Tag: friends
What makes a place memorable is its people
Today (August 15, 2017) is India’s 70th Independence Day — a national holiday — and I am now in Bangalore, the IT city in South India’s Karnataka state.
I had been meaning to visit this city for a long time. Bangalore, per se, doesn’t have destinations which tourists come from far and wide to visit. What it has is a large number of beautiful places around it and this is what attracts visitors.
My agenda, however, has been a little different. I am in the city just to meet up with people.
I have several friends in Bangalore, many of whom have been asking me to visit for a long time and for some reason or another, it hadn’t just worked out till now. Earlier this month, I realised I could squeeze out a five-day leave, booked my tickets (with credit card points of course!) and here I was. Continue reading What makes a place memorable is its people
How to make friends on the road
A lot of people ask me how I manage to travel alone.
Don’t you feel unsafe in a foreign land when there’s no one to watch your back? Don’t you get bored? These are two of the most common questions they tend to ask.
I’ve realised, most people just don’t get the fact that travelling alone doesn’t really mean being alone all through the trip. In fact, it increases the possibilities of your meeting new people and making friends. I have gone on many trips with groups of friends and not made a single friend on the road. On the other hand, I have made loads of friends while on solo trips. Go figure. Continue reading How to make friends on the road
Why you should be on Couchsurfing
Are you on Couchsurfing? No? Then, you are definitely missing out as a traveller.
Let me give you a brief introduction on what’s it all about. A stays in Mumbai and B stays in London. When A visits London, she sleeps on B’s couch. If B has some free time, she hangs out with A and possibly shows her a glimpse of the life of the local people. A does the same when B visits Mumbai. No money is involved. Continue reading Why you should be on Couchsurfing
Why travelling solo is awesome
The clarity on what is essential for the individual when you take the risk of travelling alone is unbelievable.
Ava Irani, a friend I made while travelling solo in Thailand
If you are an avid traveller but have never travelled alone, you don’t know what you have been missing. Here’s why travelling alone is awesome.
You can travel selfishly: Cycle 100km in a day if you so desire. Don’t leave your hostel bunk for the next two days because you have a sore ass with all that cycling. Don’t worry, no one is calling you silly. Indulge in a relaxing siesta on the soft green grass of a random park. Live on sandwiches for ten days. Head out for Rome and decide midway to go to Vienna. You’ll get to Rome sooner or later because all roads lead there anyway! Do anything. Go anywhere. Or nowhere. You don’t have to worry what your travel companion(s) may or may not approve of when you are alone. You don’t have to compromise and you can travel selfishly and this is amazingly liberating.
Eight reasons why you should travel
Don’t be a frog living in a well
-Swami Vivekananda
Here are eight reasons why you should travel.
You realise the “big, bad world” is a myth: It’s true! Total strangers will go out of their way to help you. They will expect nothing but a smile and a thank you in return. At Squamish in Canada, I was walking to the Chief, a popular hiking trail. On the way, I asked directions to an elderly woman. She decided that the road was too far for me to walk and called up her husband, who came on his car in 10 minutes, picked me up and dropped me at the Chief!