The father of Mr Aodan Geraghty said all his family wanted now was to get his body home for burial in Athboy, Co Meath, on Saturday.
Mr Declan Geraghty and his wife Josephine last saw Aodan in June, but he had kept in regular contact by phone and mail. He had phoned home on Friday night last from Varanasi in India and told his father everything was fine.
"He was having a great buzz" said Mr Geraghty.
The family heard an account of their son's last hours from Mr Steve Conlon, who was with him and Mr Eoin McGowan. They had attended ceremonies on the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi and were due to travel on to Nepal. "Steve got up and was getting violently sick. When he went back, both of the others were dead in bed," said Mr Geraghty. Mr Conlon later recovered after receiving an injection in hospital.
Mr Aodan Geraghty had gone to Goa in 1997 and loved the country. He had worked in the horticultural business in Holland for six months before taking six months off. His plan was to spend two months in India, trek in Nepal, then on to the Andaman islands, off Thailand, for Christmas. He was to go on to Australia and return home by May.
Mr Geraghty paid tribute to the efforts of the Irish Consul in New Delhi, Mr Jim Flavin, and the Department of Foreign Affairs, which is keeping in regular touch with the family.
Mr Aodan Geraghty was the eldest of three children. He is survived by his brother, Donncha (21), and sister Cliona (20).