We are quite busy in the office these days, so our weekly blog post will be short and sweet. As you may have seen in our May edition of The Sodha Traveler, wewill be posting a poll on our facebook page to vote for our newest tour! Our team has selected four final itineraries: Tribal India, Leh/Ladakh, Vineyards of India, and Hidden Kerala. More details about each package will be available at the time of voting. Be sure to become a fan of Sodha Travel to participate in the voting process, and as a thank you, we will send all participants an exclusive discount toward the awarded tour!

Earlier this week, we featured two quizzes on India: One in our newsletter and another in this blog. And here are the answers:

Sodha Traveler:

1. 1947

2. Friday

3. Mumbai (Bombay)

4. Madurai

5. Hindi

6. Raj Ghat

7. Silk Saree’s

8. Bikaner

9. Kerala

10. Sunderbans

Blog:

1. Wazwan

2. Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath

3. Dhobi Ghat

4. Kanyakumari

5. Kaziranga National Park

6. The following are all Indian official languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu

7. Alleppey

8. Nalanda

9. Tamil Nadu

10. Dal Lake

11. Manali

12. Mumbai (Bombay)

13. Sarnath

14. Trichy (Tiruchirapalli), Tanjore (Thanjavur), and Rameshwarem

15. Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and Hyderabad

Our dear friend and Sodha Traveler, Collin Husic, recently completed a beautiful video for Sodha Travel: An Indian Experience. The video showcases photos and videos from the diverse regions in India, including Delhi, Darjeeling, Gujarat, Kerala, Leh, and Tamil Nadu. Many of the photos were provided by our clients, and we thank you for the contribution! Be sure to check it out:

This Sunday, August 15th, India will celebrate her 63rd Independence Day! For those of you living in Portland, I invite you to attend the India Festival in Pioneer Square from 11am – 9pm. Enjoy dancing, music, entertainment, henna, shopping, and food vendors. Presented by the Portland India Cultural Association, this free event draws crowds from all over the country. I will be at the SAWERA booth from 9am – 12pm, so if you attend, be sure to stop by and say hello!

Happy Independence Day, India!

One of the most common frustrations we hear from travelers upon their return home is from their cell phone bill! Roaming, data charges, text charges…It can add up very quickly. One of our clients had an unexpected bill of over $2000 from a 2-week trip! 

If you plan on using your cell phone abroad, we strongly recommend calling your provider prior to departure to determine the international rates for calls, texts, and internet. For example, did you know that it uses minutes to check your voicemail? One of our clients believed checking voicemail was free, and was surprised to find a charge of $150 on her bill.  You may also elect to purchase a cell phone or SIM card in India. Incoming minutes are generally free and there are different plans available, depending on usage. 

The local Indian phone booths are also an affordable option. The codes marked on the booths indicate the following accessibility: 

 PCO: Local (within the state)

ISD: International

STD: Interstate (within India)

Sodha Travel is currently in discussions with a company who can provide cell phones, SIM cards and calling cards before you leave for your trip, allowing you to provide your friends and family with your contact number prior to departure. We will keep you posted on when this affordable and convenient service will be available to our travelers.