The Essence Of Travelling…….

Robert Louis Stevenson very famously said ” I travel not to go anywhere, but to go.I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move”.

As a child I despised geography , and I give full credit of that hatred to the Indian education system. Right from the inception of our academic charade the only thing taught in the name of education is ‘How to mug up and spew it out’. Imagine, a subject like geography which is all about travel and experiences forced down a child’s throat like a nauseating glass of milk. Distaste for any act performed under coercion is natural, and this explained my aversion to geography. The reason why I choose to highlight my abhorrence for this subject as a child in particular, is to give my present irony laced love for it  more meaning. As an adult I have come to love geography, because as an adult I got aquainted with the essence of geography : Travelling.
Travelling as I have grown to realise, is all about exploration, adventure,knowledge,curiosity and spirituality. If I were to make my own quote on travel i’d say “Travelling is all about life”. My metamorphosis from a geography phobic 8 yr old to a 30 yr old travel freak is a story in itself.

The entire credit for this transmogrification goes to my father,a gypsy at heart tied down by social norms.If he had his way, he would constantly be on the move and I guess the genes just got passed onto me. Being on the move makes me feel alive, it defines life for me and gives it a new found meaning.I was a nomad since childhood, prolonged consistency bored me. I would start feeling stagnated and would almost pray for change. Unlike other children, I loved changing schools because it gave me an opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. I would be elated whenever my father got transferred to a new city,new city meant everything new, new city meant change,new city meant movement. So, while everyone else would groan and grunt anticipating the inconvenience attached to moving from one place to another, my eyes would secretly gleam and I would see its faint reflection in my father’s eyes as well. Hence, the gypsy in me was born very early on in life.

Ask an itinerant and he would tell you that travelling  is a form of education in itself. Thus, my short geography story in the beginning. The sole purpose of education is to impart  knowledge and wisdom, both of which you gain in abundance as a traveler. While travelling to a new place if you make an attempt to soak in their culture,traditions and lifestyle, if you make an attempt to soak in the essence of that land, you absorb a lot more than what 12 years of class room studies will teach you. I am not propagating banishing of the class room system, I am only highlighting the perks of travelling. Travelling broadens an individuals perspective and helps him evolve as a human being. Most of us live our entire lives in a cocoon made up of our social set up, family,friends and immediate surroundings, we only believe what we have been taught to believe and die within the same confined walls of the cocoon. Travelling makes a butterfly out of us.

A lot of people tend to confuse Travel with vacation. In Goa, at a beach shack drinking beer is an idea of travel for many. If I were to recreate that ambiance in Bombay, most of them would not even make an attempt to go to Goa. This is vacation not travelling. To sit,drink and spend a leisurely weekend, an airconditioned room would also suffice.But, if you call yourself a traveler you need to venture out,explore,absorb,assimilate and feel the pulse of the place. You need to connect with the place so that when you leave, you feel you are leaving home.  See the world through a traveler’s eyes every land is his home, every culture belongs to him and every tradition has a familiar fragrance. If we all unleashed that wanderer within us the world would have no boundaries, there would be no cocoons, only butterflies: choosing destinations at will.
So, release the gypsy within you spread your wings and  make the world your oyster. We get to live just once and before we die we owe it to ourselves to completely explore this place called earth which god decided to make our home.  Bon Voyage!!:)

Things Women Must Keep In Mind While Traveling Alone To India….

                                                                                        It’s the long road…..A traveler dreams of, 

                                                                                       It’s the unseen world………. A traveler dreams of, 

                                                                                      It’s complete freedom…….. A traveler dreams of, 

                                                                                     It’s the journey ………. A traveler dreams of,

                                                                                    But as a woman who travels alone, 

                                                                                    A world that will keep me safe…………. Is what I dream of….

Recently with rape cases catching the media eye, India has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. This ‘darling’ of tourists, known for her diverse culture, heritage, history, landscapes and warm hospitality suddenly finds herself topping almost every ‘Most Unsafe Countries For Women Travelers’ list.  Well to say that none of the allegations are true would be a blatant lie, but to say that it is a country where women are not safe at all would be unfair too. India is definitely not as unsafe as projected. Yes! women travelers need to be careful but it isn’t like you are found alone and WHAM! you are raped!

Being an Indian woman who has traveled alone within the country  innumerable times my experiences have been fairly pleasant. I have been eve teased, but that is something I have experienced even in other countries 🙂 I am not trying to say that India is a safe heaven for women travelers, No sir! its not…. But if you take a few precautions, then it definitely is not as dangerous either.

Here are a few things I suggest every woman traveling to India (alone or with another female friend) should keep in mind.

1) Transportation :

a) NEVER EVER EVER take lifts from random people on the highway or even within the cities. This is an absolute NO NO; its like going and slamming your foot on an ax and then crying because you got hurt.

b) Avoid traveling without prior reservations.

c) If travelling by train, book your seats for the AC 3 Tier or non AC compartments as these always have ample number of passengers.

d) Avoid trains that leave at odd hours (especially when boarding from a small town) as the stations during those hours might be deserted and unsafe.

The Indian Rilways is a govt organization and has an online website where you can book your train tickets in advance: http://www.indianrail.gov.in/

e) Flights and buses are highly safe options. Though when travelling in a bus make sure you get down at a proper bus depot and not at a random stop mid way.

