India - the Real Magic Kingdom

One of my life-long dreams finally came to fruition: I was going to India! I patiently sat through all the necessary innoculations and purchased emergency food supplies which included a box of saltines, cheese in a can, peanut butter and an unbreakable jar of instant coffee. I packed toiletries that turned out to be worth more than such luxuries as make-up: TOILET PAPER!!!, first-aid supplies, all kinds of OTC remedies i.e. aspirin, Imodium, lots of bug spray (for you and your clothes), wet wipes, anti-bacterial cream. The list is endless but you have to draw the line somewhere.

General rule of thumb: if you are opting for the country/scenic India trip, go through your day at home and think about what you mostly use. And if you do not have much repacking room because of all the goodies you buy while there, you can donate what's left of your pharmaceuticals to a local organization that will surely thank you. If you are planning to visit primarily large cities and/or tourist places those items will be provided for you at the hotel or you can pick up anything you have forgotten inexpensively in any urban area.

Other supplies I found necessary were disposable cameras, extra batteries, portable video games (I hate long flights!), a travel alarm, matches, extra cigarettes if you smoke (or even if you don't - the locals love ours and rarely get them), water purifying tablets. If you plan on traipsing around on foot, you will surely run into children that will tug at your heart. You cannot give them all money, so you might want to take such items as magic markers and candy. And remember not to carry anything on the plane that even remotely looks like a weapon (nail cutters, small scissors, etc.).