Humans Of Travel (2026)

30/07/2021

All the travel experiences I’ve had, helped me choose Tourism as a career too.
I live in the beautiful city of Kolkata, it’s a land of many cultures, heritage, enormous landscape and so much history. A former capital of our country, it boasts of great weather & sweet delicacies.

I hadn’t really been to the other side of the country, but when my brother moved for work in 2017, I thought now I had a chance . After various attempts to accompany him, nothing worked until 2018. An opportunity knocked and I grabbed it with both hands. We were going to Pune.

Both me & my mom had never travelled out of Kolkata on our own, this was the first time and we were very excited.

We arrived in Pune & stayed with my brother at his PG. Due to his work schedule he couldn’t accompany us on our city explorations, but surely had tons of suggestions of places we must see while in Pune. We had decided to explore every nook and corner and go on an immersive city tour on our own. Little did I know that this trip will be a life-changing experience that will give me a new perspective about the culture of Maharashtra.
We went to the Shaniwar Wada, Aga Khan Palace and the infamous Symbiosis University. All of them are so beautiful and majestic. We also ate a ton of street food like vada pav, corn chaat, missal and more. When my brother could finally take some time off, we went to Panchgani. This was my first time at a hill station and I realised how underrated these places are. It was one of the best experiences I had. We boated over the Venna lake, visited Arthur’s Point, the Pratapgarh Fort and the beautiful Krishnabai Temple.
We usually hear people talk about the Himalayas, which are magnificent but so are Western Ghats and the Aravalli Ranges, only when you visit them.

Whenever someone asks me why I like travelling, I have the same answer: because it offers experiences beyond my imagination, every single time and my heart desires these experiences.

To travel is to be…

I am Mohini Mitra and I am an Official Human of Travel.

27/07/2021

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

24/07/2021

In 2018 I was visiting Hong Kong & Macau and I was on a planned trip to explore these 2 countries only but little did I know what was in store for me.
I met Diana at the hotel, she was the Travel Support Manager. She insisted that I visit Mainland China and how it will be a great experience. I thought I was already away from home and China wasn’t far and Diana said I could get my Visa on arrival. So that’s it, I hopped on a train to Shenzhen. I took her advice and set out on my own. But like I said, I didn't know what was in store for me.

Thrilled to be on an adventure of a lifetime, I got off at the station thinking about all that I would want to explore in China. As I headed toward the station exit and entry to the Mainland China, I was stopped by the authorities. And the next minute I learn that I was being detained at the immigrations for not having a valid visa to enter China. They threatened to deport me to India and charge me for wrongful entry into China.
All my efforts of trying to make them understand anything were in vain, and I broke down to tears. They treated me like I was a criminal and I thought what a mistake this was...

A person who’d been observing all this came to me & inquired about the situation. I told him everything and incidentally, he was also an immigration officer and a helpful one. He asked me a couple of questions & verified it with my hotel.
After getting everything checked, & learning that I was innocent, he offered me a meal at the station, tried to comfort me & issued me a 24-hour permit to visit the province of Shenzhen, on a personal invitation.
I was extremely humbled by his kind gesture, it completely changed my perception about China and it’s people, especially after what happened.

When I got back, I joined WeChat so I could talk to him & thank him for his help. Good part is that we are still in touch & talk about our different worlds once in a while.
How a single act of kindness can save someone’s life...

What he did for me made me feel at home in a foreign land. I am a psychologist, and that day somebody understood me better.

I am Abhishek Karishiddimath and I am an official Human of Travel!

23/07/2021

"Himalaya Dekha hai kya??”, my hostel friends would always taunt me.
“Bhai, zindagi main pehli baar itni door aaya hu, par abhi tak nahin dekha!” is all I would say, believing in my heart, that one day I will witness the majestic himalayas. Due to hectic study and work schedule it was hard to find time to take a trip, even over the weekends. But the teasing never stopped.
We had just finished our last exam of the first semester and the same thing echoed again, “Abbe zyada matt bol Himalaya dekha hai kya??”. And my instant response to that was, “Chal bhai, Aaj toh chal hi lete hai, dekh ke aate hai!”.
I packed my bags in a couple of hours and headed to the station, to get on to the next train to Delhi, whatever comes, bass chad jaana and somehow reach the Delhi ISBT was the idea. . We were lucky to get a berth in the Bhopal Sampark Kranti Express, the plan was to take a bus to Dehradun from Delhi. We reached Delhi early in the morning and tried to get on the bus, but all this didn't come easy. We were all very tired from the trip and we had not taken any time off since the exam was over.
Somehow by late midnight, we had reached Sankhri, that was the base camp.
I casually informed my family that I had come to Uttarakhand and might face network issues, so that they don’t get worried. It was almost 3 days of lack of sleep, tiredness and chaos, but the next day we started our trek. Honestly I don’t remember how difficult the trek was, given we had not rested well these last few days, but when I reached the top of the peak I yelled out louds, “Abbe, ab dekh liya Himalaya”
We were at Kedarkantha and nobody ever teased me about seeing the Himalayas again.

