiest way to get about, and my favourite, is flag down a passing motorbike and hop on the back. If you know where you're going, the rider will happily whizz you to your destination, free of charge. If they turn off before your destination, they'll let you off to catch the next bike. This is a great mode especially in Dharamsala when climbing the hill. This is not embraced by Indians, only me!
METRO
Metro railways operate in Nagpur, New Delhi, and Ahmedabad, with only New Delhi offering a service to the ground. Nagpur Metro insanely travels 16km out of the city and stops 5km from Jamtha, which rules out that convenient mode.
Otherwise, using the metro in any Indian city is a very affordable & comfortable way of covering vast or short distances to bypass much of the mayhem.
INDIAN RAILWAYS
What can be said about this Indian giant? 1.4billion things and possibly no two will be the same. For all things Indian Railways, read our pages on this incredible piece of engineering and social architecture:
- Indian Railways
- Indian Railways - How To Book
- Indian Railways - Railway Stations
- Indian Railways - Types Of Trains
- Indian Railways - Travel Classes
- Indian Railways - Facts And Figures
BUS
In 1996 I took a bus in Viaskhapatnam to play a round at East Point Golf Club. I have never take a bus since. Unlike Sri Lanka where we know near every bus route in Colombo, there's no reason to catch a bus in India. Let us know if you have any.
Day Trips In India
February 15: Several ACTors are visiting Taj Mahal. The fast train leaves Delhi at 0800am and returns at 1930pm. If you want to join them, please us know.
India is unique whereby there are so many things to see, places to go, sites to worship, and markets to wonder, it is impossible to say we should visit one place over another. We can only suggest what we'd like to do. Should any test match end early, we'll make suggestions and book things for you, but endless resource to point you in myriad of directions start with these sites:
Safety In India
WATER
I have been drinking tap water in India since 1996, and look what happened so perhaps you should shy away from it. 27 years later it is still healthier than Adelaide water so don't fret using tap water to brush your teeth, catching a drop in your gob when showering, or questioning what your salad greens were washed with. Very few question the ice in your gin yet next morning very quickly blame the ice and not the 27th G&T inhaled the night before.
Bottled water is everywhere and included in your hotel rooms each day, and is better than Evian; well, at least more affordable.
FOOD
Street foods and even hotel food for that matter is like anywhere, hit and miss when it comes to violating your innards. If you find yourself a little on the thin side, plenty of water and yoghurt will get you through, along with a clotting agent.
If you are depositing from both ends, keep up the water and see a doctor. All hotels have a doctor on call who will rush over to prescribe your best remedy.
Unlike Australia, if you believe the hotel is to blame for your loss of appetite, they may apologise, but normal service will resume. There is no recourse. Dodgy food takes 8-24 hours to have an influence, not 8-24 minutes as many think. It's often not what you ate for dinner last night, but what you ate the night before that.
THEFT
Twice in October 2022 I found zips on my day bag opened, after returning to the hotel. This could only have happened while using packed station escalators, people behind me casually having a look. Though I keep nothing of value in these pockets, walk in busy stations or markets carrying your bag on your front.
Please use hotel safes to house your cash, passports, and imodium if in short supply!
In Connaught Place, New Delhi, dodgy pricks are everywhere endeavoruing to swindle as many shekels as they can muster. When someone comes up and says "I am not a scammer, but you should be wary of them!", be wary and... IGNORE THEM. IGNORE THEM. IGNORE THEM.
PHYSICAL & EMOTIONAL HURT
There are 1.4b people living in India, all trying to get somewhere. It may seem unbearable and at times threatening, but largely, no one cares you are there. They are going about their business, and not interested in violating you. That said, if you are violated, 1.4 billion Indians minus one will come to your aid. In short, India is safe and the people very-placid.
Over years of touring India we've not experienced anything that would cause us to reconsider. Even reading about terrorism in other parts of the country during a test match, nothing has caused reason to rush home.
I know of no-one in 27 years touing India that needed police or consular assistance. Ben H. however, left us in Mumbai 2001 to meet a bloke behind the railway station to buy a camera, before heading to Darjeeling and Bhutan, and to re-join us in Kolkata. We haven't seen him since.
Arguably, Ben personally may not have needed consular assistance and we trust you won't either. We do however suggest not buying cameras off the street behind Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai. #CommonSense
The biggest threat to anyone in India are footpaths rife with potholes, poles, pots, people, pets, and paraphernalia that cause so much hindrance, it is sublimely safer to walk on the road.
Drivers swerve, dodge, glance, and kiss other vehicles, people, dogs, cows, and kids within a bee's penis of an insurance claim. They are used to objects being on the road. They get out of your way.
When 'jaywalking', cross the road at 45 degrees without taking your eye off oncoming traffic and certainly without stopping or hestitating. No one will run you down, provided you keep moving. Baulk and you are bread!
All things in India are good, but for reassurance, we've been contacted by the Australian High Commission to register touring numbers. They will contact me to share any impending risk or danger. All will be good, but visit Smartraveller to receive India updates:
Thank you for touring with us!
Luke
AUSTRALIAN CRICKET TOURS:
- Call or Message: +61.402.222217