India?s deeply seeded joint family culture has always been an integral part of its people?s lifestyle - be it cooking a feast like meal that everyone can share, shopping as a bunch for the entire family, or traveling. At the cost of overly generalising, one can say that Indians love to travel as a group. However, recently there has been a paradigm shift in the travel space as more and more Indians are opening up to the concept of solo traveling. India has generated quite a number of solo backpackers, gender no bar, who take on the world like a curious child does.

We Travel Solo, one of India?s solo travellers community is proof of this new trend in India. In order to foster the community, the platform also organises special interest tours to quench the thirst of a perfect solo trip.  We Travel Solo recently conducted a survey with India?s top 100 solo travellers to understand their personal accounts of solo travel.

1. As per the survey, when asked, ?When and where to was their first solo trip??, 31 per cent solo travellers answered foreign locations like Europe and East Asia as their first solo trip destination, 29 per cent said Himachal as their first solo trip expedition while 27 per cent had coastal beaches of South India as their first place to explore as a solo traveler. The remaining 13 per cent chose to visit Rajasthan, MP, AP and North eastern cities.

2. It is also interesting to note that 25 per cent attributed it to self-discovery and travel for recreational purposes or lack of company as their reason for solo travel, while 35 per cent said it was a simple getaway, a sabbatical from the mundane job or simply to feed the curiosity. Those who travel solo to meet like minded people form 21 per cent of the total.

3. When it comes to hot spots for solo traveling destinations, travellers showed preference for Northern, Southern and Western India within the subcontinent. For South-East and Eastern Asia, Indian neighbouring countries like Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh are chosen as preferred locations and Europe, US and western Asian countries for international travel. Some travellers confine themselves to exploring the remote pockets of India and country life as well.

4. Thirty two per cent solo travellers said that they felt feeling lonely, homesickness, alienated from co-travellers and the localities, whereas 17 per cent female solo travellers felt insecure due to eve-teasing, ogling and suspicious behaviour. While only 21 per cent solo travellers felt budget pinch as their challenge to solo traveling.

Other challenges included following culture codes, dealing with unpleasant eventualities, finding vegan food items and overcoming boredom et al. In times like these, solo travellers advise budding ones to be highly circumspect by carrying the required safety gears such as pepper sprays, avoiding strange solitary lanes, conducting a thorough research about the destination and planning well, carrying phones, portable chargers and GPS to track locations and maintain communication with family back home and the handiest tip by far is to keep one?s equilibrium in inopportune times!

When asked about places they?d like to be stranded in, about 17 per cent travellers preferred mountains (Himalayan ranges) followed by 10 per cent of them longing to be marooned on an island like Jeju Island and Golapogas island. Among other places of interest, were the countryside to revel in the bucolic beauty of the enthralling landscapes, countries like North Korea, Buenos Aires, Italy and intriguingly enough, haunted places!

WeTravelSolo endeavours to popularise a concept that?s still taking baby steps in a land where independence is at a premium given the vicissitudes of the changing times and hence, aims to know from its populace what it feels about solo expeditions.

By Papri Das

When Seeksherpa co-founder Dhruv Raj Gupta began his career with Google, he had no idea that wanderlust would take his professional life to a completely different arena. Both keen travellers, Dhruv and his partner Sukhmani noticed how eagerly they interacted with the locals on their college trips. ?It gave us an insight in their lives and allowed us to understand a new city better than any travelogue or guide,? says Gupta. 

 Moreover, the touch of familiarity that comes from knowing a local is something that a concierge at a five star can?t provide. ?When we visit a restaurant and the chef would come to speak with us or when the locals guided us on what to order, it was a whole new experience altogether,? he adds.

It was on trek to Triund when the duo finally woke up to the idea of launching a start-up travel site that is based off the same concept. ?We lost our way during the trip, until a dog guided us to the hilltop. This incident motivated us to create a platform where locals would get an opportunity to offer their skills and knowledge and travellers a chance to utilise these skills to have a better time,? Gupta informs. An avid traveller, so far Gupta has travelled extensively across northern India, Egypt, California, Nevada, Florida and New York. Speaking about this most memorable trip out of these, Gupta says, ?I spent three months in California. I mostly travelled by bus and train along the west coast. There, I met a variety of people, some of whom were complete strangers, some of whom I bonded with over conversations on cultures and traditions, which has inspired me greatly in customising Seeksherpa.?

