Possible to do Nepal for under $1.5K for around 12-14 days?

[nuts]

How many strings can you pull?
Better yet, can pull rope? ...

....
Bhutan is a bit tricky coz as some of you know they have a very strict tourist quota. Every tourist has to pay USD200/day/person! I'm pulling strings to get myself there.

 

[kmlee55]

While it is good to watch your budget when going trekking, please becareful with what you eat, especially if you have a weak stomach. It is not fun getting food poisoning in the middle of a trekking trip, it will spoil your trip.

 

[skinnylatte]

How many strings can you pull?
Better yet, can pull rope? ...

One very, very big string! Still waiting to hear from this string. Bhutan is like my ultimate travel destination, I think. Why? Wanna come ah?

 

[billpepsi]

One very, very big string! Still waiting to hear from this string. Bhutan is like my ultimate travel destination, I think. Why? Wanna come ah?

Not easy to get tourist visa for Bhutan, good luck to you.:thumbsup:

 

[boroangel]

Try: flying a budget airline into India (i.e. Kolkata, or New Delhi) and overlanding it to Nepal. See more for your money...

I'm doing 3 countries (India, Nepal, Bhutan) next month. Max budget: $2000. For approx 2 months.

Wah how to do 3 countries in 2 months for under $2000? I suppose will have to do most of the travelling between points on buses and trains? I plan only for 2 weeks already very hard to do under $2000 leh...

 

[skinnylatte]

Why not? I've always travelled for very little.. and without suffering. I'm basing my budget estimates on what I know people are spending in that region.. travelling second class with air con mostly, and sleeping in comfortable but not high brow places. I've heard of people spending 1K a month, and doing very well.

Instead of hotels, go to guesthouses. They're every bit as good. In places like India or Nepal, maybe less than S$10 a night? I'll usually opt for something comfy, with toilet and aircon or whatever, split with my travel companion -- about S$12 a night. Eat local food. Very cheap, almost negligible.

I don't like flying very much. I love trains and buses. Border crossings. In any case, if you already have a list of places in mind -- develop on that list, and seek out the best ways to go there. Besides, in countries like that I don't really want to their domestic airlines too much.

I'm flying a budget airline to India on a special promotion I jumped on, flying the other leg out of Nepal or wherever, dunno yet, I'm not planning the return flight until I get there. The airfare will probably be the bulk of your costs. And trekking, maybe. But the backpackers' circuit in Nepal is SO developed (hippies have been going there for decades!) there's something for every budget.. no need to suffer.

And yes.. I'm bussing and training most of it. Only flying in, and out, land travel for the rest of it. I think your airfare will be the most expensive expenditure. But then I'm always stuck in this backpacker mode of 'reality distortion field', who can find ways to go away for half a month on her meagre students' pocket money.

Wah how to do 3 countries in 2 months for under $2000? I suppose will have to do most of the travelling between points on buses and trains? I plan only for 2 weeks already very hard to do under $2000 leh...

 

[skinnylatte]

Took this info off the web:
"In Kathmandu, a hotel bed is not problem unless you are not in times like October-November. A reasonable room with common bathroom with hot shower costs from 200 Rupees/night to 500 Rupees. More luxurious rooms obviously cost more and you can expect to pay up to 1000 Rupees/night for good rooms in some of the well-known hotels in Thamel. Rooms outside Kathmandu are slightly cheaper but around 400 Rupees/night is average price for reasonable rooms with necessary facilities."


So... under 'luxurious rooms' -- 1000 nepalese rupees. That's S$22. Split it with a travel companion, assuming double sharing.. For about 13 nights.. that's like S$150 for accommodation. Food can be either very cheap, or midrange. Less than S$8 a day should cover it.

