“To Travel is to Live.” – Hans Christian Anderson
Travelling, to me, is to explore different parts of the planet as well as to explore my own self. Every journey has its own story and teachings. If you have never been into travelling you have already missed out some great pleasures in life. Your perfect Yatra does not need a lot of money to be invested in but a mind free from everything and a desire to see the unseen.
My idea of an ideal Yatra would be to any place that I have not seen before, on my terms, exploring every inch of that place and discovering some never-seen-before alcoves. It might sound a little metaphysical but that’s me. I do not like visiting a place that is generally crowded. I don’t like visiting a city and standing in a queue to visit a museum or march all the way to see some famous ‘viewpoint’. That’s completely not my cup of tea! I am more of a traveller than a tourist. I love to make my own itinerary and follow it as I find it convenient for me.
“Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.” -Dalai Lama
If you ask me about my dream destination in India, I would say it is Leh and Ladakh as of now. Obviously, this tour has to have only two travellers- my boyfriend and I. I have been to several places with my parents and I don’t think they are now strong enough to ‘explore’ places rather than having an ‘arranged tour’. I want someone who has similar thoughts on travelling and who would give me the perfect company. An ideal journey is nothing without the ideal travellers.
The journey would begin by choosing the desired Airlines and booking flight tickets. Next, we would plan our days or adventures in regard to the time we would have there. Firstly, we would invest our time more in exploring the neglected and unexplored places and then later we will try to indulge in some touristic traditions.
The only way you can perceive the true beauty of a place is through its natives and the food it offers. So, we would spend time with the locals and try to know their perspectives on exploring their own place. Trying local food is also on the list. No yatra is complete without tasting the local delicacies.
“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveller is unaware.”
Apart from all these, discovering our own special place in the region and unearthing something that has never been looked into would be more fun than being guided by a tourist’s’ guidebook. Doing the unthinkable while enjoying the nature’s bounty and wandering amidst the picturesqueness is totally my thing. A traveller should be successful in his job of knowing the unknown.
I don’t what would have happened to me if my father had not injected the passion for travelling in me. The Ideal Yatra is possible only if you have a heart of a true traveller, a strength to adjust yourself to any odd circumstances and of course longing for visiting places.