| Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 | |
Indian Backpackers !Country forums / Indian Subcontinent / India | ||
So my wife and i have been travelling in S America for around 4 months. What stuck me is the fact that i get more wows when i mention i am from india, then she might when she says she is from sweden. The inevitable question after nationality is they ask if i am based in europe or the states .. hmm obviously i think the question is meant from an economics perspective, but made me wonder are there any ! indian ! backpackers, the ones who have made desi money and slugged around the world. I have hardly met many indian backpackers either from india or of indian origin.. | ||
Nither have I.The ones I've met dont mind shelling out U$D100+ for stay.Wine & dine in the best of restaurants.Splurg on brands.they are more on a short,' fat' holiday.These are certainly way beyond backpacker category.Presumably, the Indians who travel overseas normally seem to have the bucks.A young couple(early 30's) I met, a couple of years ago in Venice had a budget of U$D300-500/d on their 25 day trans-continental travel.That sums it up. | 1 | |
well, I am a backpacker....i love to creep through the wilderness....however, since i have just started with my professional career...its hard for me to save....but as soon as i get a chance, i would surely pursue this hobby | 2 | |
Well I am Indian and was born there but grew up in New Zealand and call both countries home. I am a confirmed backpacker and have travelled through parts of Latin America, Europe and Africa in this way. Can't say it was on desi money though though the New Zealand dollar sometimes wasn't that different! I have also hardly ever come across any other Indian backpackers. Interestingly, depending on where I am when people ask me, I say that I am either Indian or a NZer- explaining both is sometimes too complicated, especially when you are trying to do it in another language. I have met some hard-core Indian backpackers in places like the Himalayas though. I bet if they had the cash they would be doing the same thing in other parts of the world. | 3 | |
The economics of an Indian backpacker does not exist, simply because the purchasing power of the rupee is far less than that of the dollar/euro/yen. You just cannot save in INR enough for backpacking across the globe, while doing odd jobs in India. Apart getting a visa to many countries would next to impossible based on the odd jobs. Those Indians who can afford to travel abroad as pointed out by #1, do not backpack. Again you have, Indian students living all over the western world attending uni, surviving on part time jobs and paying for their uni. The students dont travel much but the closest to Indian tourists. Not sure if I can call them Indian backpackers. | 4 | |
It is both a cultural as well as a financial thing. Culturally, we like taking short holidays to see the sights, instead of a longer trip to experience a place and its culture. And even within India, the people who travel usually do not believe in roughing it out. This is even more true of travels abroad. First, very few Indians, as a practice, take 6 or 8 weeks off to travel abroad. As #4 said, most Indians do not have the resources to travel abroad, forget about travelling abroad for 2 months. And then, as other posters have pointed out, those who do, have a lot of money and so travel and stay in style. | 5 | |
Speaking for myself, from age 5 - 17, I had to slog it out in school except for a summer break of 2 months. But I wasn't an adult to be allowed to travel alone, nor would my parents (even if they could afford, which they couldn't) give me money to 'throw away'. From 17-21 I had to slog in college and there were no holidays longer than 1 week - except for 1 month study holidays before exams. Also, there was no money, even for cigarettes and rum at times, let alone travel. After that I got a job where as the junior most employee you are expected to slog it out even on weekends. If you get fired, getting another job was difficult When you finally got your annual leave for a week or two, you have to go home to meet family (as I was in a different state) - and in any case there was no money to travel anywhere outside india. By the time I had money, I was not a youngster anymore, had family including a small child and gotten used to a comfortable lifestyle. This is probably the story of a vast majority of middle class indians. Things are changing now with today's 20-somethings having more disposable incomes and more job opportunities. Even companies are becoming less anal about employees taking a break from work. May be you will see more backpackers in the future. Also, getting a visa without a good hotel booking and full itinerary is a hassle for indians and chinese to most countries - i guess because of the sheer numbers. | 6 | |
Totally agree with Dovin4. It's also perhaps our attitude to saving. In the early 20s, when you start working, people drill into you the importance of saving. That doesn't mean you can't travel, but mostly, it would be for say 2 or 3 weeks - that's as much as the INR will stretch to, esp in Europe or the US. So, when you say "backpacker", if you mean people moving from place to place for over 2 months etc, it would be difficult. By the time I took my first international trip for fun and not work, I was in my late 20s and married (my family would also prolly not have allowed me to travel abroad alone except on work, as a single woman). As a married woman, I certainly didn't want to stay in hostels, which I assume is also part of the backpacker lifestyle...by now, we wanted some privacy for ourselves etc. So, in short, these may be the reasons why you don't see many Indian "backpackers" though Indian travellers are no longer rare. | 7 | |
