Wales

While exchanging currency in your own country beforehand is the best option, it can also be exchanged at local banks, travel agencies and post offices (mainly the Royal Post Office).Travel stores such as Thomas Cook and ThompsonÍs also provide this service. However, most of these places do not accept coins so make sure you have spent those beforehand. The exchange rate at these locations is generally reasonable. Further, ATMs are easily accessible to obtain local currency.

Cardiff and Swansea are the major centres of Wales when it comes to nightlife, offering a lovely range of pubs, nightclubs and bars. Cardiff: For pubs and bars, St. MaryÍs Road is the go to place; for larger venues playing dance, RÍnÍB and EDM, head to Greyfriars Road; Mill lane also has a wide selection of bars; for lip-smacking food, Brewery Quarter and Eastside in St David's are the ideal spots. Swansea: All pubs, bars and nightclubs can be found in these areas - Wind Street and The Kingsway. Bangor, Newport and Wrexham are popular university towns which means they also have an abundant range of bars, pubs and nightclubs for the student population.

Popular Welsh Souvenirs and gifts include: wooden lovespoons and objects like key-rings and baseball caps featuring iconic Welsh symbols such as daffodils, lambs, the Welsh lady, the red dragon and major Welsh attractions like Caenarfon Castle, the Millennium Stadium and Cardiff Castle. Famous places to go shopping: high street shops in Cardiff; independent shops selling vintage clothes and crafts as well small cafes and restaurants in the Victorian and Edwardian Arcades in Cardiff; local markets that sell local produce and handmade goods (such as the Swansea Market - the largest indoor market in Wales offering fresh food and a variety of other goods); Hay on Wye for rare, collectable or bargain books; and out- of- town retail outlets for a range of items.

Popular Festivals in Wales: Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye (May-June): A literary and cultural festival involving talks and lectures by famous intellectuals. HowTheLightGetsIn Festival, Hay-on-Wye (May-June): The world's largest philosophy and music festival. Dylan Thomas Festival, Swansea (Oct-Nov): held annually to commemorate the works of Dylan Thomas _ a famous Welsh poet and singer. Faenol Festival, August Bank (August): musical celebrations. National Eisteddfod, North and South Wales (August): one of the oldest cultural festivals of music, song and poetry in Wales. Sesiwn Fawr, Dolgellau (July): World Music Festival with 6 different stages. Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts, Swansea (October: An annual bash of culture at various locations in Swansea. Wakestock, Abersoch (July): is a music festival combined with a wakeboarding contest.

Wales is largely a clean country with hygienic food and water supply for its inhabitants. Tourists need to be cautious with regards to the weather and the landscape of the country. Weather in Wales is largely unpredictable and changes rapidly. Tourists may get caught in thunderstorms and blizzards without any precautionary preparation. Every year, many have to be rescued from Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons and some even die due to falls and exposure. Therefore, those opting for more adventurous activates in the wild must carry adequate clothing and materials to keep safe. Similarly, since the landscape is hard to navigate, with rough narrow roads in certain areas, it is advisable to drive slowly and carefully in order to avoid accidents. A lot of times, tourist-driven vehicles run into wild animals, hurting themselves and innocent animals in the process. Hence, awareness and caution is necessary and speeding and over-taking should be avoided.

Customs: >Wales is still largely conservative and homosexuality is still frowned upon outside of Cardiff. So be cautious to avoid discrimination and anti-LGBT violence. >Do not refer to Welsh people as English, this is largely condemned. > A lot of Welsh people support the idea of an independent Wales while others are against this so itÍs better to avoid pointless debates and steer clear of the tropic. >The term 'Taffy' is perceived as a slur and is considered offensive.

Tips: >Emergency numbers: 999 or 112 to call for police, fire department, mountain rescue, coast guard or an ambulance; 101 for any police station anywhere. >Some alcohol-related violence is prevalent so tourists should avoid large, crowded areas on weekend nights or during a sporting event. >Rural roads are narrow, twisty and not marked very well. Take caution when driving through these. > The weather changes within seconds so one should be prepared for a blizzard, storm or fogs at all times. Always carry a map and phone-charger with you.

While Wales does not have any specific ingredients (except sheep meat), a number of unique dishes can be found here: Roast Lamb (as the meat is high quality); Welsh Rarebit (spicy, melted cheese dish served on bread); Laverbread (seaweed pur_e rolled into bread); Bara brith (similar to fruitcake); Cawl (lamb broth) and Welsh ice-creams and cakes (award-winning and popular worldiwide). Welsh whisky is also famous for its superior quality and taste.

Main operators flying from India to Wales: KLM, Aeroflot, Air France, Etihad, Jet Airways Main Indian cities to catch a flight to Wales: New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata. No non-stop flights.