1. Make a good first impression. When meeting someone, it’s always appropriate to say namaste (Hindi for “I honor the spirit within you”) while placing your hands together in the prayer position and nodding slightly. Men may then shake hands with other men, women with other women (employ a “softer” handshake than is common in the West), but many women might not take a man’s hand, and vice versa. If so, just let the namaste suffice.

2. Follow the rule of hands. Anything that requires the use of one hand (like passing a gift, a teacup, a tray of sweets, or an important document) must only be done with the right hand: the left hand is traditionally reserved for personal hygiene. At a typical Indian meal, for example, there is no Western cutlery: keep your left hand in your lap throughout, while using your right hand to scoop up rice, meat, and veggies on a piece of bread.

3. Practice restraint. If you’re a guest at a meal, and do not want any more food, leave a little on your plate. A “clean plate” indicates that you are still hungry, and obligates your host to give you another helping.

4. Don’t misread body language. Many Indians indicate interest in what you are saying by shaking or wobbling their head from side to side: this does not mean “I disagree,” or even “I understand.” It’s just the Indian way of saying, “Oh, I see.”

Two women climb the steps of the Hoysaleswara Temple in southern India. (Photograph by George Puvvada, Your Shot)

5. Look more than both ways, more than once.The Indian street is the great democratic thoroughfare; everyone and everything uses it to get from here to there: cars, buses, trucks, oxcarts, cows, pedestrians, dogs, each going in whatever is the most efficient direction for the journey at the moment. When crossing a street, constantly look both ways, make eye contact with drivers of any vehicle or animal, and, whatever you do, never stop: Keep walking, and go with the flow.

6. Brush up on your Inglish. Most Indians speak English and Hindi — the “national” language from Delhi in the north — in addition to their local regional language. That being said, the English spoken is “Inglish”: a local version of British English, filled with many unfamiliar and colorful colloquialisms (i.e., “let’s prepone our lunch,” meaning to schedule lunch sooner, or “you’re a homely person,” meaning trustworthy and honest). There are literally hundreds of these, so when you hear one you don’t understand, just ask.

7. Embrace tissue-ready travel. Wander a few doors down from your Western-style hotel, and you’re bound to experience a traditional Indian toilet, which is essentially a hole in the ground over which you squat, followed up with a wash from a freestanding hose (left hand only, please). Needless to say, never travel without a package of Kleenex.

8. Write it down. If you ask directions on the street, few Indians will admit to not knowing how to get you where you want to go, or that they don’t understand your question. Instead, they will take you by the hand (or arm), and walk you around until together you have managed to find the address you are looking for. Always write down the name and address of your intended location: it will go a long way toward getting you to where you want to go a whole lot faster.

9. Absolutely, positively visit that local Hindu temple! Hindu temples are as much venues for social gatherings as they are for worship; just be prepared to wash your hands and feet at the entrance fountain and leave your shoes at the front entrance before you enter (yes, they will still be there when you return). Just follow what everybody else is doing.

10. Do as the locals do. You will be implored to purchase some flowers at the temple entrance; do so, and leave them in the temple as an offering. And, if you are greeted with a garland of flowers placed around your neck, you are expected to remove them after a minute or two and set them aside. This shows humility.

Want more cultural dos and don’ts for your next trip to India?

• Download the India CultureGuide © app for your iPhone or Android from DFA Intercultural Global Solutions
• Check out National Geographic Travel’s India Guide

Dean Foster is the president of dfa, New York, a group that specializes in global cross-cultural training and consulting. Follow his story on Twitter @dfaintercultura.

1. Brazilians are very comfortable with physicality: while speaking, they might take your hand or touch your shoulder, and they typically stand closer than most folks are used to. Resist stepping back!

2. Remember, the language is Portuguese…not Spanish! (And even if you know Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese can be a whole different ballgame.) But it does share commonalities with other Romance languages, so if you know Spanish or French, you might have some luck figuring out written Portuguese.

3. On many Brazilian streets, red lights are merely suggestions. In fact, many drivers speed up as the light is turning red. Always be very careful to look both ways when crossing, and never assume right-of-way as a pedestrian. Note also that many drivers turn their lights off at night (the complaint being that headlight glare is blinding!)

The caipirinha: Brazil's ubiquitous national drink. (Photograph by Kenn Wilson, Flickr)

4. Three’s a charm. When women meet each other (and when men and women who have already met meet again), the handshake is often accompanied with three alternating-cheek “air kisses.” Men never initiate this, but respond in kind if the woman does.

5. Carnival may get all the attention, but spending New Year’s Eve in Rio is magical. Hundreds of thousands of people dressed in white wade into the ocean at midnight to make a wish for the coming year while samba drums throb and general revelry ensues. The word for the celebration, Réveillon, comes from the French word for dream, the belief being that if the waves bring your wish back to you, it will come true. (It’s easier to find a good hotel room, too.)

7. The “OK” sign is not okay! Touching the tip of your thumb to your forefinger, with the rest of your fingers extended in the air is very vulgar in Brazil. Don’t do it.

Cariocas are known for their casual joie de vivre. (Photograph by Jodi Cobb, National Geographic)

8. Alternately, sticking your thumb between your index finger and middle finger is okay. Called “the figa” in Brazil, the gesture (sometimes used in a game of “I got your nose”! in the U.S. and beyond) signifies good luck. You’ll even see it on necklaces as an amulet.

9. Avoid wearing green and yellow together…unless you’re attending a soccer (“futbol”) game. These are the colors of the Brazilian flag, and outside of the stadium (or the pub on game days), it might look odd to wear them together.

10. Do as the locals do. There is a sometimes not-so-gentle rivalry between Paulistanos (natives of the city of São Paulo) and Cariocas (people who hail from Rio): Paulistanos see Cariocas as too ready to drop work for a game of beach volleyball, and Cariocas see Paulistanas as too willing to sacrifice life’s simple pleasures for hard-earned money. The evidence is everywhere: Cariocas start work later, take longer lunches, and do, in fact, play volleyball on the beach whenever possible, while in Sao Paulo, socializing is more contained and there is no beach. Adjust your clock, and your attitude, accordingly, when visiting these two amazing cities.

Want more cultural dos and don’ts for your next trip to Brazil?

• Download the Brazil CultureGuide © app for your iPhone or Android from DFA Intercultural Global Solutions
• Check out National Geographic Travel’s Brazil Guide

Dean Foster is the president of dfa, New York, a group that specializes in global cross-cultural training and consulting. Follow his story on Twitter @dfaintercultura.