Do I need a visa?

Yes, you’ll need a visa before you land! Get it 30 days or less prior to your arrival date, and no less than 4 days before. Check out Visas page for info. We recommend signing up for Whatsapp reminders to stay up to date on these sorts of deadlines.

Do I need cash?

India is mostly a cash based society, so yes, you’ll need cash. In larger malls/restaurants, hotels, or on apps on your phone (e.g. Uber), your card will work. We’d also recommend setting up google pay on your phone browser as a backup. Here are some ground rules/suggestions.

• You typically can’t get rupees outside India

• Foreign nationals can’t bring rupees

• Bring USD cash ($5,000 limit per person) and exchange at the airport (10–30% markup)

• Or exchange at a city “Forex” (foreign exchange) for better rates

• ATMs at airport/banks work too, but usually limit ₹10,000-₹20,000 per withdrawal

• Expect to spend approx. ₹3,000–5,000 cash per person, per day when sight-seeing

What can and can’t I eat? How about drinks? Do I need vaccines?

All general India travel questions are answered on India 101.

We can’t tell you what vaccines to get because we are not doctors! But we can tell you what we’ve done in the past — everyone’s experiences and risk tolerances are personal though and you should do what you feel most comfortable with. Family doctors have recommended typhoid vaccine but to be honest we haven’t gotten around to it every trip. We haven’t been recommended or used malaria prophylaxis. The biggest tip we can give you is avoid ice & tap water at all costs.

How about water consumption at the wedding then?

Malhar Machi & Savya Rasa use reverse osmosis filtered water in all cooking & ice. We’ll stock every villa with lots of extra water and have extra at the resort as well. Essentially, everything you will consume at wedding events will be safe in terms of water.

Where will guests be staying throughout the wedding?

• All guests will have a villa at Malhar Machi (venue) or Jalshrushti (sister resort) from Oct 27–29.

• Please plan to arrive in Pune on Oct 26 so you can easily take our provided transport.

• If you’re not staying with friends/family that night, reserve a room in our hotel block.

• You will receive your room assignment at welcome dinner.

How will we get from Bombay to Pune, or from Pune to the wedding venue and vice versa?

In & out of the wedding we will definitely provide or help with transport. Check out the Ground Transportation to see what option will work for you.

What should I wear to the wedding? What about traveling through India?

See our outfit guide for advice. Generally speaking, you’ll need 3 outfits for the wedding (welcome dinner, mehndi/sangeet, & wedding). You don’t have to wear Indian clothes. Rule of thumb is to dress somewhat modestly all throughout India. Sneakers and sandals work great for sightseeing.

Do we need to rent a car?

We absolutely do not recommend renting a car in India. Plan on hiring private drivers throughout your trip. For tour based sight seeing, check out well-reviewed travel companies on TripAdvisor or Viator, those are usually our go to’s. Cities are generally walkable though.

Why can’t I just go directly to the venue from the airport?

We recommend against this due to the venue’s remote nature. For example, if the car breaks down and your driver speaks limited English there are not a lot of resources around. Please try your best to take our provided transport to and from the venue.

Will meals be provided?

Yes! Starting 10/26 dinner onwards, all meals are offered.

Should I tip?

India doesn’t have as strong of a tipping culture as the US. If you visit a religious/auspicious site, something small (10 rupees) could be expected. For other services, we tend to leave around a 5-10% tip.

Do you know anything about “Hotel X” in Mumbai? Where do I stay in Delhi?

We haven’t memorized every corner of India 🙂 For the non-wedding parts of your trip, we suggest planning the way you normally would—Google, Google reviews, ChatGPT, and travel sites are your friends. “India 101” and this FAQ will cover the day-to-day basics. For ideas on what to see, you can check out the Domestic Travel page. We are a bit more familiar with Mumbai and Pune though, and created dedicated pages with recommendations.

What airport should I fly into?

BOM or PNQ depending on where you’re coming from. See the travel details for more info on booking flights.