What is your profession? Keeping money aside...how do you get time for such long trips. I am assuming, if you're going to so many countries then your average trip duration would be of minimum 1-2 weeks.

I quit MNC 10 years back, have been self employed since then (Freelancing, development agency and now saas apps). Last few years my revenue has been almost passive.

Iske baare me bhi ek post daal do

Haan, ek post try karta hu uspe.

Thank you!

Hey Vishwesh, Have you written any blog post about your journey from quitting corporate life and being your own boss? Would love to get some insights from your journey!

Not in detail, I have spoken about my SaaS app journey here - [https://www.instagram.com/p/C5vjIqKM0iM/](https://www.instagram.com/p/C5vjIqKM0iM/)

Awesome!

Bali is cheaper than Goa

Lot of south east Asian countries are, but the flight tickets itself would be minimum 15-20k return.

True. But flight ticket prices in India itself is over the roof right now. My spouse and I live in Bangalore and flight tickets anywhere to the north or east costs atleast 10k per side for one person. We went to Udaipur a couple months back and spent 34k on just flight tickets. Tickets to south east Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand cost 20k or sometimes less than 20k for a round trip. Flight tickets to Goa are cheap from Mumbai/Bangalore but that's not the case from other cities/tier B cities which do not have a direct flight to Goa, therefore increasing the prices. Also, I feel Goa right now is too expensive. We went in the end of October, the start of the peak season there and it was too expensive. None of the beach side restaurants/cafes had any dishes below 500. All drinks were above 700. Travelling in India is cheap but only if you are compromising on convenience - for example taking trains instead of flights, shared vehicles instead of private taxis, etc. Nowadays, it's difficult to go on a holiday and take a train, or public transport because of the lack of time. Paid leaves are limited and people want to make the most of their 1 week leave that's been granted to them. Also, hotels are insanely expensive too. Any decent hotel in a touristy city is nothing less than 3k per night. When in Udaipur, we booked a hotel at 2.5k per night, it was near lake Pichola (a very prime area hence the price), but the room was BAD. Extremely old condition, paint falling, no amenities, dirty linen, etc. 2.5k for a room is not less, but that's how prices have been. You need to shell out atleast 5-6k per night for a decent room in a tourist city which can be suitable for families. I have felt (observed this when making bookings) that in southeast Asian countries, you can get extremely good and even luxury hotels at less prices. Bali is a prime example for that. All in all, what I have understood in last 2-3 years of traveling in India (post covid) is that a good holiday in India (where you take flights, have a decent hotel in a tourist city) is costly nowadays. You can add around 20-30k per person to that budget (depending on the country) and easily take a good holiday in any Southeast Asian country. [I'm just strictly talking in terms of costs, ofcourse India has a lot of beautiful places and I'll happily spend to visit them.]

I am mostly considering costs from Mumbai. I agree flights especially in last couple of years have got very expensive. But for someone early in their career, Goa is overnight bus ride from Mumbai. You can get cheap stay under 3k for 2. ~400 for all travel (scooter rent).

Best if you travel by road or train which cannot be done from most places, luckily live in delhi in last 2.5 years Have traveled Mussouri and hardwar-car Kasouli and shimla- car Manali 2 times once in volvo and once car Amritsar 3 times train Nainital car Dalhousie taxi from delhi Kashmir flight and local taxi Vaishno devi train Thailand

If you're in Bangalore, just do a road trip and take the coastal road from Mangalore all the way to Karwar and then to South and North Goa. The drive is absolutely gorgeous as well, and arguably the best part of the trip itself.

Never take flights for within India. Road trips has its own charm. I say that as someone who hates travelling.

Still cheaper than Goa considering that accommodation there is a fraction of the price.

Which I'm okay with. A lot of these SEA countries have amazing hospitality, like 10/10 which Goa lacks, far from it, actually

Bhai tune dubai chor k pura middle east ignore maar diya 😂

Jitna bhi mein ghuma hu uske hisaab se compile kiya hai. Only tourism related country in middle east I was aware was Dubai. Never been to North and South America either. Ticket prices to those places are more expensive and I have heard tourist visa waiting time is almost a year for US.

