The joys of unplanned travel

One needs to get lost in order to find oneself.

Sometimes the impulse to just throw a few clothes into a bag and just catch a bus/train to no particular destination is so strong, it’s hard to resist.

A number of times while driving to work from Gurgaon to Delhi on the NH 8, I was so tempted to just turn around and drive the other way towards Rajasthan. No particular destination in mind. Just drive, stop at any place that seems interesting, explore.

Though in reality, it’s not very practical, or as a woman or solo traveller, very safe.

So though the unknown is thrilling and rewarding there needs a bit of planning in unplanned journeys. You pick a destination (one that you’ve always wanted to visit) and work towards it. A date, mode of travel, stay (at least for 2 days, you could always extend or find accommodation elsewhere)…and you’re set to go.

Research

Having no particular itinerary in mind is great. This way there is no pressure to visit everything on the list. But it does pay to know what’s on the list; that way you even know what to avoid. A good way to go about this is to do some research. Google it. Forget the trip advisors or other tourism sites.  Blogs and articles can give you a better idea of places to see and explore that do not often feature on regular lists. Talk to locals (once you get there). Who better to know the place then people who live there? Taxi drivers, shopkeepers, waiters…they are a treasure trove of information. You get to know of places to eat, cultural experiences, little known places to see.  You can come across experiences that are truly unique.  Just keep an open mind to everything.

Sure, you may come across an experience that you didn’t enjoy or may have been hard. But that’s part of thrill of unplanned travel.

Trust and instinct are a big part of this kind of travel. And it’s more important especially when you are travelling solo. When and when not to trust people who give advice; whether to trust cab drivers or hotel staff. Just trust your instincts. This is where it pays to do as much research as possible before you set out. It helps you make informed decisions.

Money – this again is a fine line balance – carry too little and you might be unprepared for exigencies; too much, and there is an issue of safety. A lot of offbeat places have no ATMs and small

places may not accept cards. Here again, research could help you know the nearest locations of ATMs.

Budget – this seems a bit of a contradiction. How do you plan a budget for an unplanned trip? Write down a number of what you will spend in a day – this includes stay, food, conveyance and a small buffer. The trick now is to keep it below the number that is planned. This way you always have something for the ‘unplanned.’Try find homestays - these are not just cheaper, but offer authentic cultural experiences.

Travel light

Carry only what you can in a backpack. It’s the most versatile luggage you can carry. If you are not travelling in rainy or cold weather, you could always launder. Or even pick up a cheap t-shirt to wear as a souvenir. Extra sock, sunscreen, a cap, waterproof shoes, a pack of wet wipes, a few basic medicines, a water bottle – these are really useful. You could save on buying water if you fill up at the hotel.   And don't forget your camera and charger.

Make friends

There’s a good change you would meet up like-minded fellow travellers. You could save on conveyance if you cab pool. Sharing experiences can be mutually beneficial.

Keep an open mind

There’s no better teacher than travel. But you have to be open to new experiences and be willing to take the roads less travelled. And like I said even not so great experiences could be exciting.

So throw away those itineraries and bon voyage.

On top of the world - Trek to Kuari Pass

Though having never trekked before, a chance encounter with old college friends sparked a trip to the Himalayas to embark on a trek. 

In hindsight, it was a tad foolish…a lot of things could have gone wrong. I barely exercised let alone climbed a mountain, so was in no physical shape; I had always lived at sea level, so trekking (for the first time) at 10,000+ feet was unwise; I lived in cities where the temperature never dropped below 20` C, so the only cold weather attire I had was a sweater (we were trekking in early October); and to top it all…I had less than 10 days to prepare for it all. But it turned out to be one of the most awesome things I have done, and I am so glad that I did.

