Another article from our friend Denis Bashmakov. Denis made an independent travel to india. On the pages of his blog he talks about traveling around India on your own and what you need to know for those who are just planning to go to study this country. At the end of the article there will be a link to his blog, I advise you to subscribe.
For a long time I've been meaning to write about my six month old traveling around India I still can’t find the time. And now the moment has come. There is nowhere to go further.
I'll start with the following. India is definitely a country that everyone should visit. It's not a fact that everyone will like it. And all because people are different and each has their own personal experience, their own vision and worldview. But, of course, everyone will find something of their own in India.
These six months flew by and I really enjoyed my stay in this beautiful country. True, as with everything and everywhere, in the end I got a little fed up - I felt that I needed a change of scenery. And that's okay.
It started with landing in Delhi, where I ended up spending about 2-3 weeks in total and then the roads took me there, but I tried to get around it. Honestly. I didn't particularly care about the city. Very noisy, a lot of people, traffic jams, dust, dirt, stinks, etc. Yes, there are cleaner, more modern areas there, but in general the picture is similar to that described above.
In addition to everything, there are many attractions and historical places that you can visit.
Agra. The city that everyone advised me to go to and see one of the seven wonders of the world - the Tajmahal in my independent travel around India. But I didn't go. Why? I didn’t feel that I should go there and besides, just pay 750 rupees for entry - I didn’t see the point at all. According to many, apart from this miracle there is nothing else to see there, and the surrounding area looks far from attractive.
Traveling India on your own: what you need to know
Yes. It is worth noting about tickets to these tourist places. As a rule, the price for locals and foreigners differs by 10-20 times. These amazed me every time. Therefore, in many cases I only took photos from the outside or found ways to get through for free, which was much less likely to happen. Examples of prices. For locals - 10 rupees, for foreigners 200-300. And this happens almost everywhere. Yes, there are places where you can go for the same prices as the locals. For example, I went to the zoo in Trivandrum for 20 rupees and paid 4 rupees for a storage room. There are such places too. Since my trip was on a budget, I still tried not to spend money on expensive tickets.
Traveling to India on your own: cities
Most of all in traveling around India I liked the following cities:
- CHANDIGARH - because it is quite clean and well-groomed. The entire city is divided into sectors and the map is easy to understand. There are parks in each sector. In general, it is a convenient city for education, work, life and raising children.
— Udaipur is a city of lakes. A nice place. Tourist town. There is no urban transport here - it was launched, but it turned out to be unprofitable. That's why you can only see tuk-tuks in the city. And I initially tried to understand why this was so. Only then did one of the locals voice the answer to the question that was tormenting me.
— MUMBAI (Bombay) is the city of opportunities, the capital of Bollywood. You can find absolutely everything here. Be it some of the world's largest slums, or some of the world's most expensive properties and richest owners. It is very big. Conveniently, the railway network covers the entire city and its suburbs and it is quite easy and convenient to get from one place to another, avoiding traffic jams. And the prices are very low. For 10 rupees you can travel for about an hour. Tickets are not particularly checked. So you can play rabbits.
— VIKSHAPATNAM. A city in eastern India, Andhra Pradesh state. A very clean, comfortable and modern city. Wide streets, beautiful roads and traffic. In general, everything for life. According to my friend who invited me there, about 20 years ago the city looked the same as many Indian cities that I had the opportunity to see. But recently, residents and the administration have been so actively fighting for improvement - the results are obvious. We can only add that nothing is possible - if only there was desire and active participation.
India travel on your own: places
— Sai Baba's Ashram is a wonderful place where you can spend time pleasantly and cheaply. I have already written about him earlier. Short. This is a mini-town with everything you need on the territory of the complex. You can live starting from 20-50 rupees per day and for an unlimited amount of time.
- Munnar - tea plantations - cozy and quiet lands, fresh air and it’s just a pleasure to be there. True, I mean the plantation areas themselves, and not the town, which has already become very touristy and the prices there are very high. You can spend the night in Munnar only from 500 rupees and above.
- Gokkarna. Bigger and nice beach. A very calm and cozy place to relax with your family or even alone, if you get away from everything.
So far the list of places and cities is as follows.
All of India, all the cities, towards the end began to seem to me like one big market. Wherever you go there is a market. Absolutely everywhere. It doesn't matter how modern the city is.
