How I Enjoy My Vacation in India and Abroad

After being a traveler for so many years, it is not easy to write down what I like the most about a place. Nonetheless, I do like to travel to various places, most of which are in India, and some of them are abroad. Here is my top list of things that I love to do, no matter where I am.

Enjoy being idle

Whether I am at an airport or a railway station, I just love sitting at a place to watch people busy in their lives. In my usual city life, I barely get a chance to sit with myself. That is why; I enjoy the waiting period at such places and do nothing at all. Even if I feel sleepy, I prefer to stay awake and observe people doing various things. There are parents busy with their cute kids, old people struggling to read the newspaper, people from various backgrounds struggling to find their train or the way to boarding the airplane.

I also love to wait for people at the cafés, restaurants, or public parks unless I have something urgent in my schedule. While I was sitting in the garden city browsing self drive cars in Bangalore, I met a lovely elderly couple who talked about their life history with me. It was intriguing to know how they survived a plane crash in London. I had never met a truly grateful person before that day, and just one session of conversation made me realize the gifts I had in my life. 

Read books

I am not a tech-savvy person at all, which is why I never thought of buying a Kindle to pursue my love for reading books. Even though I am a lazy reader, I am persistent at it. During my airport hours, I make sure to read something if the waiting time is too long. The railway stations in India sell interesting novels at throwaway prices, and I buy them in abundance whenever I get a chance.

Window shopping

There used to be a time when I would shop for literally anything that caught my eye at a tourist destination. However, I have matured as a traveler with time and I am not an impulsive buyer anymore. Nonetheless, it does not mean that I have stopped visiting the local markets completely. Now I prefer to go for window shopping and shop for things that I truly feel will not take any extra space at home. I don’t like to haggle too much with the locals of a tourist place, which is why, I tell the shopkeeper upfront that I am only looking around at stuff and I don’t intend to buy anything. They also understand my thoughts as they encounter several window shoppers in a day. I get out of a shop once I am done satisfying my eyes with the beautiful local stuff.

Travel gives a lot of time to kill, but I love to enjoy it rather than just pass the time.

Why Solo Trips are Not My Cup of Tea

There was a time when I was crazy about solo road trips, and then I got bored of them!

Yes, I got bored of something that drives the entire world mad. On my first road trip to the hills of Himachal Pradesh, I had a lot of fun on my own. It was pleasant living in a hostel for the first time. The dorms of the room appealed me so much that I wanted to live there forever. However, I met two girls in the dorm who were staying in the same room on the same bed for six months. It was too difficult to visualize a life where you have only one bed and a small cupboard that can accommodate only a few clothes. I used to live in a paying guest accommodation at that time, and even a small closet would appear too petite to me. I wonder how these girls were managing without proper arrangement for their clothes and other stuff. I dropped the idea of staying for too long in a hostel! My PG was better than that.

Then again, after a 2-3 more solo trips, I realized that I cannot travel like this forever. It becomes too boring at times to be in a new city and not be able to share my experiences with anyone. Yes, I can make new friends at all times, or that is what I always thought about solo travelers. However, I realized that even after being an extrovert person, I can only make good acquaintances, not friends. I don’t trust people easily and I don’t reveal too much about myself to anyone unless I am too sure about the person. I did meet many people like me who would like to share a meal with me, or talk to me for a few minutes, but the conversation would become too boring to continue after a while. That is when I would start missing my friends with whom I could talk my heart out.

Cost is also an important factor when it comes to enjoying a luxurious trip. When I have to decide the mode of transportation, for example, I have to choose the public transport since I cannot afford to hire a Self-Drive Car on rent Delhi as it would burn a hole in my pocket. I have to be with a group of 3-4 people to share the costs of expensive activities so that we all can share the burden. There is no scope of sharing the expenses with anyone when I am all alone on a road trip.

Getting bored is also something that kills me. Although I have my books with me whenever I travel, I still look forward to talking to someone. Reading cannot provide the inner satisfaction at all times; I do need someone to crack jokes and gossip about people when I am out of the city. Nonetheless, after being to so many solo and group road trips, I would prefer to travel with a group of people.

When a Road Trip Becomes a Nightmare during Winter

I was really being a macho when I thought about going for a winter road trip, and that too at the wrong time, or I should say that I was ill-prepared for it. I must have thought well about it, especially coming from a hot region like Kolkata where snow does not ever fall from the sky. The Bengalis of West Bengal only dream about extreme cold and go to chilly regions only as tourists.

So it was my first trip to the Himalayas and I, being a wanderer, had thought that I would manage on my own just like I had always done, but I was horribly wrong. I should not have underestimated the snow and overestimated my potential. I bought only two layers of warm clothing while leaving from Kolkata, but I was shivering from cold just as I landed in Delhi. I still thought that it was only sudden change in weather that made me shiver and I would be normal in a while, but I was wrong again. I started getting it that I would catch cold if I did not buy warm clothes immediately.

