If you want to explore Mumbai beyond work appointments, dinner dates and cinema halls, hire a guide aka Sherpa
Ever wanted to try out that quaint little French cafe in the neighbourhood or walk along walls painted with graffiti in Bandra's streets? Thinking about my own city, I realised that there are places, minutes away from home or office that I'm yet to discover. As if on cue, I came across Seek Sherpa and decided to explore my city and take others along too.
The guys behind Seek Sherpa, a travel-based start-up, focus on connecting locals that have a flair for their city with travellers eager to explore a destination beyond the tourist trail. Co-founder Dhruv Gupta says, "Mumbai has freshness. It has desire. It has obstinacy. Think Bollywood tours, hidden haunts, food trails, nightlife tours, music tours—Mumbai has it all."
When asked what the trigger for the idea was, Sukhmani Singh, another co-founder, says, "The moment of realisation came on a trek to Triund, Dharamshala, where this tiny dog accompanied us and showed us the way to the top of the hill; we would have surely lost our way without him! Whenever we went to a restaurant and the chef would come to speak to us or when the locals would guide us on what to order, we always had a better experience. This motivated us to create a platform where locals would get an opportunity to offer their skills and knowledge and travellers a chance to utilise these skills for a better experience."
The experiences set up by local Sherpas in Mumbai range from shopping trails, jam night sessions, exploring the city's night life and more. These last for not more than three hours and range between Rs. 900 to Rs. 2,000. Tanmay Shah, Mumbai Sherpa and Juhu resident shares, "I'm planning a gastronomy tour of Juhu Beach where guests will experience the hustle and bustle of the beach along with tasting the local food like Vada Pav and Pav Bhaji."
More than anything, Seek Sherpa is a mobile marketplace urging travellers and locals to go beyond tourist packages and sightseeing itineraries and is a unique way to connect with new people.
Explore Seek Sherpa at http://experiences.seeksherpa.com/
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