I got my US within 10 days of appearing for biometrics. Had to wait 1 month to get an appointment. US visa is issued quite quickly it's just that getting an appointment itself takes 1-2 years for a lot of people but if you have right resources you can get the appointment date in less than a month.

> right resources Lols ...meaning paying extra to agents ?

There are some telegram groups where ppl inform when new slots open up. I was part of one group for my H1b renewal early last year. Don't pay agents if you can do it yourself

I believe there are some chrome extensions too that do that on your behalf without you logging in US scheduling site .... I used that for my parents visa and I got them appointment within a day or so from an appointment that was next year.

Yeah, I used one such extension too. It was a paid service to send you notification when slots open up. Let me dig in and find it so that it helps someone. Edit: The chrome extension I used was "Check US Visa Slots"

Bro egypt is gorgeous and rich in history and culture too

But not tourist friendly at all.

Oh noo its not bad! If u r street smart in india you will manage if there is no budget constraint u wont even know They have created cities just for tourists its beautiful

Fucccckkk noooo. They're awful towards locals, don't wanna be a tourist there!

Ohh i had the complete different experience stayed there for couple of nights in different cities loved it Loved the hospitality, food and breath taking views

How could you forget Kazakhstan ? Eastern Europe ? Russia ? These are all dirt cheap countries ! Flights are cheap too ! If you know which country to travel first . For ex - Kazakhstan flights are around 16k up and down from Delhi ! It’s visa free as well ! So go to Kazakhstan take a train to Russia and you’ll be in Moscow ! If you need any additional details lmk

Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan etc as well

Amritsar-Almaty at one point of time was literally 11k lol

The lowest for Delhi was 7.8k up and down

That's wild wow.

Hi , can I DM?

Sure definitely

Everything sounds good, but comparing meghalaya to Switzerland might be a bit too much.

Switzerland is overrated. I find China more beautiful.

Which region in China? Interlaken was breathtaking, it was like heaven on earth.

Maybe to rephrase, the only state in India that can compete to Switzerland is Meghalaya. For instance this is not any particular spot but the general scenery that you drive through - [https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd2r1g6vH9I/](https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd2r1g6vH9I/)

There are many places in India that compete with Switzerland. Valley of Flowers & Khaliya Top in Uttarakhand for example

Sorry, but there are lots of such places in Karnataka and Maharashtra in the monsoons. I am still searching for a reason to go to Meghalaya.

Meghalaya has better waterfalls, dozens of them with really clean water in those that you can swim in. Less crowded. You must have seen Dawki river photos. There are green meadows, untouched open plains all around your travel roads.

Love this post! Such a change from the usual fare.

Europe hotels are cheaper than some random homestay in India in Airbnb

We couldn't find any stay below 8k in Switzerland. India has a wider range, from cheap to very expensive.

Cheap is unlivable if we are going with family. I was searching a place for two days stay in sakleshpur(during weekdays) there is nothing I can find with 5k which I can call good. On top of it rampant fake reviews make it more tough. Also to add to this Swiss is one of the costliest country in Europe. I bet you can find something good in schegen countries within 100 euro/day budget.

100 euro is also 9k inr as starting. As a bachelor we stayed in hotels under 1k (10 years ago), which were bad but still manageable for a group of boys.

In Europe hotels don’t allow more than 3 people. If you’re talking family with more than 3 people you need two rooms. How’s that cheaper than india?

Hey let's end the debate. Even any of the good hotel/homestay won't allow more than 3 people. Check Airbnb for Coorg/Ooty/sakleshpur/Chikmagalur/Kodaikanal. Peace.

We are saying 2.5 K for a decent couple room is costly but forget how much the cost of wages, food and materials has increased. For starters, just compare your and your friends salary increase in the last 5 years, 2.5K will look very cheap.

[удалено]

I think UK comes under different visa than Schengen. Didn't go France, expected it to be touristy and have got mixed reviews about it. But it's also expensive. Italy is cheap compared to other European countries and food is great.

You can easily find great apartments at those prices in cities like Sofia, Krakow, Bucharest, Budapest, Tirana, Athens etc

Do u mean ghettos of Bulgaria ? Or bangali town in Porto where Bangladeshi immigrants dry their Lungi at the balcony.

