Using etourist visa for India and things to note from my experience

Just a short additional post on my recent trip to India to provide some additional tips to using the e-Tourist Visa.

Do I need a visa to enter India? 

Singaporeans, yes you need a visa to enter India.

An eTV should be your last option

An etourist visa or eTV should be your last choice due to the higher cost involved. For my case, I needed the visa quite urgently, and I did not have the luxury of putting my passport with the local travel agency for a few days , and thus am somewhat grateful that there is this last minute option.

How to apply

• Go to the website https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html and click the link on the word "Apply Online"
• The website is very clear on what you need to do. Follow the instructions and it should take you 30mins to fill up the required info. 

Take note

• You need to have 6 months validity remaining
• Have your pic in jpg and passport in jpg ready
• Know which airport you are going
• Allow 4 days for approval 
• Print out the approval paper (will be emailed to you) and bring along with you on your trip

For bangalore: When you reach the airport, go to the counter that says etourist visa. It is right before immigration and you can't miss it. Do not join the immigration queue.

Friends who have been to the other airports, share your experience!

Hope this is useful for you 

EUFASS

Bangalore taxi review: from airport to hotel, within city, from hotel to airport

Even though my trip to Bangalore was a short one, I took quite a number of taxis to different destinations. There are quite a few choices, and my feedback on my experience with them is below.

Mega cab: 

Good: Took this cab from airport to my hotel. Ride is smooth and good service (driver checks in to make sure you are comfy). 

Bad: However he took me to the wrong citadine (he heard citadel). I learnt that in India, always state the area you are going to, and name some landmarks. Confirm that the driver knows where he is going.

Verdict: Took me 45mins- 1hr to reach mu hotel, cost me 830 rupees + 120 rupees toll charge. Will still go with mega again, as it is most straightforward to take from the airport. 

Tuktuks

Good: Cheap, versatile

Bad: You will feel vulnerable; not for the faint-hearted.

Verdict: Best for short distance travel: 1-2km. Walking is possible, but the roads of Bengaluru are often tough. Its quite an experience trying to cross the road and navigate the broken, narrow sidewalks - also quite an experience taking a tuktuk!

Uber

Good: Took UberX around the city. Reliable,  comfy ride. Easy to hail with app. Transaction is automatically charged to your credit card.

Bad: I guess you have to ensure google maps bring you to the right place, because for more of the less touristy places, chances are it doesn't. Confirm with the party you are meeting what landmarks are near his place.

Verdict:

Really grateful theres uber. It would have been a hassle to direct the driver where I want to go. Uber drivers use GPS and hence. Price is very reasonable too!

Meru cab

Took this guy to the airport, I would have gone with an uber if not for the hotel guy who kindly volunteered to get a cab for me.

Good: This guy observes the speed limit. Even at times when he doesnt, the machine will prompt him to slow down. Reasonable comfort and price. 

Bad: Not the luxurious and comfy airport transfer ride you are expecting. *Swanky SUV with JW Marriott logo zooms past from my left as i'm writing this*

Verdict:

It took me 45 mins to reach the airport, cost me 920 rupees, including toll charges. I would not specifically request to take a meru, but wont mind to hop onto one if one happens to be around. 

Ola cab

The India version of uber. The hotel guy tried to call for one, but response is too slow and process too cumbersome. I'll go with uber for their responsiveness on their apps.

Other interesting tips:

Enjoy the scenery of cows hanging out on the roadside :)

Hope this is useful for you!

EUFASS


Read about my taxi ride to the hotel after landing at Bangalore at night here.

SG50 National day special: 8 Beautiful Singapore stories that made me smile Part 2

Last year, I blogged about a collection of positive Singapore stories as part of national day celebration for Singapore 49th birthday.

This year, I decided to make a compilation of the beautiful stories that I can recollect over the year. My mood is immediately uplifted as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary with a special public holiday that stretch our long weekend to a total of 4 days (Rejoice!)

1) Singaporeans heroes defending our local children 

Super heros exist not only in Marvel comics, but in Singapore too. Our hero that defended us Singaporeans from external forces - It does not matter that the opponent is bigger sized than him, Elfy stood up against a caucasian man verbally abusing one of our own in the MRT. You are the man Elfy!

