The Nileguidance blog points out that both the book and the movie are inspiring people to travel to the locations mentioned in the book in hopes of having some transcendent experiences of their own. Several tour companies have even started to offer Eat, Pray, Love tours. Here’s how Nileguidance describes the appeal of patterning a trip after the book:

What Eat Pray Love does inspire, however, is the notion that long-term travel is possible, and so are those extraordinary experiences. Perhaps the film will motivate people to set out on their journey far sooner than imagined.

Whether you decide to go to Italy to eat, to India to pray, or to Bali to seek love, or all three, you will need the proper travel documents. A US passport, valid for at least 6 months, is required everywhere. Here are the visa requirements for the three countries:

Italy: Italy is a Schengen country, so you don’t need a travel visa unless you plan on staying for more than 90 days.

India: India requires all US citizens to have travel visas in hand before they arrive. For more information on how to get a tourist visa for India, see Indian Visa Requirements for Tourists.

Bali: Bali is in Indonesia, which gives American citizens the option of applying for a tourist visa in advance or applying at the airport when you arrive. Of course, if you apply in advance you’ll be able to get through immigration faster, which is always a blessing. Make sure you have at least one clean blank page in the back of your passport to accommodate the visa. For more information on getting an Indonesian tourist visa, see Indonesian Visa Requirements for Tourists.

No matter what the itinerary is for your own voyage of self-discovery, RushMyTravelVisa can help you get the documents you need to travel. We’ll research your itinerary to make sure you know exactly what stops will require visas. Then, we’ll help you with the paperwork and submit your applications for you for the fastest possible processing.

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There’s something really special, almost magical, about old trees. Being in the presence of a living thing that has been around for hundreds of years really puts our short human lives into perspective. Each tree is unique, shaped by both its own internal biology and the forces of nature. It’s no wonder that people often give names or even build shrines to trees that are particularly old or distinctive.

India is an excellent place to see some of these giants. In fact, Matador Travel currently has a post up by YD Bar-Ness describing the “tree pilgrimage” he took across the country. I love trees, but I must admit that until now I’d never thought of traveling to India to see them. I’d always imagined touring temples, visiting the Taj Mahal and finishing up with the proverbial elephant ride. However, according to Bar-Ness, India is one of the best places in the world to go in search of distinctive trees:

Additionally, there’s nowhere else in the world with so many temple trees, popular shade trees, historical marker trees, and trees used as business locations. The Hindu and Sikh religions, especially, recognize many famous trees. Trees are used as landmarks and reminders of events, and are often planted by dignitaries to mark special occasions.

See the post on Matador for descriptions of the trees Bar-Ness visited on the “pilgrimage” and some truly amazing photography.

If you want to follow in his footsteps, you’ll need to apply for a passport and an Indian visa. India doesn’t do visas on arrival, so you’ll need to apply for your Indian visa in advance and have it in hand before you leave the states. See Indian Visa Requirements for Tourists for details on what documents you’ll need and how to apply.

If you’d like help applying for your visa, RushMyTravelVisa can assist you. We’ll take a look at your itinerary to make sure that you know which documents are needed for your trip and don’t run into any nasty surprises along the way. We’ll also help you with the visa paperwork, answering your questions and helping to catch mistakes that could delay your application. Then, we’ll deliver your Indian visa application to the appropriate embassy or consulate for the fastest possible processing.

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1. The Taj Mahal

India’s most famous building, the Taj Mahal is practically the national symbol. Built by an emperor to immortalize his beloved wife, the Taj never fails to impress.

2. Indian Food

So much more than just curry, Indian food has countless regional variations, all of them delicious.

3. Goa

This countercultural playground is known for more than just its beach parties-the beaches themselves are stunning and the region’s rich history makes for interesting excursions.

4. Khajuraho

Khajuraho is best known for the gorgeous statues that decorate its three groups of temples. Be forewarned-although many of the sculptures depict scenes from the lives of ordinary people, some of them are most definitely NSFW!

5. Elephanta Caves

Thousands of years ago, on an island in the ocean to the east of Mumbai, unknown builders carved a series of Hindu and Buddhist caves into the rock. The caves fell into ruin after the Portuguese took over the region, but they have since been restored and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Gorgeous, intricate carvings and impressive rock-hewn architecture make these caves a must-see while you are in India.

