Someone asked what gifts they can give to their Indian friends in India. This is something I had not thought about. Although you can buy everything in India but if you are struggling to figure out what to buy for your friend when you visit India then here are a few travel gifts I can think of.
Pens: Pens are valued in India. We Indians love pens which mean that if we have a quality pen, we will cherish it. So you can gift a pen to your Indian friend but do make sure that they are foreign.
Board games: We love board games. Ludu, snakes and ladders, chess, carom board are some of the games we Indians love playing with our friends. So why not gift a board game, something like Monopoly, Scrabble, UNO, Connect 4, Pictionary etc.
Mp3 players: Again we Indians have grown very technical and love our gadgets. In addition, we love Bollywood movies so an MP3 player would be highly valued in India. This will allow your Indian friend to listen to their favourite Bollywood music, or religious songs and even lectures.
Bottle of whisky: A decent bottle of whisky can go down very well. But make sure the friend of yours drink. Or even chocolate liqueurs with spirits in it which is rare to find in India.
Wind-able radio with torch: This can be very handy in India especially in the villages. Even in the town and cities, it can be of great use for listening to the radio and the torch can be of use during India’s notorious power cuts.
Packet of South American coffee: We Indians are appreciating coffee more than ever before. So how about a packet of good ground coffee! We know the Americans and Europeans are big on coffee so why not get a pack for your Indian friend.
Shirts: The Boys will love a nice shirt. But find out their size.
Scented candles: These candles are very popular in the west but not so much in India. I am sure your Indian friend would love something like this.
An appropriate book can be a good idea, something on your own country perhaps. A funny book of jokes is a good idea although we may not be able to understand some of them but humour is always appreciated.
Gift giving is sort of big in India. When someone visits us, then we expect travel gifts from others. We tend to give gifts like sweets, clothes, fruits and even money to relatives. But as someone who’s visiting India, you don’t have to offer money. In fact, it will seem offensive so it’s best to stick with gifts. Feel free to ask any questions.
