Don't Hesitate! Travel Solo.

 Don't Hesitate! Travel solo

''Solo travel not only pushes you out of your comfort zone, it also pushes you out of the zone of others' expectation''

                                            --Suzy Strutner

There are myths about traveling solo specially in India. It is said specially for women that safety is a big issue which I agree and disagree at the same time. I believe that the safety lies in travelers hand. This article will give you an insight about the safety tips for solo female travelers.

Lets start with the most common thought -

What is solo traveling?

Solo traveling means exclusively traveling alone with all necessary arrangement done by you. Solo traveling has become like a fashion and hobby in these days. I found bulk solo travelers while browsing social media but don't understand how do they take fancy stylish photographs when they travel solo. Solo traveling is not always picturesque and photogenic moreover it faces challenges and obstacles.

    Photo credits to tales of a backpacker

Why do we need to travel solo?

   Picture credits to adventure nation

First and foremost it is not a necessity that we need to travel alone . for male travelers it is very simple to travel alone or in a group but when it comes to a female traveler the so called taboo of traveling alone stand out prominently shunning the capability of a female traveler. 

As a female traveler I suggest that all female enthusiasts should give it a try to understand the 'Self' better. To discover the potentiality and make yourself confident you should travel alone. It will not only help you to boost your personality also somehow you will know more about yourself and off course your strength and challenges. 

What are the preparations for traveling solo?

photo credits to time management ninja

The preparation is everything when it comes to solo traveling. There are few things which we need to prepare before starting the travel -

1. Research well -  Make sure that wherever you are going you are aware of that place . The basic research is very important for a solo female traveler. You should jot down the transport facility, timing of public transport and names of the places and hotels. Have a basic idea about the local culture which will help you to understand about the food habits, clothings and modes of communication.

2. Say yes for a social accommodation-  This is most important. For a female solo traveler the accommodation must be a safety question. Do not choose a lonely or remote place to stay. Choose a place in a populated location with a verifications and survey done through ratings. Always try to connect to the fellow travelers have already been to that place to develop better understanding.

3. Try to dress like Local- This is very helpful at times when you visit the religious places. Do some research before traveling . Like,  If the locality demands a full sleeve cloth then go for it or if the demand is to cover the hair then do that willingly. there is no harm in showing respect to different practices. Also it will not draw attention when you are left alone.

4. Do not act limitless- It is very important to have control on your behavior. This can result a successful trip or else things will fall apart. Traveling alone tends to make you feel liberate and your soul act like a film scene where you get drunk and find your self by staying alone on a sea shore or on a street side. These wont work in real life at all. Act responsibly after all our safety is on our hands.

5. Do not disclose your address and personal details- While traveling you will be meeting different people and some you will find really easy going to share about you but control your instinct and do not share where you are staying, your phone no and any other details. Stick to the purpose and enjoy in limit. 

6. Use technology-  There are many advance application which can help you in some sticky situation. Always share your location with your friend and family to keep a record. Check this website for better understanding  : http://thetruthspy.com/top-phone-tracker-apps/

7. Able to read the situation- The most most important thing is to understand the situation. This is the most important where you have to trust your instinct. If you feel any discomfort or scruple in the situation get the hell out of there at any cost. Act maturely and always be mentally strong to face challenges. 

At the end I would like to say that traveling alone is completely safe if you research well and stay connected with other fellow travelers. After all we all should live our 'Me and My' moment. Isn't it?

Thanks for reading guys!!! See you soon.

Happy Travel With PERIOD

🔺Traveling with Period 🔺

The most common saying - 'Health is wealth' stands successful when you really take care about your heath in all circumstances. This blog I am going to dedicate to all my female travel enthusiasts considering it would be a valid topic to discuss. 

Being a female traveler one thing which always bother me is my period dates. Whenever I plan any tour I need to calculate meticulously about the travel dates with an exclusion of period dates. If you can avoid the dates and plan your trip then it's not a problem but sometimes it's unavoidable due to the tickets, resuming job and many more things. 

