India is cheap and accessible, with reportedly excellent connectivity. The best times for travel are October to March, but I’m heading there from mid March to late April, starting off in Arambol in Goa and then making my way to Rishikesh in the foothills of the Himalayas.
- Visas: Free of charge visa for 90 days
- Flights: Flights for R10K – R16K+
- Currency: R1 = 4.46 Indian rupee
- Costs: Numbeo 22.9 | WorldData 26.9 | 48% < SA
Visas | Getting there | Places | Costs | HighlightsÂ
Visas
South African passport holders require a visa, but it is issued free of charge. Visa applications must be made through VFS at their Cape Town, Johannesborg or Durban offices.
More details: cgijoburg.gov.in/general-visa-instructions
Getting there
Google lists 17 Indian cities from Johannesburg, so there is a lot of choice and variety in pricing depending where you want to go. It is a sub-continent after all!
Here’s an open-ended Google search link for flights from Cape Town to India: link
- CT to Mombai return for just under R10K
- CT to Goa return for about R16K
Places
Goa (on the west coast) and Rishikesh (in the foothills of the Himalayas) are on the radar at the moment. There’s also the ‘golden triangle’ inland that covers the Taj Mahal…
Costs
More to come, but there’s a lot of choice for very good value rentals starting from less than R2K per week for a private place for one.
AriBnB search for 1 bedroom apartments for under R400 per night in Arambol, Goa. (Starting price is about R220 per night.)
AirBnB link for 1 bedroom apartments for under R400 per day in Rishikesh. (Starting price is closer to R250 per night.)Â
Highlights
My Goa Life of course! Beyond that, it’s passport friendly with 90 days, and its cheap enough compared to SA to potentially save, even while doing relatively short-term rentals.