Dear Sue,
I've been following your travel exploits with a great deal of interest over the last eight or nine weeks as I'm a 46 year old about to depart on my own somewhat delayed gap year/ walkabout/journey of a lifetime as a single traveller, leaving the UK on February 10, and flying into Mumbai. My route plan will also take me from India into Nepal, so many thanks for your insights, photos etc., but from there I go on to Thailand, Vietnam, China,and Hong Kong before heading south for Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, and then finally home via the Pacific Islands, Hawaii and the US (fortunately I've got almost to play with and don't have to rush back to work, having taken a package from Essex County Councils' Community Education Dept. a little while ago).
As the time to leave draws ever closer and last minute panics set in, some words of advice from your good self would be much appreciated.
How are you managing to cope with issues such as security for both yourself and your belongings? Travelling (effectively alone) must make it difficult when you want to do something or go somewhere and have a large backpack in tow? Are you managing to get sufficient support from fellow travellers? Does this give you real peace of mind when someone says they'll keep an eye on your stuff??
How are you managing to access more remote local currencies? Travellers cheques? Hole in the wall machines?(are there any anyway?) by using a Credit Card or cash or a combination of the above? Would you recommend taking sterling or dollars or both as the best way of accessing local money ?
Finally, once you're on the travel trail I'm sure you must continue to get loads of advice about where to stay and what to see, do etc. However, it must have been a godsend to have somewhere to lay your head ( and after a long flight) on that first night in Mumbai. Can you recommend a particular hotel or hostel at least for the first couple of nights, in order to get your bearings and potentially meet up with other like minded souls? I'd be very grateful for any thoughts you might have with regard to these issues.
Many thanks and best wishes for your onward trip.
Andy Dykes
