Donation form
Thank you for supporting sacred art! We’re glad you appreciate our community services. Check the “Write Us A Comment” box to let us know for whom (or what) the donation is intended so we can get it to the right person (a small handling fee must be subtracted to cover local taxes). All donations are gratefully accepted, no matter how small. They will help us to continue our work to raise awareness of sacred art and provide more resources in the future. Thanks so much!
NEW thank-you gift! Download Śrī Mahāgaṇapati and Siddhalakṣmī for free.
These are suggestions, so don’t worry if you aren’t able to get everything on this list.
(Participants in Mystic Art Retreats: You will be well taken care of at the Palace and our other venues as part of our group. Many items listed below will be unnecessary unless you wish to continue your travels alone.)
Travel Documents
- Passport with at least 6 months validity after your dates of travel
- Visas required for this trip (the e-visa is extremely fast and convenient but lines at customs may be longer depending on the time of arrival)
- Travel insurance with emergency contact telephone and policy Number (keep a paper copy with passport)(We suggest World Nomads)
- Flight tickets, e-ticket (We suggest you keep a paper copy with your passport)
- Photocopies (and photos) of important documents like tickets, visas, and passports; your emergency contact person, travel insurance forms, and driver’s license; credit card customer service numbers (to report lost cards); and your travel itinerary to be kept in each luggage bag. Also, email a copy to yourself.
- Trip Itinerary along with hotel address and phone
- Contact list of Mystic Art Retreat staff.
- Passport-size photographs for various permits
- Travel vaccination certificates
Luggage
- Suitcase(s) with wheels
- daypack/bag
- water bottle,
- Don’t forget to keep Padlocks (and keys) for budget hotels if you continue your travel
- Plastic Ziploc bags in all sizes (optional)
- Photograph the contents of your luggage before final packing to help with insurance claims.
Electronics
- Cell Phone: use can use wifi and Whatsapp (or Skype or other apps) to make international calls for free.
- If you want to get a SIM card in India, you will need an extra passport photo, a copy of your Passport, and a letter from the hotel where you will be staying.
- Be sure your phone is “unlocked” before you travel. Call your provider to confirm.
- Charger (most smartphones have a built-in voltage converter but be careful)
- External Battery & Chord
- Currency Converter (most phones and laptops have converters on the power chord. In India, the standard voltage is 230 V and the frequency is 50 Hz. You can use your electronics there if the standard voltage in your country is between 220 and 240 V (as is in the UK, Europe, Australia, and most of Asia and Africa).
- Electrical Plug Adaptors. Indian electric sockets normally accept a plug with round prongs.
- Dropbox or other cloud-based storage to upload your photographs during the trip is convenient.
- Wifi is available at our hotels
Personal Health
- Personal medication/prescriptions
- Prescription glasses and sunglasses
- High-protection sunscreen (50+) ( temperatures will not be extreme in January)
- Lip balm
- Insect Repellant
- Anti-bacterial hand sanitizer gel/wipes
- A few nutrition food bars (Clif Bars are great!) for long trips or if no sanitary food vendors are nearby.
- Travel sickness tablets or anti-vomiting tablets (Dramamine or Avomine)
- Vitamins
- Chewable Pepto Bismol (for minor diarrhea)
- Immodium AD tablets (for severe diarrhea)
- Anti-malaria pills, if required (Lariago DS)
- Aspirin and/or paracetamol (Crocin)
- First aid kit – band-aids, skin cream, cotton gauze, tweezers & bandage
- Oral Rehydration powder (salts & glucose)
- 1 course of broad-spectrum antibiotics (Augmentin 625mg / 1 gm tablets)
- 1 course of gastroenteritis medication for Delhi Belly containing Norfloxacin (Norflox-400mg) or Ciprofloxacin (Ciplox-500mg)
- Anti-spasm tablets for Diarrhea (Delhi Belly) containing Loperamide (Radiol)
- Antibiotic Eye drops / Ear Drops (Ciplox)
- Chewable antacid/antigas tablets like Digene
- Small tube of anti-itch cream
- If you have asthma or other breathing condition, bring a breathing mask in case New Delhi has a smoggy day. Be sure to get an “N95” or better quality.
Money
- The local currency is Rupees (₹)
- Credit cards
- ATM Card for cash (the conversion rate is usually fair)
- Money belt or neck pouch
- Anti-electronic identity theft sleeve for credit cards (or line your wallet with tinfoil)
- Be sure to notify your credit and bank card issuers of your foreign travel before you depart!
Sleeping
- Eye mask or bandana
- Ear Plugs (It is usually quiet at our resort, but Indian cities are VERY noisy, even at night)
- Alarm clock (Most mobile phones have one)
- Inflatable neck pillow for comfortable sleeping and easy packing.
- Night clothes/sleepwear/Pajamas
Clothing (Suggested Minimum)
- 3 pairs of trousers
- Belt (Money belt is great)
- 1 swimsuit
- 4 plain t-shirts or cotton shirts
- 1 long-sleeved top (for evenings when mosquitoes are out)
- 1 heavy (warm) shirt and pants (jeans) for chilly evenings
- 1 thin sweater or cardigan for air-conditioned travel
- 2 large cotton scarves to cover your head and shoulders while visiting religious places
- 3 pairs of socks/underwear (warm socks for chilly mornings and stone floors are nice)
- 1 waterproof, windproof jacket
- 6 cotton hankies (optional)
- Hat/wide brim hat and warm hat if you have short hair.
- Women are not allowed to have bare shoulders in temples, so bring at least one modest long-sleeved top.
- Slippers for temple room
Walking or Hiking
- 1 pair of Havana flip-flops or sandals so that you don’t bulk your bag with many shoes
- 1 pair of comfortable close-toed walking/hiking shoes with a good grip
Travel Accessories
- Empty water bottle (you can fill it at airport after security check for in-flight use)
- Scissors / Army knife / Multitool with a can-opener (keep in checked-in luggage)
- A local guidebook (Lonely Planet is great) and/or a language phrasebook
Personal Items
- Toiletries: Go light on shampoo and toiletries – you can always buy them there! However, if you have a particular shampoo or cream you can’t live without, transfer it to small (~3.4 oz or less) bottles.
- Several Small packets of Kleenex (IMPORTANT) for use as toilet paper in public restrooms.
- Shaving razors, fingernail clippers, and cleaners
- Neti pot and salt (if this is your practice)
- Tongue scraper (if this is your practice)
- Sketchbook / Art Journal
- Pens and pencils for art (be careful that a sharp compass or knife must be checked in and cannot be carried on flights)
- Small portable watercolor kit (optional)
- Hairbrush and/or comb
- Deodorant
- Hand lotion, Face lotion
- Face wash
- Toothpaste, Toothbrush, Floss
- Paper soaps
- Bath towel
- Yoga Mat
Extra Tips
- Make sure every piece of luggage, including your daypack, has a strong, waterproof tag on it, with your essential contact information. We suggest marking your luggage with a permanent distinctive visual mark: a large sticker, initials, or even brightly-colored spray paint! This will help you find it in busy airports and train stations and identify it if lost.
- Rolled clothing takes up less space than folded clothing. Use rubber bands!
- Bring a couple of safety pins and a small roll of duct tape for temporary repairs of travel supplies.
- Luggage locks: You are unlikely to have problems at the hotels we have recommended. But if you plan to continue traveling alone, we suggest you have at least one combination cable lock per bag that you bring. When out of your hotel room or visiting the bathroom in a train station or airport, you will want to lock your bags to the nearest heavy object for safety. Make sure your lock is TSA-compatible if you plan to lock your luggage during your flight.