Budgeting for India

Deciding on a daily budget for my trip to India was more difficult than expected. The inconsistency in information found on the web didn't help; some were saying you could no longer travel India on less than $60/day while others reported traveling on less then $10/day. The range in travel costs seems to be from the regional variance in prices along with personal standards of living. Looking at Mumbai, which is where I will be flying in and out of, prices are similar, if not higher for accommodation, then seen in north american cities.

Not having any sort of itinerary planned out has made the task of picking an average daily budget that much more difficult. I ended up taking the middle ground of the many recommendations found on the internet and in guidebooks, settling on $30/day. I have nothing against spending a couple nights in places that others may consider 'unacceptable', for living conditions, if it's necessary to balance the budget part way through the trip. Overall, I plan on staying in decently clean low end non-air conditioned hostels/hotels with a small private room and eating where the locals eat.

I hope that tracking the details of my expenses while abroad and publishing them online will help others who are traveling to India in the future.

Note: I included 15-20% 'surplus fund' in my savings plan in case I run into problems in India and need the cash. If it's not needed during the trip it will stay in my bank account and be used as a cushion for the first couple weeks when I arrive back home.

Last day at the office

Today is my last day going into the office.

Cleaning out the office

My boss has offered to take all my coworkers and myself out for lunch since it's my last day. I think I will pick an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant, its something I may not be able to find again for several months. I will have to clean out my office by the end of the day; by the time I come back my company may have made the move to a new building and I will have a brand new office space to call my own.

As an accountant and business student I have become accustom to wearing a shirt and tie almost every day over the last couple years. The next three months will be an interesting change, wearing 'backpacker clothing' that will be washed by hand in a sink or bucket.

I also stopped shaving just over a week ago. I figure this trip may be the only time I can get away with three months of not shaving, so why not give it a go? You'll be able to see the progression of my 'lack of shaving' from the pictures I start to post while abroad.

Four more nights before I board my plane to India.

Gathering Gear: Misc. Items

I just received my order from Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), full of random goodies that I had ordered for my trip.

Airline Tote - $18

The original reason I bought this was to store my bag inside of for my flight to and from India. While it will still be used for its original intended use it will also be getting used on a regular basis throughout my trip! There will be a variety of times when I have to leave my bag alone, whether it be in hostels or bag rooms at train stations. With my bag having no easy way to lock all the openings I will just throw it in this plain-looking, soon to be dirty, bag, put a lock on the zipper and everything will be secured!


Alpine Rain-cover (for my Aether 60L pack) - $15

The alpine raincover from MEC will be serving two purposes during my trip in India. First, it will be a raincover! No surprise there..

Its second use will be to help keep my bag secure from pickpockets and thieves. After putting the cover on my backpack I realized it does a good job of covering all the zippers and top-loading drawstring. I will be keeping this cover on my bag even when there is no rain in the forecast to make my bright orange backpack standout less and cover any zippers/openings that lead inside my pack.


Hikers Mosquito net - $20

At first I was on the fence about whether or not I should buy a mosquito net. From what research I've done on the internet it seems the majority of other travelers didn't use their net, discarding them halfway into their trips. After some though, I bought one from MEC for $20. I have a feeling that with my budget, or rather lack of, I will be staying at my fair-share of shady and rundown hostels. I hope this mosquito net will not only keep away those possibly carrying Malaria, which is on the rise in India, but also save me from waking up to a cockroach, or other insect, running across my face.



Stuff sack, Mag-lite, TSA locks, releasable cable ties, and of course.. Canadian flags!

Stuff Sack, 9 liter ($8) - For my dirty laundry and hundreds of other random things.

TSA Locks ($10x2) - I bought two Transportation Security Administration (TSA) approved combination locks. TSA locks are great because they allow you to safely lock all your luggage on planes and trains. The workers at these facilities have a special master lock that can open your locks, without damaging them, if they need to inspect your bag. I bought a simple combo lock for my airline totes that shows me if they opened my bag during transit or not. The other lock is a retractable cable lock so I can secure my bag to benches, poles, etc while I sleep.

Releasable Cable Ties ($3 for 25) - These are like traditional plastic cable ties except instead of having to cut them off they have a release function! I'm confident these will come in handy during my trip for a multitude of things like tying up my mosquito net.

Mag-lite ($10) - It's a smaller mag-lite that uses AAA batteries. With the frequent power-cuts, and having to navigate dark back alleys, in India it may become one of my most used items. There is a good chance I will be buying a better one when I land, but this will serve as a good backup.

Canadian Flags ($1-3) - Cliché I know, but how could I resist?

Seven days and counting..

I woke up this morning to a slight churn in my stomach.

After months of talking about, and saving for, this trip it seemed more like a far away idea than a reality. It wasn't until this morning that it hit me; there are now only seven days until I leave for India, with no predetermined plans taking only what I am willing to carry on my back.

I'm incredibly excited to see what lies ahead, 7 days till departure.

Gathering Gear: Digital Camera

Seeing as my current digital camera is older than I care to admit, I thought it would be a wonderful time to pick its successor. Over the past couple weeks I went out and bought three cameras: the Sony WX1($220), Sony HX5($340), and Samsung ST550($280).

My choice, the Sony HX5!

I held on to all three of the cameras for seven days to compare their features and photo quality versus their respectable prices. The Samsung had a duel LCD screen, one being on the front, which is a rather attractive feature for those traveling solo. Unfortunately the photo quality and other features paled in comparison to the Sony cameras. With the Samsung out of the picture, no pun intended, it was down to the two Sony's.


In the end it really came down to size, WX1, versus extra features, HX5. I returned both the Samsung and Sony WX1 to the store, keeping the Sony HX5 for its impressive features and built in GPS which will come in handy for geotagging.

Planning my arrival in Mumbai

Warning: I tend to use the term 'planning' in a very vague sense.

I recently planned my arrival in Mumbai. By 'planning my arrival' I mean to say 'I booked a hostel for my first two nights in the city'. This might not seem like much planning for a three month trip in a foriegn country, but it's a nice break in routine for myself. My flight will touch down late into the night on September 14th, by the time I get through customs and exit the airport it will probably be 3am.

A small glimpse of the famous Crawford Market.

When booking my hostel they offered an airport pick up, warning me that I will most likely be tired and confused with considerable jet lag. Although this sounded pleasant, I had to decline. The prospect of an wild adventure from the airport in a cheap, and possibly crazy, taxi seems like a warm welcome to India.

My room? A simple double bed room, common bathroom, with a desk and lamp, all squeezed into a tiny room beside one of the busiest markets in Mumbai for 775rs($18).

Gathering Gear: Backpack

Here is it, my backpack of choice for India:
Osprey Aether 60L

I have been waiting almost a month for a backpack I ordered in through a local hiking store to arrive. The city I live in has a very limited selection of stores to choose from that stock quality backpacks, so I was getting quite distressed with my trip now less than two weeks away. After work yesterday I decided enough was enough, I headed over to the store to start looking at some other options. On the way to the store my phone rings, they just received my backpack from the dealer!

There are a couple of issues with the bag, mainly security and 'lockability'. Overall, I love the bag's design and how comfortable it is. I am currently brain storming to find some solutions to the security weak-points, I'll keep you updated on my progress!