A good website to book buses online within India  is : http://www.redbus.in/indexrt.aspx?utm_expid=2728620-32.FKJVp8V7SAK4Mz0ZzmG8uA.1   and for air travel : http://www.makemytrip.com/

f) If you can afford it, then hire a car as it gives you privacy and the driver makes for an added companion who is well versed with the country and its ways.

Cars on Rent is a popular website within the country for hiring cars : http://www.carzonrent.com/ .

2) Stay :

 Avoid staying at random hotels, it is always advisable to have your accommodation figured out and booked in advance. If opting for a home stay over a hotel, make sure  the establishment is run by a family.  Most Indian towns have good 3 star or 4 star hotels. Remote areas invariably have the State Tourism Department guest houses, lodges or hotels  which are well maintained, safe and hygienic.

There are plenty of websites that will give you information on home stays within the country two of those are mentioned below :

i) Best Home Stays India : http://besthomestaysindia.com/

ii) Namastay : http://www.namastay.in/

For Hotel stays:

i) Trip Advisor : http://www.tripadvisor.com/

ii) Booking.Com : http://www.booking.com/

3) Attire/Clothes:

 Indians prefer dressing conservatively. Avoid excessive skin show in order to ‘not’ attract unwanted attention. Beach culture is not very rampant within the country except in GOA and ANDAMAN and NICOBAR ISLANDS. In these two regions, specially South Goa and the less explored beaches in the Andaman, you can see women wearing bikinis without being leched or ogled at.

Ideal clothing ( if traveling through the plains and coastal regions in summers)

i) Lenin pants

ii) Knee length shorts

iii) Light cotton shitrs/ t shirts/ vests

iv) Full length or knee length cotton summer dresses

v) And last but not the least the age old tried and tested ‘Jeans’.

4) Be wary of strangers: 

Do not befriend and trust strangers especially if it is a group of boys/ men or even a man traveling alone. Never accept food from strangers especially in trains and buses not even the elderly.

Indians by and large a quite warm, friendly and helpful yet it is best to always be on guard as you are travelling alone…

5) Medical Aid and Emergency :

It is advisable to carry your own medical kit with medicines for diarrhea, dysentery, cold, cough, flu etc. But in case of unavoidable medical emergencies it is advised to go to a hospital recommended by your hotel. Avoid going to government run or municipal hospitals ( they are unfortunately the biggest source of infection).

Med India gives you a list of hospitals across almost every Indian city/town: http://www.medindia.net/patients/hospital_search/indian-hospitals-city-wise.asp

6) Keep a phone with you all the time :

It is always helpful to have a phone with you 24×7. Sometimes to call the cops and sometimes if you feel even slightly threatened,take out your phone and pretend as if you are talking to someone and giving out your co ordinates. The person in front will immediately know that you are not absolutely alone and will back off. This comes from a personal experience and trust me it works!

7) Hitting the pubs alone : 

Most Indian cities don’t have a very strong pub/discotheque culture. Except for the metros and Goa. Though it is absolutely safe to go grab a drink by yourself, but it is advisable to never leave you drink unattended and don’t get overly drunk. That could land you into serious trouble…!

8) Avoid venturing out alone after dark:

Avoid dark alleys, isolated streets and dilapidated monument sites. You can have a cab that takes you from one place to another, but in cities like Delhi and the NCR region it is best advised to stay inside your hotel post 9 pm. Delhi especially requires one to be ultra careful; more than any other Indian city /town. As much as possible, stick to public places.

9) Avoid camping in the open alone :

Outdoor camping experiences in India are usually organized by established tour operators or experiential travel companies. It is advisable to go through them in case you wish to camp out in the open. DO NOT do it by yourself, as this can truly be dangerous.

http://alternateatlas.com/ : One of the companies that can customize  an experience for you.

10) Jewelry, Cash and Documents:

Avoid wearing expensive jewelry and do not carry a lot of cash. It is preferable to carry a waist pouch/bag vis a vis a sling bag, as the sling bag can be snatched easily. Have an ID proof on you at all times.

11) Carry a pepper spray in your bag:

Even though you might never need to use it, but as they say prevention is better than cure. Carry one with you just in case…….:)

OH! and before I end this post, I would like to list down the regions in India I feel are safe and unsafe for women travelers. These are based purely upon personal experiences.

Regions safe for women traveling alone within India (In random order)

i) Goa

ii) Gurjrat

iii) Rajasthan

iv) Kerela

v) Karnataka

vi) North East States ( Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya)

vii) Sikkim

viii) Uttarakhand

ix) Himachal Pradesh

x) Mumbai

xi) Pune

xi) Leh Ladakh

xii) Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshwadweep

Regions Unsafe for woman traveling alone within India (in random order)

i) Bihar

ii) West Bengal

iii) Uttar Pradesh

iv) Madhya Pradesh

v) Jammu and Kashmir

vi) Haryana

vii) New Delhi

India is that woman who is old and wise  and yet is young and virile because she is constantly evolving.  In short India is a land that offers you a myriad of experiences, that are unique and intriguing.  Don’t deprive yourself of them just because you are scared, be cautious and you will do just fine…….:)

 Happy Journey 🙂