After the Big Air Fare, India Is a Piece of Cake

The advantage of traveling to exotic destinations such as India and Nepal is affordability--once you are there. Although the air fare to reach the region is high, the cost of day-to-day living is relatively low. It’s not unusual to pay $2 for a room and $1 for a restaurant meal in parts of India.

A useful source of information on exploring this part of the world is “Let’s Go: India & Nepal 1997” (St. Martin’s Press, $18.95), a 782-page guidebook researched by student travelers. The 30-year-old “Let’s Go” guidebook series was created by Harvard University students. Each year troops of their researchers are sent out to update each guide. New and revised editions usually appear each December.

But this is the first edition for the India guide. It takes travelers from the exotically beautiful Taj Mahal to the cremation fires at the holy city of Varanasi on the Ganges River, from elephant riding in Chitwan National Park in Nepal (where you might spot a tiger) to the courtyard of the living goddess in Katmandu, Nepal (this young girl’s feet are never allowed to touch the ground).

“Let’s Go” authors discovered that their dollars bought the most favorable facilities in Nepal: “Tourist ghettos have grown up in Pokhara and Katmandu, where fierce competition between neighboring guest houses has led to rock-bottom prices and generally better and friendlier hotels than in India. Softer beds, curtains and clean rooms may suddenly turn out to be within your price range.”

The trade-off to low prices can be certain frustrations ranging from being charged inflated prices because you’re a foreigner to learning how to deal with crowds of people staring at you. (Dark glasses make it more difficult for people to make eye contact.)

“There’s no solution but to adjust,” the guide says. “Don’t stare back--this will only confuse and anger people. There’s no taboo about staring in South Asian culture, and most staring is done out of innocent curiosity.”

The trekking season for northern India and Nepal is just around the corner (the best months are October and November). “Let’s Go” provides information on bus services and border crossings between the two countries, plus information on popular trails.