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At an Almost Unbelievable Rate of 64 Rupees to the U.S. Dollar, India Has Become the Bargain Destination of the Decade

 

     India--to begin with--was always an inexpensive place in which to travel, even when a U.S. Dollar bought you only 40 Rupees.  When that currency then weakened to a level of 55 Rupees to the dollar about a year ago, its hotels, restaurants and tours became so cheap as to cause me to write a frenzied blog about the phenomenon, an excitable outpouring of words about the ultra-low cost of enjoying this colorful country.

     The bargains there were quite dramatic.  A pleasant guesthouse of New Delhi, in which my daughter and her husband rented a room for $15 a night, suddenly became a guesthouse charging only $10 a night.  As for restaurant meals in Mumbai costing $3, those weren't difficult to find.  A big bottle of Kingfisher beer, almost anywhere, for $1.10?  No problem. 

     Imagine my astonishment, therefore, when the Indian Rupee fell by a further drop to a level of 64 to the dollar, as it has in this morning's financial reports.  The currency of India has plunged a full 16% just within the past few days (go to xe.com to confirm the rate).  And although that development means economic hardship for a great many of its citizens, a vastly increased torrent of incoming tourism will serve to ease the blow.  It will also bring, to cost-conscious tourists, one of the world's most fascinating vacations.

     You can fly round-trip to India (on Air France, let's say, via Paris) for less than $1,200.  Once there, you can live on less than you'd need in virtually any other country.    

     Looking for a different kind of trip?  It will never be cheaper to visit India.   

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