Travel to India within 10,000 Taka! Is it possible?

For many people in Bangladesh, travelling is a luxury; for some, it is unnecessary, but for a few, it is like oxygen. 

But here, oxygen is not run by natural air; money matters, and if you can take money as a secondary necessity, the willpower to travel will come first.

India neighbours Bangladesh, with at least three sides the north, west, and east. Each of the borders has its significance and destinations to cover.

As described in the headlines, I will share some of my experiences travelling to India on a budget and give you tricks and tips. And I can promise you this is different from clickbait. 

Tips for Indian visa

It will cost you 1000 taka to obtain an Indian visa on your Bangladeshi passport. If you are a student, you must submit your parent's bank statements, student card and utility bills like water, gas or electricity from your present address as described in the visa application form. Please remember that a visa application must contain accurate information, such as your NID and passport.

Now, one segment in the visa application has a question of choosing the border ports; if you are planning for Meghalaya, choose By Road Dawki; if you are planning for Darjeeling, choose By road Changrabandha or By train New Jalpaiguri (train is expensive). 

Ports of Haridashpur, which will lead to Kolkata, and Agartala, which will lead to Tripura and Gede, same as Kolkata, will be automatically added to your visa. There you go, you are almost ready; give the hotel address by searching from Google; remember, this is a formality. Now we are off for a trip. 

Tripura: 5000 taka is enough

Agartala is the capital of the Indian state of Tripura. Agartala's local language and culture have many similarities with Comilla's. But it is abroad, a foreign land for Bangladeshi people. As I am telling the story, I am keeping in mind you are a student, a bachelor with very little savings, which you might have earned from freelancing, a part-time job, or tuition.

With that much money, you are planning your first-ever trip to the country. Now the question is how far Tripura is.

Let me tell you, Dhaka to Agartala is only 128 Kilometres, so your trip abroad is nearer than many districts in your country. 

It would help if you reached Akhaura railway station by train, with the lowest cost of 135 as of February 2024. Then, you can take a shared auto to the border, which would cost 50 taka. So you have reached the border with a cost of 200 taka.

After the immigration hassles, you can change your Bangladeshi taka to Indian rupees. As this article is written, the rate is flexible, fluctuating from 71-73 rupees for each 100 taka Bangladeshi notes. So if you have 5000 Bangladeshi takas, you will have around 3500 Indian rupees.

Please do not take a taxi from the port; they will try to scam you, walk, look around, buy a sim for 200 rupees online, search Google Maps, and go to a nearby shop for refreshments.

As you have 3300 Indian rupees left for your three-day trip, you must book a hotel within 500 rupees. You can find many hotels within this range in Agartala city. 

So you have to stay for two nights for 1000 rupees. You have 2300 rupees to explore around and eat.

In Agartala, daily meals cost the highest 500 rupees per day. So you can eat quality food within 1500 rupees more or less.

Roam around to see Ujjayanta Palace, Neer Mahal, and Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary, and take buses to travel that will cost only 20-50 rupees at best.

When you return to the border, you will find 200-500 rupees saved, and you can buy some memorabilia for your closest ones.

Meghalaya: Dream destination within 10 thousand taka

Meghalaya is full of wonders and beautiful hills and rivers. You will walk through the clouds in Meghalaya, as its name suggests in Bengali, 'Megher Aloy, ' which is the home of clouds.

Take a bus to Sylhet, Tamabil border; it will cost 600-700 taka to reach the border. After immigration formalities, get into Dawki and hire a shared car for Shillong.

You can see exotic natural views and sceneries. You will get bored of waterfalls here and there. Shillong is so cheap that I slept in a hotel for 700 rupees.

The travel cost will depend on how many people you travel to as many destinations will be covered by cars. A four-seater car from Shillong to Sohra (famously known as Cherrapunjee) will cost 2000-2500, 450-550 per person.

Food is cheap in Meghalaya. A five-day trip will cost 500 rupees per day for one person. So your food cost is sorted within 2500 rupees, the car cost will be around 3000 rupees, accommodation will be shared, and it will be well within 2000 rupees. You can buy things for local Khasi hills, for your closest ones. If you convert these expenses, it will remain under 10 thousand taka.

Now the city of joy- Kolkata

If you go to the border by bus, a Kolkata trip will cost 750 takas, and after crossing the border, you can get a train to the city of joy. It usually takes 800-900 taka to reach Kolkata on this route.

In Kolkata, travelling is so easy and cheap via metro or local buses that you will be amused. I even used a ride-sharing bike service and gave a fare of 23 rupees from Newmarket to Victoria Memorial.

Food is also cheap in Kolkata; I suggest you go to Arafat's for breakfast and go to a Pice hotel for lunch and dinner. It will cost 600 takas a day.

If you are planning a five-day trip, it will cost 3000 for food and 2500 for accommodation.

Kolkata is great when it's not that warm. You can walk through the legendary lanes of Satyajit Ray and Subhas Chandra Bose. The legendary houses are well-reserved as historical monuments, and most are open to all.

Raja Rammohan Ray's house is now a museum. These places have token tickets for 50-100 rupees.

Darjeeling

Apart from Kolkata, you can also go to Darjeeling and return within 10,000 taka. The bus to Chengrabanda will take 800 taka, and then after crossing the border, take a shared jeep to Darjeeling for 250-300 taka. The hotels in Darjeeling will cost around 800-1200, So your accommodation will cost 2400 taka. Jeeps and buses will cost 3000 taka. Food is cheap in Darjeeling; you can have delicious street food and local cuisines, costing 150-200 per meal.

Meer Raihan Masud is a traveller who loves to explore different cultures, food and ways of recreation around the world.

masudraihan60@gmail.com