India independent travel: transport
Traveling around India on your own: what else you need to know. There are a great variety of different vehicles in India - from bicycles to large trucks. Nobody follows the rules. The roads are always noisy due to the constant honking of all drivers. Thus, they warn so. Like, “I’m coming for you, don’t make sudden movements.” The cars are almost all scratched and damaged, many of the buses are old. It even happened that I helped start one from the pusher and then drove away with it. But despite the movement and non-compliance with the rules, everything is cut quite normally. It is worth noting that Indian bus drivers are probably some of the most skilled.
Sometimes you follow - you can’t get through, but no. They pass without scratches or touching each other. The roads are in most cases very narrow. Public transport is cheap, which allows you to save a lot of money.
Trains and railways are a separate world. The prices are also affordable. Visiting India and not taking a ride in a General class carriage means missing out on a lot. You can practically live at train stations. There are all conditions. In the waiting rooms you can find power sockets, showers and toilets. There are also taps on the platforms where you can get drinking water, and in some cases you can also find a cooler with cold water. True, guys who are too obsessed with hygiene will say that there is no way in the world they would drink such water, only in a bottle. Well, it's up to you to decide.
People
That's it, but it's the people who touch me the most. It doesn’t matter what state you find yourself in - everywhere I met wonderful, kind and interesting people. Yes. They differ depending on regions. But everywhere they are ready to help you, treat you, and sometimes invite you to visit.
I don’t know why, the Sikhs, the people living in the state of Punjab, left some of the best memories. I met with them more than once in other areas. They are just as open. I won’t write much more about people, there are more emotions and feelings inside that are difficult for me to express in words.
Yes, it’s worth saying that the Indians struck me with the fact that it doesn’t matter what their situation is, whether they have money or not, etc. - they always smile and you can feel that they are happy with what they have. We definitely need to succeed in this. Even a disabled person without arms or legs will always greet you with a smile and a happy face, despite his condition and difficult conditions.
I found many similarities between India and Russia. Salaries (at the time of my stay there) turned out to be approximately similar. Vegetables and fruits grown in the fields are also largely the same, with the exception of more southern crops and varieties. Roads too.
Food in India
Mostly spicy. But you can find not so much. A lot of rice. Food is different in the south and north. Also from state to state. But everywhere you can find something for yourself that you won’t be able to refuse. And sweets are most often very sweet. There are many different fruits to enjoy while in India.
India is a center of meditation and yoga. No wonder people come from all over the world. I’ll say right away that I haven’t been to Rishikesh. That's where everyone is heading. It so happened that for the first time in my life it was in India that I tried yoga and went through meditation. Great stuff to use.
Perhaps you wanted to hear a different kind of outcome, but that’s exactly what it turned out to be. I will only say the following: I will definitely return to India. It really hooked me (even while in Thailand - now I’m lying in a tent at a huge gas station on the road towards Phuket - I constantly remember India and already miss those times).
True, it’s a matter of time when I get there.
My dear friend, if YOU have not yet been to this amazing country - India, be sure to make sure you are there. And, yes, it’s better not as a tourist, but as a traveler, to see the real India. Travel friends and expand your horizons!
This was Denis Bashmakov's story about Author: Denis Bashmakov, blog
Hello everyone, my dear readers! Today I want to talk in detail about how we compiled our travel route around India, what we were guided by and what we took into account when drawing up the plan.
In 45 days in India, we covered a total of 4000 km: we visited many cities and attractions in them. Not a single country that I have visited so far has given me such a huge amount of impressions.
Below I will explain what logic we followed when drawing up the route.
In this article:
1. Bottom up, top down or in a circle
India is a huge and very diverse country. States (analogues of regions in Russia) can differ strikingly from each other in terms of cleanliness, education of the population, cuisine, main language and other parameters.
So, the northern states of India look much poorer and dirtier than the southern ones, there is more devastation there. Therefore, many travelers advise exploring this country from north to south, so that the impression of the country improves as you move towards the lower part of the country.
Whether to follow this advice or not is up to everyone. Some travel from north to south, others from south to north, and some travelers even make a circular drive around the country along the entire coast.
We chose the first option and decided to go down from the northern states to the southern ones. In addition, the next point supported our plans.
