Gone are the times when girls have been informed to not enterprise out alone, and travelling solo for them in a rustic like India was thought of a courageous feat. However with altering instances, the development of solo journey retains getting larger and higher, particularly within the post-pandemic world, due to the tourism and journey sector of our nation, who’re creating safer platforms for ladies.
Propelled by the pandemic
After two years of being confined to indoor areas, solo journey is gaining momentum as folks wish to see the world and never await others. “The development of girls travelling solo in India has grown in recent times, and the pandemic inspired it additional. In keeping with the survey we carried out a couple of months again, about 25% of girls want to go on a solo journey this 12 months. Along with this, as per our OYO Travelopedia Report 2022, most customers have shared intent to move out on a solo journey this 12 months as a part of their 2022 bucket checklist this 12 months,” shares an OYO spokesperson.
Chiming in, Aditya Gupta, senior vice chairman, Resorts & Holidays, Yatra.com, says, “In recent times, extra girls want to journey by themselves because it provides them a way of empowerment.” And Rohit Khattar, founder, Ikigai: Your Journey Genie, a journey firm which curates journeys inside and outdoors India, says, “I’ve been organising solo (group) journeys for the final eight years, largely for all-women teams. I’ve witnessed the variety of girls travelling solo improve exponentially over time to the purpose that we’ve got needed to flip some girls down as we have been totally offered out.”
What are a few of the locations these girls are crusing off to? “We, at Yatra.com, have seen a rise in demand for places corresponding to Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and likewise locations within the Northeastern a part of the nation like Assam, Meghalaya and Sikkim amongst others. Now we have moreover obtained queries for particular excursions to off-beat unique locations for ladies as properly,” says Gupta.
Looking for life-altering experiences
For Bengaluru-based Bhavya Chandrasekhar, it was the necessity to take a break from the monotony of her work life as an IT skilled that led to journey solo. Being the mom of a seven-year-old by no means stopped her from chasing sunsets or backpacking with a gaggle of strangers. “My husband has been fairly supportive of me as a result of he is aware of I additionally want my time to have enjoyable, exit and meet new folks,” says Chandrashekar, who’s at present pursuing inside designing and shares that travelling solo has helped her divulge heart’s contents to new folks.
Such life-altering experiences are sometimes what these solo girls travellers are in for with after they hit the street. When Delhi-based working skilled Anindita Mukherjee set out on her first solo journey final month, little did she know that she would come again with a bag stuffed with reminiscences. “I used to be extraordinarily burnt out due to my work, and likewise going via a heartbreak. So at the moment, I actually felt just like the mountains have been calling,” says the 28-year-old, who selected Shimla, Himachal Pradesh for her first solo journey vacation spot. “I related with many strangers on this journey, and even made some buddies,” she provides. Sharing a considerably related journey, 27-year-old journalist, Rituparna Sarkar from Delhi, too ventured into her first solo journey not too long ago to return out of a low section in her life. “I went to a small village, Dudhali, in Uttarakhand, and stayed at a really secluded locality — which I received to learn about from a good friend. I used to be accompanied by a tour information. I stayed there in a tent for an evening. I did some trekking too, visited a temple, and many others. The expertise was out of this world.”
As a phrase of recommendation for fellow solo girls travellers, Mukherjee says, “Carry pepper spray with you for security. Additionally, hold hygiene merchandise, medicines, sanitisers, and many others. with you. It’s advisable to have all of your bookings executed beforehand, and likewise verify the opinions of the lodges or converse to the supervisor earlier than you go. It’s also possible to e book a neighborhood tour information so that you just don’t have to fret about your commute or sight-seeing throughout the metropolis.”