A ticket to adventure

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It’s no more a serene, picturesque location that excites people for a vacation. It’s the thrill of the unplanned or the kick of adventure sports that interests travellers. “Active vacations” is the travel mood now. From travelling by road to distant places and meeting challenges that come en route to planning trips to places that offer adventure sports is what most people are opting for.

The packages on offer by various travel companies are many, and the number of people opting for it is steadily growing.
“With dispensable income and exposure, the idea of travel has changed of late. People want to try new things. With globalisation, almost all cities look the same. If a person is coming from a tier three city to a metropolis, he may not find many things exciting except the places of historic significance and a few tourist spots. It’s because of this that they opt for vacations giving them the option to engage in activities and help them discover new things,” says Ashish Dhar, director of the adventure portal Great Wide Open.
And it is not just youngsters taking up activity-oriented trips — experiential travel has become prominent even among families. “Today travellers are venturing beyond the usual and looking for richer experiences that connect them with the culture of the destination. Be it a family vacation or a romantic sojourn, Indian travelers are now looking out for activities that enrich their lives. Activities such as white water rafting, short hikes and treks, skiing, ballooning, scuba diving, wildlife safaris are gaining popularity,” says Mohit Gupta, chief business officer – holidays, MakeMyTrip, that has witnessed almost 30 per cent growth in activity-oriented packages as compared to previous years.
Visiting Hemis monastery in Leh to witness the Mask dance, touring an elephant orphanage in Kerala or a coffee plantation in Coorg, a ski experience in Gulmarg, spending a day with a local Rajasthani family to celebrate the Gangaur festival in Udaipur — all these cultural insertions create lasting memories of a perfect holiday these days, says Mohit.
And it is not just that. Pushing the limits by taking up self-expeditions is another thing that has become a trend in traveling. The demand for road trips too is on an all-time high this vacation season. Ravinder Yadav, a post-graduate student and a travel enthusiast, says that a road trip challenges one’s patience. “It comes with some of the most unplanned elements. A breakdown or heavy pouring during the journey makes it memorable and exciting for you,” he says.
Tushar Agarwal, co-founder of Adventures Overland that organises road trips, says the number of enquiries for such trips have shot up tremendously in the last few weeks. For their Ladakh Expedition in June, they have already received bookings from all over the country and abroad. “People are joining us from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and even Tanzania,” says Tushar and adds that the most sought after destinations for road trips are Ladakh, Spiti Valley, Bhutan, Rann of Kutch, Northeast India and Rajasthan.