For me, the journey to get to the start of the trek was the most arduous. I lived in Kochi then and my friends were in Chennai. So getting to the base camp at Auli was something like this – Kochi to Chennai by train – 12 hrs, Chennai to Delhi by flight – 3 hrs, Delhi to Haridwar by train – 6 hrs. Haridwar to Rishikesh by road – 45 mins, Rishikesh to Auli by bus - 15 backbreaking hrs. 

We were a motely group of 12 – a high profile corporate couple and their 10 yr old son, a couple of 39 year old (have to do something exciting before 40) women, an extremely gung-ho and effervescent sister of friend, 2 teenagers, a trekking enthusiast (husband of friend, and the only experienced trekker in the group), a couple of solo women trekkers (one from down under – OZ and one from US of A) and guide.

It was a 5 day trek – 3 up and 2 down – to a spot called the Kuari pass. Apparently it is a very popular trek in the Uttarakand trek circuit. Reasons being it’s an all-weather trek (doesn’t close in winters), it is classified moderate (so good for beginners too) and extremely picturesque. 

There are 2 ways to do this trek – one starting from Joshimat and two, from Auli (called the north face trek). The Auli route is more picturesque and exhilarating.

At an altitude of 4264 meters, Kuari Pass is like an amphitheatre, providing a 360` view of some of the most imposing peaks in the range including the Kamet (7756m),Trishul (7120m), Chaukhamba (7128m), and the great divine peak of Nanda Devi (7817m) and its twin Nanda Devi East (7434m). And these are interspersed with numerous others such as the – Nanda Ghunti, Hathi Ghoda Parbat, Neelkanth, Dronagiri, Mukut Parbat, Mana, Rishi Pahad, and Changbang, to name a few. 

So right from the time we started the trek we were accompanied by the view of a ringlet of imposing snowy peaks. The trek save for a few stretches was not arduous, just pleasantly tiring. We’d start the day around 9 with a healthy breakfast (we had a superlative cook among the crew who could dish out a maggi or a stuffed karela with equal élan) and then trek the whole day till about 4 in the evening where we’d set camp.

The route covered a beautiful meadow, a hilly plateau, thickly wooded alpine trees and deodars, along a sparkly stream of freshly melting snow, a narrow craggy trail around the mountain with nothing to hold on to one side and a really long and awning chasm on the other. 

Our experiences during the trek were varied, tiring, intoxicating, rewarding, surprising, enlightening and a whole load of fun. 

The whole point of trekking in a group is rallying for each other and getting to the destination. Some wanted to quit after the first day, some couldn’t wait to race to get to point B, some fell sick…but in the end we fought, we sang, we encouraged each other, we ate and slept together (for warmth), got to the destination and swore we’d all do this together again…soon. 

Train from Delhi to Haridwar

Stay @ Haridwar (Rishikesh) (catch a white water rafting if you have time)

Drive to Pipalkoti and stay overnight

Drive to Auli to start trek

Camp overnight in tent @ Gorson Bugyal

Trek to Tali (3310m)

Trek to Kuari Pass

And 2 days back either through same route or down to Tapovan and Joshimat.

  

Fort Kochi - beyond the backwaters

Despite living in Kochi then, this was one place that made me feel like a tourist every time I went there. It is so unlike the rest of Kochi or for that matter unlike any other place I’ve seen - A potpourri of Arab, Portuguese, Dutch, British, Chinese influences in a Kerala cauldron.

 Splendid Chinese fishing nets (the only place they are still used to catch fish) stand just

across the road of graceful Dutch and British colonial bungalows.  A wooden church built by the Portuguese where Vasco Da Gama was once buried (he was later moved to Lisbon), now a magnificent Basilica and still redolent of its Portuguese heritage, shares its walls with Kerala shopkeepers selling Tibetan bead jewellery in carts. Moors came in to trade and some of the mosques here date their heritage back to when they were here.

Today it’s still a medley of different cultures – predominantly Syrian Christians of Kerala descent; a large community of Gujaratis and Kutchis, some having set roots here almost a century ago, and continuing the spice trade; Tamilians, Kannadigas, Punjabis… A number of expats have made For Kochi their home, running cute little cafes and eateries.  

