Languid & laid-back vacays beckon...

Shefali Shah’s middle name should perhaps be trailblazer, for, her journey in the movie land and television series has been pioneering. With her success in films like Monsoon Wedding, Dil Dhadakne Do, Gandhi, My Father, The Last Lear, Black & White, Juice, and her latest Netflix series Delhi Crime, Shefali is indeed going places.

Her busy schedule takes her places, quite literally, but she says work apart, she is quite a travel junkie and can easily live out of a suitcase.

For Shefali, travel truly means getting lost. “Travel is enriching and it changes the way you think while also adding value to your personality. I love travelling to Spain with my family and also look forward to a vacation with friends around New Year’s. I love travelling for the sole reason that I get to enjoy the pace and the quaint life when I travel, and also look forward to endless walks as walking is impossible in Mumbai,” she says.

Not a light traveller

Shefali doesn’t believe in travelling light and invariably packs clothes with a what if... in her mind! “Come rain or shine my bags will keep me equipped with jackets, warm clothes, kaftans, jeans, shirts, boots and sneakers. I don’t believe in being ill-prepared when I land in a foreign land. Nor am I in the habit of going shopping the moment I land. It’s another matter that I barely use all that I carry and end up wearing the same pair of shirt and jeans as I find them to be very comfortable. Being a beach person, I also always carry my sunscreen, face wash and perfume,” the avid traveller says.

Shefali has a fetish for wanting to unpack and arrange her toiletries even if she’s on a day’s trip. “I like to unpack and set-up my things and feel at home wherever I go. In that sense, I can’t live out of my suitcase! I like things organised,” she says.

Cash, credit cards, phone, international roaming cards are the first things she pays attention to before leaving home, and says that everything else can be bought on the trip. The first thing she buys when she gets to any airport is books! “I also carry a lot of books as I love reading on my travels and if I buy more on my trip, it sometimes leads to excess baggage,” she quips.

All things Gothic

Her favourite vacation till date has been her solo trip to Barcelona, to an art school, two years ago. “I landed there without an apartment, didn’t know the language, didn’t know the city, or anyone, hadn’t painted in years, and only had the art school admission. It was overwhelming, overbearing, daunting and liberating. I found a place to stay, made it my home for three months, travelled by trains because I wanted to live like a student and save money, excelled in school and made friends who still remain close to me. It was enriching, to say the least,” Shefali says.

“Travelling to Europe is always fun as it still has the old world charm, quaint, Gothic, medieval, cobblestone paths, live performers at every square, museums, street art and small stone houses with running brooks. I also love the beaches as I’m a water baby. I enjoy deep sea diving,” she adds.

Shefali says she would any day choose languid and laid-back holidays to relax and rewind.