The venue is about 15 miles (25km) from Pune Airport and it is about 93 miles (150km) from Mumbai Airport. All foreign participants will be accommodated at the venue (hotel) or a hotel within 3 kilometers of the venue.

We have booked the entire hotel for the duration of the conference. So, participants can enjoy special discounted rates and stay at the venue. The hotel also has a restaurant, a bar and a rooftop bar for parties.

We will try to accommodate all foreign participants at the venue. Ticket price for foreign attendees includes hotel stay. Some Indian participants will also be accommodated at the venue. However, their tickets (paid in Indian rupees) do not include hotel accommodation. They need to pay separately. Most Indian participants are expected to share rooms with fellow participants or their friends.

Participants have to apply for conference e-visa. This visa can be applied within 120 days of the date of arrival. As the conference is starting on 30th September, one can apply for the visa from 2nd June, 2023. We as organizers will give conference authorization and invitation letters to attendees, who apply for the visa. An e-conference visa can also be used for tourism before or after the conference.

The e-visa website is: click on https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/. You can find the links to apply for the visa and modify the visa application etc in the lower part of the webpage.

We will conduct a zoom meeting to walk through the visa application process. For most conference attendees, the port of entry will be Mumbai. Some attendees may choose to arrive in other cities like Bangalore or Delhi before taking a domestic flight to Pune. Please do not book a flight until you get the visa. September is not a peak travel season.

Visa fees will be between USD 80 to 100. Here is the link to fees. (https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/images/eTV_revised_fee_final.pdf)

The best mode of travel for short distance of a couple of hours from one city to other city is train. One should book a seat or bed in an air conditioned coach. India has almost 140 airports in different cities and most domestic airlines fly modern well maintained flights. Some of the domestic airlines are Vistara (a partnership venture by Singapore airlines), Indigo and AirAsia etc.

Foreign attendees attending the conference with spouse (and children) can be accommodated in the same hotel room. Please contact organizers for such arrangements.

Most ticket prices of economy class tickets of most domestic flights inside India are from USD 40 to USD 90. One may order food, snacks and beverages while booking the tickets or one may buy on the plane. A Coffee may cost USD 1.5 and a sandwich may cost up to USD 5.

The duration of direct domestic flights is between 1 to 2.5 hours. For example, a flight from Pune to Goa or Mumbai may take less than 1 hour. A flight from Pune to Bangalore or Delhi may take less than 2 hours and a flight from Pune to Kolkata may take about 2.5 hours.

Yes. The number of backpacker hostels of high ratings have grown all over India in last 10 years. One such hostel chain is: https://www.zostel.com/. You can find more such hostels at https://www.hostelworld.com/. The price for a bed in a dorm may start from as low as 8 to 10 US dollars.

India is one of the least expensive countries in the world. A mid range hotel room may cost about 40-50 USD dollars per day. A meal in a restaurant in a mall can cost about 4-5 US dollars. Food can also be ordered online through food delivery apps. A cab ride of 10 kilometers will be about 4 US dollars. A 1 liter water bottle can cost about 25 cents. One may not spend more than 80-100 US dollars per day while going on sight seeing.

You can find more details about cost of living here: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Pune?displayCurrency=USD 

Big airports and some railway stations have lounges. Airport lounges may cost between 20 to 50 US dollars for 3 to 4 hours. In Mumbai airport, there is a transit hotel at Terminal 2, which costs about 80 USD for overnight stay. Hotel website: https://www.nirantahotels.com/

The visa application process for citizens of these countries or people whose parents(or grand parents) are from from these countries require additional verifications, which can prolong the time takes to grant a visa. The conference organizers also need to take special permissions from the Home Ministry (Ministry of Interior) and get political clearances.

We are unable to assign additional volunteers for such approvals. So, please avoid planning for this conference, if you are person of origin from these countries. In future, we will endeavor to make this conference inclusive for people of all nationalities.

