What are your travel vibes?

Why do they say, you are not the same person after your every travel?

The experience changes us, the people we meet change us, and most of all the place.

Every place bears an invisible stamp on us. It changes our outlook a notch by soothing us or worsening our mood. Have you felt a place? How we experience a place is how we register it in our memory. Every place communicates something. Have you tried capturing the vibes?

Holidays, vacations, staycations are meant for rejuvenating us and what we experience here stays with us for life.

Temi Tea Estate, Sikkim

I was visiting Sikkim in April couple of years back. Our hotel was strategically perched on a vantage point in the sprawling Temi Tea Estate. My balcony offered a beautiful view, yet I chose to stay outdoors, combing the tea estates and sitting amidst them writing in the company of a constant envelope of fog. I felt so drawn to this place that I even told my husband, he should go ahead with our daughter as planned and I will join them in a few days. Such was the impact this place had. Calm, cosy, carefree and inviting.

I distinctly remember this scuba diving adventure in Sindhudurg. The fear of deep waters grappled me, as there appeared an eerie world when I plunged. My fear soon vanished as I saw a giant dead white coral in the shape of blossomed flower (it was almost 4-5 feet wide coral). Oh! what a sight it was. Now the piercing pain in my ear because of the low pressure also seemed welcome. And I was ecstatic, having overcome my fear of deep waters.

My recent trip to the tea estates of Valparai was very detached and calming. But being a rainforest region, this place was infested with leeches. I am phobic to creepy crawly creatures including snake and its cousins. Hence, I dreaded outdoor visits on foot, which I love doing on my trips. I took utmost care to keep the leeches away, until I found a bloated leech that had just dropped from me. It was a creepy experience, yet I was fortunate I did not see the leech on me.

 Valparai Tea Estates

Then there is this one mesmerising evening I remember on the ghats of Benares. As the setting sun painted the sky, a flute player anchored in a boat on the banks, played a melancholic tune. I felt everything around was washed out like a new painting splashed with water. I was transported in my mind to a world where only I existed. It was no less than a meditation with open eyes.

At the Tadoba Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary

There was this episode when my 10 yr. daughter had to pee badly in the midst of a wildlife safari. It was an adventure altogether. While all the jeeps went in the direction of the tigers, ours was the only one that rushed in the direction of washroom.

Rudraprayag as seen from my hotel room

I had been yearning to see Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand for years. When I reached the Prayag town after a strenuous drive, it was late in the evening. We walked in the Garhwal Nigam Hotel and booked a stay. I thought I could see the Prayag only next morning. But when I opened my room’s balcony door, I was greeted to the much-awaited sight of Rudraprayag right in front of me, outside my balcony. The sun had just set, and people were preparing for the Ganga arti. It was an overwhelming experience and I sat looking at it for a long time.

A trip to Ganeshgudi’s old magazine resort is something I look forth every time. I love the ambience of this place. Covered by dense forest all around, we hear barking deer’s and other forest sounds all through the night. The campus has a huge tree underneath which is set a campfire and seating arrangement. The hammocks are abundant, and you can laze around looking at the dense tree covers. I have experienced one of the best coffees here on my different visits.

The same place turned a nightmare for me when my 4-year-old daughter had accompanied me. As night fell, I was neurotic as my husband spotted numerous viper babies scattered across the campus, where my little girl was casually running all through the day.

At Bagini Glacier Trek

My last Himalayan trek at 16,000 odd feet was a marvellous fitness indicator. I experienced the pain of giving up just before the summit, as I found myself unfit. However, I was lucky to summit with some outward persuasion. I felt blessed to be there watching the mammoth peaks and crevices and the glaciers in its pristine form.

Every place has a vibe, and you are building a story around capturing it as your memory.

Whatever be the outcome, ensure when you travel, the plan is to have an immersive experience.