‘Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.’

On some days there is a swell of emotions compelling you to break free and step into the wilderness. When the clouds, skies and mountains beckon you to stop a lethal routine and venture into adventure.

This urge to travel and explore is very common. Yet, sometimes we do believe that women tend to feel it more. Women travel writings have emerged as early as in 381AD and recent researches show that 80% of all travel decisions are made by women. In fact, solo women travels are on the rise and they may as well be more than men solo travels since the last couple of years.

All of this points to the fact that women enjoy their travels and plan for it. And women have found the confidence and will to venture not only into crowded tourist destinations, but also into the trails and traverses of mountain and jungle trails. To facilitate such trips, especially for women, many travel businesses are finding their niche markets. One such endeavor is The Nomadic Lust headed by Anupam Nag.

We spoke to Anupam Nag, who in his interview throws light on the destinations to check out, women travel safety tips and why trekking is the ultimate traveler’s delight.

What, in your opinion, is the most ideal destination for a solo woman traveller?

Anupam: Well, that’s a tricky question. There’s nothing like an “ideal’ destination. It depends completely on the person and what she wants. If she is a beach person she won’t love the best of mountains and vice-versa. Again, few people travel to explore, few to find peace, few to relish exotic cuisines and the list goes on, and on. Just filter out your wants and needs. In the end, it is all about what you take back from the place you travel to.

Ladies, Feed you soul some more adventures at the end of this year. Because,why not!!! Experience a Misty Morning from our home stay, hike around Vattakanal to see Dolphin Nose, Echo Rocks, Pillar Rocks, Guna Cave, Pine Forest and many more. And while coming back you can roam around the beautiful Kodaikanal Lake. . . . Women’s only backpacking and hiking is coming on 27-29th December. 🚌🚎⛰🌄 📌Location: Kodaikanal-Vattakanal 🏃🏻‍♀Difficulty: Easy 📲For more details do ping us on: 8910995854 #womensonly #womenonly #womenempowerment #womenstravelling #women #instawomentravels #womentravellers #womensolotravel #womentravelbuddies #travelwiththenomadiclust #travel #womenwhotravel #womenwhohike #womenwhoexplore #exploretamilnadu #tamilnadu #tamilnadutourism #indianwomentravellers

19 Likes, 0 Comments – The Nomadic Lust (@thenomadiclust) on Instagram: “Ladies, Feed you soul some more adventures at the end of this year. Because,why not!!! Experience…”

Can you give us some safety guidelines for solo women trekkers? These can be in the form of apps to download, things to stash in their bags, etc.

Anupam: Yes, the first and the foremost thing about any trip is safety. I don’t much trust the apps since most places we go to don’t have network and without that apps are useless. Yet, you can download a few apps like, Eyewatch SOS for women, IGoSafely and there are many more all over the internet.

But most importantly safety is in our own hands so few points to note are:

• Follow the law of the land (it’s very important). Be it in terms of the gestures you make, the way you talk to people, the clothes you wear, or sometimes the food you eat at few spots. It’s always better to be safe.
• Carry a pepper spray, a combat knife, Taser torches. These will protect you from unwanted animals and humans.
• Learn self-defence techniques. You might need it as expecting people to come and help us in times of need may not be possible always. So be prepared for everything.
• Stay in contact with your close family and friends. Wherever you plan to go, make sure your closest people know the location. If possible give them the local police station contact and your accommodation/home stay contact details. Most of the times we forget to pass over this information, but it’s very important.

How often do you have trekking groups that are exclusively for women?

Anupam: There are no specifics. We mostly have mixed groups with equal number of males and females and we take care of the complete safety and security for everyone. It’s out of fear that lot of women still prefer going out with ‘Women Only’ trips but this is a misconception.

We have done lots of women only trips and lots of mixed batches too. The best reviews that we got were in fact, from mixed batches.

The Belum Caves is the largest and longest cave system open to the public on the Indian subcontinent, known for its speleothems, such as stalactite and stalagmite formations. The Belum Caves have long passages, galleries, spacious caverns with fresh water and siphons. This cave system was formed over the course of tens of thousands of years by the constant flow of underground water. The cave system reaches its deepest point ( 46 m (151 ft) from entrance level) at the point known as Pataalaganga. To explore Belum Cave join us to our next departure of Gandikota-Balum Cave backpacking and camping event! Link in bio. . . . . . . #cave #caveexplorer #explorecaves #indiancave #belumcaves #belumcave #explore #explorepage #explorers #exploring #bangaloretravelblogger #bangaloretrekbuddy #bangalorephotographer #bangaloretravelbuddy #exploreig #igers #igdaily

19 Likes, 0 Comments – The Nomadic Lust (@thenomadiclust) on Instagram: “The Belum Caves is the largest and longest cave system open to the public on the Indian…”

Can you give us the best destinations according to season – summer, winter, monsoon, and spring?

Anupam: We mostly operate in three states: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. All our trips start from Bangalore, so based on that I would suggest the following:

Monsoon: Visit the Western Ghats of Karnataka for trekking, Kudremukha, Kodachadri, Chikkamagluru, Coorg, Wayanad, Agumbe, and other parts of Kerala. There are waterfalls to see and all of the destinations fall under the rain forest area. The rains give rise to lush green meadows that you can really cherish. It will give you a kind of peace that you may have never imagined.

Summer: During this season, most people want some cooling. So personally we prefer Ooty, Kotagiri-Nilgiri valley, Yercaud, Yellagiri, and Cunnoor.

Spring: This is the best season of all. You can visit Dandeli, Gokarna, Udupi-Mangalore, basically hit the beaches, do the water activities that have been in your bucket list. If you are a wildlife lover then hit the natural reserves – Bandipur, Kabini, and Nagarholeto, to name a few.

Winter: This is the time to hit some historic places. Hampi and Badami, followed by Pondicherry, Belur, Srirangapatna, Aihole, Mysore, and a few cave explorations like Yana, and Kavala.

Where can one train oneself for trekking?

Anupam: You don’t need any special powers to be a trekker, just practice. We at Nomadic Lust regularly organize treks (one day/two day) all over the year that fits your budget.

Once you have completed 5-6 tough treks, you have crossed level one of trekking. But trekking is not only about climbing hills, it’s way more than that. It’s about learning the rules of the forest, about disciplining yourself, and learning how to survive in the wilderness. We give all the basic training in our events.

Can you recall your childhood trek memories?

Anupam: My first trek was with my father. It was a five-day adventure camping event and he was a part of the organizing team as a medical expert. I learnt the best things of my life then, which still drive me to trek and travel every weekend. He is my inspiration and I would love to do a proper trek with him, of course, only if his age and health permit.

When one goes trekking, one spends time with self. What, while trekking, have you discovered about yourself?

Anupam: I have discovered two things:

1. You know what you can do and what you cannot but you sometimes wrongly estimate your limits. Trekking helps you know how to overcome your limitations and how to push yourself. Calmness and peace are by-products of the trek. The most important however, will be the peace of concurring the peak which you thought wasn’t your cup of tea.
2. Finally, at the end, you know that it was all in your mind. So you gain the next level of confidence, remembering that if you could do that then why not this.