Category Pages For: Budgets

Actual travel budgets and projected GRANDPAcking costs

Kerala Backwaters Map
FEBRUARY 2025 OVERVIEW If you haven’t done so already, please read my India Tips, Tricks, and Traps post first. This will help you better understand what you are going to read in this post. We are progressing down the western coast of India. We have just left Kozhikode. <<< our next stop is the Kerala Backwaters >>> MONEY EXCHANGE RATE The currency in India is the Rupee (the ‘INR’ or ‘rs’). At the time of writing, the exchange rates for the major currencies were: US$1 EU€1 GB£1 Published Wholesale Rate 86.97 89.95 108.08 Actual Exchange Rate (Wise Debit Card) 86.10 […]

Backwaters – Kerala – India – Information

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2025 OVERVIEW If you haven’t done so already, please read my India Tips, Tricks, and Traps post first. This will help you better understand what you are going to read in this post. We have just finished Christmas & New Year in Candolim, Goa. <<< we now hop down the West Coast of India through Karnataka >>> The stops are: Palolem Beach (Goa); Gokarna Beach (Karnataka); Honnavar / Kundapura (Karnataka); Mangaluru (Karnataka); Payyanur (Kerala). On the above map, Orange Lines represent bus routes and Blue Lines represent train routes. EXCHANGE RATE The currency in India is the […]

Karnataka – West Coast – India – ...

JANUARY 2025 OVERVIEW If you haven’t done so already, please read my India Tips, Tricks, and Traps post first. This will help you better understand what you are going to read in this post. We are progressing down the western coast from Goa to Kochi. We have just left our first stop: Palolem Beach, Goa. <<< our next stop is Gokarna, Karnataka >>> EXCHANGE RATE The currency in India is the Rupee (the ‘INR’ or ‘rs’). At the time of writing, the exchange rates for the major currencies were: US$1 EU€1 GB£1 Published Wholesale Rate 86.35 89.93 106.57 Actual Exchange […]

Gokarna Beach – Karnataka – India – ...

DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025 OVERVIEW We have just finished our 1 month tour of Rajasthan. If you haven’t done so already, please read my India Tips, Tricks, and Traps post first. This will help you better understand what you are going to read in this post. <<< our next stop is Christmas / New Year in Candolim, Goa, India >>> EXCHANGE RATE The currency in India is the Rupee (the ‘INR’ or ‘rs’). At the time of writing, the exchange rates for the major currencies were: US$1 EU€1 GB£1 Published Wholesale Rate 84.33 89.56 107.65 Actual Exchange Rate (Wise […]

Candolim Beach – Goa – India – ...

NOVEMBER 2024 OVERVIEW Rajasthan (the ‘Land of Kings’) is a state in north-western India. It is the largest Indian state by area and it comprises most of the inhospitable Thar Desert. If you haven’t done so already, I suggest that you read my India Tips, Tricks, and Traps post first. This will help explain much of what you are going to read now. In this post, I document a 1 month train tour of Rajasthan. I start in New Delhi and stop off in each of the, following, towns before leaving Rajasthan and heading for Ahmedabad (the capital of Gujarat): […]

Rajasthan – India – A One Month ...

JUNE / JULY 2023 OVERVIEW We have just finished our 3 month stay in Cenang Beach, Langkawi, Malaysia. … our next stop is Hoi An, Vietnam … PLEASE NOTE: I have been to Hoi An before: firstly in 2015 and later in 2020. Hoi An hasn’t changed much 🙂 In this blog, I will focus on what is new. To read my previous blogs follow these links: Hoi An – Vietnam – Information (2015) Hoi An – Vietnam – Retirement Locations (2020) EXCHANGE RATE The currency in Vietnam is the Dong (or the ‘VND’). At the time of writing, the […]

Hoi An – Vietnam – Information (2023)

MARCH 2023 OVERVIEW We have just finished our SCUBA Diving Liveaboard and Island Hopping in the Andaman Sea, Thailand. … our next stop is Cenang Beach, Langkawi, Malaysia … EXCHANGE RATE The currency in Malaysia is the Ringit (or the ‘MYR’). At the time of writing, the exchange rates for the major currencies were: US$1 EU€1 GB£1 Published Wholesale Rate 4.50 4.77 5.38 Actual Exchange Rate (Wise Debit Card) 4.46 4.73 5.33 Actual Exchange Rate (Typical Credit Card) 4.36 4.62 5.21 Actual Exchange Rate (ATM) 4.40 4.66 5.25 You will NOT get this Wholesale Rate … you will get the Actual […]

Cenang Beach – Langkawi – Malaysia – ...