I’m a Travel Engagement Coordinator now at CRED, and I’m on a mission to visit all the states of our country. Jab bhi koi pooche “Yeh State dekha kya”, I want to tell them “Haan ghum chuka”

I am Sourabh Biliangadi and I am an Official Human of Travel.

21/07/2021

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!

20/07/2021

I am an artist and I love to travel, so I combined the two.
I paint the world on the go, various hostels and cafes that I visit, I take up art jobs there, paint their walls and turn them into beautiful spaces. Sometimes it’s abstract and sometimes each wall tells a tale.
Everyone seeks inspiration and for me it comes majorly from travelling to different places.
My art helps me go places, I conduct workshops both online and offline and then of course there are projects I undertake. With my art I feel a part of me now lives in that place, and it’s a beautiful feeling. I could add to the beauty of various places I have been to and I feel immensely grateful.

I once headed to Jibhi, Himachal Pradesh for a wall art project for an accommodation space. It was absolutely beautiful and I was super excited about this project. This was just before the first lockdown, the weather in Himachal during that time was cold & pleasant at the same time, with little chances of snowfall.
The property owner wanted us to wrap up the project at the earliest, it was soon going to be season time and a rush of tourists in Himachal. And he said if we completed the project within three days he would take us on a trip to Jalori Pass. He also mentioned there were high chances of experiencing snowfall in Jibhi and I thought that would be such a blissful experience.

My team & I completed the project within 48 hours, it was a wrap up and as promised, the owner took us to Jalori Pass. And to my utmost expectation, I experienced a snowfall for the first time in my life and it was pure bliss. I had tears in my eyes, the snowfall felt like an incentive to our hard work.
For me such things of nature are a sign of things going right and this was amazing.
I love travelling solo and meeting people and experiencing new cultures everywhere. It makes my art so much more meaningful. To travel, stories and art around the world…

I am Avantika Garg and I am an official Human of Travel.

19/07/2021

Every place tells a story and every story has a place. And I capture and create stories around places I visit. I love how every place has a story of its own, for it has been visited by so many, there are so many experiences that live in that place and that fascinates me.
I want to capture and present it to the world through my lens. And so I create lots of content on the go. I am a content creator.

Since my childhood days, travel has been a way to reconnect with myself. Driving to destinations, has been an equal journey to within as much as to the destination.

Thoda filmy hai, but my story is quite inspired by the movie ‘Yeh Jawaani hai Dewaani’. It’s when I watched this movie, I decided to go on a trek, up in the snow clad mountains. And so there I was, in Sar-pass, Himachal Pradesh.
It was hard to convince my parents but I had made up my mind and I really wanted to take this trip. 13000 ft above sea level, bad connectivity, a place I had not been to before, my first solo trip, well it all did sound crazy and I was very nervous but I embarked on the journey.
I started from Mumbai, and honestly I was very skeptical in the beginning, but the closer I came to the mountains, I started losing the sight of my fears.
And there I was, at the top of the mountain, feeling a sense of accomplishment, having done it solo, it was all so worth, truly magical. I had never travelled before on my own so this was a feeling I cannot describe in words. Being surrounded by snow, hugging nature while it hugged me back, it was all surreal.
And the Snow-slide, that one was for the books. I was at the top of the snow covered hill, my legs up in the air and I glided like a ‘block of butter on the surface of a hot pan’. That was one amazing ride.
I still get jitters when I think of that moment. So much of me was out there, every moment felt like it should last forever. It felt so alive.

After this trip, I took to travelling more often, ‘kyon ki life mein break toh banta hai’ and I take such breaks as much as I can. Travelling now feels like second home.

I am Maulika Shah and I am an official Human of Travel.

17/07/2021

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.

