It's time for yet another How to! Last week I wrote about who I would travel smart to Greece, where I gave tips about how travelling and saving money with my limited knowledge. But then i though why not ask an expert? Someone who has travelled so much more than I have and who can give much better advice than I can. So for this week's How to I am handing over my blog to A.
But before he begins, let me introduce him to you. I realise I have never formerly introduced A, even though I have written about him loads. A is my boyfriend, partner; call it what you may and we have been dating since November 2011 He is a very kind-hearted, generous, friendly, ever helpful guy. Apart from that he is a cyclist, swimmer, itinerary planner and a huge travel enthusiast!. Also tolerates my moods, crankyness, weirdness etc . Yes yes, I know I am very lucky to have him. Over to him, now.
When Anjee asked me to write a guest
post for her blog, it felt very nice. She had given me a very specific topic
too and I like specifics! Although, nobody can really claim to never get
cheated in a foreign country, there are always some things which will reduce
that probability by a large extent. As to my experience in the subject matter,
I have been to Europe for a 3 month student exchange program and then to
Vietnam more recently for a vacation with some of my friends. Also, the topic
is mostly relevant when one is planning to travel on their own, without a tour
operator as they take care of almost everything leaving hardly any scope of
goofing up. So, starting out with some basic points when traveling on your own!
The key point to saving money is Research
– Research, Research, Research! With the internet, smartphones and the mobile
revolution, traveling on your own is so much more easier nowadays. I've tried
to compile all the gyan in 6 points and here they are.
Geography
Main points of
interest, how far they are from each other, what modes of transport to take,
what is the best order to visit them in, what will be the entry and exit points.
Being informed of these helps in case you want to change your itinerary
mid-tour and be most economical about it.
Hotels
One of the most important elements on how good your vacation went is how good
your hotel was. Also, after a tiring day of travel you want a good nights sleep
and not pay a bomb for it. So, it makes sense to spend a decent amount of time
to research where you want to stay. Sites such as Tripadviser and Agoda are
good for scouting good hotels with multiple reviews. Always make sure to read
2-3 reviews of a hotel before booking.
3 Communication
It makes sense to get a local sim card with data. Google on the go helps save
bucks other than being able to stay connected! One Hanoi taxi driver with a
rigged meter was trying to charging us 3 times the money and Google maps with
GPS saved us! We threatened to call the police as we were confident of the
distance traveled and that rattled him. So, google maps, points of interest,
restaurant reviews and public transport, all at your fingertips help a lot and
pay for the sim card charges more often than not.
Currency
Dealing with a new currency takes some getting used to. And one should
definitely take the time to do that. Don’t get panicky as the first few
transactions in a new currency will take time. The exchange rate in Vietnam is
1USD=21000 Vietnamese Dong, so daily transactions often run into lakhs and
millions. My friend ended up paying a bomb for a taxi ride from the airport
because she got confused with the currency and the taxi driver was hurrying
her. She is a very smart person, but got irritated and lost her patience while
calculating the taxi fare. One should be patience and not bother if someone is
hurrying you up.
Also, always
have your spare money dollars. Unfortunately, the INR isn’t so liquid in some
of the countries such as Vietnam. Having Indian currency is pretty much
pointless there. And even if one does manage to find a conversion point, it
would be charging a completely obscene exchange rate.
Transport
If you are traveling alone or just 2 people, exploring options for public
transport such as bus/metro often saves a lot of money compared to a cab. A
taxi ride from Hanoi airport to our hotel costs around $20 compared to just $2
for a bus ride! And the thrill of saving money like this a big boost for me! An
alternative transport option in some places is hiring a car or a motorcycle. It
gives you the freedom of exploring the country in your own way at your own
pace! Two of us hired a motorbike in Hoi An, Vietnam and saw a place 18km away
for just $5. Also, add to that the thrill of riding in a foreign country and
the feeling of wind in your hair – absolutely worth it!
6 Purchasing
If you want to food items that a country is famous
for, then a departmental store is a good idea. This is because the concept of
MRP doesn’t exist in some countries and even if it does, it might be in a
language you don’t understand. I loved the taste of Vietnamese filter coffee,
googled the best brand online and found it was Trunh Nguyen. Now, this
particular brand was available in shops on the street and I asked one of them
who said a 250gm costs about $4. However, the exact same variety cost me about
half that money when I bought it from a department store when the price was
tagged in. However, if you are buying non-branded items which are available
only at local stores, then the key point is to bargain hard – at least in
developing countries where it is completely acceptable. One good bargaining
strategy is to quote a price in the first shop and if the guy agrees, then
don’t buy and move on. In the next shop, quote a lower price and see if you can
get it for less. If not, then you know you don’t have much more room to
bargain!
An important
disclaimer is that the above points are just pointers on things which can save
you some money while traveling abroad. Ultimately, I think there are just two
things which save you from getting ripped off – confidence and common sense.
Oh, and of course, sheer good luck! So good luck to all of you who have the
travel bug and feet itching to go somewhere.. Pack your bags, plan your next
vacation, life is short and the world too big!
I am pretty eager to go to Greece. It is after all my dream country.
There was a time when I wanted to live there for atleast 6 months. I
looked up ways to earn, job opening and even made travel plans. I still
would love to do do that, but don't know if it will be possible. But
Greece is a place I would like to visit again and again, through out my
lifetime. ( And I don't know what started first, my obsession with Greek
myths or my desire to go to Greece.)
I didn't know much about Silvassa until a saw someone's fb cover pic a year back. It's a small town Dadra and Nagar Haveli which is wedged between Maharashtra and Gujarat. It's a few hours drive from Mumbai. It's known for it's scenic beauty. beaches and water sports (One site mentioned Jet skiing I would so love to try that!). There you have it-just say the word 'beach' and I am in. 