FEBRUARY 2023 OVERVIEW Thailand, currently offers most major country passport holders a 45 day Tourist Visa On Arrival (VOA). At the time of writing, Thailand had no COVID-19, Travel Insurance, nor Exit Ticket requirements. Thailand was open to both vaccinated and unvaccinated tourists. So, what can you do with those 45 days? … In this blog, I summarise a SCUBA Dive Liveaboard with some island hopping down to Langkawi, Malaysia … then, I suggest a 30 day Island Hopping itinerary … EXCHANGE RATE The currency in Thailand is the Baht (or the ‘THB’). At the time of writing, the exchange […]

Andaman Sea – Thailand – Living Ideas

MARCH 2023 OVERVIEW We are island hopping south from Khao Lak, Thailand through the Andaman Sea to Langkawi Island, Malaysia. Our first stop was Ko Lanta. Our second stop was Koh Mook: … our final stop is Ko Lipe … EXCHANGE RATE The currency in Thailand is the Baht (or the ‘THB’). I will refer to them as THBs. At the time of writing, the exchange rates for the major currencies were: US$1 EU€1 GB£1 Published Wholesale Rate 34.24 36.66 41.40 Actual Exchange Rate (Wise Debit Card) 34.00 36.40 41.11 Actual Exchange Rate (Typical Credit Card) 33.21 35.56 40.16 Actual […]

Ko Lipe – Thailand – Information

FEBRUARY 2023 OVERVIEW We are island hopping south from Khao Lak, Thailand through the Andaman Sea to Langkawi Island, Malaysia. We have just visited Ko Lanta. … our next stop is Koh Mook (aka Ko Muk) … EXCHANGE RATE The currency in Thailand is the Baht (or the ‘THB’). I will refer to them as THBs. At the time of writing, the exchange rates for the major currencies were: US$1 EU€1 GB£1 Published Wholesale Rate 34.24 36.66 41.40 Actual Exchange Rate (Wise Debit Card) 34.00 36.40 41.11 Actual Exchange Rate (Typical Credit Card) 33.21 35.56 40.16 Actual Exchange Rate (ATM) […]

Koh Mook – Thailand – Information

FEBRUARY 2023 OVERVIEW My main reason for coming to Thailand was to do a SCUBA Liveaboard in the Andaman Sea out of Khao Lak. I am, now, island hopping south to Langkawi Island, Malaysia. … our first stop is Koh Lanta … EXCHANGE RATE The currency in Thailand is the Baht (or the ‘THB’). I will refer to them as THBs. At the time of writing, the exchange rates for the major currencies were: US$1 EU€1 GB£1 Published Wholesale Rate 34.24 36.66 41.40 Actual Exchange Rate (Wise Debit Card) 34.00 36.40 41.11 Actual Exchange Rate (Typical Credit Card) 33.21 35.56 […]

Ko Lanta – Thailand – Information

DECEMBER 2022- JANUARY 2023 OVERVIEW In my previous post (Boracay Island – Philippines – Getting There) I talked about how to get to Boracay Island and how to find long-term accommodation. Check out 12Go to have a look at ‘getting there’ options: It is assumed that you plan to be here for 2 months … arriving with a standard 30 day Visa On Arrival (VOA), then extending your VOA by another 29 days. This gives you up to 59 days for your Boracay Island ‘experience’. … now let’s talk about what it is like to ‘live’ here … EXCHANGE RATE […]

Boracay – Philippines – Information (2023)