2. Select the city of arrival and departure
Everything is very simple here: whichever city sells the cheapest tickets will be the first.
In our case, the cheapest tickets from Yekaterinburg were to the capital of India - Delhi.
One-way tickets for two cost us 22,000 rubles. We flew Turkish, where, compared to Aeroflot, the planes and service are simply first-class.
In addition, we had transit in Istanbul and nine hours between flights, so before the capital of India we had time to walk around the capital of Turkey.
With the city of departure, everything is the same: we are looking for inexpensive tickets back home or to the next country. We found tickets for 11,000 rubles from the Indian city of Chennai to Singapore (I love this country!).
I forgot to say that if you apply for an electronic visa to India via the Internet, then the airports of arrival and departure should be included in the list where this electronic visa is issued upon arrival and closed upon departure from the country.
3. Main attractions
1. New Delhi (capital)
We didn’t plan to stay in the capital of India for a long time, we just wanted to find out what the main city of the country was like. Therefore, we visited two temples (there are many more) and walked the streets of Delhi - everything took 2 days.
In general, the city made an indelible impression on me, during these two days I was simply shocked by everything that was happening around: from food, from dirt, from cows, from people staring at you, from hotels, from the lack of service, from police officers with sticks and much more.
The first temple we visited was:
3. Taj Mahal (city of Agra)
People go to Agra for this temple. In addition to it, you can also visit the fort. There is nothing else to do in the city: it is quite dirty, and in some places even scary.
4. Varanasi
At first we planned to visit this holy city. But after the previous three cities, we decided that the sight of burning corpses, the dirty Ganges River and other such delights would be too serious a test for us.
Therefore, we decided to shorten our route a little. Which we later regretted very much.
So Varanasi is one of the reasons why I want to come back to India again.
5. Ajanta
Here there are caves with drawings and various images carved into the rocks.
At first we wanted to visit this place, however, on the way we realized that getting there would not be very easy and decided to limit ourselves to other caves, which are presented in the next paragraph.
6. Aurangabad (Ellora Caves)
Tourists come to this small town for Ellora, a city carved into the rock:
7. Mumbai
Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is the former capital of India. This is one of the most amazing and beautiful Indian cities.
The city center is filled with European-style buildings, as the British and Portuguese previously ruled here.
City embankment:
This is also where the largest slums in the world are located. We didn’t delve too deeply into them, but walked around the edges:
City train:
We were in Mumbai for only two days. And I would like to come back here again to:
- visit Bollywood and take part in the crowd of some Indian film;
- visit the largest laundry in India (we only saw it briefly from the train window).
8. Colva (Goa)
There are plenty of beaches in India, however, the most suitable for relaxing and swimming that we visited were in Goa.
In the town of Candolim we visited:
9. Alleppey (Kerala)
Kerala is the most pleasant Indian state we have visited. The city of Alleppey (or its second name is Alapuja) is often called the Venice of India for its network of canals along which river trams, tourist boats and houseboats ply.
Tame eagles in coastal cafes:
10. Kochi (Kerala)
A very beautiful place. The only negative is that you can’t swim, the beaches and water are very dirty. You need to go to a remote beach.
This city has a lot to offer. Chinese fishing nets: an old technology that is still used here.
Green house:
There is a factory of spices and oils, several museums. Here we found pictures from Russia:
An Indian laundry where they still wash by hand and iron things with huge iron irons:
There are a huge number of museums, galleries, art cafes and antique shops on the peninsula:
Catholic Church:
11. Varkala (Kerala state)
As I already said, Kerala is the cleanest and most pleasant state in India. However, it lacks the decent beaches that Goa has. Most often there is an ocean entrance to the sea: very steep and with big waves.
And Varkala boasts wide and gently sloping beaches. And I really regret that we didn’t get to this city.
12. Kanyakumari
The southernmost point of India, and only for this reason we wanted to visit it. But during the trip, the desire to go to this place just for the sake of “so that it was” somehow disappeared.
13. Chennai
This is the same city from which we went to Singapore. In principle, this is exactly why we came here. Chennai is very similar to the capital Delhi, only it is very hot and the city is located on the seashore.
Here the beach strip reaches 400 meters. The entrance to the sea is very steep.
