Indoor smoking varies a lot by setting, but the countrywide social texture is highly mixed. Law vibe is formal in some contexts and very variable in everyday life.
Minimum budget: rural $300/mo, urban $700/mo. Medical insurance: $450/yr.
Auto: Do not rely on a Russian domestic license alone; use an IDP, and self-drive is practical mainly in selected tourist, business markets. Rentals are roughly $35-80/day for Swift, i10/Dzire class self-drive, while car-with-driver is often cheaper and calmer. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar borders are not normal rental-car crossings; domestic intercity traffic is the main friction.
Smoking: Indoor smoking varies a lot by setting, but the countrywide social texture is highly mixed.
Police / rules: Police and public-order vibe is variable: institutions can be formal, while daily life often runs through local judgment, negotiation, and context.
Zones
Himalayan North: Cooler hill stations, pine valleys, trekking bases and seasonal relief from the plains. Cool mountain climate with pine forests, rivers and snowy peaks. Summers stay mild around 15–25°C while winters range from -8 to 10°C depending on altitude. Landslides and monsoon rains affect some regions seasonally.
Urban Plains: Huge inland cities, old forts, government blocks, markets, heat and dust. Extreme seasonal swings with dusty hot summers around 35–45°C and cooler winters around 8–20°C. Heavy monsoon season brings flooding and humidity from roughly June to September.
Tropical South: Humid southern cities, tech parks, backwaters, temple coastlines and monsoon texture. Hot humid coastline with palms, jungle hills and ocean air. Temperatures usually stay between 25–34°C year-round. Rainy seasons arrive in waves depending on coast orientation.