Read enough travel forums and you’ll find no shortage of warnings about India. Most of them miss the real risks. Spend a few weeks volunteering here and you may develop side effects no guidebook mentions: a daily chai habit, a sudden interest in cricket and a strong reluctance to board the plane home.
Consider this your official warning. (For the serious side of staying safe, read our safety tips for volunteers.)
1. You might forget what a hamburger tastes like
Indian food is regional, seasonal and seriously addictive. In Delhi alone you can work through buttery dal makhani, chole bhature for a weekend breakfast, stuffed parathas in the lanes of Old Delhi and steaming momos from a street stall, then move on to dal baati churma in Rajasthan. Meals at our accommodation are vegetarian home cooking, and you may be surprised how little you miss meat. After a few weeks, food back home can taste a little bland. Our list of Indian dishes to try will get the cravings started early.
2. You might get spoiled by the hospitality
An old Sanskrit saying, “Atithi Devo Bhava”, means “the guest is God”, and many Indians take it to heart. Expect to be offered tea wherever you go, fed more than you can eat and asked about your family, your country and whether you’re married, all within 10 minutes of meeting someone. It can feel intense at first. Then you get home, and nobody insists on a second helping.
3. Your playlist might change completely
You’ll hear Bollywood songs everywhere: blaring from auto-rickshaws, booming from weddings that spill into the street, and sung with total confidence by the children at your project. Give it a week and you’ll be humming along. Go deeper and there’s classical music, with the sitar and the tabla, and the folk songs of Rajasthan. Before long, half your most-played songs may be in Hindi.
4. You might fall for cricket
India has no official national sport, but cricket comes close to being a national religion. Children play it in alleys, parks and schoolyards with whatever bat and ball they can find, and a big match can bring a neighborhood to a standstill. Learn the basics and you have an instant way to bond with the children at your project; bowl a decent ball and you’ll be a legend. Bollywood is the other great conversation starter, so brush up on the big stars too.
5. You might come home with a tan you didn’t plan
North India is hot for much of the year. From April to June, temperatures in Delhi and Jaipur often pass 40°C (104°F), and the sun is strong even in the cooler months. A morning in the bazaar or an afternoon of games at your project can leave you a shade or two darker. Pack sunscreen, a hat and a refillable water bottle, unless the farmer’s tan is part of the plan.
6. You will miss the festivals
Barely a month passes without a festival somewhere in India. Holi fills the streets with colored powder, usually in March; Diwali lights up homes with lamps and fireworks in October or November; and in between come Eid, Dussehra, Guru Nanak’s birthday, Christmas and countless local celebrations. Time your stay well and you may get to celebrate with the children at your project. Back home, an ordinary week will feel suspiciously quiet. See which festivals you could catch during your stay.
7. You might find it very hard to leave
Volunteer programs here run from one week to several months, and the time goes faster than you expect. Days at the project, dinners with other volunteers and weekends exploring quickly become your normal life. Then the last day arrives, and saying goodbye to the children, the staff and the friends you’ve made is harder than anyone warned you. Don’t be surprised if you start planning a return trip before you’ve even left. That may be the biggest risk of all.
Millions of international visitors come to India every year, and plenty of them come back. If you’re ready to take the risk, browse our volunteer programs in Delhi and Jaipur or email info@volunteeringindia.com.