2016
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Hidden India

13 Royal Hotels In India that were Palaces

After India gained Independence, several royal families living in their palaces started selling off or leasing their property to hotel chains in order to earn a living since monarchy was on its way out.Read More Stay connected across India.Getting an e-Visa will also help you to get Trabug.Trabug is a unique solution. It provides you a high-end smartphone and 4G SIM card with unlimited data. All the information about localised services is preloaded and it is delivered at your doorstep anywhere in India. For a better travelling experience get Trabug. Review from a happy customer “I recently used Trabug during my stay in India. I was impressed by the quality of service provided. The staff was very professional and helpful. They answered every question I had literally within minutes. And the phone/internet service they provided was very fast and reliable. I experienced no glitches whatsoever. For me it’s the perfect solution for travelers to India. The phone they provided had some very helpful apps for travelers. Thanks again for the great experience! I will use it again in the future.” Thomas Kleinschmidt Germany You might also want to read these: Comparison of costs of Medical treatments in USA and India Goa: The Portuguese Shangri-La 20 reasons why you should get TrabugTrabug Facebook Reviews

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Comparison of plans

India Offering Free SIM Cards for Foreign Tourists on Arrival

India is a popular tourist destination and ranked 40th in 2016 amongst the most visited countries in the world. In Jan 2017, the Indian government took an initiative to distribute free SIM cards to foreign tourists on the airport. This SIM can be acquired by showing your e-VISA. It is a relief for the tourists as getting a local connection can be quite a daunting task. Though this is a really good initiative, the service does not appear to be functional. Trabug is not just a SIM card but a Travel phone specially designed for foreign travellers coming to India. It comes with a 4G connection and you save you more than 70% on International roaming with Trabug. Here is a quick comparison of the Free Goverment SIM card and Trabug: FREE SIM CARD TRABUG SIM CARD The Indian Government is providing a BSNL SIM card which has a very limited network. Trabug provides a SIM card that has very good coverage across India. PHONE In case your phone is locked or the SIM is not compatible with your phone, you will have to buy a new phone. You do not have to invest in a new phone, as the Trabug rental plan includes a high-end smartphone. DATA BSNL’s Data speed is typically like a slow 3G connection. The SIM comes with 50 MB of data and top-ups need to be purchased through stores. Trabug provides a high speed 4G connection and can be used as a Wifi hotspot to tether your own laptop or phone. Top-ups can be easily availed right from the Trabug phone! DOCUMENTS E-Visa is mandatory. E-visa is not mandatory but preferred. AVAILABILITY Unknown. While it should be available at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (exclusively), we can’t find any instances of people actually having gotten one yet. Trabug has India service. Delivery and Pickup is done anywhere in India and at no extra cost. VALIDITY Validity period of SIM card is of 30 days only. Validity period of SIM card is up to 80 days. REVIEWS None. There don’t seem to be any online review of people actually having gotten it. We have a lot more to offer to our many happy customers from around the world.Read Trabug Reviews For now it seems clear that you can not depend on the Free SIM card for your next visit to India. Reviews by few Travellers: “i landed in Delhi last week on a e-tourist visa. no sim card was handed to me. When i asked about it i was curtly told “you have to buy one”Scutineer44, Pasco Washington at TripAdvisor.com “There were no free sim cards that we could find and people in India did not seem to know anything about that.” Sonnypsych, Bradenton at TripAdvisor.com Book Trabug even before you arrive and travel hassle free.

