Since returning from my summer trip to Colorado I’ve been very busy working and taking care of things that need to be taken care of. At times I feel like I’ve been quite inefficient with getting things done but actually I’m pretty much on track. I leave for my 3 month odyssey through India and S.E Asia in 2 ½ weeks. I know it will pass quickly therefore I’m wrapping up work to allow time to focus on details as well as mentally prepare. My friend Deb, who has traveled India extensively says, “Get ready for sledge hammer culture shock!”…. I also want to catch up on rest before the exhausting flight over.Initially I'll fly to Bangkok via Houston/Tokyo direct. With the use of air miles and numerous calls to Continental airlines I was lucky enough to work out a nice round trip to Bangkok. The r/t portion to Bangkok is only costing me $165 USD. Not bad. Bangkok will serve as a base for the entire trip. After first arriving there I’ll spend a couple of days shaking the jet lag before hopping another flight to India. I’ll fly into Delhi and a month later return to Bangkok via Mumbai (Bombay) unless I get hired by a Bollywood film to play a British colonial or something. Actually, I once met a traveler who did just that! The r/t ticket to India from Bangkok set me back $350 USD. Considering where I’ll be traveling I should be able to do fine on about $25 USD a day for everything. At times I’ll spend more and other times I’ll spend less. Naturally I’ll have a little extra on the side for special activities, emergencies, etc. The fact is you always spend more but in past trips I’ve managed to stay close to budget. I’ll also be purchasing travel insurance to cover any unforeseen costs due to illness or theft of belongings.
By taking care of various details before leaving, things should go a lot smoother. For example, I arrive in Bangkok after midnight. Whenever arriving at night it’s always best to already have a plan worked out. Especially if you have been traveling for 25 hours. For late night arrivals I like to have a place booked as well as a clear plan on how to get to the accommodation. Sometimes a hotel or guest house will actually meet you at the airport. That’s great when possible but usually your on your own with a taxi. Ok, 25 hours on a plane and in a taxi with someone who probably doesn’t speak English. The driver may or may not know where your hotel is. No problem. In situations like that it’s good to have your host accommodation send an email with specific directions and/or a map beforehand. Just hand the info to the driver and rattle off a couple of words in the local language. This is always good even if they don’t understand. You will likely have a better rapore with the driver for at least trying. Also, it’s good to know what the average taxi fare is. Either agree on the fare before you leave or make sure the driver uses the meter. For my initial arrival in Bangkok I’ve booked into a guest house that caters to travelers and is use to late night arrivals. The owners seem to communicate well with emails in English. A clean single room with air conditioning and bathroom down the hall will cost me around $18 USD… All said, It’s good to be prepared for things to not go as planned. That’s when you pull out the guide book and wing it…… If you arrive late in a sketchy place with no plan it may be best to just stay at the airport until the sun comes up.….
Between now and the time I leave I’ll post updates on the planning process for those who may be interested and are curios as to how the Backpacker traveler travels. I’m definitely a backpacker but I’m not adverse to spending a little more. I don’t plan to stay in total dumps or places where I don’t feel safe.. What I’m doing can actually be done for considerably less by hardcore budget travelers.…..
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