The conference will have sealed water bottles. When travelling outside, you can buy these bottles, they are ubiquitous and affordable. You may also want to carry a water bottle.
Other than your regular supply that you carry on your travel, you should pack analgesics, mosquito repellant, and antacids (in case you find the food upsetting someday!).
You can use Uber or Ola services to get a ride. You can also ask the hotel to book you a vehicle. If your credit card is enabled for international transactions and you have added it as a payment method in the app, then the payment will be seamless. Otherwise, make sure you have cash to pay the cab driver (which they anyway prefer over automatic payments to Uber or Ola!).
There are private hospitals near the conference area and where you are likely staying (Continental Hospital and AIG). You may want to make sure with your insurance provider that these hospitals are ok with your insurance. Your hotel will be able to call emergency services for you in case you need it.
Yes, buying an insurance is highly recommended.
Welcome to India, you will have a great time here! If possible, plan to stay a few days before or after the conference so that you can enjoy the culture and hospitality of the place. Read our Pre-arrival checklist for International Participants.
You will find many good articles for first time visitors, here are a couple: Visagov, Lonely Planet. Do drop us a note help@comped.acm.org if you have specific queries or you want ideas!
A local SIM card can give you a local number and high speed internet at an affordable price, so you should consider getting one. However, you need an unlocked phone which can take a sim card. If you plan to procure a SIM card here and you don’t carry an unlocked phone, make sure you visit your local provider and get it unlocked before you travel. These links (here and here) have good details.
Roads in Hyderabad are not pedestrian-friendly. Unless you have done it before, we strongly advise you not to walk to the venue. You can get an Uber or a 3-wheeler (called Auto locally, Auto rickshaw) even for a very short distance. Facilities page has more details.
Auto rickshaw: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_rickshaw
What is an Auto?
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Power supply to power sockets in India is AC 230 V, 60 Hz. Make sure that your device and the power cable can handle this, most laptop adapters are designed to handle worldwide voltage range (100V to 230V) so they should be fine, but do check to be sure.
You will need adapters so that your device cables can plug into the sockets you will see in India. You should be able to find them in most retailers who carry travel accessories or order online.
Also, keep in mind that USB port are not very common in India on wall panels, so do carry an socket.
If you do forget carrying them, you can buy them in local shop when you land.
Any one of the following should work for you:
- Check with your hotel, they may offer a pick-up service. For people who have filled the arrival information form, CompEd volunteers are ensuring their pick up from hotel (or otherwise) is confirmed.
- Your Uber app will work seamlessly here, just book a cab to your location and follow the signs to Uber cabs when you exit. Make sure you have enabled your credit card (that you have set up on your Uber account) for international charge. However, sometimes Uber driver may insist on getting paid directly and not via Uber. So check before you get on the cab. Carrying cash in such situations is a good idea, see Do I need to carry cash with me?
- There will be a helpdesk at the airport manned by CompEd volunteers who can help you book local cab to your hotel.
- If you are coming at an odd time (late night or early morning), or for any other reason you need pre-booked taxi, definitely ensure you have completed the arrival information form.
This is highly advisable. However, this is likely to be expensive, so if you have an option for pay-per-use, take that so that you can use it in emergency. For regular usage, our advice is to get local SIM card which provides voice and data access. See Should I get a local SIM card while I am in India?
If you are going to land in Hyderabad with neither your data plan or international roaming, please make sure you have the pick-up confirmed and have the details with you. Do carry the local number of our volunteers or conference committee members for emergency, and try to carry cash. See Do I need to carry cash with me?
Yes, mosquitos can be a problem when you are outdoors, esp. evenings. If you are not used to tropical weather, you may do well to take a few precautions:
- Avoid staying outdoors after dark
- Carry mosquito repellants with you. If you haven’t used them before, do procure them a few days early and try them on your skin to ensure you are not allergic or anything. You can also buy them here if needed.
- Keep your body covered – long-sleeved dresses, trousers, socks and shoes, etc. will help.
If this is your first time in India, you may be surprised by the number of stray dogs around you! They are harmless in most cases. You will find many of them in the IIITH campus as well.
It is a good idea to take some precautions:
- Avoid walking alone in the dark on streets that may have stray dogs.
- Do not feed them or pet them unless you are will someone who is familiar with them
The best way of accessing cash in India is to withdraw it from any local ATM using your bank debit card, as long as it has Visa or Mastercard logo (a few other logo are also supported by ATMs). It will attract some additional charges for international access and currency conversion charges, but it is hassle-free. Please review Facilities page for more details.
Most businesses will accept debit and credit cards (American Express cards have much less acceptance than Visa and Mastercard) so you do not need to carry cash in most cases.
Carrying USD 50 worth of cash (INR 4000) at all times should be good enough for most eventualities.
The airport has money exchange counters. Additionally, some hotels also do, check with the hotel you are staying in. There are foreign exchange services nearby as well (Thomas Cook for example). Please review Facilities page for more details.
Also see Do I need to carry cash with me?