After wasting a 1000+ hours watching travel documentaries on adventure channels, listening to stories from a Bolivian hippie I met on a bus, surfing the net reading tales of backpackers across the globe and India, I must confess I have got bitten hard by the travel bug for the past 3 years,the way it's been burrowing deep into my psyche. Reading of some one who has been circumnavigating the globe on a bicycle for the past 13 years or the incredible journey of an Indian biker called Bharadwaj Dayala around the World on a Hero Honda Karizma all alone with no financial aid/sponsorship at all, beating all odds is just amazing!! The pure essence of traveling solo or with a mate to unexplored places, breaking the conventional rules of tourism and going off the beaten path is what mesmerizes me. I ain't even talking about the luxury tour packages where in you spend a week in a 5 star hotel/beach resort relaxing in a swimming pool sipping Chianti wine, devouring the finest gourmet meals on a beautiful coast in Mexico, Carribean Islands, India or South East Asia followed by a guided tour across the City/Towns, all custom made to suit your needs, schedule and desires in a style. Nah that is definitely not on my agenda, neither does it appeal to me as much as Backpacking/Flashpacking (tech savvy backpacking with a bigger budget) does. Even if I had the millions to splurge on such luxury tour packages, I had rather choose Backpacking or some other unconventional mode of traveling.
Of course when one talks about backpacking, one has to think out of the comfort zone. Meticulous planning for the backpacking tour 1-2 years in advance before you hit the road is supposedly a big headache considering the hurdles of arranging everything by yourself. The amount of research which goes into gathering information about the places of interest, getting visas (in case of International travel), quitting your job to set apart a year or 2 for the travel, managing finances(the big one for any middle class Indian), and traveling solo in an unknown territory (if not with a mate) are a few of them. But the thrill of finally hitting the roads must be an amazing experience. I can only imagine it as of now, until I realize it one day.
The biggest advantage of Backpacking in comparison to the other modes of traveling as I have learnt is the 'interaction' you have with the fellow backpackers, the cultures and the native people, the beauty of the places, the risks, the adventure and thrill of going it all alone on the journey and coming out of it alive back home. Talking of India itself, this country has so much to offer if you look at the vast expanse of India. Jammu Kashmir & Ladakh valley, the Garhwal Himalayas in the North, the unexplored paradise of North East India, the backwaters and the Wild Life down south, the beautiful Konkan coast to the West, splendid places in Rajasthan, the historical monuments and architectural wonders are just a few highlights among many. India is essentially a backpacking paradise. Having seen a very small portion of India and falling in love with her beauty, I am dying to explore all of India sooner than later. Being there and doing it is so much real compared to watching everything on TV or any media. I wish to set foot across India soon. Perhaps a road trip on a bike or in a car or just backpacking across India non stop are the best means of exploring the beauty of India. Till then I gotta stand the thrill and excitement that's been killing me inside!!
Of course when one talks about backpacking, one has to think out of the comfort zone. Meticulous planning for the backpacking tour 1-2 years in advance before you hit the road is supposedly a big headache considering the hurdles of arranging everything by yourself. The amount of research which goes into gathering information about the places of interest, getting visas (in case of International travel), quitting your job to set apart a year or 2 for the travel, managing finances(the big one for any middle class Indian), and traveling solo in an unknown territory (if not with a mate) are a few of them. But the thrill of finally hitting the roads must be an amazing experience. I can only imagine it as of now, until I realize it one day.
The biggest advantage of Backpacking in comparison to the other modes of traveling as I have learnt is the 'interaction' you have with the fellow backpackers, the cultures and the native people, the beauty of the places, the risks, the adventure and thrill of going it all alone on the journey and coming out of it alive back home. Talking of India itself, this country has so much to offer if you look at the vast expanse of India. Jammu Kashmir & Ladakh valley, the Garhwal Himalayas in the North, the unexplored paradise of North East India, the backwaters and the Wild Life down south, the beautiful Konkan coast to the West, splendid places in Rajasthan, the historical monuments and architectural wonders are just a few highlights among many. India is essentially a backpacking paradise. Having seen a very small portion of India and falling in love with her beauty, I am dying to explore all of India sooner than later. Being there and doing it is so much real compared to watching everything on TV or any media. I wish to set foot across India soon. Perhaps a road trip on a bike or in a car or just backpacking across India non stop are the best means of exploring the beauty of India. Till then I gotta stand the thrill and excitement that's been killing me inside!!
always wanted to make a trip to the NE :)
ReplyDelete