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Comparison of PlansInternational Roaming

Compare International Roaming Plan by AT&T and Trabug for India

If you are an AT&T user and thinking of opting for AT&T’s international travel plan for your next visit to India from USA, then you are about to dig a hole in your pocket. International roaming plans are very expensive and getting a local Sim Card after arriving in India can take a lot of time.Don’t be sad because there is a solution which will save you time and money both. What is the solution?Trabug. It is India’s First travel phone specially designed for foreign travellers coming to India and also comes with a 4G connection. You can avail this service on rental basis and save more than 70 percent on International roaming. Delivery and Pickup of Trabug Pack is done anywhere in India and that too at no extra cost. Here is a short comparison between AT&T’s International Roaming plans and Trabug: Table 1: AT&T (pay per use) Charges AT&T Calling $3/min Text Message $0.50/text Picture and Video message $1.3 each Data Charges $2.05/MB Table 2: AT&T v/s Trabug’s Flexi Plan AT&T 2000 MB 4G data $4100 30 International calling minutes $90 50 India Text message $25 125 mins. India Calling $375 TOTAL >$4500 Table 3: AT&T passport v/s Trabug’s Power Plan

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India Sim card

Visit India in October and Indulge in the Festival Mood

When’s the most wonderful time of the year to visit India? Right now! The period from October-March is when India cools down – literally. Most of the country experiences mild and dry weather at this time of year. Although the Northern and Eastern parts of the country can see some intense cold and fog in December and January, the South and the West enjoy warm days and pleasant evenings. Between October and February, India celebrates one festival after another. October begins with a national holiday – Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday, on the 2nd of the month. RamleelaThe festive season proper begins with the Ramleela – the story of Lord Ram, which is enacted by local performers all over India from mid-September till mid-October. One of the oldest and most well-known Ramleelas has been running near the city of Varanasi for centuries – in Ramnagar, on the banks of the River Ganges. Make a plan to immerse yourself in the magic of the Ramleela right HERE. Navratri & DussehraNavratri, is a nine-day festival that celebrates the Mother Goddess in all her avatars and manifestations, in the form of Ma Durga, Ma Lakshmi and Ma Saraswati. The festival is observed by devout Hindus all over India, who abstain from alcohol and avoid non-vegetarian food during this period. Some people fast during the daytime and then feast after sunset. On the tenth day, the festival ends with Dussehra – a day which celebrates the victory of good over evil. On this day, Lord Ram is said to have slain the evil demon king Ravana. Giant effigies of Ravana and his brothers are burnt, and firecrackers are burst.

Knowledge

Eligibility & Documentation for e-Visa

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA International travellers whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation, sight seeing, casual visit to meet friends or relatives, short duration medical treatment or casual business visit can apply for e-VISA. The tourist’s passport should have at least six months validity from the date of arrival in India. The passport should have at least two blank pages for stamping by the Immigration Officer. The traveller should have return ticket or onward journey ticket, with sufficient money to spend during his/her stay in India. This facility is NOT available to travellers having passport issued in Pakistan or whose origin is Pakistan. This facility is NOT available to Diplomatic/Official Passport Holders. This facility is NOT available to individuals endorsed on Parent’s/Spouse’s Passport i.e. each individual tourist should have a separate passport. This facility is NOT available to International Travel Document Holders. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR e-TOURIST VISA (eTV) ARE Scanned copy of information page of your passport in PDF format.The size of the scan has to be between 10 KB and 300 KB.Digital passport style photograph with the following requirements:Format - JPEGSize of the JPEG has to be between 10 KB and 1 MB.The height and width of the Photo must be equal - it has to be a square photo.Photo should present full face, front view with open eyes.Center head within frame and present full head from top of hair to bottom of chin.Background should be plain, light colored or white background.No shadows on the face or on the background.The photograph has to be without borders. Application PDF (which you can fill out from the Online Order Form. You will need to type your answers, save the PDF and upload it to the form.) Stay connected across India.Getting an e-Visa will also help you to get Trabug.Trabug is a unique solution. It provides you a high-end smartphone and 4G SIM card with unlimited data. All the information about localised services is preloaded and it is delivered at your doorstep anywhere in India. For a better travelling experience get Trabug. Review from a happy customer “We had a wonderful experience with Trabug. The customer service was a minimum 5 stars as we received immediate replies to our questions and tech support if there was a problem - which was mostly user error on my part. Trabug saved us the hassle and inconvenience of trying to obtain a sim card on our own, the phone was waiting for us when we checked into our hotel, and better yet - we were able to work whenever we needed to. We would use them again if we return to India and I would highly recommend Trabug.” KimDon Greene U.S.A.