the cost factor plays a major part...earning a weaker currency and saving for a trip whose currency is exponentially higher is a big deal!!! however, if we think keeping the strength of INR w.r.t naira or taka, it really isn't impossible | 8 | |
Apart from the INR economics, the visa issue is a big thing too for Indians to travel backpack. Wonder how many countries, if any at all, issue Working Holiday visas to Indian passport holders, similar to the working holiday visa enjoyed by UK citizens (also called pommies) in Australia and vice-versa. | 9 | |
Indian backpackers travel mostly inside India | 10 | |
^^^...true, and the reason that just clicked in my mind in a flash as soon as I read your post is.................when India has a lot to do and see in terms of nature, why go outside??? | 11 | |
I totally second Dovin (dear me, what a voice of reason!). | 12 | |
Torquedos, what do they know of England who only England know?! India's beautiful and God knows it has enough to last one a lifetime or more, but every country has something unique, something special. Take Pakistan, for example. Going to Lahore gives you a sense of deja vu because, superficially, it's so like Delhi. But that's where the resemblance ends - on the surface. Dig in and you find a lovely vibrant culture, deep-rooted cultural traditions and a warmth that simply staggers the visitor. | 13 | |
true to the cor...i knew someone would point this thing out, pretty soon....well, it was poor me say so! However, I plan to step out of India only when 'India On Two Wheels' is complete!!!! If you want to know more, check out my blog | 14 | |
One should definitely travel and see the enitre world, but as said funds permitting. And a few whose disposable income are rising are doing it. However, whatever our growth rates and booms want us to believe, India is still predominantly a country where people hire a bus in a group of 30 (often not organized by professional tour operators, but by local youngsters or the like) and visit places in far off Himachal starting fro West Bengal. Takes a cook and a helper along, with cooking utensils on the top of the bus. For them going for a month inside India is seeing more than going for a week to the South east. It's true what do they know of England who only England know?! But they at least should know England as well. Most Indians who have been to Europe haven't been to the North east for example, and may not be to Himachal either. I know many of them. So let's know India and the world will obviously come along. Recently I went to Arunachal to places where the only Indians that visit them are on official work, some foreign tourists did go there. But as Indian travellers myself and my wife became tourist attractions ourselves. So let me take the knowing England bit a little ahead, and say, "Who has seen the world who hasn't seen India" Though I know ideally we should see both. But then as someone who read economics, the world is not often a place for maximization, but for "constrained optimization". Plus, with South Asia mostly not having open borders, or conditions ideal for land crossing from one country to another things become more difficult. And most Indian travellers still find these difficult to handle. | 15 | |
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1864304&messageID=16644425#16644425 Please check the above link for current visa related regulations/restrictions for the global-bound Indian traveller. | 16 | |
I have been backpacking around the world for the last 2 years, on an Indian passport. I lived in the US for 10 years, but at this point am not resident there. So they all go by my shitty passport and my filthy color :-). Writing from Damascus now. I have done S. E Asia, Cape Town to Djibouti overland, and most of the middle-east, heading to Egypt next. Also been to 49 US states, and spent 5 months backpacking in India/Sri Lanka. South America later if I got any moolah left. Visas are the hardest thing. I usually apply for the visa in the immediate previous country. the first response is usually - often rudely delivered - "go back to your country". I am persistent and respond with "Look at my passport, visas", "I want to talk to the First Secretary or Vice-Consul" etc. They get scared when they hear that & I get in. I have usually managed to get visas, though for much shorter duration than what I ask for & often just single entry. I have now been to over 50 embassies in 30 countries. Been kicked out of embassies - e.g Chinese embassy in Phnom Penh - , had my passports thrown at me (Turkish embassy in tehran), had to tell in a few embassies that "i will not stay in your country even if you give me a million dollars", "i would rather be dead than live in your country", "I am not a terrorist" (Lebanese embassy in Tehran!) etc. Not really scared or worried anymore. Also got deported/denied entry twice. Deported from turkey back to Iran because they thought my passport was fake/stolen. They almost damaged my passport trying to prove so. I called up the first secretary at the indian embassy in Tehran to complain & all he said was "that is how the turks treat Indians" :-). I flew from Tehran to Istanbul later, and was almost denied entry again, but he saw my US visas & the onward visa to