Travel The World On Your Current Salary

Want to take off exploring on your own, but don’t know how to begin to plan and budget?

- Neeti Jaychander

There may be a few good reasons why travelling alone is not for you, but money shouldn’t be one of them. You can see new places and experience different cultures, no matter what your budget. To balance out a life of work and life commitments on one hand, and travel on the other, you need to think, plan and live like a traveller. We spoke to some solo adventurers and professional travel planners to get you on the right track.

ID YOUR TRAVEL TYPE

The first thing to do is to be realistic about your needs. Figure out if you are really cut out for the common bathroom down the corridor that comes with staying at hostels or dorms. Or if you can hitchhike 10 miles instead of taking a cab. Factor in where you want to travel, what basics you draw the line at, how much it would cost, and then start saving up. Mythili Ramasundaram, a banker, says, “I love to travel, but have a lot of financial commitments, so budget travel is ideal for me. I, however, always make sure that I stay in a safe and central area, even if this costs a little more and I have to cut back on frills like fancy food and shopping. Not only does this save travel time and expense, it also gives you a better feel of the destination.”

LOOK FOR DEALS

It’s never easy to plan a holiday on your own. Price comparing services, online travel agents and customer reviews have made it easy to find accommodation and tour packages suited to your needs. Travel agent Vinod Katri Babu says, “If you’re travelling alone, you may have to pay for a single room yourself. To avoid that, look at hostels in places like Europe and Australia, and home stays within India. B&Bs are also safe options. Tour and travel operators can get you good rates, since they book in bulk, and also give you safe and feasible suggestions.”

BUDGET FOR EXTRA