Great Notes & Important Instruction for e-Tourist Visa (eTV)

Instruction for e-Tourist Visa Applicants of the eligible countries/territories can apply online between 4 days to 30 days in advance of the date of arrival into India. Example : If you are applying on 1st April, then applicant can select arrival date from 5th April to 4th May. Recent front facing photograph with white background and photo page of Passport containing personal details like name, date of birth, nationality , expiry date etc. to be uploaded by the applicant. The application may be rejected if the uploaded document/s and photograph are not clear / as per specification. eTV fee once submitted is non-refundable as the fee is for processing of the application and is not dependent on either Grant or Rejection status of VISA. Applicant should carry a copy of eTV along with him/her at the time of travel. Biometric details of the applicant will be captured at Immigration area, on arrival in India. The validity of VISA will be 30 days from the date of arrival in India. eTV is valid for entry through 16 designated Airports i.e. Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Gaya, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Tiruchirapalli, Trivandrum & Varanasi. However, the foreigner can take exit from any of the authorized Immigration Check Posts (ICPs) in India. This facility is in addition to the existing VISA services. e-Tourist VISA (eTV) is allowed for a maximum of two visits in a calendar year. e-Tourist VISA (eTV) once issued on arrival is Only single entry, non-extendable, non-convertible & not valid for visiting Protected/Restricted and Cantonment Areas. Applicants can track the status of their application online by clicking VISA status. Nationals of Yellow Fever affected countries must carry YELLOW FEVER VACCINATION CARD at the time of arrival in India, otherwise they may be quarantined for 6 days upon arrival in India. Please visit our Ministry Of Health & Family Welfare latest guidelines regarding yellow fever countries here. The eTV fees are divided into four slabs of ZERO, US$25, US$48 and US$60, depending on nationality, plus a bank fee of 2.5% of the visa fee. Citizens of the following countries do not pay a visa fee — Afghanistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, DPR Korea, Jamaica, Maldives, Mauritius, Mongolia, Seychelles (up to 3 months), South Africa and Uruguay The fee must be paid at least 4 days before the expected date of travel otherwise application will not be processed. Some tips for regarding payment of fees: Be careful while making payment of the eTV fee. If the number of unsuccessful attempts is more than three (03), then the Application ID would be blocked and the applicant would be required to apply afresh by filling the application form again and regenerating a new Application ID. The VISA fee payment status updation may take up to 2 hours due to technical reasons/network delays. Applicants are advised to wait for 2 hours before payment of VISA fee again. In cases, where VISA fee has been deducted but status is not updated, the applicants are advised to verify their payment status by clicking on ‘Verify Payment/Pay VISA Fee’ tab or by clicking on the link Verify Payment. Before re-applying, the applicants are requested to wait for 4 hours for payment status updating, after final submission of the application form and payment of the fee. The payment status updating may take up to 4 hours Stay connected across India.Getting an e-Visa will also help you to get Trabug.Trabug is a unique solution. It provides you a high-end smartphone and 4G SIM card with unlimited data. All the information about localised services is preloaded and it is delivered at your doorstep anywhere in India. For a better travelling experience get Trabug. For any assistance, call 24 * 7 VISA support center at +91-11-24300666 or send an email to indiatvoa@gov.in While getting a VISA is now easier, getting a mobile connection in India still requires a lot of paperwork and time. If you prefer to do things online, check out our travel offerings at Trabug. We provide a smartphone loaded with helpful travel information and services, bundled with voice and a 4G data plan to keep you connected. If you want to know more, read about 20 ways in which Trabug can benefit you. Review from a happy customer “We had a good time in India. Your service really helped us. I will contact you when I need in future.” Navanee United Kingdom You might also want to read these:

