LIFESTYLE
Media professional and solo-globetrotter, Ansoo Gupta, helps people discover new horizons without having to pay through their nose.
Travelling alone is a tempting thought, which comes regularly to your mind, waiting to find a spot to camp itself. And when it does, the idea is the most exciting – from making a check-list to planning the journey, everything seems alluring! It’s equally challenging when it comes to planning your trips on shoe-string budgets without trimming out the fun quotient.
The concept of travelling independently doesn’t necessarily mean heading out alone. As Ansoo Gupta, a frequent traveller says, “The definition of 'independent' is not necessarily travelling alone but more about doing all the research, planning and booking by yourself and not following an itinerary.”
Travelling with friends is difficult sometimes, because co-ordinating leave and synchronising plans becomes tedious, she says. So, why not step out alone! But how does one go about it? “One of my first experiences when I travelled in India was my trip to McLeodGanj where I landed with no reservations. It was just a sleepy little village then, where a lot of foreigners visited the Dalai Lama’s monastery,” says Gupta, who believes that contrary to the facilities back then, today’s booming internet industry has made gathering information about destinations easier.
Once you’re determined to get-set-go, the next task at hand is the budget. Gupta’s inputs on the same suggest that one should look at websites that help you in deciding where, what and how you to places. “Sites like hostelworld.com really come in handy at times when you don’t know when you’re going to be where. Sites like hospitalityclub.org host travellers for free. Also, portals like couchsurfing.com and globalfreeloaders.com especially help when travelling on a shoe-string budget,” says Gupta, who utilised these sites for her trips across Europe, Australia, and recommends them in the workshops she conducts – Get Out! – for people who are eager to set off on their journeys.
For Ameeta Singh, 52, a professional story-teller, re-discovering travelling by herself is something she is looking forward to. “25 years ago, I went to see my brother in Denmark, and instead of showing me around, he handed me a map and a bicycle to ‘figure it out’! It was shocking but, I decided to take the plunge. He gave me contacts of his friends across Europe and I went around, tenting out in gardens and parks! I made so many friends; people were so warm and kind,” says Singh. Today, with technology, travelling independently seems safer as compared to before.
“Because I am not that tech-savvy, Ansoo’s workshop really helped me understand new trends and places to go to. So, I am thinking of heading out to Namibia for two weeks. I want to focus on doing different things and not the touristy-stuff,” she says excitedly.
Gupta also highlights the endless possibilities that travelling independently brings with it. From exciting experiences, meeting new people to learning something as different as how to make hand-made soap! “I wanted to learn the art of making hand-made soaps for years but hadn’t found anyone who could teach me. As it turned out, a village in Scotland, a couple named Anne and David, sold hand-made soaps that they made. They invited us over to learn the procedure during a local fair. Similarly, in London, a music teacher offered to host us just because we helped paint his room!” she exclaims.
Travelling with an open mind, wanting nothing but to explore a destination, is something one should look forward to, says Gupta. After all, travelling is about experiencing exciting new places.
Travelling independently makes you quite rich, in experience. Are you packing your bags yet?
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