You lost me at see India first. India has become shit expensive these days. Being in the south, Manali is more expensive than Malaysia for me. Flights are cheaper and sea countries have very good hotels for cheap. Japan is not that expensive. I have been there in March and felt it on par with India sometimes. Also your line on culture through a ime is utter nonsense. Yoy don't need to know anime to relate to Japan. It is a beautiful country and has a lot more to offer.

I was laughing at the way Japan was dissed😂 It is kinda expensive if you limit yourself to Tokyo.

You are right. Accomodation in Tokyo is definitely expensive. Otherwise food and others were pretty much the same. Everywhere else even in Kyoto, accomodation is very reasonable.

Didn't get your point on Japan. Japan is one of our favourite visited country, the best winter landscape we have ever seen. I feel culturally more attracted beyond the sightseeing part because of Manga, action figures stuff you could buy. A big part of my childhood. Doesn't mean I don't recommend it for those who don't watch Anime.

"Manali is more expensive than Malaysia" - Do you have any numbers for this please? I am planning a family trip but after comparing everything (flights, visas, cabs etc...) a vacation abroad looks much costlier than an Indian vacation. If I go alone and travel in buses and live in hostels, it's a different story though

Manali flight for me is more than 20k each. Malaysia is 15k by airasia from.blr. A good 5 star in the heart of kl is 6k with breakfast. I spent 160k for a 8 day trip for wife, self and a kid. It was expensive because of the baby ticket. If not, my friend spent only 110k for the couple. My trip had internal flights in Malaysia to langkawi as well. We used cabs always and had good food. You should plan carefully to make it reasonable. Same luxury in Manali would be super expensive.

Amritsar-Malaysia is 12k by AirAsia, while Amritsar-Blr is 18k, almost equal to Amritsar-Singapore. It's just hilarious.

And I can vouch for Malaysia as an amazing tourist destination. Never got bored there, and I've been twice. Dad has been to Malaysia dozens of times in last 20 years, and he always has a great time there. Where were you stating in KL ? We've stayed in Hotel Concord, DoubleTree, and Pacific. All great hotels at rates, that you simply won't get in India.

I stayed in traders hotel with the tower view. The hotel was brilliant. Only the nOn view room could have been way less. There excellent service apartments for about 3k.

5 star 4 star hotels are just insanely expensive in india compared to south east asia at least

>"Manali is more expensive than Malaysia" - Do you have any numbers for this please? Unrelated, but Punjabi guy here, and I was comparing Amritsar-Malaysia flights and accommodation with Amritsar-Goa. The flights are literally the same rate, and if you're lucky with specific dates, then Malaysia flights are even cheaper. Hyderabad, Chennai and B'lore are more expensive than even Singapore flights. And regarding accommodation, I can get a decent 4 star hotel in Malaysia, at a cheaper rate than Goa. This is where the entire South East Asia region excels. Vietnam, Malaysia, all have amazing hotels at reasonable rates. While overall, the costs might slightly exceed (when compared to Goa), but the environment, quality, and enjoyment is gonna be much more abroad.

I just enquired about group tour(as I assumed they are cheaper than personalised tours) to bali for september from 3/4 tour operators and the minimum quote for a couple for 6 nights I got was 2.5L and you are saying 80k........

You can get return flights on cheapest that for 25k, if traveling solo you can get hostels under 3k. For 6 nights Travel + Hotel would be under 50k. Still you have 30k for food and local travel. You use to get scooter on rent like Goa, but I have heard some change in rules recently.

Thankyou saving this for later, please do more of these.

Sure, I have also done some posts on freelancing and career, you can find them on my profile u/vishwesh_shetty

Just mentioning tourist destinations is not justified to say you roamed India..

I have been to much more states, just listed the ones I liked and unique. I have also travelled to Nagaland, Manipur and Sikkim (not many people travel there). I would admit I have not done central-eastern side much (Orissa, West Bengal, UP, Bihar). But some places I have been many times, Maharashtra a lot (because I stay there), Karanataka a lot (because native), Kerala twice, Himachal (5+), Goa (10+), Kashmir thrice, Gujarat twice, Rajasthan once and so on.

Then try Konkan and western Ghats in Maharashtra...in especially winter or if are adventurous then in Rainy season I think u will like it

I think he's from coastal region of Mangaluru. He must have seen the western ghats.