4. Route map
As a result, we took the following route:
And this map with those places that we would like to visit additionally:
Namely:
- would like to go north of New Delhi to see the mountains;
- Varanasi is a holy city;
- Kolkata is the cultural capital of India;
- Varkala has excellent beaches and it should be much cleaner there than in Goa, because it is the state of Kerala.
Dear readers, this is where I will end. I am sure that there are still many interesting and unusual places in India, so if you have your own suggestions, write about them in the comments.
I forgot to say that we traveled around India by trains, which are very cheap, and sometimes you can travel on them for free. .
I wish you interesting travels. That's all I have for today. Thank you for attention.
Bye everyone!
Your Lena Iskhakova
Almost every tourist dreams, while not everyone succeeds in making their cherished dream come true. But you are actually lucky, because you have the opportunity to visit this glorious multi-million dollar country without spending a lot of money. Just follow our advice and you will succeed.
So, an independent trip to India is almost always much cheaper compared to the prices charged by travel agencies. In addition, since you will carry out all the actions yourself without anyone’s help, you will receive a sea of positive emotions and memories.
Ready-made tours offer practically nothing new, and apart from visiting a few main attractions and selfless relaxation, there is nothing else for you to do. Whereas, acting on the principle of “being your own boss,” you will gain incredible freedom and plunge into a real adventure, which will become the No. 1 story for you among your friends.
A little about the geography of the region. Considering that more than a billion people live in India, you can imagine how vast the territory is there. In addition, the climatic features, standard of living and many other fundamental factors here are so different that having visited only one, you definitely will not experience all the features of the region.
As a rule, the most popular holiday destination among Russian tourists is , which is most suitable for the European way of holiday. Sunny beaches, clean ocean, dozens of hotels and an almost friendly attitude towards foreigners. Which, in general, is not surprising, because this state used to be a Portuguese colony.
Unlike other parts of India where you know people follow strict rules, here you can wear short shorts or even a bikini. But one cannot call oneself a real tourist who has visited India without visiting at least several places. Well, now let's talk about how you can organize your trip to India on a budget.
Purchasing air tickets
The fastest and most comfortable way to get to India, of course, is by plane. There are also options for traveling by bus tour or even by train, but as a rule, the most desperate tourists agree to this, because it will take at least ten days to travel one way.
Whereas for people with a short vacation, a plane is most suitable. The average cost of tickets to India is about three hundred euros, and such routes take into account several transfers and imply the purchase of two-way tickets at once.
The majority of flights depart directly from Moscow or St. Petersburg, if the country of residence is Russia, as well as Kyiv (in the case of Ukraine) or Minsk (Belarus). Other smaller cities also have a choice of flights to India, but their cost and availability are not always popular with tourists. Please note that the cheaper the air ticket to India, the longer you will need to fly. In general, the fastest methods require a plane ticket to cost from 330 euros.
The most profitable way to purchase tickets to India is on the website of the cheap ticket search service Aviasales. This is where you can compare various offers for purchasing air tickets from several companies at once. This way you can save not only a lot of time, but also a considerable amount of money. As a rule, no more than 30 minutes are spent on everything.
Finding accommodation in India
When choosing accommodation for your vacation, this site can save a significant amount of time, which can then be spent on more useful things. Alternatively, you can also rent an apartment or house directly from local residents. This option allows you to immerse yourself in the Indian cultural flavor and live like a real Indian. Of course, the quality of housing differs from the level we are used to, so we always recommend carefully studying the photographs in advance.
Required documents
So, in order to get to India, you will need to present a passport and a visa. In some cases, medical insurance may be required (depending on the state of India where you are going on holiday). In fact, treatment in India is very expensive, so, of course, it doesn’t hurt to take out insurance for yourself. Just in case.
There are 3 centers for issuing visas to India in Russia, located in Vladivostok, Moscow and St. Petersburg. In addition, this can also be done via the Internet. On average, the cost of a visa is about $60, while its processing takes no more than four days.
To obtain a visa, the following documents are required: a valid passport, a completed application form at the visa center (purpose of travel, etc.), a photograph, mandatory confirmation of a hotel room reservation or a rented apartment. In general, the list of documents may change, so all current information can be found on the website of the Indian Embassy.
List of best attractions in India
Considering the size of the country, you can find a lot of really worth seeing places here. But, one way or another, no matter where you plan to vacation, it will be very difficult to build a travel itinerary for sightseeing throughout India. The only thing that in this case I would like to tell you about the most famous sights of the country.
