A decade ago, travelling meant going to a new place, seeing the sights and coming back with memories. Few people ventured beyond well known sights and fewer people went looking for a deeper experience. Except in rare occasions when people trekked in interior Himalayas, no one really thought much about better experiences during their travels.
With the flourishing Indian economy in the last decade, people had more time and money to invest on travel. A few people started venturing beyond the well known. Taking the road less travelled became acceptable and many travellers learnt the pleasures of spending more time and getting up close with their destination. More and more people started looking at the quality aspect of the journey and the learnings that comes with travelling.
In the last few years, I have seen people with interest in wildlife trying to improve their knowledge of bird species and understand their behaviour. Adventure and activity seekers are going beyond just treks and looking at options such as rock climbing and cycling. Those who visit monuments are keen to understand the context of history in which those edifices were built.
This change in trend has also created a new generation of travel companies. They do things beyond just booking your tickets and accommodation, they take you through an experience. Such companies do thorough research and invest in knowledge that they share among people who travel with them.
Muddy Boots, a company that specializes in active vacations conducts cycling tours in the western ghats. Some professional photographers such as Kalyan Varma conduct photography tours in national parks. Similarly, TravelWise, a company I have founded with a partner works on intensively researched weekend trails from Banagalore spread across various fields like nature and heritage.
Do you prefer to do such active travelling? Have you ever gone on an active journey either by yourself or through any organization that conducts such tours? Do share your experiences in the comments and let us know who conducted your tours.