Airfares account for a large chunk of one’s holiday budget, and as a result, limits one’s choice to short-haul destinations when planning an affordable vacation. Further, foreign currency exchange rates are not the sole indicators and can be misleading when trying to gauge if a destination can be done on the cheap. In the course of our travels, we have found perhaps a more accurate measure of how far the rupee will go — compare the cost of a standard meal in India and the destination you plan to visit. We have used the Big Mac combo meal (Rs 270) and a pint of beer (Rs 120) as a benchmark. Visa fees, accommodation, sightseeing, etc, have been factored in when shortlisting the five destinations given below:
Nepal: At our doorstep
Nepal may be in our backyard, yet it’s very different. Eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains in the world rise in snowy magnificence in the country. Wreathed as much in dust as in legend, the capital Kathmandu fascinates with its dreamy setting of snow-crusted jagged peaks that rise over the distant horizon. The Nepali capital has loads of character and history — stupas with large all-seeing eyes; Durbar Square, the historic seat of royalty and a World Heritage Site of interlinked courtyards, pagoda-roofed temples and the royal palace (now a museum).
And there’s much else, not the least of which is people watching — grizzled hippies from another era, muscled trekkers, young 20-somethings on their grand tour of Asia, Indian pilgrims… They sip coffee at cafes which promise ‘heavenly views’ of the city and shop at stalls that hawk trinkets, handbags, carpets, curios. Stir into the mix the adventure capital of Pokhara, Chitwan National Park, Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha… and you have an unbeatable destination at throwaway prices. And it comes with an irrefutable trump card — the Himalayas and Mount Everest.
Rupee-friendly quotient: INR 1 = NPR 1.6 (a fixed rate that does not fluctuate). The Indian Rupee (INR) is freely accepted across the country, which means you do not need to convert to Nepalese Rupees (NPR). A Big Mac combo meal costs around NPR 500 or around INR 310. A pint of beer costs around NPR 200 or around INR 125.
Visa: Indian nationals do not require a passport (or visas fees) to enter the country, any valid official id document is good.
Airfare: While airfares to Nepal and within the country are reasonable, one can opt for deluxe tourist buses to enter and explore the country.
Malaysia: Glittering jewel
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s glittering heart or KL as it is fondly called, glistens like a fresh Ringgit note. For this flashy, glitzy city is youthful and exuberant and flaunts its modern steel and glass towers like a badge of success. Where else but in Kuala Lumpur would you find the sky-needling Petronas Towers and mega malls, one of which you can sail into, in a water taxi?
Indeed, Kuala Lumpur combines native charm and creature comforts with 21st-century flair. Extravagant hotels, consumerist malls with indoor theme parks; jaunty young Malay women who sport headscarves and a can-do attitude; a seething China town where snaring bargains is a battle of wits… all coalesce to make it a spirited city whose Islamic heart throbs alongside its colonial past and a modern present.
Then there are the country’s exotic beaches, its teeming rainforests, historic cities like Penang and Melaka, and cool hilly areas like Cameron Highlands with its air of old England and the 24-hour pulsing Genting Highlands. Pristine islands like Tioman are ideal for snorkelling and diving…
Rupee-friendly quotient: INR 100 = MYR 6. A Big Mac combo meal in KL costs 14 Ringgits or around INR 235. A pint of beer costs around 10 Ringgits or around INR 165.
Visa: US$ 20 or around Rs 1,500. Visa on arrival option is available if arriving from Singapore, Thailand or Indonesia with a valid visa of these countries.
Airfare: Malaysia is easily accessible with many private Indian and international airlines offering competitive airfares.
Thailand: Gloriously tropical
Thailand may suffer from a ‘Been there, done that’ overkill, yet the country exerts undeniable lure for both newbie travellers as well as the cognoscenti. Bangkok, the engaging capital of the country with its skyscrapers of steel and chrome that soar next to ancient temples and gilded palaces; the winding Chao Phraya river where long-tail boats glide past floating markets; bargain shopping at night markets and refuelling at glorious street food enclaves… Even today, the Thai capital makes for a fun vacation.
Artsy, temple-studded Chiang Mai is another worthwhile stopover with its buzzing morning market where fruits, vegetables and even fried insects are heaped in a colourful array. Phuket, with its party-hearty vibe, is
another draw.