If you are a US citizen, you will need both your US passport and an Indian visa to visit the country.   You must apply for your  Indian visa ahead of time, as visas on arrival are not permitted.  For more information on what you need to get your visa, check out Indian Visa Requirements for Tourists.

RushMyTravelVisa can make applying for your visa much faster and more convenient. Let us help you expedite your Indian visa application today!

For example, you can go paragliding, skiing or whitewater rafting in Manali, located in the north of the country, or go for a hike off the beaten path in Leh and Ladakh. Nainital is a great place for boating, horseback riding and rock climbing. Goa is an excellent place for water-based adventures, such as parasailing, waterskiing and scuba diving. There are also dolphin watching tours and something called a “crocodile tour.”

If you’re planning a trip to India, it’s essential to have the correct travel documents in hand before you leave the US.  If you’re an American citizen, that means you need your passport and an Indian visa. You must apply for your Indian visa in advance, as India does not issue visas on arrival. Here’s what you need to apply:

• Your US passport
• 2 recent passport-sized photos, taken within the past 6 months.  If you wear glasses, take them off for the photos. The Indian Embassy wants to see those dreamboat eyes of yours!
• A completed Indian visa application form. Write legibly and proofread the application carefully before you turn it in.  Write“tourism” in the section that asks you to state why you are traveling to India.
• A copy of your plane tickets or your itinerary.
• India has a jurisdictional visa system, which means that each embassy handles applications for a different part of the US, and you must submit your Indian visa application to the embassy or consulate that serves your home address. So, you must also include a legible copy of your driver’s license or a utility bill showing your name and address.
• A copy of your birth certificate

RushMyTravelVisa makes the process of getting an Indian visa quicker and easier. We walk you through the application process, step by step, and deliver your Indian visa paperwork to the appropriate embassy or consulate for the fastest processing available.

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“Look! Brahmins and chumars, bankers and tinkers, barbers and bunnias, pilgrims -and potters – all the world going and coming. It is to me as a river from which I am withdrawn like a log after a flood. And truly the Grand Trunk Road is a wonderful spectacle. It runs straight, bearing without crowding India’s traffic for fifteen hundred miles – such a river of life as nowhere else exists in the world.”

Winding 2,500 kilometers from Bangladesh, through India and into Pakistan, the road passes a variety of interesting destinations of cultural, historic and religious significance, including the Taj Mahal and the city of Varanasi, where Hindi pilgrims come to die beside the holy Ganges river and to have their ashes scattered in the water.

You can drive the Grand Trunk Road yourself,  hire a car and driver, book a tour, or even cycle it.  However, driving/cycling on the Grand Trunk Road is not for the faint of heart.  World Hum travel writer Jeffery Tayler, who cycled the road in 2009, observed that “For these drivers, cows alone were sacred.”

To travel the Indian portion of the Grand Trunk road, you will need an Indian visa.  To get one, you need the following documents:

• Your US passport
• 2 recent passport-sized photos, taken within the past 6 months.  If you wear glasses, take them off for the photos.
• A completed Indian visa application form. Write legibly and proofread the application carefully before you turn it in.  Write“tourism” in the section that asks you to state why you are traveling to India.
• A copy of your plane tickets or your itinerary.
• India has a jurisdictional visa system, which means that each embassy handles applications for a different part of the US, and you must submit your Indian visa application to the embassy or consulate that serves your home address. So, you must also include a legible copy of your driver’s license or a utility bill showing your name and address.
• A copy of your birth certificate

RushMyTravelVisa.com makes applying for your Indian visa easy and fast. Apply with us today!

Crystal-clear sea and dazzling white sand are the main attractions here. However, Goa, which was originally a Portuguese colony, has a rich and interesting history that shines through in its architecture, food and culture.

Starting in the ’60s and ’70s, Goa became a destination of choice for hippies and other counterculture types. Open-air beach parties and raves that last all night are still quite common.