Unless you're intending to fly around a bit domestically.. but sometimes the better and faster and cheaper way is to bus it. You said 14 days, so I dont think you really have time to move from one place to another. If you're planning to trek you'll need a lot of time to acclimatize. Annnapurna has one of the highest passes in the world.. if you go up too quickly, and you're not used to Himalayan altitude and weather, you'll get very sick. People die from that. And it's not just the temperature, remember... when I was in the Himalayas the first time, I read "1 degree" and thought, no problem, got there, and then it felt like -20. The altitude and windchill really gets to you. I don't really think you'll have to pay too much to trek either.. I just spoke to a Nepalese guy in my class today regarding the Annapurna trek. Just look around for reputable trekking agencies, no need to sign up with any tours from here.

So if you fly to Nepal for about S$800 something... maybe even max 1K. 2K looks very doable to me!

If you're willing to research.. travel can be very affordable! (And that's why I, a poor student, and do so!) Good luck.

This looks like a useful website for you.
http://www.gapyear.com/nepal/ideas_of_cost.html

 

[boroangel]

Took this info off the web:
"In Kathmandu, a hotel bed is not problem unless you are not in times like October-November. A reasonable room with common bathroom with hot shower costs from 200 Rupees/night to 500 Rupees. More luxurious rooms obviously cost more and you can expect to pay up to 1000 Rupees/night for good rooms in some of the well-known hotels in Thamel. Rooms outside Kathmandu are slightly cheaper but around 400 Rupees/night is average price for reasonable rooms with necessary facilities."


So... under 'luxurious rooms' -- 1000 nepalese rupees. That's S$22. Split it with a travel companion, assuming double sharing.. For about 13 nights.. that's like S$150 for accommodation. Food can be either very cheap, or midrange. Less than S$8 a day should cover it.

Unless you're intending to fly around a bit domestically.. but sometimes the better and faster and cheaper way is to bus it. You said 14 days, so I dont think you really have time to move from one place to another. If you're planning to trek you'll need a lot of time to acclimatize. Annnapurna has one of the highest passes in the world.. if you go up too quickly, and you're not used to Himalayan altitude and weather, you'll get very sick. People die from that. And it's not just the temperature, remember... when I was in the Himalayas the first time, I read "1 degree" and thought, no problem, got there, and then it felt like -20. The altitude and windchill really gets to you. I don't really think you'll have to pay too much to trek either.. I just spoke to a Nepalese guy in my class today regarding the Annapurna trek. Just look around for reputable trekking agencies, no need to sign up with any tours from here.

So if you fly to Nepal for about S$800 something... maybe even max 1K. 2K looks very doable to me!

If you're willing to research.. travel can be very affordable! (And that's why I, a poor student, and do so!) Good luck.

This looks like a useful website for you.
http://www.gapyear.com/nepal/ideas_of_cost.html

Oh I was actually refering to Xinjiang when I mention trying to get it under 2K.....paiseh never state properly....been considering several destinations at one time...

 

[GDSNP]

One very, very big string! Still waiting to hear from this string. Bhutan is like my ultimate travel destination, I think. Why? Wanna come ah?

If can, I'd be most interested lor.. But u going next month.. A bit too rush for me..
I know u need a letter of invitation to get in but that is not a problem for me.. I have a Bhutanese friend..
I dun think can do independent travelling there.. Lemme know if u have lobang leh..

 

[nuts]

Given the opportunity, Bhutan is certainly one of my destinations as well but not my ultimate travel dest though. The cost and the tourist quota thingy did put me off a little. Following that string is certainly the way to go! More exciting too....
Want to come and can come is 2 different matter altogether ...

One very, very big string! Still waiting to hear from this string. Bhutan is like my ultimate travel destination, I think. Why? Wanna come ah?

 

[LENS]

For any trek in Nepal, it is purely trekking, no wheel. The wheels will bring you only as far as the starting point for the trek, and bring you back from the ending point.

There are 2 treks in the Annapurna area, the Annapurna Circuit (3 weeks) and the Annapurna Base Camp (10-14 days)......Our trek was 13 days long, each day we would trek about 4-6 hours. Roughly about 10km maybe? Not sure

My itinerary was:

Day 1: Fly into Kathmandu
Day 2: Free day kathmandu
Day 3: Transport to Pokhara
Day 4- 16- Trekking
Day 17- Free day Pokhara
Day 18- Transport to Kathmandu
Day 19- Fly back

Hi bluemoon, so in Nepal, the trekking can take like 10days? it is actually a route? that you trek back to where you start? anything not to be missed in Nepal?