 The one year old company Seeksherpa has already garnered positive reviews, and has expanded itself to different digital platforms as well. While that's good news for Gupta as an entrepreneur, the traveller inside him has taken a toll, unfortunately.?I don't think I've taken a long trip since I started SeekSherpa so whatever I've done before has been an effort to get to the SeekSherpa way of travelling,? he says. 

However, he's not complaining as he relives the travel experiences of all those who share their stories in Seeksherpa. ?We really like when travellers come out of their cocoon and talk about how the micro tour showed them places they would have never seen or about how they have been living in their city for 30 years, passed by the same things every day, until SeekSherpa came in and brought alive everyday moments,? quips the young entrepreneur.  

And that's not the only way Gupta satiates his wanderlust. ?These days, I have become a traveller in my own city. I have learnt and understood so much about Delhi alone that the traveller in me wonders whether travel is really about transporting oneself or about exploring one's surroundings,? he adds in parting.

MUMBAI: The Ritz-Carlton, Bali opened on 2 February 2015, marking the brand?s grand return to the idyllic island as a unique, luxurious and locally-inspired resort, set amidst the dramatic cliffs and pristine beaches of southern Bali.

Located in Sawangan, Nusa Dua, The Ritz-Carlton, Bali is set on 12.7 hectares of expansive and beautifully manicured beach-front and cliff-top land. With 313 hotel rooms, including 34 cliff top and ocean view villas, the luxury resort offers a dramatic location along the sweeping coastline of Nusa Dua?s southern tip.  Of its many memorable features, the 180-degree unobstructed views of the Indian Ocean are undeniably a highlight, with a 70 meter high glass elevator providing guests with access to the beach, ensuring views of the lush landscape and exquisite scenery are strikingly omnipresent.

The Ritz-Carlton, Bali embodies the brand?s dedication to iconic service, whilst combining the warmth and spirituality of true Indo-Balinese hospitality, set to attract global affluent travelers from couples, bridal parties and honeymooners, to group, meetings and conference guests. The hotel is located 30 minutes from Ngurah Rai International Airport and is just minutes away from the Jimbaran Bay, Pecatu and Uluwatu area, as well as cultural sites including Jatiluwih and Ubud.

The luxury resort reinforces The Ritz-Carlton?s commitment to inspiring life's most meaningful journeys, with authentic and harmonious experiences and indigenous design elements.  Embracing local symbolism, a central theme to the property is the Tree of Life, known to locals as ?Kalpataru?, which represents strength, wisdom, and beauty, and is prevalent throughout the resort and grounds, providing the fullest appreciation for the beauty of life.  D?cor is ?Anyaman? style, coupled with design influences from local craftsmen and the surrounding landscape, creating an exceptional environment that is as elegant as it is rustic.

Led by a highly skilled culinary team, The Ritz-Carlton, Bali features six restaurants and lounges, offering an authentic gastronomic journey, combining the finest local ingredients with international influences. Bejana, the property?s soon-to-open Indonesian restaurant, will offer the Culinary Cave ? a unique epicurean learning experience with programs personally tailored to suit groups and individuals. The Beach Grill, set along the shore, offers seafood and grill specialties alongside stunning views of the Indian Ocean. The innovative food and beverage portfolio is completed by Raku, a Japanese Lounge & Bar, The Ritz-Carlton Lounge & Bar, which serves the finest selections of premium tea, Senses, an all day dining restaurant, and Breezes Tapas Lounge which serves light snacks and Tapas by the pool.

The Ritz-Carlton Club Level includes a private pool and sun deck exclusively for club guests, whilst The Ritz-Carlton Spa, opening soon, will offer a distinctive wellness experience that is truly Balinese in nature. Surrounded by lush foliage, the spa will consist of 14 serene treatment rooms seamlessly incorporating indoor and outdoor spaces. A stunning oceanfront wedding chapel makes the property the venue of choice for island weddings, while meeting facilities for up to 200 guests provide for an endless variety of corporate and private events.