Air India is getting a head-to-toe makeover.
31.07.2023 - 19:01 / lonelyplanet.com
India is heaven for budget travelers. Few places on earth offer quite so many rewarding travel experiences for such a pocket friendly price, particularly if you travel in cheaper classes on buses and trains and stay in budget hotels or hostels.
When planning a budget trip to India, remember that cost and comfort are closely linked. Traveling in unreserved train carriages can be extremely cheap, but seats are basic benches, there’s no air-conditioning and carriages can be extremely overcrowded. It’s better to think of things in terms of value – paying more to travel in an air-con or sleeper-class train carriage will bring much more comfort, at a price that is probably still less than you’d pay for a similar service at home.
One of the best things about travel in India is how much control you have over your budget. If funds are tight, you can save on accommodation by skipping air-conditioning, an en-suite bathroom or a view. If cities are burning through your budget, just head to the countryside for more manageable prices. Plenty of travelers scrimp and save on some stages of their trip, to save up money for splurges such as lavish banquet meals and stays in the former palaces of maharajas.
However you like to travel, here are our top tips for getting the best out of India on a budget.
When planning a trip to India, always consider the places you want to visit and what the weather will be like when you get here. The cooler, dry winter from November to March is the most popular and expensive time to visit, coinciding with the best weather for sightseeing. The rainy monsoon season from June to September see smaller crowds and lower prices, except in Ladakh, where the peak season coincides with the months when snow recedes from the mountain passes.
April is often the cheapest time to find flights, but the temperature can soar above 90°F (32°C) in popular destinations such as Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Goa, making travel uncomfortable. Note that many beach resorts close during the rainy season, while some mountain areas are impassable in winter as snow blocks roads through the mountains.
Always keep an eye on the festival calendar. Major festivals such as Durga Puja in Bengal can see vast movements of people, sending prices for accommodation and transport rocketing skywards. The Indian government has a calendar of the year's gazetted government holidays, but local religious festivals can also draw huge crowds. If you are specifically traveling to see a festival, book well ahead to secure transport and accommodation for a reasonable price.
One of the smartest ways to save money is to travel by overnight sleeper train, saving the cost of a hotel without eating into your precious sightseeing time. First
Air India is getting a head-to-toe makeover.
Auckland is a city with many faces. Known locally by its Māori name, Tāmaki Makaurau, the city has a cosmopolitan heart with some of the best dining, drinking, and shopping in the country. Yet, urban sprawl quickly gives way to landscapes of New Zealand’s signature beauty here; to the west, the forested hills of the Waitākere Ranges border black sand beaches pummeled by surf. To the east of the city is the island-studded Waitematā Harbor.
The dream of a new Air India will soon become reality.
Answering the decades-long call of Native American tribes and environmentalists alike, President Joe Biden earlier this week created a new national monument buffering parts of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. Meaning “where tribes roam” to the Havasupai people and “our ancestral footprints” in the Hopi language, Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni covers 917,618 acres across three distinct sites north and south of the natural wonder. Home to wildlife like bison, elk, mule deer, desert bighorn sheep, and rare cactus species, the protected area encompasses plateaus, canyons, Colorado River tributaries, and countless culturally and spiritually significant sites for the Indigenous peoples of the Southwest.
India is a country that’s almost a continent. From the sky-high peaks of the Himalayas to the waterlogged jungles of Kerala and the dry-as-a-bone deserts of Gujarat and Rajasthan, this enormous nation covers an astonishing variety of terrain. There’s always somewhere worth visiting no matter what the weather is doing.
Once limited to billionaires, celebrities and high-level politicians, private jet travel has recently become affordable for a good number of travelers who prefer to up their budgets for the convenience offered by flying private.
Get thee to New York's museums and get thee to them now. There's an end in sight to summer's dog days, and with the promise of cooler early-autumn days comes a fresh turnover in the exhibitions on offer throughout the city. Some of the big summer tentpoles—Africa Fashion at the Brooklyn Museum, installations at both MoMA and MoMA PS1—will run all the way into October, so if you haven't made your way to them yet, there's still time. Joining these holdovers are a myriad of newer options, the variety of which ensures that there's something for everyone. Find our guide below.
In India, every journey is an experience, whether you rumble across the subcontinent on a classic Enfield motorcycle or rattle through the hills in a chartered 4WD.
A recent report released from travel marketing engine Sojern, analyzed travel trends from January 2015 to April 2016 and found the top international destinations for U.S. travelers as well as the top emerging and declining international spots.
Do you love traveling enough that you would explore 52 destinations in just one year, writing about the magic of each one every step of the way? Then the New York Times wants to hear from you—even if you’re not a journalist.
With rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft taking over, you might be wondering where in the world it’s still possible to take a cheap taxi. Cabs aren’t dead, yet: These countries still heavily rely on them.
Mumbai is a vibrant and bustling city that offers something for everyone. From its diverse culture to its abundance of historic sites, Mumbai has something for every traveler. Whether you’re looking to enjoy the nightlife or explore the city’s many attractions, there is no shortage of things to do in Mumbai. These Mumbai Airbnbs put you in the heart of it all.