- Dudhsagar
- Stupa in Sanchi
- Mahabodhi Temple Bollywood
- Taj Mahal
- National Museum of Delhi
- Hampi
- Fort Aguada
- Qutub Minar
It is worth noting that the most convenient way to get to attractions located in different parts of India is by car. Of course, you will have to spend at least a couple of days on such a trip, but you will get a great variety of impressions.
Of course, if your budget allows it, you can use internal services to travel around the country. Moreover, there are a lot of similar companies here, and purchasing a ticket for them will not be any problem.
Cost of travel to India
It all depends entirely on your personal preferences. For some, 800 euros will be enough, but for others, even 8,000 euros will not allow them to have a good rest. So everyone here chooses their own level of relaxation. This is the beauty of travel like this. As a personal example, I suggest you familiarize yourself with a 10-day vacation in Goa for two people, taking into account departure from Moscow.
- Plane tickets for two cost 900 euros round trip
- Accommodation for 10 days cost 500 euros.
- Meals for two – 200 euros.
- Transportation costs around the resort are 50 euros.
- Visiting attractions – 50 euros.
- Souvenirs and various tourist expenses – 250 euros.
- Visa and insurance – 80 euros.
In total, almost 2 thousand euros came out. Of course, it was possible to relax much cheaper, or much more expensive. The main thing is to know that vacationing on a budget is completely possible.
Options to save money on traveling to India
We bet that by keeping in mind a few basic tips for traveling India on your own as a wild card, you can significantly reduce your expenses. For example, we recommend that you use the roomguru.ru service to find cheap hotel rooms
In this way, you can save some money without losing anything in terms of comfort. Also pay attention to the choice of resort for your vacation, because, for example, Goa and Agra have almost the same conditions in terms of recreation, only in the first case you will have to pay twice as much.
Another tip for booking hotel rooms or apartments is to make your reservation a couple of months in advance of your visit, so you can save up to 20 percent of the total cost. Some, of course, may agree to stay in a hostel, however, such an offer is not suitable for everyone due to the practical lack of comfortable conditions.
When choosing a time of year for a vacation in India, it is recommended to choose the off-season, because during this period the prices for accommodation will be much lower. In general, now you know how you can relax in India on your own. Use your acquired knowledge and buy air tickets to India now. Happy travels.
Hello friends!
It's winter outside, and right now the snow is falling in flakes. First winter at -10 in the last 3.5 years. It’s a little unusual, but it’s an opportunity to pull yourself together and do things that you didn’t have time for on the road. With this article I decided to unpack my Indian experience a little and talk about what it takes to travel independently in India without shock therapy.
With such pictures, writing about India is just right
I have a total of more than a year behind me, spent within this wonderful country. Here's a small one. Read it, there are a lot of cross-references to interesting materials :)
India is a country of victorious chaos. Written and unwritten rules here work on completely different planes, and more often than not they don’t work at all. Everything here is controlled by the Gods and the omnipresent mad Heart. There is a lot in common with the Russian mentality. The same belief in one’s own exclusivity, ingenuity and the ubiquity of chance.
Chaos and dirt are the main features of any Indian corner. But it's so cozy
Here it is very easy to “erase your personal history” and become “Nobody” (with a capital letter and in the full sense of the word). Get lost, dissolve and be reborn. Among the ancient shitty streets, cows and crazy ascetics with eyes red from hashish.
As my good friend once said: people go to India and Nepal to heal souls.
Where to start preparing for your trip?
By accepting the fact that most likely all your planning will go to hell. In India, the very concept of time is very vague. And if planes fly according to a completely usual schedule, then trains may be late for a day (I am not exaggerating!!!).
A delay of 4-5 hours is considered normal on Indian Railways. Therefore, always have some time to spare.
In a typical Indian sleeper
Travel planning
Despite the quite expected destruction of all the plans made, it is necessary to prepare for the trip. It’s worth starting with at least tickets and visas). And let reviews of travel in this wonderful country say otherwise)
Visa
It is possible to obtain long-term tourist visas for India, valid for up to 5 years (formally the law has been adopted, but I have not yet seen any real precedents). Most often you can get a visa for 3 or 6 months. If you ask hard, they can give you a double. The cost is about 100 dollars.