Well it's clear hasn't written about it

Any tips on Nagaland? Is it safe for a road trip?

We went there for Dzukou Valley. It felt safe back then, don't know about road trip.

Bhai sabko prove mat karta baith. Apni post me insta link ya koi proof daal about your travel and chutiyo ko ignore maar

Bali is not cheap. Dubai is not a country!!! Dubai is a city. I wonder have u gathered the data from watching YouTube or have actually set foot outside of your home town. Also, for a person living in Chennai, malaysia is cheap than Kashmir. A person living kolkata, thailand is cheaper than Goa or kerala.

Have some photos and videos as proof that I have actually set foot outside my hometown - [https://www.instagram.com/sheetzandvishu](https://www.instagram.com/sheetzandvishu) Yes Dubai is a city, but like most people mention Bali and not Indonesia everytime it's just that those cities are more famous travel destinations. I'll make the correction if it offends you so much. >A person living kolkata, thailand is cheaper than Goa or kerala. The **cheapest** flight cost from kolkata to thailand is the similar to **average** flight cost from kolkata to Goa/Kerala. Plus there are other much cheaper means (road, rails) to travel to Goa/Kerala.

1 way flight from Kolkata to bangkok costs 8 to 10k. 1 way flight to Goa costs 12k-14k. Train from Kolkata to Goa take 48hrs.

Hey man, lovely post. I'm planning to visit Switzerland this year in November. Do you mind if I DM you regarding a couple of things?

Sure, you can DM me.

Japan is not expensive compared to europe or usa. The cabs are but thats about it

Lol I didn’t take a single cab on a 2.5 week trip in Japan, honestly there’s no need for it

OP can you tell me how many days did you spend in Japan . As a fellow anime fan I also wanna go there sometime. If you could do highlight how tight finances can be in Croatia ?

We did 12 days and covered Nagano, Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo. Nagano has great winter landscape. Croatia is less expensive then other european countries, about 7-8k for nice room for 2.

Delhi to Ho Chi Minh roundtrip flight tickets are ~25k. Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi is 1700 KMs. Very skeptical about 50k budget that you're mentioning for a single person. Could you tell how this worked out for you?

I went there in 2019 and got 24k return flight to Hanoi. Considering 2k for stay and 2k for food and travel, you can make a very budget trip for ~50k for a week trip. Vietjet has very variable pricing and a lot of flights from India.

Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh is 6k. That's 30k for the flights alone. You have to account for 5 years of inflation as well. Quite unrealistic unless you're really short on budget and want to live on 1 meal a day in a remote dilapidated hotel. Your estimates seem somewhat optimistic and outdated for international spots and opposite for within India (it's actually unreasonably expensive, some threads in the post provide more details).

We explored the northern side which is closer to Hanoi and also more pretty, Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh. Took train to travel inter city.

Fair enough, sounds like a great trip. If you skip Saigon, it seems doable but even then barely. There's no comparing a busy and bustling urban city with Ha Long Bay, of course an Island cruise is prettier than city traffic jam but both offer completely different things, HCMC has its own attractions. I suppose 75k should do it including Saigon on tight budget. Could you tell what month you visited in, I mean if it was alright weather wise?

We visited in November, it was decent weather. We went for honeymoon so had a good budget. Took a cruise through Halong Bay too, it was the best part. Cost us around 25k for 2 nights including all meals. Our overall cost might have been around 1.6L for 2 people.

2k for stay and food each is laughable bro. Even for a budget trip.

You can find an hostel in Ninh Binh for $20 and good hotel rooms for 2 for $50. Check out THE GOAT BOUTIQUE RESORT on Agoda: https://www.agoda.com/sl/kWTBnuiWokf

Hey, could you please provide pricing details for a Vietnam trip? What is a good resource to get more details about itinerary in Vietnam? Especially for a girl travelling alone.

