Humans Of Travel

Is it travelling if the destination has no surprises for you?

I took a trip the the Andamans with my parents, a place that boasts of clean beaches, crystal-clear water, rich coral reefs and islands that make for a paradise.

This story is of when the paradise took a day off for an unexpected visitor...

Our first stop was obviously Port Blair, where we explored all famous attractions like the Cellular Jail, Lime caves etc. The next day was spent at Havelock Islands, with stunning panoramic views, we hiked & also went scuba diving.

The trip was unfolding in the most beautiful ways, I had never seen this side of India before, until the last leg of the trip - the Neil Island.

We were supposed to visit Neil Island on day 3, but came a tourist out of nowhere, who wanted the entire island to itself. We definitely did not expect this.
Quite literally the moment we got to the island, there was a Cyclone alert - sorry RED alert. Which meant we had to evacuate immediately. There was a major panic amongst all travelers, nobody signed up for this right…
But who can get ahead of what nature beholds?

About 2000 souls on the island, waiting their turn to hop on the next ferry back, it was a mad chaos. After 3 hours of anxious waiting, we got on a ferry that sailed through the gusting winds, waves that were almost 13-15 meters high. People around were getting sea-sickness, everyone just wanted to get to the other side, safe.
And as weird as it may sound, I was finding all this super adventurous. I can’t say the same about my parents though, but to me it was thrilling. I peculiarly liked the idea of Ferry drifting over those huge waves, which could have taken a different turn, but hey I was witnessing something like this for the first time, and it was fun, gave me an adrenaline rush I guess.
After a 2 hour ride, we made it safe to the port and my parents got us on the next flight home. How I wish I stayed a little longer and explored more of the serene islands, but then there is always a next time. Until then, a little part of me will always live in the Andamans, till we meet again & continue the exploration.

I am Spandana Javali and I am an Official Human of Travel

In the summer of 2019 I went on one of the most dangerous treks in Maharashtra, the Kalavantin Durg trek. At that time I just wanted to conquer my fear or heights and travel with strangers. And also to prepare myself to travel more.
I believe I’m one of those spontaneous travellers, who can get really skeptical at times.
When one of my treks got cancelled due to COVID, I was sort of stranded with no plans. And I decided to take off to Spiti. It is one of the most unforgettable trips I have had.
Every time I saw a shooting star in the night sky, my heart skipped a beat. It was enchanting.

Being a new traveller I am still not very comfortable talking to strangers, I mean meeting new people, being a part of different communities is such an essence of travel, but I guess it develops over time.
During my trip to Kedarnath, I was travelling with a bunch of strangers and I was extremely nervous about the whole trip. But irrespective I packed my bags and took off. We went to Haridwar and then to Sonprayag. It was one of those organised group trips and I did not know anyone. We had taken a pit stop for dinner and then we were supposed to head to our rooms and call it a night. We had to start really early the next morning, at about 3:30.
While I was heading to my room, I felt someone was following me. But when I tried to look, it was one of the fellow travellers who was also travelling solo like me. We just got talking, went for a stroll and shared a ton of stories about our lives, work, travel etc. This was the first time I was having a conversation with a complete stranger. And honestly a few minutes into it, it didn’t feel awkward and weird. It was fun chatting about the usual things with someone who doesn’t know you. No prejudgements there…
Next day we started our journey to Kedarnath, by the time we reached it was 5:30 in the evening. The sight was unreal, it was such a perfect backdrop. This trip was a first in so many ways, it was a journey of learning, unlearning & relearning.

I am Krupa Kanna and I am an Official Human of Travel!

I am a senior executive producer at an OTT platform and I live in Mumbai- the city of dreams.

Ever since my college days, travelling has fascinated me . When I was young, I would often wonder about my first trip, and I wanted it to be overseas, but I had to wait my time. I worked hard, saved money and when the time was right, I planned my first trip to Bali with a bunch of friends. That was my first trip overseas.
I had a roller-coaster of emotions on this trip, it was liberating in ways and it made me a traveller for life. Travel for me is no longer about just seeing new places, it turned out to be more about knowing myself.

My last trip to Spiti (Himachal) with my brother was quite a journey. It was extremely special because, 1. We had been planning a trip for quite some time and it was finally happening and
2. We were going on a trip with each other for the first time.
It was going to be a solid sibling trip, and even though we wanted to go overseas, I am glad we chose Spiti. I have always loved beaches but that is because I hadn't really experienced the magic of the mountains yet and I cannot even begin to describe how awestruck I was, I fell in love with the mountains. So much so that the next time if I have to choose, I will take a trip to the mountains vs the beaches.

I had no idea what this trip was going to turn into, we had never done a trip that was just the two of us with a bunch of other travellers (complete strangers). I usually travel solo or with a bunch of my friends but we both had the craziest time of our lives. The best part was getting a chance to explore our local land, and the people up north are beautiful. We experienced both the magical Spiti and the people living there.
We took this trip with , they made sure the explorer in us was out there. And not to forget, travel during a global pandemic didn’t come easy, I will always be grateful for this unexpectedly amazing trip, it was absolutely breathtaking and bewildering (in all the right ways).

Go, be in the mountains and live the magic!

I am Aakaash Berry and I am an official Human of Travel.