The main thing is that in the occupation column, do not indicate “photographer” or “journalist”. They don’t like them there :) For there is no point in trampling the holy land with your vision with a heap of dirt, shit and crippled beggars.
In addition, Russians, Ukrainians and Kazakhs can now obtain an electronic visa, valid for 1 year with a period of non-exit in the country = 90 days. Cost from 80 to 100 bucks.
It is prohibited to work on a tourist visa, so if you suddenly want to get a job, this can be fraught with problems.
Tickets
I recommend purchasing tickets, especially for trains and buses, in advance. 1-1.5 months before the trip. And if you can at least get tickets for buses even at the last moment, then for trains it very often happens that there are no tickets.
I have good friends who are involved in developing routes and buying tickets for Indian trains and buses. I recommend. They have more than 10 years of experience traveling around India and their approach to business is very professional. They will select tickets, connections and the optimal route.
Housing
Despite the huge number of accommodations in popular booking systems, you can get seriously burned. In India, the concept of “quality of service” is very weak. Even in 3* hotels you may encounter dirty sheets and pubic hair in the pillows. Therefore, it is better to search locally, or negotiate on some places that have already been tested by others.
Cobra Whisperer
First aid kit
The stomach and immunity of the Russian person are poorly adapted to tropical climate conditions. In India, the phrase “Don't let yourself get sick” should sound like a mantra.
Therefore, the mandatory items on your trip should be:
- Activated carbon
- Ointment for insect bites (I recommend “Rescuer”. It’s very helpful in relieving itching after any nasty thing)
- Pancreatin. Spicy foods can be hard on the pancreas. And she, according to doctors, is practically not recovering.
- Furozolidone. A wonderful and cheap remedy for all types of intestinal infections.
- Sun cream.
It is useless to take any mosquito repellent sprays and ointments from home. They have no effect on Indian fauna at all. There are many grocery stores in India where you can easily buy these things.
It would be a good idea to have insurance for your trip. Only, as elsewhere in Asia, it does not cover possible injuries from riding scooters and motorcycles. Be vigilant and careful.
It happens that people ask about vaccinations before a trip. I have never done them, but if you are very worried about malaria or dengue fever, it is better to be safe. There are a lot of mosquitoes here. I once had an incident with a mosquito bite, after which I felt feverish for a long time.
Money
If you plan to travel with cash, take dollars or euros. Exchange for rupees can be found in almost any tourist place: from to Kanyakumari.
There are a lot of “ascetic businessmen” here
I prefer to travel like a savage with bank cards. ATMs can be found even in remote villages, where such technical innovations seem completely surreal against the backdrop of hand mills.
The best way to withdraw money is from SBI (State Bank of India) and Canara bank ATMs. They don't charge a fee for cashing out.
Traditions you need to know to be safe
All of India is conservative and traditional. Therefore, in order not to suddenly find yourself in an uncomfortable (and even dangerous) position, you need to be vigilant and know some traditions.
For women
I will highlight this point especially, because sperm toxicosis in men in a society with suppressed sexuality reaches very dangerous forms.
- Be modest with local men. Politely, but without ingratiating smiles. Otherwise, it may be perceived as a signal of availability.
- Cover up your charms. Tight clothes and flashy makeup also send a “signal.”
- It is better to respond to attempts to shake your hand with a “nameste” bow with your hands folded at your chest.
- It is better to avoid large crowds of people.
- Taking a selfie with an Indian womanizer often results in your photo being posted on Facebook with the caption “me and my girlfriend.” This happens with enviable consistency, regardless of the state. Even more often, 1 selfie turns into a whole selfie session with everyone.
Of course, you shouldn’t fall into paranoia, but being on alert is useful.
The Buddhist regions of India are calmer in this regard: Sikkim.
For everyone else
In India, aggression is perceived as something very out of the ordinary. This is why our not-so-prosperous compatriots love to flaunt their “Indian victories”. Hindus simply fall into a stupor, which can sometimes lead to very dire situations.
Don't be fooled
India is the country of the winning heart. Here, since ancient times, they have learned to sweeten the outstretched ears of simpleton newcomers with grandeur. (here they are called “fresh chicken”: literally “fresh chicken”). Therefore, there will be constant attempts to deceive here. The good news is that 99% of such attempts are childishly naive and harmless.