The best way to go around Fort Kochi is on foot. I used to love just strolling through raintree canopied quiet little lanes, stopping to admire a colonial bungalow or finding a quaint café for a lovely cup of coffee.  Streets with names like Princess street, Burghes street, Rose street invite you to take a stroll down its leafy arbours.  Even the commercial Coffee Day here is set on the top floor of a lovely building, which is built around a mango tree. Yes, the branches actually go out through the windows.

Other than the magnificent St. Francis church, the Dutch cemetery, a lovely promenade that skirts the backwaters where one can stroll through or sit to admire a gorgeous sunset, a library, and a tiny rocky beach, there isn’t much to see (in the traditional touristy agenda).  Kochites usually come in here to eat. It’s a sea food paradise. No surprise there.

Dining options range from street cart variety - freshly fried fish and kappa (tapioca – traditional Kerala food) to a gourmet experience set on manicured lawns of colonial bungalows. Try the karimeen (pearl spot) fry. A number of century old bungalows have been restored and converted to beautiful hotels such as the old harbour hotel and the Koder house, to name just a few.

Fort Kochi is slowly metamorphosing into an art and cultural haven. One could always find a place to watch a Kathakali performance or play. But in the last few years, a contemporary art festival has changed and charged the ambiance of an otherwise laid back place.

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale is an international exhibition of contemporary art held in spaces across Kochi, Muziris and surrounding islands. With contemporary art displayed in galleries and halls, and installations in public spaces, heritage buildings and disused structures, Fort Kochi transforms to a bohemian and arty space during the festival.

Fort Kochi is probably best experienced lived-in. So book a room in the many heritage hotels (they are pricey) or you go for a really authentic experience at a homestay, which will also give you better budget options - http://www.fortcochinhomestays.com/

There‘s a lot more to Kerala than the glossy brochures of the tourist department. Staying in Kerala gave me an insight into many. So stay tuned to my space.

Going solo – in Mcleodganj

Sometimes you need to get lost in order to find yourself. 

Thus was my first solo venture.  And to make it more interesting - no itinerary.

All that I had read and heard from friends about Mcleodganj convinced me that it was the perfect place for going solo.  It’s a 11-hour overnight bus ride from Delhi. A Bollywood movie, dinner and a fitful sleep later you are there. The option is a train to Pathankot and then a 2-hr drive by road. This is the train going to Jammu and so is always packed and difficult to get a seat on. You could always fly in into Gaggal – the nearest airport.  The bus is however definitely cheaper and fairly comfortable.

I had booked my stay. This is important. Especially if you are a woman travelling alone, it

pays to do some intense research and find a good and safe place to stay. In a place like Mcleodganj, with options (seemingly all awesome and starting as low as 500 bucks), a good (more expensive place) makes sense. Because the cheaper options are a throwback on 60’s bohemian/flower child culture. A drugs and booze paradise. Unless, that is what you are looking for. I chose Chonor house.  It’s a small guest house/hotel, run by the Norbulinka Institute (under the auspices of HH Dalai Lama himself. And it was one of the loveliest places I had stayed in, ever.

The best part of 1. being solo and and 2. having no set itinerary is that you can to choose and do exactly what you want. A Google or trip planner check or even asking the hotel reception will give you a standard list of ‘places to see.’ And being the home of the Dalai Lama and the pivot of the Buddhist culture, the list has a number of monasteries, a Tibet museum, lots of temples, art and cultural centres and the like.

     

I got out of hotel and just walked around. That is the best way to get a ‘feel’ of the place. Observing the marketplaces and the way the people go about their daily routine tells you so much more about the place, its people, the culture than any book can. Mcleodganj has a number of little cafes where one can sit for hours and watch the world go by. One such is the café at Green Hotel, with books and lounge sofas. It’s also one of the very popular hangout joints and a cultural hub. So if you want to get to know the happenings of the town, this is the place. It’s where a lot of tourists hang out, so it’s also a great place to meet fellow travellers and get ideas about unusual places to see or things to do. I even met a couple of other solo women travellers.

