JOIN USModern Indian women acknowledge their need for adventure and ‘me’ time. Economically empowered, they are bold enough to take off on solo trips across the world, writes Jisha Krishnan
What would you do if your fiancé ditched you a day before the wedding? Pack your bags and leave for the pre-booked honeymoon by yourself? Well, that’s what Rani (played by Kangana Ranaut) did in the award-winning Bollywood movie Queen. It wasn’t one of those larger-than-life flicks where you escaped into a fantasy world, but a very relatable story about a middle-class Punjabi girl from Delhi who embarks on a life-changing trip to Paris and Amsterdam.
I remember watching the film two years ago and craving for a solo adventure of my own. How wonderful would it be to be by yourself, explore a new place, try a new cuisine, learn about their culture, live their way of life! But what will you tell people? Why don’t you want to travel with family? And it can’t be safe, right?
The questions don’t quite bother Priya Ramachandran. She has been bitten by the travel bug since her maiden solo trip to Italy in 2011. Fascinated by world history, she had always put Rome on the top of her bucket list. But on reaching there, Priya recalls standing in the town centre “wondering where to go, what to do”. And then, there was that moment of epiphany when she realised “I can do anything I want”. “I learnt to read maps…it was exciting and a bit scary,” admits the 30-year-old.
As she likes it
Sumitra Senapaty, founder of Women on Wanderlust (WOW), attributes this growing travel trend to the fact that women today are “far more economically independent than they were a decade ago and recognise the necessity of ‘me’ time.” From five trips in 2005 to 100 trips a year now, the club has seen an exponential rise in the number of solo women travellers in the country.
And it’s not just about the numbers. The change in mindsets has been phenomenal too, concurs Piya Bose, founder of Girls on the Go (GOTG). “When I started the venture in 2008, women travelling on their own (even in all-women groups) was a rare phenomenon in India. I remember having to speak to husbands and fathers to let their womenfolk travel,” she recounts.
However, all that’s in the past. Over the last two years, solo travel has emerged as one of the most favourable options for Indian women “with more than 35% of them opting to travel alone,” HolidayIQ chief executive officer and founder Hari Nair told PTI recently.
In other words, an increasing number of Indian women today are opting for a vacation on their own, be it for adventure, wellness or a much-needed break from routine.
“Every woman must take a solo trip,” avers Aparna Krishnakumar, whose maiden experience happened a couple of years ago, while she was in Jaipur for a friend’s wedding. After the ceremony, she decided to go to Ajmer by herself. “It gave me a different perspective, broadened my horizon,” shares the thirty-something.
What’s the big deal about travelling alone, you ask? It’s about disconnecting from everything that bogs you down in your everyday life, connecting with new people and places on your own terms, experiencing the freedom of doing what you please, letting go of apprehensions and self-doubts. Travelling alone can be truly liberating, letting you look beyond the must-dos and what-ifs of life.
But solo travel is not everyone’s cup of tea. For some, the very idea is terrifying (what if I get lost?), while for others, alone means lonely (isn’t more supposed to be merrier?).
Travel clubs offer the perfect solution for such women who want to travel, but not all alone. All-women group travel. “You come in as strangers but leave as friends. WOW has evolved into an alternate social platform for women,” says Sumitra, who caters to “largely cosmopolitan women who are adventurous and broadminded, willing to try out local cuisines and experiences” in the age group of 25 to 70 years.
Piya’s target clientele includes “the new-age, well-informed and open-minded women who are keen to shrug off the last strings of a patriarchal society, are in charge of their own lives and are curious about new places and people.” And age is nothing but a number. Last year, there was an 80-year-old travelling with GOTG to the Arctic in the winter!
However, for most Indian women, Piya notes, it’s pertinent to ensure that their family is well taken care of in their absence. “Things like children’s exams (not just board exams), a relative’s wedding take precedence over their decision to book a trip. Also, traditionally most holidays are taken with families where they still play the role of a mother, wife etc. So, besides the obvious joy of a break from routine, travelling on their own gives them an identity that is not determined by family, workplace and society,” she explains.
Playing it safe
The one thing that kills many a travel dream is the perception of risk. What if you are mugged? What if you lose your luggage? What if you fall sick? It’s true, there’s no certainty in travel. But that holds true for life too, doesn’t it? You have to take that calculated risk.
Earlier this year, when Sarita Mishra’s daughter gifted her a trip to Kerala, the sexagenarian wasn’t sure it was a good idea. “My diabetes was only part of the problem. I had never travelled alone. I wondered if it was safe, especially at my age,” she recalls. But the experience of travelling with an all-women group turned out to be an eye-opener of sorts. “I felt so alive…all my aches and pains just vanished,” says the doting grandmother of two, who is already looking for destinations for her solo trip next year.
The most difficult part of the journey is taking the first step. “If you keep overthinking, you may never take the plunge,” warns Aparna, who made an effort to address her parents’ safety concerns before heading out to Ladakh on an unforgettable break some time ago.
It helps to be prepared. Get a travel insurance. Carry a pepper spray in your handbag. Have emergency phone numbers handy. Network with people who stay there or have visited the place. “I always read up about the place, talk to people at the tourist information centre and ask for advice,” says Priya, who’s all geared up for a Vietnam trip later this year. “I wouldn’t say I am overcautious, but I am always mindful of the surroundings and that has luckily kept me safe on most occasions,” she adds.
Of course, there will be times when, despite your best efforts, things may go wrong. “But don’t let it deter you from travelling again,” urges Piya. “Say you burn your finger in the kitchen one day, you don’t give up cooking for good, do you?”