Solo travel, or a holiday for one, means more freedom, more flexibility, more memories… and more expenses. Even as more and more Indians take to singledom, tour agents, cruise liners and even hotels blissfully remain faithful to the “twin sharing” model. What this means is that the quoted prices divide the cost between two travellers, making the actual cost less per person but more expensive if you are travelling solo. Perhaps that explains why as a breed solo travellers were practically non-existent in the country, so far. Says Niraj Vashi of Nivalink, an online travel facilitator, “Single travellers comprise less than 5% of our bookings but their numbers are probably doubling every year.”
Solo travel is more expensive because, more often than not, you have to pay a “singles supplement”, which is anything from 10% to 200% of the twin occupancy rates. For instance, the Sunderbans Cruises run by Vivada Inland Waterways, imposes a 50% extra charge on solo sailors. But that’s still better than the 150% slapped on by Star Cruises, one of the most popular options in Asia, which also has a ship plying between Mumbai and Lakshadweep. Says R Sushila, executive director of Vivada, “We offer a complete package to our guests and all the cabins on board are built for double occupancy. With a single traveller we are not selling the other ‘seat’ and so they have to pay more for privacy.”
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Things are no better on land. The tariff for single rooms in hotels are just Rs 500-1,500 cheaper than the double rooms. Shouldn’t a single room logically be priced half the double-occupancy room? No, says Pradeep Kalra, vice-president, sales, Sarovar Hotels. “Our room sizes are the same, irrespective of whether it’s a single or a double-occupancy room. The service and operational costs too remain the same. The price difference is only because we can offer single guests a discount on the variable costs such as breakfast and toiletries,” he says.
Matters come to a head when a solo traveller decides to take a tour package. Take Cox and King’s eightnight tour covering Jaipur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur by road. Here the economy package for one person costs Rs 39,220 but on a twin sharing basis the cost is Rs 21,800 per head.
One reason for the single supplement imposed by tour agents is that they mainly book double rooms and then divide the cost to get the twin sharing rate. However, in the Rajasthan package, the extra cost of a separate single room works out to just Rs 4,856. And let’s not forget that tour agents get a preferred rate because of bulk bookings which is lower than the ones offered to ordinary travellers. Yet a single traveller is made to pay Rs 17,420 extra for the tour. The moral of the story? Dump tour operators and plan a solo trip independently.
Another way to beat the single supplement is to travel in a group. Take WOW or Women on Wanderlust for example, a females-only travel club posting a 100% year-on-year growth. For every scheduled trip— check out the 2008 calendar at
www.wowsumitra.com—Sumitra Senapati, the founder, gets about 60 enquiries. WOW matches the profiles of the travellers before making the rooming list, thus ensuring compatible roommates.
A great option for adventure lovers is 60 kph, one of India’s few motorcycle travel clubs. Claims founder Gaurav Jani in his website
www.60kph.com, “If you avoid staying in big cities, you can manage decent lodging and all meals for Rs 300 a day.” 60kphers, numbering 120, also camp out to cut costs.
If you are keen to make your escapade as solo as possible, without burning a hole in your pocket, visit
www.thebackpackerco.com. This is India’s only company specialising in backpacking trips. Says founder Yogi Shah, “We don’t have any single supplement charges. We manage that by putting up guests at places that encourage solo travellers.” With partners like Contiki, a world leader in single-friendly tours, Lonely Planet and Hostelworld, is it any wonder that he has 1,000-plus members already?
It’s because of these pioneers that the cult of the solo traveller is growing in India today. According to Shah, “Of the 40 enquiries we get daily, 60% are from single travellers. In fact, we have been approached by investors keen to buy a stake. That proves that solo travel is finally taking root in India.”
And hotels are gearing up to cater to this latent demand. Says Kalra, “We have introduced studio rooms in Ahmedabad’s Sarovar hotel, built only for one guest and therefore cheaper.” Here’s to more such innovative offerings.
DOING THE MATH
• If you book an eight-night economy road tour with Cox and King’s covering Jaipur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur from Delhi, a single traveller has to pay Rs 39,220, which is Rs 17,420 more than the rate on a twin-sharing basis.This despite all the hotels that the tour operator puts you up at, except at Jaisalmer, offer single rooms.
• If you were to directly book a single-room at the same hotels and choose a hotel with a single-room at Jaisalmer, you’d pay Rs 18,300. Add a lavish Rs 9,000 for travel (by train in second AC), sight-seeing and eating out.You still save Rs 12,000 compared to the package.
UNCOMMON PLACES, THE AFFORDABLE WAY
The destination: Triund in Himachal Pradesh. Getting to this trekker’s paradise is not easy—it’s a 9 km walk through the woods from McLeodganj.
Why go there: The panoramic view of the entire Kangra Valley makes all that walking worthwhile.This spot is also ideal for hang gliding.
Don’t miss: Lahesh cave located 6 km away.After crossing the small glacier at Ilaka, you have to climb a steep rocky ridge to reach the cave. In case you are tired, you can always spend the night here.
The living quarters: There is a forest resthouse at Triund but a better option would be to pitch your own tent.
Best time to visit: Spring, when the entire trail is abloom with wild flowers.
Damage to the wallet: Free if you go camping, no more than Rs 1,000 for two nights at the dilapidated forest rest house
