Download - 11 nights, 11 places on a shoestring budget
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11 nights, 11 places, on a Shoestring Budget
Bangalore Mumbai Delhi McLeodganj
984 KM 1161 KM 481km
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A Prelude to bigger things to come
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Places I slept:• Night 1: Bus (Delhi to Mumbai bus is comfortable. 15
hour ride ~INR 1300 for an AC ride)• Night 2: IIT Bombay Hostel/Train (Have friends/29
hour train non-ac ~INR 500)• Night 3: Booked a decent hotel in Delhi (Plenty of
options on MMT)• Night 4: An Entrepreneurs place (thanks to Siddharth
Roy of Cite.co, have a network)• Night 5: A friends place in New Delhi near
Vishwavidhyalaya (shady place but if you’re looking to stay for cheap in Delhi for a month or so, it’s a good option)
• Night 6: Bus ride from Delhi to McLeodgunj (12 hour ride at ~INR 1200 for an ac ride)
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• Night 7: Booked Hotel Anand Palace (Has online presence but costly @INR 2000 for a room during peak times around June)
• Night 8: Shifted to a cheaper guest house (plenty of them in McLeod, just move around, they don’t have a net presence)
• Night 9: Shifted to even a cheaper one @INR 400 (INR 200 during Dec, Jan Feb)
• Night 10: Bus ride from McLeod to Delhi (12 hour bumpy ride if you take a non-ac bus ~INR 650)
• Night 11: Rajdhani from Delhi to Bangalore (Big indulgence @INR 2500)
• Hotel recommendation if you’re looking for a cheap stay in Delhi at INR 400 a night: Hotel Swagat Palace, Karol Bagh
Note: I was not on a vacation. I was working during the days/journeys and traveling alongside. My author stream here: http://yourstory.in/author/jubinmehta/
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Highlights from the trip:
Nehru Vihar, Near Vishwavidhyalaya, Delhi
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Friends room in Delhi
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The holy city of McLeodgunj
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Peach march in McLeodgunjRead more about it on this blog.
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Beautiful guest house in McLeodgunj
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Shady hotel in Delhi
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Trek to Triund (this comes from my previous trip)
Read about solo treks: http://jubinmehta.blogspot.in/2012/11/how-to-make-easy-trek-into-life.html
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I did this trip with a motive to learn backpacking lessons and manage time as well because I was doing this alongside work and devoting only nights to travel. Sleeping for 5 hours on an average, and a stingy budget of 12k (including travel), this was possible.
Some things that worked:• Has been said million times but travel light. Jeans, shorts, boxers, a few t-
shirts, a pull over, toilet kit and you’re good to go.• Have the worst case scenario in mind when you start the day. “I’ll sleep on the
railway station if I don’t find a place”• Have a network. This is not a checklist item but something you build over time.
Build relationships.• Ask for help. Don’t be ashamed. People are very giving.• If at all you have to book a costly place, do it only for a day. You’ll find an
alternative once there.• Travel is the biggest cost, try booking tickets in advance. Plan your trip
according to availability (and cheapness) of tickets if possible. • Soak in every moment, it’ll be amazing.• Have faith. Things work out.
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Some tips specifically for McLeodgunj:
1) Travel during off seasons and preferably alone or less than 4 people. 2) Come for atleast 7 days with lots of books (you’ll find some amazing book shops here as well)3) Book for a day but come here and find a cheap guest house (starts at INR 300) where you can spend the rest of your days. There are 5 lanes that go in different directions from the main square. Explore. You’ll land on a lot of interesting things.4) Don’t miss out on the treks. Try a solo trek to Triund, take a guide for other daunting ones. 5) You’ll never forget the food you’ll have here. Coffee, pancakes, and everything breakfast is a must have every day.6) See more. There is a lot to take in over here. 7) Respect the place.
Traveling is awesome