It is better to relax immediately and even if a deception is discovered, maintain a cheerful mood. Consider this a game whose price is 50-100 rubles. Agree, it’s not a high price to pay for a new and interesting experience).
Hindus, when you catch them cheating, most often break out into a smile, shake their heads and say “ok”. Like, “it didn’t work and that’s okay.” It’s not even possible to be offended by them.
Divorce the Indian way in Varanasi
However, we must not lose our vigilance! It is possible and even necessary to be persistent. Just without aggression. The latter is not held in high esteem here at all. It is offensive and destructive.
The most common divorces are as follows:
- Taxi in Delhi. “Is this your first time in India?” If you answer in the affirmative, there will be an idea: “oh, your hotel burned down. But I know one very, very good place.” In general, they will take you to a place where the taxi driver will rely on a small magarych. The price will be quoted 2-3 times higher than the market price.
- “The roads are blocked and there are no places.” Another breeder as old as time, found mainly in Delhi. Usually the same taxi drivers who you inform that you are going somewhere north answer this way, like.
- Ear cleaners. Divorce is older than Mahabharata. Sometimes these comrades can, as if by chance, “completely free”, pull a horse out of your ear and half the chicken you ate in the morning. When I saw the cleaner operating in the ear of a cute white girl, I realized that this scam would live on for a very long time.
- Pressure for pity. “I have 5 children, and today I know business... please, give me the tips.” In general, the classic story of service personnel: from rickshaw drivers to cafe waiters.
- Well, and another +100 of all sorts of minor scams.
Determining a scam is quite simple: if someone offers you their services “just like that,” most likely it is not free. This is very common in tourist places like Goa. I have never seen anything like this on the road or in the villages. On the contrary - only a sincere desire to help, as I was repeatedly convinced of during our and after, along the way
This article will be useful for those who want to travel to India on their own, but do not know how much it costs and cannot decide.
I roughly described the route and budget of our trip to India this winter. This will be our 2nd trip.
The budget can be reduced or increased, it all depends on your needs.
Some people use their last money to buy tickets to Goa, sleep there on the beach or with the “man under the star anise” in Arambol, beg for alms from the Russians, smoke, and they are happy!!!
In general, it’s up to everyone to decide what happiness is.
The article will be updated as we spend. I will mark the actual amounts spent in green, you can compare them with the plan))
So, let's begin.
We are going to India for 22 days: 12/31/2017- 01/22/2018
The budget looks something like this:
1.Airfare costs.
1.1. Omsk-Delhi (with a transfer in Astana) 27,000 rubles for two There and back again.
1.2. We are going to Kerala, but direct tickets are expensive, and we want to go to Hampi and Goa, so we bought additional tickets: 01/04/2017 Delhi-Hyderabad (centre of India) - 5000 rubles for two . If you don’t want to see India, but are flying specifically for Ayurveda to Kerala, then tickets to Kochi are 01.01.-04.01. cost approximately 13,000 rubles, and after 04.01. -10000-12000 rubles for two.
1.3.And return tickets: 01/21/2017. Kochi (Kerala) - Delhi (with a change in Bangalore) - 7000 rubles for two (until January 10, tickets cost more than 10,000 rubles, and after January 17, you can fly cheaper). Total: 39,000 rubles.
2. Accommodation.
We choose the most budget type of housing (hut in Russian), the average cost is 500 rupees for two. 22 days*500=11000 rupees. Plus 2000 rupees just in case (force majeure).
You can compare prices for hotels from different companies on the website
You can read the hotels that we booked in the article:
The amount according to the plan was as follows: 413+459+635.15+550+ 2,282.49+ 2201+750+2742+ 1,468= 10,499 rubles.
Since some hotels can cancel the reservation themselves, and there are different situations, I will write the actual amount later.
3. Visa.
75 $*2 people= 150 $=9100 rubles (approximately). This is the cost of an e-visa.
If you live in Moscow or St. Petersburg, you can submit documents to the embassy, and the visa will cost you much less (approximately 2500 rubles per person)
Plus, when paying for an e-visa on the website, a commission of $1.8 is charged.
