Neither selfish, nor guilty!

Women are on a roll as they carve out “me” time and hit some unusual destinations, says Indrani Rajkhowa Banerjee

 

ON his mother’s 50th birthday, NRI Siddhant Natarajan gifted her a 10-day trip to Italy. And no, his dad was not included. “All her life she’s never had a break. I wanted to gift her ‘me’ time,” claims Natarajan. Many like Natarajan in India are encouraging their spouse, mother or even grandmother to let their hair down in exotic locales, in the safety of all-women travel groups.

 

Indian women are travelling like never before. A recent survey on personal travel conducted in major Asian markets revealed that 42 per cent of the women surveyed had travelled in the past 12 months, as compared to 37 per cent men. Age or personal status holds no bar today. Though single women comprise 60 per cent of the pie, single mothers, housewives, middle-aged professionals and energetic grandmothers are joining the joy ride.

 

Sumitra Senapaty who runs Women on Wanderlust, a travel club aimed at women on the go, observes, “Travel is an intrinsic part of lifestyle for today’s women. Earlier, a woman leaving her spouse and kids behind for a trip was practically unheard of. These days, it’s not only the women, but the family system that’s changing too. Today’s cosmopolitan travellers tend to possess higher education levels, more lucrative disposable incomes and are tech-savvy, confident and adventurous.”

 

Kolkata-based, 59-year-old school teacher, Sreela Bannerji claims she was “tired of changing nappies of her newly-born grandkid”. So, she decided to head out on an adventure of her own. “I caught up with two long-lost college friends and we decided to go white water rafting to Uttaranchal. Initially, I was apprehensive, but then excitement took the better of me. We had an exhilarating time, even falling off the raft twice, but we found ourselves after so many years!” says Bannerji. “If you think it’s just a metro phenomenon in India, think again. Though a large chunk of women travellers hail from Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai, others come from places as far flung as Guwahati, Kanpur, Chandigarh, Udupi and Lucknow. And they are travelling solo, in pairs with their female companions, or as members of ‘women-only’ interest groups,” adds Suchna Hegde Shah of travel portal backpackerco.com.

 

In deciding to venture away from home and hearth, modern women are neither being selfish nor guilty! “Life’s hectic as a Web portal designer. So, I take these ‘alone’ trips to focus, relax and just do nothing! I’ve been mountain biking and kayaking and my husband is very supportive of these ‘unwinding’ trips,” holds 36-year-old Soumya Tiwari.

 

Almost 80 per cent of women consider travel important for their lifestyle according to the survey conducted in 13 Asian countries. Travel figures indicate around four out of every 10 Asian trips are by women

travellers — up significantly from just 1 in 10, in the mid 1970s.

 

“Health and wellness are high on the list when women travellers plan their holidays. Adventure trips are also in,” says Senapaty who has arranged trips to Rajasthan, Egypt, Uttaranchal, Ladakh, Turkey, Italy, East Europe, South Africa and China. On an average, she gets 20-25 women on board per trip in the age group between 25-60 years. “Even grandmothers are travelling with us. And the best part is that spouses and kids are supportive. I have husbands and sons calling me up to gift a travel plan to their wives and spouses,” she concludes.

 

Travel tips

 

l Watch your back. Don’t accept drinks from strangers.

 

l Be on your guard, especially in new surroundings.

 

l Adhere to the tradition of the place. A mini skirt may not go down well in a traditional country.

 

l Stick to your group. If alone, don’t act different from the crowd.

 

l Carry your passport, credit card, copy of the flight ticket and other details on e-mail as back-up.

 

l Place a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on your hotel door at night. Check the window and door locks.

 

 (Source- The Times of India)