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Old 04-22-2008, 04:47 AM   #1
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Default India in September??

I have 3 weeks in September before I start back at Uni and would absolulty love to go to India. I know nothing about India as all my backpacking so far has been in Europe.
Which is the best area of India to visit in September and how severe is the monsoon season at this time?

Along with my ridiculasly short time period I have I also only have £700 for the whole trip inc flights from UK. Is this do-able?? How much do vacinations and visas cost?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance,

Jenny
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Old 04-22-2008, 03:34 PM   #2
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Heh, good luck with that. I'm heading to India in 2 weeks and it cost me 900-ish US dollars for my flight from Frankfurt-Delhi. Last time I checked, prices were comparable from London, maybe a teeny bit cheaper. My visa alone cost me 120 Euros (it would be probably be cheaper for you), malaria meds and typhoid jabs would set me back about a 90-100 Euros...and thus, my advice would be to wait this one out a little...might be a little hard to swing, financially.
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Old 04-22-2008, 05:58 PM   #3
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Sometimes airlines and travel agencies in the UK run special deals to Goa, you could maybe keep an eye out for that. (Although personally, Goa isn't big in my priority list of places to see in India.)

Flights, meds and red tape will set you back quite a bit. Honestly I would say that 700 pounds would not be enough-- you'd probably cover those expenses and then maybe have enough left over for a few days, maybe a week of actually being there.

India is certainly a cheaper travel destination than Europe, but it is NOT the cheap-ass budget destination that it used to be. In the year between my first trip there and my second, prices were noticeably different.

September also tends to be a difficult time to visit because the monsoon is either still going or it's just ending. The problem with the end of the monsoon is that's the time when there are the most mosquitoes.

If India doesn't work, have you considered something like Morocco or Egypt in September? They might be a little easier on your budget.
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Old 04-23-2008, 04:35 AM   #4
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Booohooo- my dreams are dashed!!

So even if I got my sticky mits on a few extra pounds do you still think Northern India in September is not really worthwhile??
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Old 04-23-2008, 02:22 PM   #5
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Oh no my dear, I didn't say that India is not worthwhile! It absolutely is. But for 3 weeks including the cost of your visa, potential meds if you decide to take them, flights, daily expenses and in-country travel, 700 pounds is NOT enough.

In my opinion (read: just my opinion, but I have been there twice) for 3 weeks in North India you should plan on having about 700 pounds (or 800, preferably) for spending money alone. There's a good chance you won't spend it all, but I easily went through more than that for 4 weeks. And I was staying for free whenever I went through Delhi!

- Your flight alone will run you about 400-500 pounds, and that's a good price.

- The visa fee is only 30 pounds for British citizens, but there's a catch you must be aware of: The visa is valid for 6 months/180 days from the date of issue: NOT THE DATE OF ARRIVAL IN INDIA. If you only go for 3 weeks and don't plan on going back anytime soon afterwards, basically what this means is don't apply for the visa too early (but don't wait too long either).

- Jabs if you decide to get them aren't going to be cheap, and malaria meds won't be either. I don't have any estimate to give you about those costs in the UK, sorry.

- Get travel insurance. Don't think about it, just do it. It's worth it.

- Getting around in India isn't hideously expensive but you'd be surprised at how fast it all adds up.

If you can get your flights and visa/medical/travel insurance covered before touching the 700 pounds, do it. Is your birthday coming up any time soon? Any odd jobs you can pick up here and there to make some extra cash to squirrel away?

Good luck. I really hope you can make it there, India is a wonderful, beautiful, strange, beguiling, frustrating, chaotic, friendly place that I have come to love very much.

One more parting piece of advice: If you do go, it's a good idea to start yourself on a regimen of probiotics about a month before you go and continue taking them while you're there. They help A LOT with digestive issues. You can get heat-stable ones that don't need to be refrigerated now. Also make sure that you dress somewhat demurely: do not go over there planning to wear shorts and low-cut and/or sleeveless shirts all the time. It's going to be hot, but you'll live. Shorts are a pretty big no-no, and so are sleeveless shirts, but the two combined are likely to get you stared at (and possibly photographed by leering locals) much more than you would if you were wearing proper trousers and shirts with sleeves. Aside from offending the locals, it will also prohibit you from entering most temples, mosques, and other religious sites that no visit to India would be complete without.
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Old 07-16-2008, 07:06 AM   #6
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This has proved a useful post for me too, i am looking to go to India for 4 weeks - coming in over the Pakistan border and on to Delhi and flying back to Manchester from Goa.

I am hoping to have about £1000 spending money, which seems to be about what I need according to previous posts, just need to work out where to go between delhi and goa, there's so much to see and do.
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Old 07-16-2008, 08:14 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by space virgin View Post
In my opinion (read: just my opinion, but I have been there twice) for 3 weeks in North India you should plan on having about 700 pounds (or 800, preferably) for spending money alone.
That's surprising! In Nepal, I'd say one can go on a $15/day budget. Expensive activities such as flying over the Himalayas, doing the Everest base camp, hicking (around $25-$40 a day) or rafting add up to that amount, but otherwise $100 a week is quite enough, tight but enough.

I would have thought India is on the same level of life.
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Old 07-16-2008, 03:48 PM   #8
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Sadly, costs have skyrocketed in the past two years. Between my first trip in November 2006 and the second in February/March 2008, everything was about 30% more. No joke-- a SOLID 30%. At least. Food, hotels, and transit are ALL affected. (It should also be mentioned that November is considered peak season and March is the start of the off-season.)

That said, in February the dollar was a little less than it is now-- it was about Rs 39 to $1 US and now it's more like Rs 43 to $1 US, which helps a tiny bit. But with India's exponential economic growth, it wouldn't surprise me if my upcoming trip-- in just 2 weeks-- was even more expensive than the last one!

I don't know how things are in Nepal but I'd imagine it's probably less expensive than India.

Of course, if you're planning to park yourself in the countryside and not go anywhere, it will be much cheaper.
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Old 07-16-2008, 06:07 PM   #9
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Yes, India's economy is emerging quickly. But still Jeanie, you're making it sound as if low budget travel within the country was almost as expensive as in Western Europe, more than Eastern Europe, which I doubt. $1400 (700 pounds) for 21 days makes a substantive $65 per day !

According to my infos, $15 for low budget travel, including accomodation, food and inner transport, is still realistic. Of course, one can spend a lot more depending on the level of comfort, etc. But for someone whose dream is to see India, a tight budget isn't a big sacrifice. In my opinion...
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