I went for shopping before leaving for Manali and bought another set of clothing to keep myself warm. I had to buy two blankets as well because the search results from Google had already scared me about cold regions. I could not imagine spending a night in the car in case I was stuck, but I had to prepare for plan B just in case I have to manage on my own. The news channels were already stating that many vehicles were stuck in the snow because of landslides.

I left for Manali using a Car Rental that I had booked from Delhi and left for the hills. Even in cold weather, I started feeling dehydrated. It was a new thing for my body to experience because until now I had experienced dehydration only during summer. I had hired Self-Drive Cars in Kolkata several times and been to road trips where beating the heat was my only concern. Beating the cold this time was a unique experience that I had to battle this time. I bought a dozen water bottles so that I do not go out of water until I reach Manali and Spiti.

When I reached the city, someone suggested that I should spend a night in Manali so that I can acclimatize my body to the extreme cold gradually. I thought that it was a good idea, which would not let me die at least.

Keeping the feet dry was a challenge in Spiti when I had to walk for a long time. My feet would start feeling numb and I would take a long time to dry and warm them. All in all, Spiti was indeed a wonderful experience but a challenge indeed for someone like me who had never experienced snow before that. Without feeling scared, I would love to go for that kind of road trip again.

The Experience of Night Life in India

When it comes to living in India, my choice of place falls in Delhi, even though I love traveling to other parts of the country. After visiting so many cities in India, there is barely any city or town that I don’t like. There is something about every city, which fascinates me. When I am in Delhi, I like the nightlife of the city, even though it does not match the level of energy in Mumbai.

The best part about driving at night is that I don’t get much traffic in Delhi, unlike Mumbai where the roads are occupied at all times of the day. I have been to several road trips within Delhi and outside the city as well. I try to wake up around 2 am if I have to travel for more than 500 kilometers for the trip. And when I am in the city, I can drive until 3-4 am with friends, girlfriend, or anyone else.

Whenever I have to go for clubbing, I know that I will be drinking. Therefore, I choose not to drive at all on return. If there is a friend who is not drinking, he or she is the best option to accompany. If I don’t have any friend to drop me home, I prefer to pay for a cab. It is not that the sense of responsibility was always there in me; it is the Delhi police that taught me the right lessons at the right time.

Whenever there is an important occasion like Christmas, Holi, or New Year’s Eve, the number of people going for clubbing increases manifolds and so does the number of police personnel strolling outside the clubs. They check every driver for alcohol and if found guilty, they do not spare without a challan or bribe. For the fear of paying fine, I have learned to avoid paying them illegal money and pay that amount for a cab.

I have had an accident in the past when I was in Kolkata. Since the local traffic laws are not that strict in the city, I had taken an Innova for hire for Self Drive in Chennai and planned for a boisterous birthday party. I met my friends and we all went for a night party in a hotel. We all got heavily drunk and I decided to drive because I was confident that nothing can happen when I am driving. I have been driving for more than ten years, but that day was not a lucky one. Due to sheer carelessness, I banged the car in a tree because I was out of my senses. I could not take control of the car properly and it hit the tree. Thankfully, the speed of the car was not much and none of us got hurt.

That day still haunts me whenever I sit back and recollect my memories because it was the single bad accident that I had. Since that day, I drive responsibly for the sake of my safety and that of others. After having great night outs, there is no use risking the life of others along with mine.

How Mumbai is Different from Other Cities

I have been fortunate to live in different cities of India and have a taste of different cultures. Just after completing my school, I happened to live in Delhi for a few years, switched to Trivendrum for a media course, and life took me to many other cities for various experiences. Let me share how Mumbai differentiated itself from all other cities.

When I came to Delhi in early 2000, the Delhi metro was not so popular. I had to commute to places either by bus or auto-rickshaws; both of these modes of transportation were notorious. The bus drivers used to rash drive the bus and those were the days when Blue Line bus drivers were famous for knocking off people on the road. No one would dare to challenge these drivers as the Delhi-ites hardly had any alternate for transportation. Nonetheless, the auto-rickshaw driver during those time were no less than goons who would extort money from other people because of the monopoly they enjoyed.

At present, whenever I go to Delhi, the scenario has changed a lot because of Uber, Ola, and many other cab services. I can ask the auto-drivers to turn on the meter and charge a fair price. Sometimes, they may refuse to go by the meter and ask for an arbitrary price.

In Trivedrum, the auto-rickshaw scene is quite messed up. They would switch on the meter, and it showed 45 INR for a short distance once. I handed over 100 INR to the driver, who returned 50 INR to me. I looked at him bewildered, he made strange face, shook his head, and ran off without saying a word. With time I realized that I cannot ask for the remaining amount from the auto driver after he rounds off the bill to the nearest 10.

In Chennai, I have had the worst experience with auto-rickshaw drivers who do not care to install any meter in their vehicle. They can ask for any amount they like for a short distance and be stubborn about it. The choice is on the passenger whether he wants to ride his auto-rickshaw or not. After paying hundreds of rupees to these notorious drivers, I decided to have Innova Self Drive for my road trip from Chennai.