Even as tourism grows, there are parts of this tourist-friendly country that offer full-stop seclusion and ravishing landscapes; swathes of powder-soft sands backed by fecund rainforests. Check out Hua Hin, Koh Samui, Krabi… some of the most breath-taking beaches in the world here.
Rupee-friendly quotient: INR 100 = 46 Thai Baht (THB). The popular Pad-Thai meal at a street vendor’s stall costs 20 THB or around INR 65. A pint of beer costs around 50 THB or around INR 110.
Visa: Thailand offers free visas on arrival (a saving of 2,000 THB or around INR 4,500) for Indian nationals entering the country between May 1 and Oct 31, 2019.
Airfare: Airfares to Thailand are easy on your bank balance.
Armenia: Exotic Central Asia
The presence of the Soviet Union may be a footnote in the story of Armenia in Central Asia, but it still hangs over its capital city of Yerevan like a ghost who does not know its time is over. With a little imagination, one can visualise the former communist regime flexing its muscles by staging military parades through the sprawling nerve centre of the city.
But its not-so-recent past will eventually be history; for time here, as in India, is not measured in centuries but in millennia. Indeed, Armenia traces its origins back to the great Biblical flood when Noah’s Ark is believed to have finally come to rest on the summit of Mt. Ararat, the nation’s iconic snow-covered peak that gazes down on the capital city even though, by a quirk of history, it now stands on the Turkish side of the border.
However, Yerevan of today, which radiates out of Republic Square like the spokes of a cycle wheel, is a relatively modern city. That is because the old capital was virtually torn down in the 1930s and rebuilt on the lines of a planned city with park and open spaces, museums stacked with artistic treasures; a grand Opera House, the Cascades which give the illusion of water rippling down the hillside into which the monument is embedded…
The ancient heart of Armenia pulses outside Yerevan which may serve as a base to explore the rest of the relatively small country. The ‘Vatican’ city of the Orthodox Church of Armenia located at Echmiadzin where the ‘pope’ or Catholicist resides; the many-pillared pagan temple of Garni which stands in solitary splendour at the edge of a canyon; the winter ski resort at Tsakhkadzor; the ruins of Amberd Castle; the open-air sculpture of Armenian alphabets; the high altitude freshwater lake at Sevan… And the spectacular 11th-century rock-cut monastery tucked away in the rocky cliffs of Geghard.
Rupee-friendly quotient: INR 1 = 7 Armenian Dram (AMD). A Big Mac combo meal will cost around 1,800 AMD or INR 250. A pint of beer 850 AMD or around INR 120.
Airfare: The low-cost airline Flydubai offers affordable options to Yerevan. A number of other Middle East airlines also fly there via their respective hubs.
Visa: Armenia visas cost around INR 650.
Egypt: Land of the Pharaohs
The mysteries of the Land of the Pharaohs unravel in the awesome monuments that stud this historic land. Cairo is a kaleidoscope of sights and sounds: the Egyptian Museum with its Hall of Mummies; the Pyramids of Giza; the mysterious Sphinx… And there is bargain basement shopping and dining in the throbbing local markets and bazaars in the heart of the city.
Cruise down the Nile which is the lifeline of this desert county, bordered by the blue of the Mediterranean and the Biblical Red Sea. Visit the tombs of the Pharaohs — Tutankhamun, Ramses II, III and IV and Queen Nefertiti… in the Valley of Kings and Queens. Marvel at the ancient temples — Karnak, Amon Ra, Kom Ombo and Horus… that grace the river banks. You get to embrace 5,000 years as your cruise boat makes ports of call at Aswan, Abu Simbel, Luxor, Edifu…
Then there is Alexandria with its inviting beaches, magnificent monuments and a gamut of museums, mosques and catacombs on the Mediterranean coast. The bustling and touristy coastal town of Hurghada graces the shores of the Red Sea. And you do not have to burn a hole in your pocket to partake in the Pharaohs’ banquet that Egypt lays out for its guests.
Rupee-friendly quotient: INR 100 = 25 Egyptian Pounds. A Big Mac combo meal will cost around 70 Egyptian pounds or around INR 280. A pint of beer is 30 pounds or around INR 80.
Visa: An Egyptian visa costs INR 1,900.
Airfare: While Egypt Air offers competitive fares to Cairo, other Middle Eastern airlines also fly there via their respective hubs.