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Information on the conference venue and accommodation at this page. |
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About KOCHI (COCHIN) – Ernakulam |
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Cochin is a vibrant city situated on the south-west coast of the Indian peninsula in the breathtakingly scenic and prosperous state of Kerala, hailed as 'God's Own Country'. Its strategic importance over the centuries is underlined by the sobriquet Queen of the Arabian Sea. Informally, Cochin is also referred to as the Gateway to Kerala. Over the years, Cochin has emerged as the commercial and industrial capital of Kerala and is perhaps the second most important city on the west coast of India. Cochin is proud of its world class port and international airport that link it to many major cities worldwide. Kochi is rated in the top three tourist destinations by the World Travel & Tourism Council and featured in National Geographic Traveler's '50 greatest places of a lifetime'. The tourist spots are - Chinese Fishing Nets, Fort Kochi, St. Francis Church, Vasco House, Santa Cruz Basilica, Dutch Palace (Mattancherry Palace), Bolghatty Palace, Willingdon island, Vypin island and so many. |
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Travel Checklist |
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VISA |
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All non-Indian-citizens are required to have an Indian visa to enter the country. Allow yourself sufficient time (say 4 weeks) to procure an appropriate visa from your nearest Indian consulate. There are several Indian consulates worldwide. Indian consulates in the continental US are located in Washington D.C., New York, Chicago, Houston, and San Francisco. All participants traveling from the United States must use this web site to obtain Indian visa. All other participants must contact Indian Embassy/ Consulate General of India in their respective countries for information on obtaining an Indian visa.
If you need an invitation letter from the HiPC organizing committee for visa purposes, use the online visa letter request form to submit the relevant information. Note that this visa letter (invitation letter) may be issued only to attendees who have paid their registration fees in full and are eligible to travel to India.
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Flight Reservations |
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Flights to India tend to fill up well ahead of the December holiday season. We recommend that you make your flight reservations 3-4 months in advance, to be on the safe side. We strongly recommend that you avoid arriving in New Delhi or taking flights that stop in New Delhi en-route to Mumbai (Bombay) or Chennai (Madras) -- winter fog often throws air-traffic off-gear in New Delhi. For more information, see the transportation section of this page. |
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Vaccinations (shots) |
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Many first-time travelers to India prefer to get preventive vaccinations(shots). The Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India has some more health tips for tourists. |
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Foreign Exchange |
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While international credit cards are widely accepted in commercial establishments in India, several places rely on cash transactions in the local currency (Indian Rupee), especially if the purchase value is not very high. We suggest that you either carry some Indian currency when entering India or purchase Indian currency at the currency exchange agencies at the Indian airports, upon arrival. The current exchange rate is about Rs. 50/- per US dollar. The value of US Dollar has been fluctuating a lot recently. Please check the conversion rate before you travel. Once in India, you can purchase additional Indian currency from local branches of Citibank, Thomas Cook, etc. However, it is typically difficult to convert Indian currency back into foreign currency because of exchange regulations. |
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Hotel Reservations |
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Please make your hotel reservations ahead of time so that you get your choice of accommodation. |
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Time and Weather |
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The Indian Standard Time (IST) is 5 1/2 hours ahead of the Greenwich Mean Time(GMT) and is 13 1/2 hours ahead of the U. S. Pacific Standard Time(PST). In December/ January the weather is mildly tropical with temperatures averaging about 28° Celsius (approx. 82° Fahrenheit) during the day and about 15° Celsius (approx. 59° Fahrenheit) during the night.
Sunrise: 6:10 am (approx.)
Sunset: 5:15 pm (approx.) |
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Transportation |
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