Those who are really passionate for travel and do not want to compromise then this blog could be helpful. 

Let's Start!

First leave the misconception that you could not trek with your period. It is completely okay to travel and trek with your period.

You are more strong than you think. 

Things you need to choose!

• Menstrual Cup - Its a great option but used very infrequently in India because we are still doubtful about it or we don't want to opt for new things!! This is a healthy practice which will make your travel safe and hygienic. The most fascinating thing is it's reusable for many years. For first few times it would be little uneasy but after two or three times it would be smooth . It's the same when we started using sanitary napkins and became habituated. 

Photo credits- slate.com

• Made of Flexible rubber which can be sterilized  for 3-5 minutes.
• Comes with variety of sizes which suits your age, flow amount and childbirth history. so it's easy to choose.
• You can wear it up to 12 hours.
•  Wash it with clean water, wipe it and let it dry for the next use.
• It's completely easy, hassle free and cost effective.

Best in business - Diva cup (Eco friendly, BPA, latex, plastic, chemical and dye free)

To learn the usage, click on the link: https://divacup.com/

• Tampons for better hygiene - This is a better option than pads which is more hygienic and made out of cotton. 

picture credit: https://www.meetblume.com/products/tampons 

• Sometimes it comes with the applicator which helps you to put it properly.
• Don't leak. 
• Can be worn in rain, river crossing and while having water sports easily.
• It's easy to take out as there is a string attached to it.
• You can wear it up to 8 hours. Try to change it frequently and you can use it overnight.
• Budget friendly. These comes in various prices so it is easy to afford.

After all it is all about your practice. Give it a try !

For better understanding and video manual visit this website:

https://youngwomenshealth.org/2013/03/28/period-products/ 

https://www.meetblume.com/products/tampons

Maintain proper hygiene: In this let's focus on some basic hygiene tips and how to pack those for your journey.

1. Things you need to carry - News paper (cut it into small pieces).
2. Double Zipper lock plastic pouches (to carry used sanitary napkins in case you are not using the above options).
3. Never ever throw the used products in the wild as they are made of non biodegradable materials and can cause serious pollution. Be responsible by wrapping it properly with news papers and put it in a zip lock pouch. Through them where you found a disposable bin. 
4. Carry Hand Sanitizer (use it wisely to clean you hand), tissues and easy cramp relief roll on.
5. A soft kerchief.
6. Talcum powder.
7. Keep your travel pack easily accessible. 

At the end it is completely on you how you want to maintain or what ever is convenient. My personal experience was smooth with these products. Remember, Nothing can stop you from travelling. These above options will help you to not compromise  with your exciting travel plans. After all we all deserve a clean and happy summit. Don't you think so??
HAPPY TRAVEL!! Feel free to write back.

Thank you for reading!! See you soon guys.

YAYAVAR Club - A leading community for travelers.

YAYAVAR Club 

 A leading community for travelers.

     Yayavr club

You all must be wandering why all of a sudden I am talking about a travel club when I prefer to travel solo!!

Well, Yeas! I came across with some amazing facts about this club and their vision about responsible and sustainable tourism. I thought of sharing a glimpse. Let's take a look.

What makes their ‘VISION’ unique?

Not only they have preferred to unveil the rare destinations also they are very keen towards preserving the local cultures and practices while traveling. Few things which I liked the most about the nature of this club are -

 1.  They give platforms to the new start ups and travel enthusiasts to make travel plan, guide treks, promoting travel companies and hotels etc which rarely we found in these days.

    

      2. They give the open access to the travelers to reach out to the locals which benefits in both ways. The travelers experience the unique cultures and habits of locals and prevents from losing their ethnicity.

      3.  They always engage local people to plan trips so that they get benefits after all locals are the best to guide you about their places.

      4.  Overall Yayavar club will provide you to live like locals being in their places which stop affecting the local community.

Isn't it amazing!! Their strong vision helped them to achieve a great number of followers and a family of 10,000.

Are they ‘DIFFERENT’?

