Way To Go

A range of powerhouse readings,debates,lunches with favourite authors,writing classes,offbeat heritage walks around the city,cultural evenings and a trip to the famous food streets of Jaipur — the five-day trip starting January 19 is set to be a vibrant getaway. “In the past also,we have centred our trips around several festivals. We did a trip around the Ladakh Festival,where we got to see tribes coming from different parts of Ladakh to showcase their dance and culture. We also did a trip to the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland,’’ says Piya Bose,founder of GOTG,adding that she always gets a resounding response for these trips.

Bose says the modern-day traveller is looking for experience-based travel,and not just sightseeing or shopping. Certain absorbing activities are also included in such trips. For instance,a cooking session in a Bali village,a block-printing module in Rajasthan or a hot stone bath in Bhutan.

Personally fond of books,Bose planned the Jaipur trip for others like her to get a chance to interact with world famous authors. Since the venues of literature festivals such as Jaipur,Ubud (Bali),Galle (Sri Lanka) are fascinating in terms of culture and history,trips to these places may turn out to be great packages for sightseeing as well as literary activities,says Bose.

Not just this group of women,but many travellers are now choosing to walk off the beaten track to destinations with an action-packed line-up other than the usual rounds of sightseeing and shopping.

“Apart from buildings and museums,you want to experience the destination to which you choose to travel,” says photographer Sanjeev Sharma,who had his camera capture last year’s Pushkar Festival in Rajasthan. This is the third time that Sharma travelled to Pushkar. While capturing the camel fair was a major attraction for Sharma and his four photographer friends,the other highlight for the group was photographing the Brahma temple. “We hope to showcase all those pictures in the form of a photo exhibition,’’ says Sharma.

“The great escape” is how Dr Ajit Singh,a medical practitioner and yoga teacher,describes his annual trip to The Escape Festival in Naukuchiatal (near Nainital) every May. One of the few Indian “music festivals” that isn’t just about music,it attracts people from various walks of life,like Singh,to camp in the foothills of the Himalayas or on the river banks,and listen to some eclectic and edgy music.

“You have painters,writers and photographers sharing their expertise as part of informal workshops and talks,and there’s a chance to meet many interesting people and get to know their work. Last time,we participated in a guitar-and-drum workshop,” says Singh,who is all set to return to the festival in 2012 for some more mountain music.

Closer home,some theatre enthusiasts from the city are all set to be in Delhi for the Bharat Rang Mahotsav,the theatre festival of the National School of Drama. A motley group of theatre actors,students and young theatre directors hopes to watch the coveted line-up there.

“In Chandigarh,we don’t get to see what’s happening on the national and international stage and this festival will give us a chance to be exposed to the best. We have friends in Delhi who have offered us accommodation and food,’’ says Chandrakant Mishra,a young theatre director.