16/07/2021

From my experience in a corporate environment, one thing I most definitely knew early on was that a 9 to 6 was not something for me. The life I wanted to live was always out there, but I was stuck in the daily routine and was never able to explore. I always questioned myself, why, when and how…

But the idea was to get out and travel solo and so I decided to visit Russia, all by myself.
I always like to depend on information online to plan my trips, and this time too I used all the information from the various travel blogs and travel community forums to help me prepare for one of the best adventures of my life.
I used to confirm my queries on the internet regarding my next pit stops, things to do, etc. On this one travel forum I inquired about what mode of transport I should take to my hostel & a local, Irina, offered to help me. She wanted to make sure I explore the best of the places and have a great time in Russia.
But I was hesitant, as suspicions inside our minds often do, especially in a foreign land and I declined the offer. But I was sort of guilty of turning down someone trying to help and so decided to meet her on one of the days, during the day time, I just wanted to make sure it was all safe.
When I actually met her, it felt like meeting a long lost friend. We hit off instantly and it turned out she was a really nice, kind hearted person who simply wanted me to experience the best of her country and in fact save me from getting ribbed by cabbies and malice. Together we explored various places and learning about stories from someone who has stayed there all her life made the experience incredible. My trip to St. Petersburg will always be a reminder of my friend Irina.

I realised after this trip that travelling is not just visiting a place, it is a way of getting exposed. It is being open to the discomfort out there, and finding comfort and solace in being in a place where you mostly don’t know anyone. Most importantly it helped me restore faith in being human. I don’t get suspicious anymore about people wanting to help, & I mostly explore new places with the locals now.

I am Shrawanti Saha and I am an Official Human of Travel.

13/07/2021

We are from the beautiful sunny city of Bangalore & we always travel together as a family. But it wasn’t exactly like this all the time, especially after Kabir was born.
There was sort of a stagnancy, because travelling with a little one, we weren’t sure.

But the travel bug in us didn’t let us be & we took on to 13 cities in 12 months from Goa to Pondicherry to Amsterdam to the States.

Travelling has an impact on all of us in numerous ways, and for us as a family, it helped us bond better & it constantly helps us see the best of each other

In the winter of 2019, we went to the Dolomites in Italy for a Skiing experience. Pavan & I had taken lessons before and we were very keen for Kabir to try it. He was only 2.5 yrs at that time. We had shown him some videos of other kids skiing and he was quite excited about the whole thing. Watching him in all his gears & getting into the snow on his tiny little skis, is a feeling we will never forget!
Of course, he fell several times & he did have his moments of wanting to give up, but he took his time & every time he would get up and try again.

The following year we visited France & he tried to ski again, and this time he was more confident, more aware of his body & mind and eager to hit the slopes. Watching him ski, being so daring with something he had not done before, was an absolute delight

As parents it’s moments like these that you live for. We feel extremely grateful that we are able to give Kabir such opportunities where he constantly challenges himself, only to get better every time.

We have escaped every huddle and pushed all boundaries to get to all these places and experience magical moments that define us. No restriction was an obstruction and one thing that definitely changed is the mindset, that “travelling with a little one is not possible”.
We are so happy that we could do all this with Kabir and give him some of the best experiences of his life.

So next time someone says how will you travel with a child? Tell them: A family that travels together, stays together!

We are Anu, Pavan and Kabir (now 4) and we are the Official Humans of Travel!

25/03/2021

Have you ever planned a trip and nothing went according to the plan? My trip to Alibaug; in 2019 with a close friend; was a series of mishappening but with a sweet surprise towards the end.

We left from Pune and reached our hotel in Alibaug in the afternoon. After waiting for good 10 minutes the manager came up to us to tell us that he had given our room to someone else. Furiously, I dialled the customer care number of the website through which we had booked our accommodation. They apologised and booked us another room in the hotel. It was raining heavily outside and the hotel was 5 km away. We hopped on our moped and reached the hotel drenched from top to bottom. We went up to the reception only to find out that the booking site had compensated the amount we paid for the previous hotel. But now we were supposed to pay ₹8000 extra! I again called up customer care and they again booked a room in another property. Frustrated, we once again drove all the way to that address only to find out that the hotel DIDN'T EXIST! There was nothing there! We tried booking another hotel nearby, but they said their employees were on a strike.
We really thought that the universe does not want us to have this small vacation- we felt so dejected! But we had to go somewhere and that's when we found this homestay. We settled in and I had only ₹500 left in my pocket. It was 10:00 at night and we were starving, so I went out to get dinner. I was doubtful as to how I'd manage to buy everything in just 500 bucks. I found this small food joint and I waited until the food was being packed. The entire road was flooded with water and suddenly I saw a ₹500 note floating in the water on the road! I picked it up instantly and that was sheer dumb luck just waiting for us! I bought some more food, snack and beer for the two of us and ensured the two of us at least ended the day with a nice dinner!

