Hi,
I'm leaving on the Road to Delhi in a few weeks and was wondering how much money I should bring with me. From what I've read online it seems in Nepal it's easiest to rely on cash the whole trip as ATMs can be hard to find/unreliable/etc. In India, it seems ATMs are both available and reliable and thus carrying some USD would be more an insurance measure, The exception being remote areas, where you'd would be in a situation similar to Nepal.
So my questions to anyone affiliated with Imaginative Traveller are:
Is the above info. correct?
If so would $100 cash be reasonable for a week in Nepal?
Regarding "remote locations", I assume Tordi Garh would count as one of those, how much cash would you recommend bringing for that part of the trip?
Are there any other parts of the Indian leg that would be considered remote?
Thanks in advance for the help,
Edward
Hi Edward,
For Tordi Garh you will only need money for food & drink, this is probably the most remote place you will visit on this tour.
Nepal
The currency unit of Nepal is the Nepalese rupee (N.R). This is a different currency to the stronger Indian rupee.
India
The Indian rupee is divided into 100 paise. There are coins of 5, 10, 20, 25 and 50 paise, and rupee coins of 1, 2 and 5. Rupees also come in bank notes of 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000. You generally cannot exchange Indian rupees outside of
India.
Exchange rates
Check out www.xe.com for current exchange rates.
Accessing Money
Nepal
Money should be carried in the form of travellers cheques, except for about one-third in cash. For ease of exchange, these should be in US dollars, UK pounds and Swiss francs. Do not take Australian dollar traveller's cheques. Credit cards are generally accepted only in larger shops, restaurants, and major hotels in major towns and cities, but are a useful back-up. Automatic Teller Machines are available in Kathmandu, but should not be relied upon as a source for your travelling funds as they are inclined to break down. Hotels, currency exchange centres and banks all provide exchange facilities, with hotels and exchange centres often offering a speedier and more efficient service than most banks. Retain your exchange receipt from every transaction, as you are only allowed to convert local currency back to dollars on leaving the country and on production of these receipts. Sensible budgeting is required so you do not end up with too much local currency. On departure from Nepal you may convert back into foreign currency up to 15% of the total amount, you have changed into rupees whilst in the country. In other countries you should be able to exchange your remaining cash with your exchange receipts when departing from the airport, although the process is seldom quick or, in the case of small amounts, worth the effort!
We hope this helps!