Read more here

2) Passionate MRT drivers that brings a smile to your day

An SMRT driver made a cheery commentary instead of the usual monotonic routine announcements. Lets temporarily forget about all the breakdowns!

Read More here 

3) Singaporeans that do not condone fraudulent behaviours

Remember the Vietnamese tourist who got cheated at Sim Lim? I thought it was pretty sweet that we crowdfunded more than US$10,000, and even made sure the scammer got what he deserves. I feel even safer in Singapore now.

Read more here

4) Singaporeans making the days of the others - Spare coins at vending machine

I've seen this in the US, some spare change would really be nice especially when you need them!

Read More here 

5) Singaporean taxi drivers that cares

Life may be hard but it is harder to lose your stuff in our taxis: A taxi-driver knocked on 20 doors in a condo to find the owner of a bag left in his cab.

Read more here

6) Empathetic Doctors in our hospitals

Doctors from Thomson Medical Centre waived charges for an expecting lady coping with an unexpected departure of her husband.

Read More: http://kindness.sg/blog/2014/08/29/help-during-difficult-time/

7) Singaporeans that turns a shitty day around

The biggest MRT breakdown in Singapore's history saw 2 major lines out of power while Singaporeans scrambled to get home  after a long days work. Our kind Singapore Samaritans stepped up to offer free rides and refreshments for those inconvenienced. Give these guys a beer!

Read More here

Oh, our ERP doesnt breakdown, I guess that can count as something positive as well.

8) Singaporeans display the power of masses by breaking crimes through social media

Social media is not just where we enjoy SGAG and SMRT feedback. In an unbelievable case, a Singapore car stolen in Malaysia was tracked down by the social network of SG and MS netizens. This is so impressive and touched me on how we look out for each other even in the smallest ways. Keep it up guys!

Read more here


IF this doesnt bring up your SG50 mood, I don't know what else does. Singaporeans, you rock! Happy 50th birthday Singapore!~

EUFASS


PS: I wanted to collate 50 stories, but could only manage 8. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any beautiful stories to add!

Jakarta Airport: Getting a taxi safely to your hotel

It is my first time in Jakarta. Things are cheaper here compared to Singapore. Food at a restaurant is about 70000 idr and i'll always complete the meal with haagen daaz at 35000 for 1 scoop. Before we get to the enjoyable side of Indonesia, lets not lose focus and see how to get you safely to your hotel in jakarta first :)

Directions on getting a taxi

Once out of baggage claim, then you'll go through customs, and you will soon see 2 short rows of stalls lining the aisle. On the left, you will see the money changers while on the right the taxi counters. There are 4-5 taxi companies to choose from, but I went with the one with the logo blue bird.

The airport transfer costed me 380.000 rupiah to my hotel and at first thought this seems to be pricey. However, as I could claim from my client this trip, I decided to go with the experience of a prepaid airport transfer. It turned out that the airport transfer is under the brand golden bird, and the ride offered to me was a Camry.

It was a smooth ride on a Camry, you need not pay the toll charge and the driver stays within the speed limits. Safety and comfort seems to be the main draw for the higher price.

Verdict: Suitable for business setting. If you are travelling with your boss (read: girlfriend), might be wise to take a golden bird. For casual travel, head out to take a blue bird. If you are not fussy on money, taking this option eradicates your concerns such as safety, being taken for a ride, need small change to pay for toll etc

How to take blue bird(taxi)

If you are budget conscious, flag a blue bird.

To take blue bird, exit the airport to the sheltered outdoor area and locate a taxi queue with blue bird logo. (Or you can find the area where lots of blue taxis are congregated) Someone online quoted that the price to city is around 120.000 rupiah excluding toll charge. However my ride from the city to the airport costed me 200.000 rupiah. So i guess it will be around that range - which makes my airport transfer service ride on the golden bird felt less expensive.

My experience on Blue bird rides

I took 2 blue bird rides- one from my hotel to my client's place in the city, another from my client's place to the airport. Both followed the meter. I was told that blue bird is one of the more reliable taxi companies in Indonesia. 

Verdict: Reliable and easy to flag in the city. However, on my way to the airport, I noticed the driver took the longer way. Its not much of a detour, probably an extra 10mins and he probably earned an extra 25%, but I advise you to just be careful. Again, to free yourself from such worries, arrange for an prepaid airport transfer. 

Hope this is useful for you

EUFASS