After finishing her journey tourism course at Queenstown Resort School, New Zealand, Manisha Sharma was bit by the journey bug. She returned to Gangtok, Sikkim, and began Tag Alongside, a journey consultancy platform, in 2014. This job took her to new locations and she or he remembers telling her sister Bhavana Sharma, who then labored as a monetary analyst, all about her adventures.

Throughout the identical interval, Manisha was additionally part of authorities tasks to make Sikkim a prime vacationer vacation spot in India. She travelled from one village to the opposite to assist the villagers arrange homestays which might entice extra vacationers to the state.

“It was through the journey that I realised the potential of Sikkim to be an journey tourism location,” says Manisha, co-founder of Tag Alongside, who takes care of the corporate’s operations. “Every village has their very own specialities and we wanted a strategy to present vacationers these options.”

Listening to her sister’s many tales, Bhavana determined to give up her company job and be part of her at Tag Alongside in 2018, though she has been a part of the most important actions earlier than. “For the previous 5-6 years, there was a surge within the variety of adventure-loving solo travellers in Sikkim. Earlier than that, solely households visited, principally for honeymoon or package deal excursions. Our thought was to cater to solo travellers,” provides Bhavana, co-founder and admin of Tag Alongside.

Deliberating on their newfound aim of selling sustainable tourism within the state, they launched a cycle expedition in 2016. Ranging from Aritar village in east Sikkim and ending in Gangtok, protecting 32 hairpins in 4 days, they supplied meals and lodging within the villages in order that travellers get an opportunity to work together with locals. The cycles and gears had been additionally supplied by the workforce.

“We’re not only a group of resort/restaurant homeowners or itinerary makers. We mix the perfect of what tradition, nature, journey, hospitality and leisure has to supply within the Himalayas, inside Sikkim,” says Manisha.

A backpacker hostel

Their cycle expeditions had the sisters bonding with the travellers on a deeper degree. Realising the necessity for reasonably priced lodging, the duo started Tag Alongside Backpackers, a hostel the place travellers can keep for minimal charges of Rs 700 to Rs 800 per night time.

“There was a niche within the tourism market of hostels in Gangtok. Once we began there was just one hostel within the capital metropolis. Despite the fact that it was not offering sufficient services. Since most solo travellers and people who search journey hardly ever favor luxurious resort rooms, we got here up with a hostel below the dad or mum firm,” says Manisha.

Right this moment, there are two hostels and one restaurant below Tag Alongside which function in Gangtok.

Right here, they make use of sustainable measures together with avoiding single-use plastics. “We all the time purchase issues in bulk wanted for the hostel in addition to the cafe to cut back the massive quantities of plastic waste. Alternatively, the plastic waste generated is shipped for recycling. Friends are suggested to observe sustainable practices,” says Manisha.

Throughout peak season, the hostels get a median of 70 travellers per 30 days. “Since ‘workation’ is a typical phenomenon submit the lockdown, we’ve got travellers all by way of the yr. Most of them keep of their room on weekdays and go exploring on weekends and evenings,” shares Manisha.

Tackle sustainability

“Despite the fact that the surge within the variety of vacationers to Sikkim got here as a boon to fans like us, we knew that the state’s pristine surroundings can be compromised. So, we began selling sustainable measures,” elaborates Bhavana.

Tag Alongside additionally preaches these sustainability hacks to the villagers who’ve now began their very own profitable homestays. Malati Sudda and Govind Gurum are a pair working one such homestay known as Mahimalaya Homestay in Kaluk village. Govind says, “A workforce of children, together with Manisha, visited our place in 2014 to speak about the potential of establishing homestays. We’re farmers and we discovered the thought of incomes further revenue by way of this enterprise attention-grabbing.”

He provides, “We attended their three-month course on ecotourism and sustainability and arrange the homestay the identical yr. Now we get at the very least 50 teams of travellers as friends per yr. This helps us to maintain even when we face losses whereas farming.”

“The entire thought of beginning an journey tourism enterprise in my homeland was all the time my dream. I’m pleased that we’re in a position to assist the villagers too by way of our enterprise. We would like Sikkim to be travellers’ favorite journey tourism web site, majorly for biking, identical to how Manali and Ladakh are,” provides Manisha.

In 2019, Saran Rai, their childhood buddy, who labored within the meals trade, additionally joined them as a companion. He handles the journey logistics and social media accounts of the corporate. He additionally takes half within the cycle expeditions, which have now been halted due to the pandemic. “We’re all set to relaunch it from this November,” says Saran. “For biking, we’ve got mounted departures and advocate travellers to cycle for 2 to 3 months earlier than their arrival in order that the excessive altitude journey might be managed. However those that really feel they’re match and skilled are free to affix too.”

He provides, “Our new hostel opened simply earlier than the lockdown and is all outfitted to welcome travellers.”

“Not like standard journey corporations, we don’t provide packages to travellers. However friends want a minimal of eight days to expertise our setup. We’re open for personalised journey experiences based mostly on the necessities and pursuits of travellers. We consider in figuring out the tradition of a spot by way of travelling different than simply visiting the crowded vacationer areas,” Manisha says.

The trio say that October to January and March to mid-June are the perfect time to go to Sikkim, though they’re open all yr spherical.

Contact Tag Alongside workforce on your subsequent journey right here.

Edited by Yoshita Rao