We had our first tour trip last November to Northern India (Odyssey’s Spiritual Journey) the guide was excellent and the tour took in way more than we could have done on our own. But regarding the Diwali
Festival, all ATM machines emptied in the first day or two and for a week NO ATMs had cash!!!! It was a surprise. That part of the economy shut down and had to have been a Hindu controlled area because for other businesses just substituted Muslim workers to show tourists how products were made(weaving on looms, ceramics, small paper & box making, etc.) as the Hindus had gone back to their ancestral homes for the week. So, make sure you have cash on Hindu Holidays to make things go smoother.
Regardless, India was our most amazing, mind-blowing trip whose memories still jog our minds.
Maybe a show on $$$ in foreign lands would be helpful. Traveling in China NOT in a tour group, even in small shops or rickshaws, much of the transactions are done by the mobile phone through one’s Chinese bank account. Hard for the independent tourist. I have not traveled there. Thanks, Martin