Oh yes! They are completely.  Otherwise in these present days with the competition of million travel clubs they are growing with a tremendous pace with a decent number of followers.

Being a Non profit organization they work on No profit no loss technique. As part of their exploration group they divide all costs equally which directly benefits the locals with an extra effort of wellbeing of the ecology of those places. Apart from this they are on their way to develop a complete self help/guide platform to give a first and fresh experience which other travel clubs barely gives.

Now when it comes to me I thought of why not to give a try when I personally believe in sensible, sustainable and responsible tourism. Sometimes when you really can’t make it alone you need some encouraging souls to take it forward and inspire you to be a part of it.

So my dear travelers, It’s time to make your choice! Your choice can make a difference and you can be the integral part of a responsible travel community.

For more information click on the below links

Website- : https://yayavarclub.in/activities/

Social media -  www.instagram.com/yayavar.club

Facebook Community - www.facebook.com/groups/backpacking.wanderers

Thanks for reading! See you guys soon.

Twin Monolithic architectures: Udayagiri & Khandagiri Caves

Udayagiri & Khnadagiri Caves

                                              ----Symbols of religious diversity in India

Hello Friends!!! have you ever thought about a city which is rooted and drowned in Hinduism but responsible to protect the diverse religious characteristics of India by preserving these twin caves call 'Udayagiri & Khnadagiri'. 

    

    Udayagiri caves

    Photo@sahelibasu

Situated in Bhubaneswar these heritage architectures are the major tourist pooling sites. While going home to Kolkata I had a 6 hours break in Bhubaneswar. So, as always I pulled out all possible information about the near about side scenes.

I decided to visit Udayagiri & Khnadagiri as I am very passionate towards historical and religious architectures. lets take a quick look about the history of it. The exact location is in Bhubaneswar, khurda district. These two are the earliest rock cut Jain caves which were curved by Jain monks and artisans from the times of king Kharavela.  These two monumental caves are not only manifests the genius architectural sense of ancient India but also shows the early inscriptions of love, tolerance and religious description.

   Udayagiri cave view
   photo@sahelibasu

The Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves are believed as wonders among all the monumental architectures from first century BC.  There are multiple caves located in Udayagiri premises. Udayagiri means - hills of sunrise. The main purpose of these caves were shelter, meditate and prayer in solitude. The different caves depicts various scenes like royal procession, hunting expedition, court scenes etc.

The most beautiful and largest cave is 'Rani Gumpha' or Queens cave.  There are other several caves as well like 'Haaati gumpha', 'Alkapuri Gumpha', 'Jaya vijay Gumpha' etc. They all are numbered clearly to avoid any confusion.

Part of Udaygiri cave
photo@sahelibasu22

All the caves are carved in sandstone and each one is different in character also their rooftops are very low in height. You can experience the silence and sacred feeling of the place. This gives you an unique feeling like the whole evidence of history or a spectacular architecture of first century BC is standing still between a full fledged on growing metro city. the site was giving me a feeling of changing time, progress, urbanization and a lost past. These monumental heritages bridged the history and time together. These helps us to remember the glorious past of India and an endeavour to cherish the diversity which signifies our beloved India.

You may experience a spectacular view from the top of Udayagiri cave. The thin white line of urban architecture from a stone carved cave builds a connection between centuries of history and religion.

View from Udayagiri cave
photo@sahelibasu

Khandagiri : Its very close to the Udayagiri cave. From the main road one can see the easy trails. They are marked very clearly from the entrance to the summit.  The caves of Khnadagiri are located at the height of 118 ft. There are several caves resides in a single premises. 'Khandagiri' means broken hills. There are 15 caves in Khandagiri.

A heritage of 2000 years old was the shelter of many Jain scholars. The caves are beautifully carved with inscriptions, motifs and relief sculptures. These caves presents the first occupation of Jain and Buddhists.

    Khandagiri cave 
    Photo taken from Tripoto.com

These two twin caves are the primary attraction of Odisha tourism. Good to see the maintenance and the security provided by the state government. Hope it remains same.

Thanks for reading!! See you soon guys.