The ₹500 note was the beginning of a wonderful trip. Day 1 was sh*tty but we managed to keep a tiny flicker of hope alive and that’s what made the rest of the trip eventful!

I am Adityavardhan and I am an Official Human of Travel!

22/03/2021

As ‌a‌ ‌kid,‌ ‌I‌ ‌used‌ ‌to‌ ‌believe‌ ‌that‌ ‌every‌ ‌aeroplane‌ ‌flies‌ ‌to‌ ‌‌just ONE ‌destination-‌ ‌London.‌ ‌I‌ ‌was‌ ‌obsessed‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌country! Soon after my 10th board exams, my parents granted my wish of visiting London. Within‌ ‌48‌ ‌hours‌ ‌after‌ ‌my‌ ‌exams,‌ ‌I‌ ‌found‌ ‌myself‌ ‌on‌ ‌a‌ ‌flight‌ ‌to‌ ‌London‌! Finally, I reached my dream destination and I remember every detail of it. There‌ ‌was‌ ‌this ‌place‌ ‌called‌ ‌‘town‌ ‌centre’‌ ‌near‌ ‌my‌ ‌aunt’s‌ ‌house‌ ‌that had a ‌massive library‌. I being an‌ ‌avid‌ ‌book‌ ‌reader, was super excited to visit it. ‌What's funny is that my‌ ‌15-year-old‌ ‌self‌ ‌thought‌ ‌she‌ ‌could‌ ‌walk‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌library‌ ‌all‌ ‌alone‌! ‌I‌ ‌reached‌ ‌the town‌ ‌centre‌ ‌and‌ ‌obviously got‌ ‌confused‌ ‌since‌ ‌it‌ ‌had‌ ‌two‌ ‌gates. Still, I kept walking and entered ‌‌the‌ ‌east‌ ‌gate‌ ‌only ‌to find myself completely directionless ‌that too with ‌‌a 5% battery in my phone! ‌I‌ ‌panicked‌ ‌but tried really hard to contain it.‌ And instead‌ ‌of asking someone for help,‌ ‌I‌ ‌decided‌ ‌to‌ ‌figure‌ ‌it‌ ‌out‌ ‌myself.‌ I ‌was on‌ ‌the‌ ‌verge‌ ‌of‌ ‌passing‌ ‌out‌ ‌due‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌unbearable cold weather. So I‌ ‌gathered‌ all my energy‌ and started running towards ‌the‌ ‌west‌ ‌gate‌. While running I bumped into my Aunt. Woah! What a relief. I almost thought I'd end up in serious trouble.‌ But I got lucky, and then happily enjoyed the entire day in that beautiful library. ‌I spent a month in London and I grew fond of exploring new places.‌ ‌I‌ ‌remember not shedding even a tear before leaving for this trip ‌but‌ ‌when it was time to leave, I was overwhelmed with a bittersweet feeling. ‌

We as humans usually find a home in each other, but for me,‌ its ‌a ‌place‌ ‌which‌ ‌
turns‌ ‌me‌ ‌into‌ ‌a‌ ‌storyteller.‌ ‌I‌ ‌have‌ ‌embraced‌ ‌every‌ ‌place‌ ‌I‌ ‌have‌ ‌travelled‌ ‌to‌ ‌and‌ ‌if‌ ‌there‌ ‌is‌ ‌anything‌ ‌that‌ ‌soothes‌ ‌me,‌ ‌it‌ ‌is‌ ‌travelling‌ ‌and‌ ‌exploring‌ ‌different‌ ‌cultures.‌ ‌
‌
I‌ ‌am‌ ‌Saakshi‌ ‌Nikam‌ ‌and‌ ‌I‌ ‌am‌ ‌an‌ ‌Official‌ ‌Human‌ ‌of‌ ‌Travel.

Humans Of Travel

30/07/2021

27/07/2021

24/07/2021

23/07/2021

21/07/2021

20/07/2021

19/07/2021

17/07/2021

16/07/2021

13/07/2021

25/03/2021

22/03/2021

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