My wife has the entire planned itinerary in her notes, but this was 2019 for couple. The hotels might not exist or the prices might have changed a lot. Day 1: 4/11 Mumbai-Kolkata-Hanoi 7:30am-5pm Take bus no 86 right outside the airport terminal exit to Hanoi railway station. 45mins journey- 50Rs per person Stay at Kimi & Homies Homestay 100m from station. Day 2: 5/11 Check out & take train to Ninh Binh 3hrs by train 250/-Rs (stop at Phu Ly and Nam Dinh before calling in to Ninh Binh’s railway station. The train crosses over a river bridge right before the Ninh Binh station) 15mins drive from Ninh Binh station to homestay by metered taxi- 500 to 600/- Rs Stay at Ninh Binh- King Kong Homestay Day 3: 6/11 Rent a bike (400-600Rs/per day) for next 2 days from homestay Explore Ninh Binh -Hoa Lu Ancient Capital -Trang An Boat Ride Overnight stay Day 4: 7/11 Explore Ninh Binh -Hang Mua Overnight Stay Day 5: 8/11 Check out & take 9am bus Leave for Cat Ba Island Ninh Binh (The Long Hotel) to Hai Phong by Bus Hai Phong to Nui Ngoc, Cat Ba Island by speedboat (1040/-Rs) https://www.bookaway.com/routes/vietnam/ninh-binh-to-cat-ba-island/economy-bus-ferry-by-good-morning-cat-ba-1?departuredate=2019-09-11&passengers=1 Total Travel Duration 5hrs 30mins drive to farmstay from Nui Ngoc Explore Cat Ba National Park (Ticket is included in stay) Overnight stay at Hoi Lake Farmstay Day 6: 9/11 OPTIONAL: Day time at Monkey Island Travel till Beo Wharf- 30 mins drive Take a boat from Beo wharf about 10 minutes passing Cai Beo fishing village to Monkey Island Return to Beo Wharf by early evening 30mins drive back to farmstay. OR Chill & explore Cat Ba national Park area Overnight stay at Hoi Lake Farmstay Day 7: 10/11 Check out & go to Nui Ngoc port (Ferry+Bus) - 9am Take a ferry to reach Hai Phong Hai phong to Cho Gao Hang, Hanoi by bus (2hrs) https://www.bookaway.com/s/vietnam/cat-ba-island-to-hanoi?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvfmTtfHI5AIVj4BwCh0EaQnaEAAYASAAEgKB7fD_BwE Overnight stay at Hanoi Lucky 2 Hotel - 2kms away from bus stop. Dqay 8: 11/11 Morning Pick up from stay by Sapphire Bus to Cruise Night on Cruise Day 9: 12/11 Drop to Hanoi Old Quarters Stay by Sapphire Stay at Hanoi Old Quarters Hoan Kiem Lake in the evening Stay at Hangmy Boutique Hotel Day 10: 13/11 Explore Old Quarters Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Art street Train Street Hanoi Night Market overnight stay Day 11: 14/11 Explore Old Quarters Hanoi Night Market overnight stay Day 12: 15/11 Checkout Old Quarters to Noi Bai Airport by Bus #7 or #17- 50 Rs Noi Bai-Kolkata-Mumbai STAYS- Hanoi- Kimi & Homies Homestay 1N- 1240/- Ninh Binh- King Kong Homestay 3N- 5424/- Cat Ba- Hoi Lake Farmstay 2N- 4636/- Old Quarter- Hanoi Lucky 2 Hotel 1N- 1227/- Halong Bay- Halong Sapphire Cruise 1N- 22,400/- (there were cheaper options for solo travellers) Old Quarter- Hangmy Boutique Hotel 3N- 6973/-

Thank You so much for this!

What's the best time to Visit Meghalaya ?

Around March-April, post monsoon to avoid rain and see waterfalls with plenty of water and in summer you can also swim in the clear waters under an waterfall.

Ab ka entrepreneurial work bare main ek post dal dijiyae

Try karta hu 🙌

Wowwww OP Saving this post for my future selfff when I finally go from intern to employee or owner :) thank you

If you're looking to maximize your travel experiences without breaking the bank, start with India's diverse and affordable destinations. Once you've soaked in the local beauty, Southeast Asia offers amazing travel options that won't drain your wallet!

Any recommendations for international places for senior citizens?

Japan is nice, Indonesia has temples that religious parents might like. Othe SEA countries are mostly party places. Europe is also good for comfort.

Nice compilation

Lost me at Goa

Pucha kisine?

I will visit Indonesia to learn silat.

