Pemba Sherpa Khambache
Pilot
If you wish to travel far and wide, you must be willing to hunker down, cut corners and basically be good at penny-pinching. I have gone on about 7-8 treks inside Nepal then there was the six-month solo backpacking trip in India as well. Similarly I have been to Bhutan, Bangkok and Philippines. I even lived in Philippines for a year so I was traveling on and off. At the moment, I'm on my 45-day trip to Turkey and Iran.
Since I'm a local pilot by profession, scheduling isn't the biggest problem. I just travel during the off seasons. Budgeting, on the other hand, has always been tricky. Early on, when I began my travels, I even sold some of my belongings and took some loans from family and friends. What I found though was that the experiences were totally worth it.
I have learnt that most times, it's beneficial to group up with fellow travelers. I remember paying only NRs 100 in Delhi for lodging because we were sharing the cost of the rooms. My mantra is to always travel cheap. I prefer spending my money on activities. So instead of hotels I opt for hostels or couch surfing.
Even on my next stop to Iran, I'm planning not to spend any money on accommodations. I hear Iranian people are the kindest and the most hospitable in the world so I'm very excited to make my way couch surfing. It's an amazing way to immerse yourself in the culture of the country and get the authentic traveling experience. Some worry that it's not safe to travel this way and I would recommend people to be aware and alert. However, having said that, I also believe too many people overestimate the danger of traveling to places unknown
Kamla Bisht
Senior advisor, Political and Social Development
Understanding the world through travel
I have a system. Every month I make sure that a certain amount of my salary is deposited in another bank. Usually it isn't less than Rs10,000 and I don't withdraw money from this account at all. By the end of the year, I have a sizeable amount, one that is used only for my traveling plans.
I have learnt that one must consciously make an effort to implement their traveling plans. It's all too easy to wish and fantasize about going to new places but if you really want to make these trips, you have to put in a lot of effort. It obviously begins with saving.
Traveling is a great way to refresh yourself and I think it's important to break out of your mundane life with breaks by traveling at least once a year. The only way to schedule these mini vacations though is around the holidays. Unfortunately there is no other way. Since my husband and I both work in development organizations, we tend to have more days off during the end of the year.
We do plan it beforehand though. Like for instance, my husband and I have plans to visit Nairobi at the end of this year during Christmas holidays. I have a brother who lives there and we have already talked with the travel agency and fixed our itineraries. We did this so we can estimate the cost of our travel beforehand. Now since we already know how much it's going to cost us, we can set aside the money. There's also some months left, which means we can still save some more. Budgeting out travels beforehand in this fashion has always proven to be helpful.
Surath Giri
Entrepreneur
I'm of the belief that you must explore all nooks and crannies of your own country before heading out to travel the world. So for the last seven years I have been making the most of my Dashain vacations and traveling to as many new places as possible in Nepal itself. Scheduling these trips is certainly tricky since the one time I missed the main tika day, my mother was furious. But still I do try and reason with her that Dashain will come every year but I might not have these opportunities to explore again.
I have found that travelling with a big group of people is a lost cause. There are different schedules to work out, different priorities to look after, but I don't enjoy traveling alone either, so I'd recommend taking somebody you really get along with. Your traveling companion is very important, so pick wisely. When you take a select few friends you also cut down the chances of conflicts.
Where the budget is concerned, traveling around Nepal is very affordable. For example, when we were in Langtang for five days back in 2012, my friend and I easily made it through the trip with just Rs 3000 per person. We had no complaints. Everything was safe and comfortable. Besides the hospitality of Nepalis is just so heart warming. If you are down to earth and humble, you will find a helping hand whenever you need it. People who have traveled a lot through our country will surely vouch for that.
Arpan Sharma
Executive Director, Nepalaya
I began my travels from 2009. Before that I was working a lot. My schedule was really brutal, so much so that some even suggested that I take a breather. So since 2009, I like to make sure that I travel at least once a year. From New Zealand to America, I have been all around. I have also covered most of Europe. I enjoy visiting small, little known countries and exploring their rich history.
I have always believed that traveling is an art. A lot of planning goes into making a traveling experience memorable so I'm very meticulous about it all. It always begins with a lot of research. Mostly I already know the sites I want to visit, the activities I want to partake in as well as the ones I would rather skip. This saves time as well as extra costs.
I also make it a point to book my airline tickets at least three months in advance. It's way cheaper this way. As far as lodging is concerned, again research is required. I don't believe in spending too much here. I browse through a few trusty websites that I know have legit information and again try and book them in advance. I also thinking couch surfing is a fun and convenient way to make your way around new places.
I believe the fear that we can't afford travel on Nepali rupees is baseless. In my opinion, somebody who lives in the city has already become used to expensive living. If you make a decent earning, it isn't much different. You don't have to be dining and wining in luxury hotels. It's about exploring new cities and making new memories.
Smriti RDN Neupane
Freelance researcher and trainer
One of the best ways to check off places from your travel wish list might just be to make traveling a part of your work. You can't deny, it solves both the budget as well as the schedule issue. Especially when we are young and just joining the workforce, meaning when you can't afford a lot of time off and when your savings do not amount to much, this might just be the ideal solution.My work has taken me to many places around the country so far. I have also been to Uganda in Africa, Vietnam, and also around India. The office took care of the transports as well as the lodging and food. We had to pay for any other extra activities that we wanted to do but the basics taken care of obviously helped lift a big financial burden off my shoulders. This way you work as well as get an opportunity to visit new destinations. Though I have found that there is one tiny flaw in the plan. While you do have a lot of fun, you miss your friends sometimes. Traveling brings a lot of happiness and it's true what they say about how it needs to be shared.
So my friends and I plan as many trips together as possible. Often to fit everybody's schedule, it's during the Dashain holidays. We have been to treks around Gosaikunda and the ABC circuit. Sometimes when we can't spare many days, we just go for weekend trips to nearby places such as Pokhara. All these still do require some saving. We make plans beforehand and since we travel in groups, dividing the costs also eases the financial burden.
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