One hour with a lovely coffee and pastry later, I had enough fodder to plan my ‘to do’ list. I got tickets for a Tibetan diaspora film festival, an invite for a solo artist performing a lion dance, information about a slightly out of town Shiva temple (not on the standard list) with the actual Shiv Ling under a rocky cave in the middle of a river nearby, (wonder why this is not on the standard list!), the Masroor temple (about 40 kms away) reputedly built by the Pandavas, the St. Johns church in the wilderness, the Norbulinka art institute and of course the main Monastery which is adjacent the Dalai Lama’s residence.   If I had a few more days, I would have loved to include a trek to Triund. Anyways, I loved the 3 days that I spent here

.

Travelling alone is a thrill in itself. And is a journey of discovery not just of the place but yourself and life. It provides you with hitherto unknown perspectives and dimensions.

Trust is a big issue especially when travelling alone – who to and who not to. So just trust your instinct (and carry a pepper spray in hand.) My experiences so far - in Himachal and Rajasthan where I travelled alone – (touch wood) has been pleasant. And I have learnt a few things – like that it is better not to engage taxis arranged by hotel staff, because they charge more.  Most local taxi drivers are just concerned about getting a good fare – a good and hassle free customer is just as important to them.  So a good way is to engage one for the duration of your stay. They are then willing to give you a consolidated rate if you pay them at the end of your stay and are friendlier and more helpful.

Eat local. Not only is the food cheaper, it’s also better and more authentic. Don’t go to the touristy bazaars, try where the locals shop.  Talk to locals – taxi drivers, hotel staff, shopkeepers etc.; they are often a treasure trove of information. Don’t stay out late, it’s just not worth the risk – start early – you can get more done in the day. Don’t carry much money – you could always find an ATM somewhere.

I loved my first solo adventure and look forward to doing many more. And like I said, you sometimes do need to get lost a little in order to find yourself. 

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Kuruvadweep - A river island

A river island. It already sounded magical. I pictured huckleberry Finn adventures, log cabin with a lazily spiralling column of smoke, worn out paddle boats that one used to get to the island, picnic on a patch of sunlit clearing in the middle of a thick woods after a long trek through the forest, while keeping a sharp lookout for a wild fox or mongoose that surely was scampering amongst the bushes. The reality was not too far away.

Kuruva Islands (or Kuruvadweep) is actually a series of small islands the on the Kabini river. A total of nine hundred and fifty acres of wilderness and adventure. It’s a kind of place that one could get lost from reality.

There are two ways to get to this island. Located on the border between Kerala and Karnataka, one can get to Kuruva through either state. If coming in from Kerala, it’s about an hour from Wayanad. Or if you’re driving in from Karnataka, it’s about 120kms from Mysore. The last stretch is a single track mud  road from either state and is not too great, and is a fairly bumpy drive.  Or one of the best ways to get there is a boat ride from any of the resorts at Kabini lake, if you happened to be staying in one.

My adventure started from a resort in Wayanad. I had thought that a trip just after the monsoons was a great idea - having avoided the deluge of rains and the monsoons having renewed the verdant greens and brimming rivers, making it the best time to visit. Unfortunately I didn’t take into account the bone-jarring conditions of the roads after the monsoons. So an hour long bumpy ride (yes, I am reiterating and cannot emphasise enough) got me to the entrance guarded by the state forest department officials, who take their job fairly seriously. The islands fall within protected and forest reserve areas of Wayanad and Nagarhole, So entrance timings are restricted from 9 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon.  Post which, people movement is barred from the road; thoroughfare for elephants only.

