“What? Are you crazy?” My mother asked me, absolutely flabbergasted.
Erm…no? I said confidently not ready to give up so easily.
“Then how the hell are you going to make it”? She continued staring at me, like I had decided to go and watch ram gopal verma ki Aag on dvd.
If you are wondering what was causing my mother such excruciating grief, then let me tell you. I had just told her that I was going backpacking across Rajasthan. Simple enough, right?
Well, hold on before you say “wow that’s so cool”. The fact is that I was going on a shoestring budget. To be honest, it was just a “string budget”. Shoes are too expensive and overrated anyway. My budget for the overall trip including returning home in one piece was 3000 k. Yes…you heard me right! 3000 bucks. And I am not crazy!
Now before you jump to conclusions and say that “It’s impossible” let me just straighten my collar and tell you that I have done it before. A lot of times. I am an avid backpacker. Yes, I have backpacked across the whole of Rajasthan within the aforementioned amount and I can say, very proudly, that it’s a very achievable task. All it takes is a little bit of planning and the stamina to rough it out! (But trust me, IS also a lot of fun!).
I made my first trip when I was 16 with a bunch of girls I wasn’t too fond of. I went to across Maharashtra, spent 1200 bucks for 15 days, listened to them bicker about the heat and headed back home. It is not that I like traveling like a pauper (which I am, most of the time. But that’s beside the point) but the idea of backpacking, is to use minimum resources and see maximum places. Yes, you do need a certain amount of cash but what is more important is a sense of adventure and challenge and being open to the idea of stealing from roadside eateries in alien cities.
Now all these gyaan seems a lot of fun when you are just reading it. But the problem is that most of us, Indians, get our thrill, or sense of “adventure” by just watching AXN and silently hoping that they get to take part in a survivor or amazing race one day. I love us. But come on people, get real! If your idea of adventure is to go trekking to bushy dam in lonavla and are one of those who prefer to get your beauty sleep every weekend then this isn’t for you! Go back to sleep and don’t thrash in bed!
IF you are still reading then, I am guessing that you do like traveling and the idea of shoestring backpacking is something that you want to consider.
Super. Read on.
No first, let me just clear some myths about the notion of backpacking.
• It is NOT an activity undertaken only by hippies or phirangs.
• You do NOT have take a year off or a month to backpack. (But if you could then it will be awesome). It can be done within 2 weeks.
• You do NOT have to burn hole in your pocket to travel. You’ll keep losing your change, see?
• And lastly, you do NOT have to head to Europe or any other country to backpack. Apna India has a lot of fantastic places to go to.
Now since all that is cleared, let me just get in to the details. (This is crucial for budget traveling).
Now that you have decided to travel I hope you know where you want to go. No? Then what are you waiting for? Christmas?
Okay, that bit. But I am allowed one bad one.
Take out a map of our country and mark a place. But before you do that fix on a budget because that will primarily decide how far you can venture. Now you can’t go to Arunachal Pradesh with a budget of 5 k, can you? Not unless you are not planning to return. And don’t worry if your budget is not too much. Just be prepared to slog a little.
Now that your budget is in place and you know where you are going.
Step 2: Next step, book the cheapest tickets possible. And I don’t mean air tickets! Railways zindabaad. But before that find out if there are some alternative ways to get to your destination. For example, if somebody you know is going in that direction via car or anything the just join them. Sounds cheap? Well it is, but whom are you kidding. You’re reading this article and you’re poor. Deal with it.
Shelf your pride. Period.
Once when I had to gone to Himachal Pradesh I went along with an uncle whom I had never seen before till Delhi in his car. Imagine the amount of money I had saved!
Step 3: Before you jump in to your mode of transportation, do some research. This is where Google comes handy. Find out the cheapest places to stay in. Hotels, hostels, guest houses, etc. With some good research, you will be amazed at the amount of options of you will find. Take a printout with you and don’t lose it! Making paper rockets when bored isn’t an option either.
Step 4: So you have reached your destination. Don’t rush towards a hotel! Mingle with the locals for a bit because in some places you can stay with the families also for dirt-cheap prices. With food. Just don’t be uptight, act lechy with the women or inform them about your fascination with blood.
Step 5: One big reason people usually end up spending their money before time while traveling is because they are idiots. Don’t shop and you’d probably never come across a better time to diet. Now come on people, if you are traveling, you don’t want to have a burger do you? Ok, even if you do, then too bad. Try the local cuisine which will be way more exciting and new. And you are traveling, not for shopping. You do that enough once at home. And besides, such faltu kharcha will set you back on your budget. If you want to pick up souvenirs for family and friends then it is always a great idea to get them some sand and rocks. They’re not available at home, will remind you of your trip and are free.
Just don’t go on a spending spree. Remember every penny counts.
Step 6: Be open to adventure and fun. Don’t just stay in your room. Step out, meet people, visit the tourist sites, there is so much to do! Just be safe and don’t do anything stupid like taking lifts from strangers and venturing out in the middle of the night alone!
We know money’s tight but mugging never helped anybody.
Once you are out, you are responsible for your own safety. Keep in touch with your family and let them know where you are constantly. In your state of adventure don’t give your parents a hard time.
Remember, they gave you life and considering you’re unlucky enough to be poor, chances are, they WILL take it back.
As a fan of traveling I always suggest traveling in a group. Think about it! There is a lot of advantage. Your costs get divided, you have company and in general it is a lot of fun to travel with your buddies. But just in case you plan to make a solo trip, then just make sure you don’t make the trip too cheap. Keep a slightly higher budget and pick modest hotels with sane managers and staff. Don’t try and mingle with strangers too much and in general don’t try and act oversmart! Might just cost you big time.
All said and done, there is no bigger joy than a good trip. I have made numerous ones myself and I have never spent more than 5 k for any of my trips. Yes, I am super poor. Big whoop.
That is considering, I have stayed in people’s verandahs, monasteries and once under a tree. Ah…the way the crow poop moisturized my curly locks!
Now before I go into my nostalgia trip, go start preparing. And don’t forget to click pictures or make a diary of your trip at the risk of sounding like your 3rd grade teacher. That will just motivate you to make a next trip.
Things to remember while backpacking:
-Carry a map of the place you are going.
-Take a copy of list of hotels, guest houses, hostels, important phone numbers such as local police, hospitals.
-Travel light. Remember this is not a luxury tour. You have to carry your bag eventually.
-An extra pair of shoes because if it is a long trip, the one you are wearing might just wear out.
-Keep some extra cash tucked away in sock or something and don’t touch it! It is for emergency. (Try and not wear the sock, either.)
-Don’t carry expensive stuff like laptops, ipods etc. It is just a waste of space. And why do you need them in a trip anyway. Enjoy the view. That’s more than enough.
-Be safe. Don’t travel to dispute areas, or areas which have high rates of kidnapping and violence. So your only option is Switzerland now. Kidding!
-If traveling alone, do not dress flashily or wear revealing stuff. You don’t want to attract any attention to your self.
PS: THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAM MAGAZINE.
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