Planning a Vacation to India

Most NRI families I know plan vacations with a lot of thought, care and enthusiasm. Sadly, there is one thing that we often fail to consider – a vacation in India. Don’t get me wrong, I am not for a minute trying to say that we don’t want to return to India. In fact, we love and miss our home country dearly. But our trips back home to India are in our minds, not vacations. They are necessary visits. Vacation though, is an altogether different matter. Vacations ought to be in Europe, or Disney Land.

 

And my entire point is that when we NRIs are planning a vacation; India, our very own country, is what we should very seriously look at before yet another foreign retreat. Why? Because of countless reasons really. Let me list just a few:

 

1. Diversity. India should really be a synonym for diversity. Climatic, scenic, geographic, cultural; every kind of diversity. It’s like multiple countries rolled into one. There are countless regional ethnicities like Bengalis, Maharashtrians, Tamils, Punjabis – with all their different & yummy food, clothes, activities, festivities. It is a real travel treat.

 

2. Something for Everyone. From that same diversity, India is home to stunning beaches where the kids can build castles and the parents can relax and unwind. There are countless adventures. In the hills there is trekking and the scenic beauty of the Himalayas. There is the awesome desert of Rajasthan in which to camp. The flat plains of Gujarat with all the vibrancy of its people. There are game sanctuaries with unspoilt wildlife in Ranthmbore and Sariska. There is white water rafting in Rishikesh, Kayaking in the Backwaters in Kerela, and many other options.

 

3. Time with Family. And finally of course, there is the complete holiday experience that can be topped off by time being spent with your native family. Nothing better for any NRI than to feel the warm embrace of his or her family again, while the children get their annual dose of Indian flavors and grandparents’ love.

 

It is a sadly ignored destination that I have promised myself, I shall be visiting more. And I promise you, an Indian vacation, will not disappoint you either!

Managing Expenses Abroad

When I left Punjab and came to the UK, it was not under ideal circumstances. My father had passed away suddenly. His business was taken over by his partners. My younger sister, my mother and I found ourselves, quite literally, on the road. The only way out, the little money we had saved, would be ‘invested’ in my education so that I could make something of myself and support the family.

And this is not my isolated story. It may not be under duress as it was the case with me; but an overwhelming majority of young Indians leave their beloved home towns and come away abroad, for one thing and one thing only – to improve their lot and that of their families back home. Very few people want to voluntarily just leave India. It’s with a clear focus, of earning well, and saving even more.

And that’s what I want to share with you today – my experiences post my education here in London, one of the most expensive cities in the world. It’s been two years now since I started working here in London. Fortunately, my very first job was good, at least in terms of salary. I could have comfortably rented a place of my own from the word go. But I never lost sight of my goal and of the larger picture and chose to stay in a cheap hostel. Slowly but regularly, I would save money each month. It was the kind of money management that no school or programmer could teach. Cook myself in the hostel pantry and deep freeze the daal rather than eating out or ordering for a take away – change three trains to get to work rather than taking one cab.

These, and many other frugal money management steps made me save a substantial sum of my salary each month. Even the money transfer service I chose was selected after a careful scrutiny of all the available options. Indus Fast Remit, from day one, is what I used to send money home each month. Slowly but surely, my mother with the help of an elderly uncle, was able to pay off all our creditors and got our share of the business back!

Thanks to those savings and savings that I continue to make, we have got my sister married as well. We have renovated our ancestral home. A lot has been accomplished. And while I know you may be thinking that I am showing off, the truth is, I am. Because, I am very proud of the sacrifices I have made, because that money management has helped put my family back on its feet. And that to me, and to several others like myself, Indians working the world over, is the biggest joy in the face of leaving our beloved homeland.