Tag Archives: budget travel

10 tips for finding budget accommodation

10 rules for finding budget accommodation in India. All Backpackers traveling to India get acquainted with the term ‘Cheap and Best’ in the first 2 weeks of their time in India but we Indians never come across such a thing while traveling. We pay too much or at least are expected to pay too much while travelling in India. In our recent trip to spiti n kinnaur valley, we paid from INR 200 to INR 700 for rooms, and surprisingly had to bargain the most for the 700 one. In one place in Kalpa, we went in to check a room in Kalpa, receptionist showed a dirty room, and quoted 600. We exchanged looks which he understood meant NO. Before we could say anythin, another Indian couple walked in, about 10-15 yrs elder to us to whom he quoted 1400 for the same room, most hotels were booked out, so they said YES as they had to stay only a night. We left Kalpa and headed to Sangla, and 2-3 days later met two Israeli girls who came from Kalpa. They had stayed in the same room paying only 400. We had expected them to pay as much and they didn’t disappoint. Despite having been in India for only 1 week, they had mastered the act of paying the right price for a room in a remote part of Himachal Pradesh, in a land where their only way of communicating was a foreign language. Things to be remembered while traveling. 1. Even if you are travelling for a short duration, don’t splurge too much. You are creating a bad environment for the days you will travel long term. 2. It is still possible to find decent rooms in india for about 500 if you are away from the cities. 3. …

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Mountain Hostel, Gimmelwald

This panorama defining hostel is set on a mountain in a quiet village of Gimmelwald. A few steps from the Gondola station, Mountain hostel offers views like a dream. You stand up close and personal with the Mount Eiger and can sit forever in a conversation with spell binding vistas on the terrace restaurant of the hostel and watch the snow clad giants in the backdrop. In the evening their lobby is buzzing with enthusiastic resident travelers, almost all of whom are American. People talk at length about their days’ spoils, how far they walked, what trek they did and where they are headed on their round the Europe tour. Yes, this place is very popular amongst American backpackers with a Euro rail pass and almost all of them end up landing here. Although food is cheap, but it is not as great as what a little more money can bring you to the table. But hey, they have a kitchen and you could do your own cooking. Don’t forget to bring your own pasta sauces and bread because when I went last, there were no stores around. All in all, Mountain Hostel is the perfect place to compare notes and find companions. If you are an American you will at home here. It is one of the cheapest options for food and stay in the area. Given its popularity with the backpackers, you may find a few things amiss and the employees and owners may seem a little brash with their policies and paid showers, but nothing beats the views of this place. It is truly one of the most stunning places I stayed in.

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