India is a breathtaking, beautiful, but at times bewildering country. Here are my tips on how to make a trip to the sub-continent run smoothly while making the budget stretch, as I learned from my recent trip to Delhi and Rajasthan with my other half — The Norwegian.

By Jenny Wight

1) They say the clothes maketh the man, and in India, especially if you are a woman or are straying from the tourist trail, choosing modest clothes will certainly make your trip easier. Indian clothes will not only look beautiful, but protect you from dust, insects, impertinent stares and the sun.

The retailer fabindia has stores throughout India, and is an excellent choice. During our stay I visited many temples and forts in a salwar kameez, a long fitted tunic and the most enormous pair of drawstring trousers. Modest they may be, but flattering to the hips they ‘aint. One sweltering day on a visit to Humayun’s Tomb, a kindly yet mortified Delhi matron sidled up to me and whispered to me, “Actually, we wear these inside,” pointing to the drawstrings of my trousers that were swinging brazenly between my knees. Imagine walking into a crowded restaurant with your fly unzipped, this is the Indian equivalent.

2) Most of India is hot most of the time, and the tap water is best avoided. Apart from the environmental impact — which is hard to avoid — the cost of bottled water can really add up. Hotels seem to make a fair profit on bottled water as even the budget joints jack up the price by 50% or more. While we were staying at a cheap and cheerful place near the magical Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, we bought bottles for five rupees at the local shop down the road, whereas our guest house was charging 20. The classier hotels charge 50 rupees and more.

3) Unless you are on really tight budget, mix in one or two nights in a top-notch hotel. India does luxury so well and if you find a place that charges in rupees, it will be excellent value. After nights staying in fairly basic guest houses and sleeper trains, we splurged on a few nights in a converted 15th-century fort, The Neemrana Fort Palace Hotel, for 4,000 rupees a night. Just remember: don’t get too comfortable.

It can be a wrench to go back to basics after lounging by the pool, sipping gin and tonics on the escarpments, and eating gourmet meals under the stars while surrounded by twinkling candles and a lotus pool sprinkled with scented rose petals.

4) It has taken me up to tip number four to mention, but it had to come up eventually (sorry). Most travelers will be on their guard against the famous Delhi Belly, Mumbai Rumbles or Hyderabad I-feel-bads, as traveler’s diarrhea is variously known, and it is important to familiarize yourself with a few simple rules to help avoid it. But one thing which made a big difference to us was the daily dose of probiotics (also known as yogurt pills).

Some people have stomachs of iron. I have the stomach of a paper bag and was really worried about getting seriously sick, but these handy pills kept things in good working order and meant I could be adventurous with my food choices. They didn’t, however, help against the nasty cold both the Norwegian and I developed after our Ayudervic massages, delivered by two sneezing and sniffling masseurs. Vitamin C tablets are on the list for our next trip.

5) Avoid booking taxis from the hotel. Your best bet is to ask around at the local shops or from passing drivers, especially if you are planning a long trip. We saved 2,000 rupees by wandering down to the village near our posh hotel (see tip three) and asking at a silver shop. The owner organized everything for us, but remember to ask if any quoted price includes extras such as air-conditioning or toll charges, and try to agree again on the price with the driver before jumping in the cab.

6) As most night trains leave well after 11 p.m., you can spend an uncomfortable evening hanging out in a restaurant or a guest house lobby waiting for your train to go.

Instead why not find a top notch hotel in the area and confuse the door staff by arriving in the afternoon with your bags but not checking in? Most hotels are happy for people to do this, but it’s courteous to ask. Both times we did, we were met with wrinkled brows, but always a kind wave towards the sun loungers, a generous head wobble and, “Of course, Sir, of course.” This can make tip five harder to organize when it comes time to leave, but well worth it for the soothing evening of luxury on the cheap.

7) Most of the people you meet in India will vary from lovely and helpful to indifferent, but there are the odd few — both locals and fellow travelers — who pose a risk. The best tip when looking for a driver, guide, or a place to eat or stay, is to go for the person trying the least. If someone is pushy, avoid them.

This is especially true if you are looking for a tuk-tuk near a tourist hotspot. Just walk around the corner and you will be able to flag down a normal driver. We learned this after climbing into the laminated back seat of the tuk-tuk whose insistent driver spent a good five minutes trying to persuade us to book him for the whole day. He ended up taking us to “Delhi Hut,” his uncle’s trinket shop, rather than Dilli Haat, a famous Delhi market. A clever, but annoying trick. Before getting too paranoid though, remember most people aren’t trying to rip you off.

8) In touristy spots though, you will often get accosted on the street with calls and pleas to “Come my shop!,” “Just looking!” or “Good price!”

We found the following helpful:

“Tuk-tuk?”

“No thanks.”

“No?”

“No.”

“Good price?”

Silence.

“Where you from Sir?”

“Norway.”

Even the most persistent salesman is halted even if just for a few seconds enabling a swift getaway. Portugal, Lithuania or any lesser well-known country would probably also do the trick.

9) One of the things many travelers to India find challenging is the poverty and desperation they see, which leads us to the thorny issue of dealing with beggars. You will be approached by beggars in India, and it is obviously up to you whether you give or not. Some people say pencils or pens given to children is an acceptable compromise.

I choose not to give anything, but try to learn about a reputable local charity and at the end of my holiday send them a donation. For this trip I choose the Salaam Baalak Trust, an organization that runs a number of projects and schemes with Delhi’s street children. They offer practical help as well as striving for longer term solutions. Giving alms in temples and churches is an option, but make sure it is legitimate: they should give you a receipt.