Necessities for visiting Goa include sunscreen, swimsuits and an Indian visa. Visas are required and you must apply for yours ahead of time. Indian visa applications must be submitted to the Indian embassy or consulate that handles visas for your home address.  You will need the following documents to apply:

• Your US passport
• 2 recent passport-sized photos. Eyeglasses are not permitted in the photos and they must have been taken within the past 6 months.
• A completed Indian visa application form. To ensure that your application is accepted, write neatly and look over the application carefully to catch mistakes.  Also, make sure that you enter in “tourism” in the section that asks you to state why you are traveling to India- “lounging on a beach” is not an acceptable answer!
• A copy of your plane tickets or your itinerary.
• A legible copy of your driver’s license or  a utility bill showing your name and address.
• A copy of your birth certificate

RushMyTravelVisa can make the process of applying for an Indian visa faster and more convenient. We walk you through the application process, step by step, helping you avoid common mistakes that could hold up your visa application.

Apply for your Indian visa today!

]]> http://www.rushmytravelvisa.com/blog/2010/05/indian-visa-requirements-to-visit-goa/feed/ 0 http://www.rushmytravelvisa.com/blog/2010/05/india-visa-requirements-to-visit-kaziranga-national-park/ http://www.rushmytravelvisa.com/blog/2010/05/india-visa-requirements-to-visit-kaziranga-national-park/#comments Sat, 01 May 2010 17:34:35 +0000 admin http://www.rushmytravelvisa.com/blog/?p=593 Tucked away in the Indian state of Assam, the Bengal tiger is making what could be its last stand in Kaziranga National Park.  Scientists studying the tigers there have shown that Kaziranga has the highest density of wild tigers in the world: 32.64 per 100 square kilometers (h/t Gadling).   There are only about 1,300 and 1,500 Bengal tigers left in the wild, and according to Wikipedia, over the past 100 years their population has declined by 90%.

Kaziranga National Park is open to tourists. You can see the interior via a guided tour in a jeep, four-wheeler or on top of an elephant. Hiking in the park is strictly forbidden for reasons that should be obvious: There are many tigers in the park, and they are all faster than you.

Almost every decent-sized zoo in the US has a tiger exhibit. However, if you want to see these creatures in their natural habitat,  you need an Indian visa. Here’s a list of what you should have on hand when you submit your application:

• Your US passport
• 2 recent passport-sized photos, taken within the past 6 months. You may not wear glasses for the photos.
• A completed Indian visa application form. Write legibly and proofread the application to catch mistakes before you submit it.  Make sure that you enter in “tourism” in the section that asks you to state why you are traveling to India, not “to visit Kaziranga National Park.”
• A copy of your plane tickets or your itinerary.
• A legible copy of your driver’s license or  a utility bill showing your name and address.
• A copy of your birth certificate

India has a jurisdictional visa system, which means that each embassy handles applications for a different part of the US, and you must submit your Indian visa application to the embassy or consulate that serves your home address.

RushMyTravelVisa makes it a piece of cake to get an Indian visa. We help you with the application, providing you with clear, easy-to-follow instructions that help you avoid common mistakes. Then, we submit the application to the right embassy or consulate for the fastest processing possible.

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Foreign tourism has long been an important part of the Kashmiri economy. According to the Independent, in 1989 there were 100,000 foreign visitors. However,  a violent insurgency and India’s military response to it made the area increasingly unattractive to tourists starting in the 1990’s, and in 2008 only 25,000 were intrepid enough to venture into the region.

Even so, according to this press release, approximately 60% of Kashmir’s revenue comes from tourism.  In 2004, India and Pakistan began working toward peace in the region, and the amount of violence has plummeted. Opening the peaks is seen as a way to bring back foreign visitors now that the area has become safer.

Nawang Rigzin Jora, Kashmir’s tourism minister, described the details of the plan to Reuters:

“This summer 104 peaks in Ladakh region will open for trekking and expeditions which would pave the way for adventure tourism and attract foreign tourists in a big way. The situation is fast improving in the state and tourism is picking up, we hope a very good (tourist) season ahead.”

Should you go? Well, it depends on how much risk you feel comfortable assuming.  The situation may have improved, but peace in the area remains elusive. The Reuters article ends with a cautionary quote from  a local tour guide: “Kashmir is unpredictable, violence can break out any time.”

Getting an Indian Visa

If you do decide to go explore one of the newly opened peaks, you will need to apply for an Indian visa before your trip. Here’s a list of what you’ll need to apply for one:

• Your US passport
• 2 recent passport-sized photos, taken within the past 6 months. You may not wear glasses for the photos.
• A completed Indian visa application form. Write legibly and proofread the application to catch mistakes before you submit it.  Make sure that you enter in “tourism” in the section that asks you to state why you are traveling to India.
• A copy of your plane tickets or your itinerary.
• A legible copy of your driver’s license or  a utility bill showing your name and address.
• A copy of your birth certificate

India has a jurisdictional visa system, which means that each embassy handles applications for a different part of the US, and you must submit your Indian visa application to the embassy or consulate that serves your home address.

