Chennai resident Dr. Sudha Mahalingam has visited 66 nations, throughout six continents

Twenty-five years in the past, when Dr. Sudha Mahalingam began solo touring, it was not thought of secure for many Indian ladies to journey alone. On the time, worldwide journey was additionally not a part of the bucket record for ladies of her era.

Since then, the Chennai resident, has damaged all stereotypes, whereas visiting 66 nations, throughout six continents.

In a interview with CNN, Mahalingam, 70, shared her expertise of touring alone and visiting varied locations across the globe.

Whereas accompanying her husband on enterprise excursions overseas, she took benefit of these alternatives to discover her adventurous facet. Regardless of the supply of organized tour packages, she opted to journey alone and discover the world unseen.

Learn: India’s ‘Everest Twins’ Tashi and Nungshi Malik peak the Swiss Alps (October 13, 2021)

“Packaged excursions are so predictable,” she informed CNN Journey. “They present you what they wish to present, not what you wish to see,” she defined.

Mahalingam give up a career in print journalism to hunt a profession in power analysis 20 years in the past. She began receiving invites to talk at worldwide conferences in oil-producing nations. And her new job grew to become the gateway for her solo touring.

Nearly all of her early journeys had been sudden and unplanned, she informed CNN.

She had many attention-grabbing experiences, resembling arriving within the Czech Republic with no authorized visa, struggling to seek out vegetarian delicacies in China, getting mistakenly imprisoned at an Iranian monument, and getting detained at Nairobi’s airport as she didn’t have proof of yellow fever vaccination.

Mahalingam additionally shared with CNN her experiences throughout one other journey the place she courted hazard — within the Kashmir Valley in 1997.

She was touring with a stranger, a military officer who had requested a experience. After a couple of hours, they observed a minesweeper truck approaching them from the other way, cleansing the route of any potential explosives. The following day, armed militants shot at her automotive on the best way to the airport.

Not too long ago, as a result of worldwide pandemic journey limitations, Mahalingam has been specializing in native journey round India, together with numerous highway journeys.

Throughout a current journey, she drove to Goa, a 16 hour-long experience from Bangalore. From there, she drove to Dandeli after which to Gokarna.

In a while one other journey, she drove to Belur Halebid to go to two Hoysala temples and stayed there for a couple of days.

Mahalingam additionally went to Hampi, an eight-hour drive from Bangalore.

In a couple of days, she shall be going to Coorg, a hill city in southern India framed by the Western Ghats Mountain vary.

Whereas sharing her worldwide journey expertise, Mahalingam informed CNN about her final worldwide journey to Madagascar in 2019 to see lemurs. It was one in all her favourite adventurous moments.

“It was completely uncharted territory, un-touristy and had only a few services. It was hardship journey and the best way that I like. I used to be on a ship for 3 days and the boat didn’t have a bathroom,” Mahalingam stated.

Mahalingam’s journey to Borneo, in Southeast Asia, was one other memorable occasion.

“There have been creepy crawlies in all places and lumps of leaves one meter excessive,” she stated. “You set your foot and received’t know if a serpent would twist itself round your leg or whether or not a scorpion would sting you. It was pouring on a regular basis. I’ve been to the Amazon jungle as nicely nevertheless it was a cakewalk in comparison with Borneo,” she stated within the interview.”

Mahalingam has additionally tried quite a few journey sports activities, together with scuba diving and grasp gliding.

On the age of 66, she additionally hiked to the Everest base camp and skydived in Uluru, Australia.

Learn: Meet Dr Sudha Mahalingam, 70-year-old solo traveller who has visited 66 nations in final 25 years (September 6, 2021)

The septuagenarian stated she plans to be taught to sail on one of many fabled Clipper boats as soon as the world is totally reopened, a pricey however once-in-a-lifetime journey. Colombia, Patagonia, Chile and Argentina are additionally on her record for future journey.

Mahalingam, who has visited 66 nations throughout six continents, is a journey blogger as nicely. She runs the weblog “Footloose Indian.” She has additionally authored a e-book, “The Journey Canine Should Be Loopy.”