By Arjun K.G. and Nithin Ramesan
You can view the entire Vacation Guide here.
“Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien
And so, we’ve lined up a list of resources for you that prove that travelling can be challenging and educational as well as fun.
Literally meaning “a journey of awakening”, this NGO-organized Yatra aims to promote social entrepreneurship. It involves a 15-day, 8000-kilometer train journey through India, spent meeting entrepreneurs who are attempting to solve various challenges faced by people across the country. The program continues the next year as well, hosting events such as a rural incubation camp and a meeting of entrepreneurs.
With 190 hostels and around 30 campsites across the country, the YHAI allows you to travel and take part in myriad activities, including biking, trekking and camping out.
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Local Clubs
These are organizations at a local level that allow you to travel for a day or two:
Chennai Trekking Club (http://www.chennaitrekkers.org/)
Hyderabad Biking Club (http://www.meetup.com/HyderabadBicyclingClub/)
Delhi Cycling Club (http://www.delhicycling.org/)
Mumbai Hikers (http://mumbaihikers.com/)
Bangalore Mountaineering Club (http://www.bmcindia.org/)
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Road Trips
If travelling by train or by foot doesn’t interest you, how about a road trip? Groups of enthusiasts like HiVayKing organize and support road trips to various parts of the country. If you’re the outdoorsy sort, this one might be worth a try. If you’re not, watch The Motorcycle Diaries for inspiration and sign up for the heck of it. Go on.
If none of that works out, you can always take your camera out and take some lovely shots of nature (http://www.photomadras.org/events.html, https://www.flickr.com/groups/chennai_photography_club/). You’d be surprised at how good your neighbourhood looks when people and cars aren’t around polluting it. Insti’s a great place to start too — Prakriti organizes Nature Walks, and the Media Club conducts Photo Walks. Who says travel needs to be expensive?