After purchasing the ticket, I settled in for a long wait for my ride across the river. The state department folks have thoughtfully provided eco-friendly means of transport. Like I said, they take their job very seriously. So there’s nothing with noise, or diesel or with rudders and propellers. That leaves paddle boats or rafts made of bamboo strung together and pulled with a rope from the other side. Needless to state, both are tedious and take a leisurely glide across the water, giving you lots of time to peer through the thick foliage on either side for monkeys, deer, or maybe a musk rat and lots of birds. Or into the sluggishly moving murky waters for a crocodile, if you can let your imagination run that wild (it might be the most excitement you encounter).

Because the Kuruva islands are home mostly to wild and slightly exotic species of flora, butterflies, a few monkeys, a fox or two, some musk rats, mongoose,  an occasional water snake, a deer maybe and some utterly harmless species of small animals and of course, lots of birds.

But one could spend a good 3 hours just rambling through (and getting lost, if you don’t have a guide) thickly wooded landscapes, rivulets (where the river deciding to shake of its ennui of flowing around the island has instead sneaked across it) with mossy boulders in it to provide the excitement of having to skip and balance on them. And if you’ve got the imagination, then an aerial root dangling from a branch could become a swing rope, a log fallen across can get you scrambling on it, or you could go looking for a bird nest for hatching up a mischief, or a rabbit hole to just fall through into adventure. Look up! Fat Cheshire cat could just be just up on the branch grinning down at you.

I spent a good couple of hours doing just that. Letting my imagine run riot while I rambled through the wild. Not having engaged a guide made things more fun.

Actually things were so much fun that I decided to extend the adventure to check out an adivasi village and temple nearby. While initially waiting for my bamboo raft ride, an enterprising guide had attached himself to my curiosity and offered to take me there for a sum.

I’m not sure what I pictured or expected; images of adivasis are usually indelibly transferred and imprinted from documentaries on national geographic. But reality had my excitement leaking like air from slightly punctured balloon, slowly bur certainly. After a hot and really humid trek through the nearby forests and paddy fields, we came upon the temple. Quiet, peaceful and quaint. The village however was a bit of a disappointment and shock. Though some of the women were dressed tribal like and sported appropriate amounts of bead jewellery, activities such as powdering rice with a long staff in a stone bowl or husking rice on a bamboo tray was no different from any village in Kerala. What got my eyebrows up however was a dish antenna that capped one of the houses. And the houses themselves were proper brick and mortar structures. But shouldn’t I have been rejoicing in their progress instead of being disappointed at their still not being steeped in antiquity for my amusement and curiosity?

I've seen a number of travel reviews that rates Kuruwadweep as nothing more than a wild patch of nothing and hence avoidable. But to me it was a place that took me back and allowed me frolic in childhood fantasies. It made me smile and ponder at the same time. And that’s what a good travel should do.  

A quirky little beachside town - Varkala

The sun languidly stretched her fading light across the horizon, painting the skies with a riot of fiery oranges, pomegranate reds, pinks and burnt siennas.  Wisps of charcoal clouds floated in, linking arms with fellow comrades, steadily weaving a tapestry of darkness and heralding the night in.  The roar of the sea could be heard crashing on the shores below, mingled with the shrieks of children as the water pulled the sand from beneath their feet. Sea gulls wheeled above in lazy circles while the sea breeze wafted in sometimes gently and sometimes in brief gusts, alternatively lulling and awakening the senses to the sheer magnificence of the nature around.

 I basked in it, perched high above it all, with a plate of fried calamari and wine on a checkered clothed table beside me, at the tiny cliff-top restaurant, the Clafouti. Just a few feet of a paved path separated me from the latticed bamboo railing that marked the end of the cliff. Beyond it, the land just dropped down a sheer 50 feet or more of craggy rocks and outcroppings, straight down to a white sandy beach below. On either side of me, the pathway wound serpentine like, undulating and up and down, hugging close to the rocky edge of the cliff on one side, while on the other side stood shoulder to shoulder, a hoard of eatery joints and souvenir shops, local travel agents and tiny B and B’s, all with their colourful lights and twinkling neons beckoning the beach combers from down below.   