10) India is a stunning, shocking, assault on the senses. Prepare well, arrive with an open mind and you are sure to have a wonderful time.

Jen has donated her fee for this article to the Salaam Baalak Trust. For more information see: www.salaambaalaktrust.com

The post Ten Tips For Traveling In India appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

London Is Notorious As One Of The Most Expensive Cities To Visit, But With A Little Planning And Some Inside Tips It’s Possible To Have A Good Time There And Not Break The Bank

By Jenny Wight

A weekend in London for £100? Yeah right. OK, so you’re not going to sleep between Egyptian cotton sheets, sip champagne, or shop till you drop, but a weekend in town for less than £100 is possible — I promise. It just takes a little planning, some effort, and a whole lot of self-control. Here are some insider tips that can make London work for you.

Accommodation

2 x £15.50 = £31

The Ritz is out, but there are a handful of decent, central hostels in London. Being fairly central is important as it saves you valuable travel pennies. Piccadilly Backpackers Hotel has 10 bed dorms at £15.50. Also check out the Holland Park YHA (£16.50) and St Pancras YHA (£24.50). All prices are per person per night and include breakfast.

The hitch-hiking of travel accommodation — CouchSurfing — is another option for the more adventurous. This option means you slash over £30 from the budget, but the further you are from the center of town, the more complicated the travel gets (and buying breakfast as a thank you gift should also be considered). www.CouchSurfing.com

£££ Tip: Bring your own sleeping bag and you won’t have to pay extra to hire sheets.

£££ Tip: Prices listed on websites are usually for weeknights — check the price for weekends

Travel

11 x 90p = £9.90

Travel is a big expense in London — just a few stops on the tube can cost £4. But London has an amazing network of buses, many running 24 hours. Pick up an oyster card (£3 refundable) when you arrive and charge £10 to it. Since a single journey costs 90p (100p/£1) this will cover eleven bus journeys. It’s not always easy to work out bus routes, but check maps at the bus stops and if you are still stuck, ask. Most Londoners are happy to help despite their unfriendly reputation.

££££ Tip: Walking around town is a fantastic way to experience London and things are closer than you think — most bus stops have a local map with road names if you get lost.

Food

Lunch £5 x 2 + Dinner £11 x 2 + Tea £2 = £34

You can spend a fortune on food in London, and many visit the capital to do just that, but with some careful thought you can find great value food. For lunch, a take-away sandwich or carton of soup are not exciting but they will fill you up. Or find a street market with food stalls such as Whitecross or Portobello for a Pad Thai or Bean Burrittos. The trick is finding somewhere to eat your lunch. London is full of tiny squares and mini parks, but if it’s raining, head for a nearby “visitor attraction.” The Tate Modern’s main hall has lots of steps to perch on; Somerset House’s entrance has some tables and chairs; and the sprawling Barbican center has sofas galore. Just remember, don’t spend too long hogging the seats and clean up your trash.

Wherever groups from a far flung country have settled, good, cheap food can be found. So for dinner try these locations: Indian or Bangladeshi restaurants in Tower Hamlets, Portuguese food in the Oval, Lebanese around the Edgeware Rd, Turkish in Hackney and Haringey, or Vietnamese north of Shoreditch. Chinatown is the exception, but if you head away from the main tourist areas you will find cheaper Chinese canteens and Sushi cafés like Taro on Brewer Street which does Chicken Teriyaki Don (boxes of rice, bean sprouts and sticky chicken) for £5.90. Or keep your eyes out for Lamachun — a thin tasty Turkish “pizza” served rolled up and stuffed with salad — which goes for £2 at any good Turkish place.

Check the menu thoroughly and find out if extras are charged (bread, popadoms, bowls of olives, etc.)

££££ Tip: Find a BYO and bring your own cheap beer or wine.

££££ Tip: Start searching for somewhere to eat before you get hungry, the hunt is part of the fun of exploring London.

Entertainment

Day

Time Out = £3

The key to sticking to your budget is entertaining yourself for free during the day. Hey, this is London, so no problem there. The huge selection of free museums, galleries, churches, bridges and street entertainment could fill a month, let alone one weekend. If you splurge on a Time Out you can scour it for smaller one-off events and exhibitions. Many people come to London for the shopping, but on this budget that’s out of the question. If you have nerves of steel and a lock on your wallet, window shopping is great fun.

££££ Tip: Before you leave download audio tours of St Pauls and many others at www.AudioGuide2go.com

££££ Tip: See  www.LondonFreelist.com and www.LondonForFree.com for
free events.

Night

£11 x 2 = £22

London nightlife can be fun for the hard of spending too. Find a great “ye olde pub” and dole out your £11 on real ales and darts with the locals. Hunt down a local comedy venue, hand over most of your £11 to get in, then stick to lemonade. Find a club with a free night and dance the night away (93 Feet East in Brick Lane does Free Fridays once a month). Again, check out Time Out for listings.

££££ Tip: Ask around at your hostel, you might get invited to a house party, the cheapest of all entertainments.

* * *

London and Londoners move at a frantic pace. Don’t join in. Relax and stroll about. Lots of people spend money on holiday to stave of boredom. When you’re traveling on a budget, go slow, look around and enjoy the buzz of one of the planet’s most exciting cities.

The post How To Last A Weekend In London For Under £100 appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.