The time has come for women to step out of their houses and have a life of their own. One World News brings into focus a special travel group called ‘Beautiful Journey’ which aims to create a fun-filled atmosphere for women travellers.
Jyothi Nair, the brain behind this group was generous enough to share more about this wonderful thought.
When and how you came up with this idea?
Beautiful Journey is the result of my personal struggle to travel. After quitting SAP (Systems, Applications and Products in data processing) in 2012, I only wanted to do three things, read, meditate and travel. The first two were pretty easy, I read everything under the sun, from string theory to particle physics to neuroscience before getting enchanted with the Bhagavad Gita. During that period, I also used to sit for hours in meditation. But travel was very difficult to take off. My family dislikes travelling and my friends were busy with their lives. As you know, travelling for a woman all by herself is not an easy pie to chuckle. So, I started a travel group at that time which later turned commercial in August 2013, with a beautiful trip to Kerala. We stayed in a house boat, watched the boat races and also took a day’s tour of its University for Performing arts – Kerala Kalamandalam. For a university that attracts thousands of visitors every week, it was the first time an all-women travel group landed there! They were very happy and assigned a woman guide, especially for us.
How many places have you explored till date?
Most of our trips have been around Bangalore. But we are planning for Bhutan and Ladakh in the next week as we have started exploring more exotic destinations now.
Is there anything special that you plan for Women’s Day?
Well, we flew on women’s day. As a pilot, I enjoy flying and wanted to share that unique experience with the other women. Eighteen women flew a small training aircraft on women’s day this year. All of us were thrilled and many even promised to get started with more serious flying.
What are the destinations that you plan for in summers to give relief to tourists?
We mostly plan for hill stations and sea shores in summers. We have also planned for trips to Ladakh, Bhutan, Pondicherry, Goa, Yercaud etc.
What are the activities that you organise?
We organise numerous group activities on our trip. Sometimes, we just sit together and share stories, play games and sing along.
What other amenities do you provide in your travel package?
We believe in providing fun-filled packages at economical rates. We choose accommodations that provide clean toilets and neat bed sheets, rather than just going for the five star ones. What we include in a particular itinerary could vary depending upon the nature of the trip and destination.
Women of what age group generally come to you?
Earlier, we used to have a very young crowd travelling with us. Now, our groups are much more diverse.
How many women do you generally take in one group?
Our groups are generally small in number. 18, being the biggest so far.
What other places do you wish to explore?
Personally, I would like to see the animal migration in ‘Maasai Mara National Reserve’ in Kenya and to fly a Cessna across Alaska.
Are there any childhood memories which motivated you to form this group?
No. I am not someone who looks back in the past and recollect incidents or simply think about them.
You must be encountering new experiences on each journey. Tell us about any remarkable journey that you have had.
Yes, all the journeys have been interesting and insightful in many ways. Even if it is a short hike to a hill next to you, it has been worth remembering. It feels great when something unexpected brings a big smile to your face. I have started enjoying my internal journeys more than the external ones, of late. It is amazing that there is a rather unexplored universe outside that has not been ventured at all!
Picture Courtesy : Jyothi Nair
Picture Courtesy : www.beautifuljourney.in
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