Freedom; 700rupees a day in my pocket.. Need preliminary planning advice.

cpfreeatlast

Here is my first post:

I am planning of coming to India in july 2008, dependent on my contract (possibly Jan 2009). We'll work on the first date. Now is the time to plan

I will be arriving into New Delhi and will be wanting to travel to Dharamsala, Manila and tour the coastline of southern India - Madras, Kerala, Bombay and Goa.

About me: This will be my first trip to India. I'm a semi-experienced traveler, with me spending over 12 months wandering around Europe and far east Asian (China, Korea and Japan) for 6 months. I love to travel by land either trains or buses. I'm used to living on a tight budget to increase my time in a country, all i ask for is a roof, a hot shower and somewhere to lock up my bag. When i travel I have never needed a LP yet and don't plan on getting one, i like to stay in the same select places for extended periods with my usual travel routine being 14 days in the same place, followed by 3 days travel, followed by 14 days in the same place (ad infinitum is possible!)

Budget: about £2000 (no flights, just money in the country)

Duration: As long as my money lasts! (preferably 6 months)

OK... heres my questions...

1. How cheap can India get? what do you believe to be the minimum a daily budget can be? what have you heard as the lowest budget? (i have traveled in Europe on less than £50 a week, with a sleeping bag and bivvy)

2. The weather? How hot will it be in July? What are the weather differences between the north and south coast? (I was thinking staying in the north for the first part, during the summer and moving south early autumn). I'm VERY fair skinned, I can burn on a overcast day in great Yarmouth (I know what your thinking but it's not stopping me!) Sun tan lotion is like a religion! which i will no doubt practice regularly throughout each and every day in India.

3. How reasonable is a £2000 budget for six months? I'm thinking it equates to about 700rs a day, if i'm not mistaken (if i am please enlighten me!) flights in and out of India are coming out of a different budget, so they don't need accounted for. Will my travel expenses between places be covered by my 700rs a day, I'm willing to rough it!

4. Ashrams, How much a day do they charge daily/weekly etc., both for basic and deluxe acommodation? Has anyone been in one? (Any good links to stories and articles about them to help me get a picture of them)

5. When staying in the same place for a week or two can i get my room cheaper? therefore my budget will go further.

6. When i plan to travel will it be high or low season for tourism? is there a difference in the tourist season between north and south?

I think thats all for now, any information will be appreciated, when traveling i make plans about 4 months before leaving finalize everything within two months and land in the country of choice (India this time) feeling like I have no plan and follow my thoughts, but naturally my thoughts have an idea where there taking me!

Gratuities in advance.

CP

(Sorry if this is posted in the wrong section - i'm new to this Forum game!)

machadinha

For a general overview of the weather, try this whole thread: India climate chart

Yes, you can expect to arrange a discount if you stay in a room for longer.

The international high season in your period will naturally fall in the month around Christmas; Indian holidays including major religious festivals will mean an increase in domestic tourism, I have no dates on those. I don't think it matters much country-wise, except for possible local festivals. You can expect to arrange discounts for rooms sometimes in the low season, on the other hand I'm personally just not much of a haggler over accommodation, it's up to you. Advertized rates may go down as a matter of course as well.

Not carrying a guidebook is highly cool, just don't be one of those looking down on others for doing so but asking to take a peek at theirs or asking for directions all the time regardless, will ya

The smoke thingy (and is this April 1st or what?): These are not the 1960's. Last thing I heard penalties go up to 10 years imprisonment, no matter what the amount. (Although carrying several months' worth might likely put you in the dealer category I imagine.) Jails are not rumored to be fun. Everyday travelers' concerns such as how to stay healthy & not contract an array of diseases & where to get bottled water etc. quite apart. If you're lucky you might get shaken down for whatever the price of the day is; if not, this is what you're looking at. You'll find some stories to illustrate the point on this site, they don't make for uplifting reading.

Consider not hooking up with any other unsuspecting travelers along the way who don't share your interests (or at least tell them what you're carrying, which you presumably rather wouldn't, so why not just leave them alone), who could well be up shit creek together with you because of your personal stupidity, er, lifestyle. It's little fun sharing a room with someone who fills up the place with paraphernalia within seconds of settling in, or riding a train together unaware of someone's stash traveling with you.

Other than that, be discreet and use your common sense I guess. Again and seriously, don't drag others along in whatever you choose to do. Be aware that in places popular for this, police raids may be a lucrative business, which however and again by no means guarantees you'll just get fleeced.

From http://narcoticsindia.nic.in/NDPSACT.htm , and be aware that a court case to "establish" anything can take years to even get started, or so they say, and good council will likely be costly and hard to come by, and embassies are not in a position to save your behind:

__________________
Reading tips, all picked up at IndiaMike : INDAX's A Comprehensive Guide To India / Dinoj Surendran's Desi Humor / ITHVC on Culture Shock & Travel Health / JetLag Travel Guides For the Undiscerning Traveller / India Travel Links

brownboy66

machadinha

ps Budget, I think you come out at a little under Rs. 900 a day actually.

My estimate would be you can budget it quite adequately that way today, not even necessarily "roughing" it as such; however it's been a while, and so I'd just have to see how it works out on the ground. Reports here vary quite a bit, depending on people's wishes and needs no doubt.

What's obviously good about spreading it out over a longer period is it allows for more balancing of costlier vs. cheaper destinations and activities. Staying in (some) individual places for longer will also naturally tend to bring down costs, apart from meaning less travel expenses.

Brisso

More than adequate at budget end - room 100-250; food 150 (can be less); transport negligible if public buses and sleeper class train; misc. 100 per day. Beer anywhere from 40-100 rupees.

"Mr Harris" will of course inflate your bottom line.

machadinha

That's good to hear Brisso; I've been thinking 600 should cover the basics these days, a little extra could go to, well, a few extras. So it's nice to know that wouldn't be so far off the mark, I guess I'd count on 8 to be on the safe side.

I reckon it can still be done cheaper, but we're not 20 forever are we

CP, note that as you'll see alcoholic drinks often go at near-Western prices & so easily equal a cheap night's stay, so a budgeteer will want to be frugal on this. Hey, we're talking roughing it right

cpfreeatlast

I'm still on the good side of my twenties, but only just

The alcohol shouldn't be a problem as i'm pretty much a tea totaller, except for Whiskey which will be a single malt and in a hip flask, bought from an airport no doubt.

If it can be done cheaper than 700rs a day, that is the way it will be done. I'm a firm believer people don't fully appreciate the smooth, never having experienced the rough. Hopefully staying in places out of the way for extended periods will make it cheaper, I want to finish some writing i've started and have been struggling to find the time and place to finish it, so i have slightly different priorities to seeing the sights, not that they will be avoided.

Thanks for the advice machadinha , i'll keep in mind if I hook up with anyone and i'm packing, although I'm rather a lonesome wanderer, who is his own best company. But something to keep in mind all the same.

(Sorry Mr. Moderator for my miss deed or question as it were, thanks for not judging me to harshly and making the numbers to my questions remain in a sequential order )

ebby

I somehow recollected the movie Midnight Express from the above. Dont take things for granted!