How to get e-Tourist VISA for travel to India

India has recently allowed citizens of certain countries to apply for an Indian VISA from the comfort of their own homes. This e-Tourist VISA or eTV allows short term travellers to get an Indian VISA quickly, with all submissions like documents, photographs and payment being online. Below is everything you need to know about when applying for an Indian e-Tourist VISA. e-Tourist VISA is available for citizens of the following countries/territories Albania Andorra Anguilla Antigua & Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Bahamas Barbados Belgium Belize Bolivia Bosnia & Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Cambodia Canada Cape Verde Cayman Island Chile China China- SAR Hongkong China- SAR Macau Colombia Comoros Cook Islands Costa Rica Cote d’lvoire Croatia Cuba Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador El Salvador Eritrea Estonia Fiji Finland France Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland Indonesia Ireland Israel Jamaica Japan Jordan Kenya Kiribati Laos Latvia Lesotho Liberia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Malta Marshall Islands Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niue Island Norway Oman Palau Palestine Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Republic of Korea Republic of Macedonia Romania Russia Saint Christopher and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent & the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Senegal Serbia Seychelles Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Tonga Trinidad & Tobago Turks & Caicos Island Tuvalu UAE Ukraine United Kingdom Uruguay USA Vanuatu Vatican City-Holy See Venezuela Vietnam Zambia and Zimbabwe Stay connected across India.Getting an e-Visa will also help you to get Trabug.Trabug is a unique solution. It provides you a high-end smartphone and 4G SIM card with unlimited data. All the information about localised services is preloaded and it is delivered at your doorstep anywhere in India. For a better travelling experience get Trabug. Review from a happy customer “I thought your service was very good and efficient and I will be sure to recommend it to my friends and colleagues” Cherry Jordan United Kingdom You might also want to read these: Check Eligibility for e-Visa Buying A SIM card in India 20 Reasons why you should get TrabugTrabug Facebook Reviews

Useful Information

How to get an e-Visa for India?

Do I need a VISA for India? This must have been your first thought while considering your trip to India. Well, yes you do and here’s how to get one. Can you apply for indian visa online?Yes, you can! India has recently allowed citizens of certain countries to apply for e VISA for india from the comfort of their own homes through the government of india online visa website (https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/) This e-Tourist VISA or eTV India allows short term travellers to get an Indian tourist VISA quickly, with all submissions like documents, photographs and payment being online. Here’s what you need to know as per the VISA Policy of India! ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA International travellers whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation, sightseeing, casual visit to meet friends or relatives, short duration medical treatment or casual business visit can apply for e-VISA India. The tourist’s passport should have at least six months validity from the date of arrival in India. The passport should have at least two blank pages for stamping by the Immigration Officer. The traveller should have return ticket or onward journey ticket, with sufficient money to spend during his/her stay in India. This facility is NOT available to travellers having passport issued in Pakistan or whose origin is Pakistan. This facility is NOT available to Diplomatic/Official Passport Holders. This facility is NOT available to individuals endorsed on Parent’s/Spouse’s Passport i.e. each individual tourist should have a separate passport. This facility is NOT available to International Travel Document Holders. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR e-TOURIST VISA (eTV) APPLICATION ARE Scanned copy of information page of your passport in PDF format.The size of the scan has to be between 10 KB and 300 KB. Digital passport style photograph with the following requirements: Format - JPEG, Size: between 10 KB and 1 MB, The height and width of the photo must be equal that is it has to be a square photo. Photo should present full face, front view with open eyes. Center head within frame and present full head from top of hair to bottom of chin. Background should be plain, light colored or white background. No shadows on the face or on the background. The photograph has to be without borders. Application PDF (which you can fill out from the Online Order Form. You will need to type your answers, save the PDF and upload it to the form.) MORE INFORMATION AND FAQs