The easiest way to reach to Himalayas is to fly to the city of Chandigarh and then you can take a cab to the mountains. One can go to Kasauli or Shimla. There are also heritage trains  (Narrow gauge) available in this route. One can also fly to Delhi and then take a train towards Haridwar (Rishikesh) to reach near lower Himalayas.

While one can rent a car in India, it is not advisable for a foreigners to drive. It is because, the traffic rules and driving practices in cities are very different from many other countries. Many expats who spend many months or years in India do learn to drive.

It is advisable to rent a app based cab or get on to a 3 wheeled autorickshaw (a tuk tuk) to travel inside the city.

While temperature can be between 18-21 degrees Centigrade (65-70 degrees Fahrenheit) on lower side, while in day time temperatures can be as high as 32-33 degrees centigrade (90-92 degrees Fahrenheit). In Pune, the sky in October is mostly sunny or partially cloudy. it can rain 5-6 days in October.

There are many gardens, historic sites and lakes in and around Pune. Mumbai is a couple of hours drive by cab from Pune. It has 3 UNESCO world heritage sites. The beaches at Goa are the best in India and this city is an hour by flight from Pune or Mumbai. 

Covid restrictions and vaccine mandates were withdrawn by Indian Govt last year. Still, it may be better to carry a couple of masks while travelling.

One can avoid getting sick by drinking bottled mineral water from brands like Bisleri, Kinley etc and by eating freshly cooked hot food from good restaurants. One can avoid salads and fruits as one has to eat them raw. It is better to carry a hand sanitizer. While traveling around a city, one can carry a bottle of mineral water or buy bottled water from a departmental store.

One should not become adventurous and try Indian street food as soon as arriving in India. Food cooked in Tandoor (Clay ovens can be quite good.) Freshly cooked south Indian dishes like Idlies, Dosas are quite good and safe. While eating at some South Indian restaurants, one should avoid eating Thali dishes on a banana leaf and instead one should request for a plate.

If you have a phone with local SIM card and good data plan, then that can reduce a lot of stress as you can book cabs and order food online. You can also make cashless payments using UPI wallets. One can also easily see reviews of hotels and restaurants in trip advisor and google maps etc. Most often these reviews are quite accurate.

One can reduce a lot of stress by not trying to get onto crowded buses, local trains, non-air conditioned train coaches etc. These modes of public transport is often used by poor people and it can be very uncomfortable for first time users. You can spend slightly more to get an air conditioned bus with good suspension, a cab or a berth in an air conditioned train coach. Most middle class Indian people try to do that.

You may also pack a pair of noise cancellation ear pods, which can help you deal with traffic noise or the noise in a train etc. Another rule is to avoid highly crowded markets or city centers. Traffic in big cities may start getting worse in afternoon/evening hours. So, you can try to travel before 4pm or after 7pm or you may use metro to travel, if it is available in that city.

During domestic travel, you should prefer flights over trains, if the journey is more than 6-7 hours duration. It is important to go slow rather than trying too many places.

India is one of the best places to buy all kinds of cloths and leather shoes and items. Handicrafts are also very cheap in India.

Mumbai is about 4 hours drive from Pune. A return flight from Mumbai to Agra can cost about 140-160 US dollars. You may choose to stay in a hotel in Agra for two nights. There are two Unesco heritage sites in Agra. One is Taj Mahal, and the other is Agra fort. Hotels in Agra can cost about 50 US dollar per night.
One can also fly to Jaipur city from Mumbai and then travel in an air conditioned train coach for 4 hours to Agra.

There is about 10%-15% area of India, where foreigners are either not allowed to enter or they are required to take special permissions for entry. These places include some areas of Jammu and Kashmir (or Ladakh), North East India bordering China/Myanmar, islands of Andamans and Nicobar. The travel is restricted either due to safety issues or due to sensitive military bases/zones.

For more details, please contact the organisors. Please refer to this wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protected_and_restricted_areas_of_India

One can visit the state of Kerala in South India, Bangalore region of State of Karnataka, Rajasthan State in North India etc. One can also visit the state of Goa and also the Himalayan areas.