This could be some quirky seaside town in Dovers, England or the Amalfi coast in Italy or Greece. But here I was at Varkala, about an hour’s drive from Trivandrum, Kerala.

The Varkala beachside is actually a series of small bays where the seemingly calm Arabian blue sea meets reddish black ferricrete rocks of the western ghats that date back to the Cenozoic age, giving rise to some dramatic landscapes.

My holiday started with a 3 ½ hr drive down from Kochi to sojourn at the southern beach 

(Janardhanapuram) or what is colloquially known as the Papanasam beach.  Papanasam, literally means destroying all evil (Paap) or getting rid of all evil karma. Hindus come here to perform last rites of loved ones, facilitating a cleansed soul for their onward journey at the 200-yr old Janardanaswamy temple. The Lord Vishnu is found standing here with his right hand in Aachamanam’ - a male purification ritual performed by Brahmins. Legend has it that if his hand goes nearer to his mouth, expected to happen at the end of the Kali Yug, the world will come to an end.

The Taj Gateway, where I was staying is located at Janardhanapuram. The hotel itself is gorgeous – I particularly loved the large and airy lobby that opens out to overlooking the sea, filled with comfortable lounge sofas and bookcases holding an eclectic collection of books.

Waking up to the crisp air with a slight tanginess of the sea, temple bells resonating faintly somewhere, screechy cries of the gulls is itself a refreshingly different awakening experience. I decided to extend the experience with a walk. I was hoping to be able to walk straight to the cliff top directly from the hotel. But that was not to be.  Apparently I had to work my way up to the top. No shortcuts here.   A narrow winding pathway led from the hotel right down to the beach. After a dip of the toes into the azure waters, I walked along the base of the cliff, till I came to a rather steep stairway that led up to the top.   The climb was arduous, the view from the top – breathtaking.

As I mentioned before, Varkala is a series of beaches, each with its own quirks and individuality. One can saunter and meander along the cliff top to get to (well, above) the various beaches, and find a stairway to get down down to the sandy shores.

The southern part of the beach, where I started my amble is the quiet one – the waters deep and deceptively calm, with the temple providing a meditative mindspace for the soul. This part is also home to some spring waters with medicinal properties – a dip in which is supposed to cure anything from migraine to mental illness.

 A little further down, the northern end of the Papanasam beach is the more gregarious one – with the backpackers and beer shacks.  If you prefer your own company, like I do, just walk on. A quirky stretch of black sand (going by the moniker of black beach) with the ubiquitous thatch of coconut palms, mark the end of this beach. The walk way extends a little further on to meet a tarmac that winds its way through the back of the hill top. Almost ludicrously the tarmac and walkaway meet at a point that is actually a helipad! I would have loved to see who choppers their way down here!

Varkala is, well, like a woman – mysterious, alluring, charming, flirtatious – offering quiet companionship or a romp in adventure, whatever be it that you seek.  

Enterprisers hoping to wean away tourists from the more popular sibling, Kovalam, offer paragliding, scuba diving and wind surfing. Not to mention the Ayurveda spas and massage centres.

But for those hoping to just commune with nature, the Odayam beach or further down the Edava beach is where one needs to head to.  The Edava beach is particularly enchanting with numerous lagoons and backwater canals and pristine white sands with just an odd fisherman for company.  A walk or drive down a 1 km stretch of road running right in the middle of a blue lagoon on one side and the backwaters on other, is almost unreal.

For most, a beach holiday in Kerala would mean Kovalam.  Because it’s the one serenaded by tourist promotions as the place to head to since 1930, when the Maharani of Travancore initiated a tourist resort to cater to her European guests.

But for a state with about 600km of magnificent coastline, there’s bound to be a few undiscovered gems like Varkala.