Syria & let me in. Anyways, I will be traveling for another year or so. Would love to help other travelers, from India or from any other shitty country like it ;-). Feel free to ask me about visas, guest houses, finding travelmates etc. Keep in mind that while it is not too bad once you enter a country, as an Indian you will still face issues like Lonely Planet itself is by white people and for white people. We need editions for other complexions. You can follow my travels on facebook @ http://www.facebook.com/therealguru and also at http://www.couchsurfing.com/theguru or http://www.flickr.com/photos/gurumlore I would love to see a million Indians - the newly rich from the IT, BPO, finance industry especially - pack up and storm embassies and borders. And if there is anything I can do to make that happen I will do it. I will be trying to file official complaints a few more times at the indian embassies in Cairo & Addis, against the Jordanians & Turkish. So any contacts in the diplomatic world would be helpful. | 17 | |
@Gkrun Guru, I hear you man....! Your stories about the refusal to Turkey tugged me at my heart....Can not imagine what you must have been going through at this discriminatory treatment...I am with you on the Caucassian bias in Lonley planet and that info is not available (current or otherwise) for Indian passports. Period. I would like to change this by having a dedicated site which collects these experiences...But then, hey, for a determined traveller, these hassels are only a part of the adventure. Carry on, brave traveller. let me know how you & I (& others concerned) can contribute to making visa information more transparent.... Cheers! | 18 | |
My husband and I hold an Indian passport( but have been living in US for past few years) and just got back from 2 months of backpacking in South America. True to what has been posted here, people were amazed that we were from India and we usually got a bow or a wow reaction from them. Even if Indians make it to South America, doesn't seem like they travel to the interiors or off the beaten path as most backpackers would. In our entire journey we didn't meet any Indians from India..one Indian we met was born and brought up in South Africa and the other in London- both were not backpacking. | 19 | |
You got married HB!! Congratulations! I'll buy you are a beer if you are in mumbai! And one for your wife as well. I'll even travel to your area this time.... I will be there in very early may. | 20 | |
Guru, If it makes you feel any better; I had similar-ish treatment in '98 at the Iran-Turkey land crossing near Tabriz/Dogbiscuit. I was made to wait for 4-5 hours after they had processed all the western tourists and finally after their tea break and nap, they looked at my passport and that of this pakistani guy who was there too; my visa was from the Turkish Embassy in Kuwait and his was from Pakistan. After taking them to some back room for a long time they came back and brought out a deportation log (it said that on the cover) and stamped mine through and deported the Pakistani guy back to Iran. Apparently his visa said that he could only arrive into turkey by plane. In contrast the Iranians were extremely hospitable and pleasant. While Istanbul was an amazing city, and the trip along the black sea to Trabazon was beautiful, the border crossing experience left a bad taste that still lingers. A | 21 | |
Very Happy to finally find a forum of Indian Backpackers! Me and my wife are planning a 3yr + non stop travel around the world... The best part is that we have never traveled before as a couple anywhere outside India... While Couchsurfing has given us a glimpse and opportunity (burn our ass as we see Europeans traveling) to learn more about traveling...we both have been looking out for lot of information and peculiar problem we might face as an Indian Traveler... I had posted a similar not nearly 2 months back on another thread on LP but got only 2-3 replies which were more US/Aussie centric.... So all Indian Backpackers out there.... need info desperately on: 1) What is a good budget per day for backpacking for an Indian ? We have budgeted Rs. 3000 per day for two for local travel/stay/F&B? We are itching to start this trip and lost of info is based on the budget and visa's! Hope to hear from you guys soon. Cheers! | 22 | |
Pankaj, as you can see there is not much activity here :). I guess Guru is the one who is true master here. Also do get in touch with aparna at backpackingninja, she been around too. Me and my wife are into the third month or a six month trip, do drop in a line to me here or at our website down in the signature. Your questions are too broad actually, so no replies. You gotta do a little bit more work in posting in country/continent specific forums. You will get a very good idea. As Indians, there is not much different except for the visa regulations, on which the safe thing to do is to get the sticky countries out of the way (US, UK, Canada, China, Shengen (your wife may be max 90 days there tho) and rest along the way. You wont get everything anyway, South American countries will ask for entry within 90 days of visa. Start with South America, reasonably safe and takes time. Begs the question, why 3 years and not 1, 2 or 5? Happy travelling. | 23 | |
We traveled to South America earlier in the year and managed couch surfing in Brazil and Argentina. We would've like to do it in Peru and Bolivia as well but unfortunately our plans changed at very short notice so ended up not pursuing it. | 24 | |