In total we spent: 76.8 $*2=153.6 $ (at the rate of 60 rubles - 9216 rubles)
4. Transportation costs in India.
We have several trips planned by trains and buses, the cost is approximately:
3.1 Train 02.01. Delhi-Agra 700 rubles for two.
3.2. Train 02.01. Agra-Sawai Madhopur 250-350 rubles for two
3.3. Train 03.01. Sawai Madhopur-Jaipur 300 rubles for two.
3.4. Train 04.01. Jaipur-Delhi 470 rubles for two.
3.5. 04.01. Train or bus Hyderabat-Hospet (Hampi) 600 rubles for two.
3.6. 07.01. Train or bus Hospet-Goa (Mapsa or Margao) 1000 rubles for two.
3.7. 10.01. Buses from Arambol (Goa) to Palolem (South Goa) 260 rubles for two.
3.8. 12.01. Bus from Palolem to Kochi.
3.9. 14.01. Bus from Kochi to Trivandrum.
4.10. 21.01. Bus from Trivandrum to Kochi.
The total amount will be calculated after all transfers have been calculated.
Also not included in the list are intra-city travel by buses, auto-rickshaws and taxis.
What route we got in reality, read the article ""
4. Food
We calculated a food budget of 1,300 rubles per day for two. In 22 days it turns out to be 28,600 rubles. This amount includes alcohol (a bottle of Rum 180 rupees, beer 0.6-60 rupees). In general, you can dine on rice with Indian sauces for 100 rubles, but we are not vegetarians. We plan to eat at Tibetan momo eateries and buy seafood once every 2 days. For example, in Goa in Calangute at the market we bought tuna for 350 rupees (2.5-3 kg.), They prepared it for us for 300 rupees. We ate it for 2 days. Or another example: we took medium-sized shrimp there for 150 rupees (600 grams), cooked it for 50 rupees. What to eat is up to you to decide.
5. Shopping.
Budget 15,000 rubles.
I definitely include in my expenses the budget for the purchase of Indian cosmetics and various dietary supplements and medicines, because... I don’t buy shampoos in Russia.
6. Ayurveda.
We definitely include a general massage in the budget, the average cost is 600 rupees, 10 sessions. For two people it turns out to be 12,000 rupees.
Plus several Ayurveda treatments 3000 rupees.
And several yoga lessons 1000 rupees.
Total: 16,000 rupees (rubles).
7. Excursions.
Below I will describe our travel route by day along with prices for excursions to make it clearer.
01/31/2017 Flight from Omsk to Astana.
1.01. Flight Astana-Delhi. Day in Delhi.
Excursions have not yet been distributed.
2.01. Departure by train to Agra.
Visit to the Taj Mahal. Price 1000 rubles* 2= 2000 rubles.
Visit to Agra Fort.
Departure to Sawai Madhopur (where the Ranthambore nature reserve is located).
3.01. Visit Ranthambore Nature Reserve. Jeep safari: 1800 rupees*2= 3600 rupees.
Departure to Jaipur.
Visit to the Fort in Jaipur. The price is 500 rupees, but perhaps we will take a tourist ticket to visit several attractions. Price 1000 rupees*2= 2000 rupees.
Visits to the reserve with elephants.
4.01. Departure to Delhi.
Flight Delhi - Hyderabad
Departure from Hyderabad to Hospet (Hampi).
5.01.-06.01. Visit Hampi.
7.01. Departure to Goa
8.01.-09.01. Holidays in Goa. Arambol.
10.01.-11.01. South Goa. Palolem.
12.01.-13.01. Kochi (Kerala).
There will be excursions, but the exact number has not been calculated.
14.01.-21.01. Trivandrum (Kerala).
21.01. Flight Kochi-Delhi.
22.01. Flight Delhi-Astana-Omsk.
The plan is approximate, not all expenses are taken into account, only the main ones. After the trip I’ll write about what happened in the end.
The rupee to ruble exchange rate for a 1:1 calculation will in reality be slightly more profitable.
Haven't bought your tickets yet? Subscribe to the desired direction on the site and catch your luck by the tail!
We catch last-minute trips on sites with the lowest prices
If you want to get inspired by ideas for planning excursions or book an excursion with a professional guide for yourself, you can do this on the websites.
And don't forget about taking out insurance. All options and prices can be found on the websites,
Read also:
- How much money to take with you to Goa? We are calculating the budget...