RushMyTravelVisa makes getting an Indian visa faster and less stressful. When you apply through us, you get personal assistance from a visa specialist and easy-to-follow instructions. Then, we submit your application to the appropriate embassy or consulate for the fastest possible processing.

Apply for your Indian visa today!

Since the cost of advanced medical care is often much lower in other countries,  medical tourism can offer tremendous savings for certain procedures, even when you factor in the cost of airfare and lodging .

India is one of the fastest-growing centers of medical tourism. Wikipedia outlines the advantages:

Most estimates claim treatment costs in India start at around a tenth of the price of comparable treatment in America or Britain.[7][76] The most popular treatments sought in India by medical tourists are alternative medicine, bone-marrow transplant, cardiac bypass surgery, eye surgery and orthopedic surgery. India is known in particular for heart surgery, hip resurfacing and other areas of advanced medicine.

Due to these advantages, the medical tourism market in India is projected to grow at a rate of approximately 30% per year.

What are the cons of medical tourism?  First of all, international flights are long and international travel can be stressful, which may be detrimental to patients who have certain conditions. Also, patients traveling to other countries may be afflicted with illnesses, particularly intestinal illnesses, that the have no immunity to.

Finally, quality of care can vary.  India has some excellent doctors and hospitals, but it’s important to research the facility and the doctors before you go. Also, understand what your options are if something goes wrong with the treatment-patients traveling overseas for care tend to have fewer legal remedies at their disposal if something goes awry.

One way to help decrease the chances of problems is to look for a facility that has been certified by one of the following organizations:

• Accreditation Canada
• Joint Commission International (JCI)
• Trent International Accreditation Scheme

If you are planning to travel to India specifically for the purpose of getting medical care, you need a medical visa.  Indian visa requirements for patients seeking care are different than the standard Indian visa requirements for tourists.  Here’s what you will need:

• 1 completed Indian visa application form
• 2 passport photos
• Proof of address, such as a clear copy of your driver’s license
• A  medical certificate, a certificate of preliminary advice from a US doctor advising what type of treatment you will need while in India.
• A copy of your birth certificate. If you were not born in the US or India and your birth certificate is not in English, you  need an English translation of your birth certificate OR another government document that has your parents’ names, your name, your birthdate and your nationality. If you are sending in a translation of an original document, the translation must be notarized.

Of course, you don’t want to travel alone overseas when you are sick. If you are traveling on an Indian medical visa, up to 2 attendants who are blood relatives can accompany you.

An medical visa for India is valid for either  1 year or the duration of your treatment, whichever is shorter.

RushmyTravelVisa.com makes it easy to apply for an Indian visa. We provide assistance with the application to help prevent common mistakes that can slow down the issuance of your visa. Then, we deliver your application to the correct embassy or consulate for the fastest processing available.

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According to Wikipedia, 5 million foreign tourists travel to India each year. The amount of money that tourism pumps into the Indian economy is expected to grow 9.4% each year between now and 2018, leading the World Travel and Tourism Council to call India a “tourism hotspot.”

American citizens visiting India for tourism are required to carry both a valid passport and an Indian tourist visa.  You need to apply ahead of time for the visa, as you won’t be allowed to travel or enter India without it.  Here are the documents you’ll need when you apply:

• Your US passport
• 2 recent passport-sized photos, taken within the past 6 months. You may not wear glasses for the photos.
• A completed Indian visa application form. To ensure that your visa application is approved, write clearly and proofread the application carefully for mistakes.  Make sure that you enter in “tourism” in the section that asks you to state why you are traveling to India.
• A photocopy of your plane tickets or your itinerary.
• A legible copy of your driver’s license or  a utility bill showing your name and address.
• A copy of your birth certificate

India’s visa system is jurisdictional, so you must submit your Indian visa application to the embassy or consulate that serves your home address.

RushMyTravelVisa.com can help you get an Indian tourist visa easily and quickly. We’ll assist you with the necessary paperwork and submit your visa application to the appropriate embassy or consulate for super-fast processing.

Apply for your Indian visa today!