I know i can get all this answers more detailed in travel book ha, but just a quick chitchat here, anyway, Nepal seems like a place must visit.

 

[bluemoon]

Treks in Nepal generally range anywhere from a week to a month. Some of them you go up and come down by the same route, some of them by different routes, and your starting and ending points may be the same or different. There are many many treks, and you can vary the length of each to suit your pace.

Anything not to be missed? Trekking If you're an adrenaline junkie, there's also whitewater rafting (go in APril-May when the rivers are fuller), paragliding in Pokhara and bungee jumping. :bigeyes:

 

[mudsalleh]

not a gud time to visit nepal now. i believe got ongoing civil war. true or not har?

 

[skinnylatte]

True. But according to backpacker folklore (and Nepal natives I know personally) tourists generally have no problems; encountering Maoists on a trek, they might ask for a little money but don't harm you, some people have even been helped by Maoist rebels when they get lost. There are curfews and strikes in the city, but most other parts, they say, are alright.

As usual, caveats aware -- traveller beware, and be vigilant.

Asia got bird flu
The "kashmir" in Beautiful Kashmir speaks for itself
Everywhere there's terrorist problems
Bangkok having strikes
Somewhere I'm going to next month just kena bomb yesterday (Varanasi)
Walk down a street in any big city in the world and be at risk for (insert poison here)

not a gud time to visit nepal now. i believe got ongoing civil war. true or not har?

 

[nuts]

Treks can be as simple as a 4day trek too

When the Maoist rebels call on a strike, almost all the shops in the city would be closed, and by right, all transport also stopped. Unfortunately when I was there, they called on a 3-day strike. So hampered my shopping abit . When we had to goto the airport, the local agent had to use a vehicle, so this is what he did...

During my trek, one of the govt building was bombed by the the Maoists. This was just opposite my guesthouse and this was just the day before we arrived, so it was still smokin' ...

But no, we didnt encounter those rebels, else can take photos with them!

 

[glennyong]

If can, I'd be most interested lor.. But u going next month.. A bit too rush for me..
I know u need a letter of invitation to get in but that is not a problem for me.. I have a Bhutanese friend..
I dun think can do independent travelling there.. Lemme know if u have lobang leh..

u can visit bhutan on a the tax free thingy, provided you are invited by ur bhutanese friend who is working for the government of is a official there. i dun think can use ur friends to get u in.

cos i haf friends there in bhutan, and none of them knows how to help me get in "Tax free"... :bsmilie: but i have plans for a visit on 2006 and 2007. . to travel independently is rather simple.. know the local operators there personally....

 

[offspring]

But you might have to pay the Maoist rebels protection money

thats right, and get a receipt

nepal is a good place for photography. some insipid photos here

 

[offspring]

not a gud time to visit nepal now. i believe got ongoing civil war. true or not har?

when i was in nepal last year, the place i stayed in the valley was targetted by the rebels as a site to bomb for 3 days (2 of which i am to stay) and US/Aussie embassy advise no travel. so change hotel loh. :bsmilie:

nepal is generally safe, as you said, it is civil struggle, between their communist-winged factions, the king and the army. tourists are not targetted often but may contribute to their "fund-raising" along the way.

i have more trouble in "safe" countries in europe then i had in bangkok, nepal, indonesia and cambodia combined.

 

[skinnylatte]

u can visit bhutan on a the tax free thingy, provided you are invited by ur bhutanese friend who is working for the government of is a official there. i dun think can use ur friends to get u in.

cos i haf friends there in bhutan, and none of them knows how to help me get in "Tax free"... :bsmilie: but i have plans for a visit on 2006 and 2007. . to travel independently is rather simple.. know the local operators there personally....

this one happens to be.. in the government. they can sponsor a few people a year.

i have more trouble in "safe" countries in europe then i had in bangkok, nepal, indonesia and cambodia combined.

yup! Me too! add india to that, as well.