The traveller sees what he sees; the tourist sees what he has come to see. G K Chesterton.

This influential English writer of the early 20th century saw the changing perception of holidays.  And so does Shabari Padaki, who runs Travel by Design, which aims to make your holidays rich in travel experiences. "We are very clear — we do not do package tours because travellers today do not want the typical sight-seeing holiday.  They don't want to be controlled by the itinerary or a cast-in-stone agenda.  They want to stray off the beaten track for new and wonderful discoveries." That's how Travel by Design literally just happened.  Shabari was taking a break from a dotcom career and was looking for an exciting opportunity to channellise her energy, something that would fuel her love for meeting people, and the idea just occurred to her. "We decided to make a trip to New Zealand, and it suddenly struck me, why not plan the holiday myself. The three-week road travel in NZ was an amazing experience." Since Shabari does not see herself much as a businesswoman, she roped in her husband Shiv, then a freelance brand consultant. Shiv is now back in a regular job after setting up the business processes for Shabari.

Now in its fourth year, Travel by Design is satiating the wanderlust Indians.  To get to know the travellers, Shabari talks to them and even has a questionnaire on the website, which helps her understand the type of person you are and the kind of holiday you want.  Everybody's travel preferences are different. You might have your 85-year-old mother travelling with you.  How mobile is she?  You may have children whose interests are poles apart.  You would like to chill out in an unheard place away from the maddening crowd.  You want to talk to a real person who understands your needs and tailors your holiday rather than someone who is trying to sell you a pre-printed package from a large agency.

Shabari feels that while package tours may be cheaper, nowadays the Indian traveller is looking for quality and personal experience. The vegetarian traveller does not want to stand in the car park of Hyde Park and eat his cold puri bhaji or salad while his co-travellers are indulging in non-vegetarian gourmet meals in the ambience of a hotel.  Moreover, not everyone wants to get up at six in the morning and assemble for breakfast and then take a coach. Most people's idea of a holiday is a leisurely start or a leisurely day. You may want to see the museum at your own pace. The Louvre for instance could take days and the 45-minute stop that most package tours offer is simply not enough!

"We believe that an enjoyable holiday is one that centres around your interests, your tastes, your expectations, as opposed to a generic itinerary planned for a diverse group of unconnected strangers who find themselves sitting next to each other on the same coach."  So you get a 'you’-centric holiday, where we create an itinerary, which has something for everyone, one which also has enough flexibility for you to modify when you reach your destination."  Interestingly, a custom holiday is not drastically different in terms of cost. It could be just about 20 per cent more expensive but significantly rewarding in terms of experience. It is not just the sights and food that Shabari educates the traveller on. "You must know the customs, the culture of the place, how much can you tip etc.  Did you know that in Thailand, you shouldn't tap a child on the head or point at a person?" Shabari reminds her clients, quoting George Bernard Shaw who said, ‘I hate feeling at home when I travel abroad", and Clifton Fadiman: "a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable.  It is designed to make its own people comfortable".

Shabari travels within the country and abroad or surfs the net to build her network of associates, to find people who "like me are changing the face of travel".  Travel is like great art.  It is what the viewer makes of it.  And Travel by Design will help you to facilitate it, says Shabari. 

Shabari can be contacted at Shabari@travelbydesign.in