  |  | | | | Q |
| In your book, The World's Cheapest Destinations, you say, "India is the ultimate budget
destination." What makes it stand out in your mind,
particularly next to the other affordable countries you've profiled? | | A |
| You
can have an all-you-can-eat thali meal in southern India for less than 50 cents and it's both healthy
and tasty. You can eat at a "businessman's lunch" place for a dollar
or two and have a guy with a dress shirt and bow tie wait on you. For a few
dollars, you can get an overnight sleeper train berth in second class. For less
than $20 more you can upgrade to first class with air conditioning. If you stay
put for a while in a place like Hampi, Manali, or on one of the southern
beaches, as many backpackers do, it's easy to live on $10 a day. There are only
a few places in the world where you can get by for so little, staying in a
hotel and eating out two or three meals a day. |
|
|
| | Q |
| Over the course of the last decade, what changes have you seen in India? Is it more expensive
today than it was 10 years ago? | | A |
| The
main changes have been increased tourism, especially at the high end of the
scale, and the increasing number of Indians who have become middle class. The
huge number of tech jobs and call center jobs coming to India has caused a dramatic rise in incomes in places
such as Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Bombay. It has gotten slightly more expensive for
budget travelers and there is more local competition for mid-range hotel rooms.
But the most dramatic difference has been the rise in hotel prices at the top
end. It's not unusual now to see hotels selling out in the main cities, even at
prices of $350-$450 per night.
Some attractions have gotten more expensive as well. I think I paid 30 rupees
(less than a dollar) to see the Taj Mahal in the early 90s. Now it's almost $20
(you have to buy a 3-site package ticket). |
| | |
| | | | |