The best is the attitude of Mumbai drivers. If the meter in the vehicle says 49 INR, I would hand over a 100 Rupee note to him, and he would return 51 INR exact change to me. Most of the drivers have it ingrained in their minds that they should be honest with their passengers. There have been many instances in the past when the drivers have returned precious gold jewelry and lakhs of rupees in cash to their passengers who forget their stuff in the auto-rickshaw.

The attitude of people in Mumbai impresses me every time I visit there. I don’t have to struggle with people for daily events such as commuting even though the city is heavily packed with people all the time. Until now, Delhi and Mumbai are my top favorite places to travel and stay whenever I get a chance to go to places.

My Idea of Intimate Travel at New Places

When it comes to closely traveling at places, I need to make sure that I do it as I like it. There are countless places in India that require the attention of Indians, who are more focused towards foreign destinations these days. It pains my heart to see that my friends do not value their own country, which is so beautiful and vast that it may take an entire lifetime to explore it. Even if I dedicate my entire life to just travel to one city, town, or village at a time, I won’t be able to cover the entire India.

My idea of traveling diligently to a new place is to go for a walk and talk to the locals. The airplanes can take you to the farthest corners of the world, but they cannot take you to the brightest or darkest corners of a town. I have been to the small streets of Paris, New York, and New Delhi. Everything that I had seen on TV seemed to fade away when I talked to the locals of these places. They tell a lot of insider stories about their native place that never finds mention in books and journals.

When I was in Udaipur, I would hate to walk in the polluted alleys, but I still went for it. Firstly, the roads in Udaipur are not spacious enough for a car to drive smoothly. Second, they streets are already so polluted that I did not feel like contributing more to it, so I did not hire a scooter for traveling. Thirdly, the city is not too big and the markets are adjacent to each other. I could easily walk or hire an auto-rickshaw whenever I did not feel like walking.

Last year, I was in Kolkata where the boat rides are quite famous. Although the city is not too clean, it is still great to know it from a lesser distance. I also hired Self-Drive Cars in Kolkata to drive off to farther places, but my two feet served the purpose most of the times. It also lets me decide my own pace when I am walking. I don’t like to move quickly because it makes me miss the most beautiful things of a town. Walking, on the other hand, is a beautiful form of slow travel. I get to see things, places, and people closely without disturbing their lives.

There was an instance in Delhi when I went for morning walk and I did not carry any money. I boarded a bus and asked the conductor if I could ride without paying. Surprisingly, he agreed as I was visibly tired of walking a lot.

The best part about strolling is that I get to save money, even if they are a few bucks. I, being a typical Indian, love to save a single penny, even if that means I spend hundreds of bucks later on an expensive pizza. That’s funny, I know, but I cannot help it.

My Idea of Solo Trips in India

Some things are beyond your control, and so is my urge for solitude. I do like to be with my family and friends, but I cannot ignore the compulsive need to spend time with myself every few months. This may not make me a real solo traveler as other people are around the world, but I love intermittent solitude every once in a while.

Trip to the mountains

If my love for mountains could be put in words, I would do that here, but I cannot. On my last trip to Kasol, I had very high expectations of the place, but that place was too much crowded with people. There were hundreds of folks wandering around, which made me felt even more claustrophobic than Delhi. I so wanted to leave that place and reach a quiet one that I just spent one night there. I left for Tosh the next morning and had a great time in the camp. Then, I went for trekking the next day, which was a really challenging experience. Although the mountains of Kheerganga trek intimidated me at that time, my heart still goes to that place whenever I think about it. The plush green forests were so breathtaking, even though tough to hike, that I wanted to click a picture at every few meters. I have been to several other mountain treks with friends and a few of them alone, which makes me confidently say that I love the hills of North India.

Trip to the beaches

I had heard it somewhere that mountain-lovers do not love the beaches, and it is absolutely true in my case. I like the beaches, but my love for them is a little lesser than the hills. Thankfully, I have never been to any beach site alone. There were people with me whenever I had a plan to go to a beach city, whether it was in India or abroad. I don’t know why, but beaches do not give me that peace that I receive from the mountains. I can enjoy my solitary time only for a while at such places. After that, I need someone to talk to, be it anyone.

Trip in the city

I have never met anyone who likes to walk around the city alone, but myself. I like to explore the new streets and cafes of Delhi, the religious shrines around the city, and the roadside restaurants as well. I hired Self-Drive Car Rental in Delhi last month and just drove to random streets wherever I felt like. It was an amazing day-out, which is unexplainable. I have been to various libraries, museums, and parks just for the sake of being in silence for a day. It gives immense gratification that I cannot elaborate in words.

A solo traveler, according to me, is not just the one who leaves footprints around the world, but the one who can enjoy silence in the mind and heart even while being among the people.