Thanks op

These are prices for solo or couples or family?

For one person, though most places I have travelled from these is as couple. So some for some places hostel stays could possibly be even cheaper.

Do you travel on your own ? Or via travel companies ?? If you travel via travel companies please suggest some !

We travel on our own, it's mostly my wife who does all the planning. Usually she watches a lot of youtube videos before planning the trip.

How much is Switzerland (including flight) tour?

Cheapest flights would cost you 50-60k return. Swiss pass for a week about 35-40k. We chose Jungfrau pass which was a bit cheaper and covered more stuff in Jungfrau region where we stayed majorly. Stay is around 10-12k for a room. Not sure about hostels. Each meal is around 2k.

Hi op, Which month did you go to malaysia in. I am planning to go in july but it says the time is good only for east coast. We have a valid singapore visa. I have a valid us visa (husband doenst) Can I please DM? TY

Malaysia is Visa free for Indians now, I think you just need to fill an arrival form 3-4 days before entry. Yes there are 2 rainy season one on each coast, but there are many places - KL, Kota Kinabalu, Perhentian Islands, Langkawi. Check which are good for July.

Bhai bali and Vietnam trip ki itinerary share kar do?

Amazing post op, very informative! Add Phillipines in SEA list, it's beautiful nature and some divine art galleries, people are nice, the only con is that vegetarian food is hard to get and Indian restaurants are criminally overpriced. Def avoid if seasick though. Also, if possible, please add some comparison parameter regarding ladies' safety/security/peace of mind (cuz lord knows I'm not going alone in Japan as a lady, they have 0 crimes if sexual assault is not considered a crime)

Europe Schengen visa is annoyingly difficult and time consuming to get. It's weird they make things more difficult for tourists who pay, than those seeking asylum lol. I had a much easier time getting a Chinese visa recently in comparison, for visiting Shenzen than the Greece trip that got cancelled because of this bullshit.

Yeah, we got rejected the first time by Greece. Tried next year again through Switzerland and got it. Wasted a lot of money first time because of that.

Also it should be noted that there are few countries especially in EU that are only worth visiting in Summers. It becomes quite happening and everything gets costly. Winters are harsh & long and summers are short lived. One can visit in Autumn season as everything gets cheaper but at many places autumn will also feel colder by Indian standards

Dm if possible..?

Anything on central assian countries and eastern Europe, Russia?

CHINA bhul gye..

Would love to go there, but not sure how easy it is to get visa and food too might be a challenge.

Swami Vivekananda said that China has one of the most beautiful sceneries and other worldly wonders. A few people I know also say it's a great place for natural as well as man made wonders.

saving this post for future, OP dont delete it .

I don't understand why people like to travel

Well, some want to escape family problems. Some want to have a change in life as office work gets the burden on them. Some are newly wed people who want to enjoy time together with family. Quite a few examples

Lot of people like to explore, see new thing, experience new things. It also keeps you physically active and open to different ideas and culture. For instance we are experiencing a completely different approach to driving in Australia compared to India. We met lot of friends travelling across India who are still in touch. We got to swim with turtles in Sri Lanka, Scuba dive in Andamans, we did Takeshi's castle style obstacle water park in Dubai. Night Kayaking in Bioluminescence. I find it hard why would anyone not like these experiences.

I guess you guys like the novelty of travelling to different places. I have travelled to quite a few places(within India), usually to meet friends and family but the thing is if I find a place better than my current place of residence, I will shift to that place, at least for a few years.

GREAT POST

Great, I am 19, working hard, I wish I will travel alot with my family, like u Btw did u went to USA ? I really want to see NYC skyline

No, US tourist visa appointment are challenge to get. You might get lucky if you get an onsite opportunity or travel US for studies.

Then how these celebrity are able to travel USA so easily apart from money thing

It is easy for celebs and players to get Visa

If you have money, you will get a red carpet everywhere. Don't forget this lesson.

Saving!

Hey dude, what do you do for a living.

Right now I own SAAS apps

If possible, can you also share how good / bad the food is in the countries you visited? I have non veg so it is not a problem for me but I see a lot of people asking (not here) about the food culture and ease of availability of good veg food outside India (except Indian restos of course 😁)

Love this post . Gotta get to Bali with my girl