She was a strategic planner in a largest advertising agency and then became a travel blogger. Divyakshi Gupta is a well-known travel blogger in India and was the first Indian travel blogger to be featured by WordPress in 2016.

One of your most memorable journeys so far and why?

  • Sikkim: Sikkim is a delight for nature lovers, road trippers and mountain junkies. North Sikkim with hamlets like Lachen, Lachung and Yumthang are straight out of a postcard. 
  • Shekhawati: Ornate havelis with intricate architecture are scattered across unpretentious villages giving you a non-touristy vibe. 
  • Andamans: Andamans is so much more than Havelock and Neil. The trip to Baratang island through the mangroves to the limestone caves is so underrated. There are evergreen forests in Chidiya Tapu where I have seen the most enormous Tithpok trees. Jolly Buoy island is another gem where one can snorkel to see diverse corals and marine life. 
  • Southern forests of Annamalai, Parambikulam and Valparai: These lie on the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which boasts of south west ghats and a diverse fauna and flora. While people flock to Kodaikanal, a trip to Valparai instead is a great option to stay in tea gardens and see the Nilgiri Tahr up close.

What are the various things you keep in mind, when you decide for a trip?

The budget, How to reach, things to do, the lesser known places around it, off beat experiences, if there are any local tours.

I love public speaking and mentoring. Apart from regularly conducting workshops on Travel blogging and photography in Mumbai and have given over 50 Travel talks and panel discussions as well, including Photography sessions in the Photographic Society of India, a TED x unplugged talk on Passion to Paycheque , OTM 2018, Times Travel Festival 2019,  Mumbai Travel Fest 2020 and guest lectures in B-schools like SP Jain, Ruia college, VESIMSR, MUMBAI university on digital marketing, social media, and advertising. Also conducting mentoring sessions for goal setting for students in colleges.

What kind of food/snacks you have during your trip and music on your travel playlist?

I love sampling local food when I travel. The best meals have been local meals from places which are not listed on the web. My travel playlist is eclectic: From AR Rahman to Punjabi folk to Sufi! 

How has your lockdown been?

The COVID-19 situation has been successful in putting a traveller in a house arrest for four months. It has changed my life in many aspects. This is the longest ever I have been at home at a stretch. It has taught me a lot. I also don’t see travel happening at least this year for me. So safe to say this year has been a challenging one so far.

I have got back to reading. I never got the time to read in the mad rush of travels and work. The lockdown helped me get back to my books and I have finished reading four of them. Secondly, it has helped me up my cooking skills. Even though I love cooking, I didn’t get the time to do it so often. So have been cooking up a riot, trying new dishes, and experimenting with limited resources. I find it therapeutic and it keeps me sane!

On the work front, I released a lockdown video series to extend support towards local brands (artisans, craftsmen, travel enablers)

This pandemic has taught me to never take ‘normal’ for granted:

It has taught me to slow down: to journal how I feel, to introspect, to get back to things that seemed irrelevant, to chew my meals without hurrying, to declutter to feel better.

It taught me nothing is permanent and as I watch birds chirp incessantly outside my window and trees change colour, I know this will pass too.

5 tips for travel enthusiasts?

Some starter tips would be:

  1. Research your destination.
  2. Download google maps (very helpful if there are network issues where you’re travelling).
  3. Travel with an open mind and be receptive to new experiences.
  4. I always strike up conversations with locals to discover the lesser explored side of a place.
  5. Visiting local markets is a great way to discover the local culture!
  6. I also try to sign up for a walk with a local to see their city from their eyes.
  7. If you love photography, wake up early to photograph the place without crowds.

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