Back in 2001, I was a small town boy of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, who never travelled beyond his home town except 2-3 trips to nearby places and a school trip to Taj Mahal in Agra. There was a desire to see the new places always, but it never became a passion of my life. I was curious about the maps, history and geography, but that curiosity never inspired me to travel. My life was going fine in a small town of India.
My inspiration was the lines of The Great Ghumakkad Rahul Sanskrityayan, “कमर बांध लो भावी घुमक्कड़ों ! संसार तुम्हारे स्वागत के लिए बेकरार है.” (Buckle Up Future Backpackers ! The World is longing to welcome you). But still, during those days, I was not a nomad type of person. It was only in my thoughts.
It was only in the month of April 2002, when I jumped on the travel wagon by chance. I was a student of Engineering in Ghaziabad, a city very close to Delhi. Delhi, the capital of India gave me the wings to fly high and the Indian Railway Network played an important role in this journey. Delhi is a major railway hub with trains connecting to all parts of India. My room-mate in the college hostel was having a railway journey pass, because his father was an Engineer in the Indian Railways. The pass was endorsed in the name of my friend and his brother without having their photographs. It meant, any person of the age of 21 years could use that pass by pretending himself as my room-mate. Unethical, well as a student in India, we don’t buy the train tickets most of the time. So, it seemed perfectly fair back then. That pass was valid to travel from Jammu Tawi to Mumbai on the railway route.
One day, I just decided to use that pass and planned a random tour to Shimla, the nearest hill station from Delhi after Mussoorie. It was just a random plan, nothing to be excited. However, holding that free pass for a train journey 17 years ago, I was not aware that my life was going to change forever and that decision would continue to empower and inspire me for the years.
I started my journey with two pair of clothes and Rs.350 in cash. No guide-books, no camera, only two atlas. Those were not the days of cheaper mobile phones or plastic money, so there was no debit cards, credit cards or mobile phones. From Delhi, I boarded a train going to Ambala. After that, it turned out in a week long journey on the random trains going to the different places on the route of that railway pass. None of the places were originally planned in my itinerary, when I started out from Delhi.
I visited Rose Garden and Rock Garden in Chandigarh, then The Golden Temple in Amritsar before reaching to Jammu Tawi. I was eager to enjoy the snow-packed mountain peaks of Himalayas in Jammu. In a fine morning, I de-boarded a train at Jammu station. I looked all around for the Himalayas and its mighty white peaks, but there was none. What a fool I was! Searching for the snow in Jammu! It was the first proof of my bookish theoretical knowledge of Geography, that never taught me about the snowline. It starts well beyond Jammu city, near the Kashmir Valley, approx 300 kms away, that too in winter season. In other season, we have to go well-beyond Srinagar and Gulmarg.
Anyway, I was still an immature traveler those days. When I did not find the mountains near Jammu station, I decided to move little beyond the Jammu city. I went to Jammu Bus Stand. There was a fare list of nearby places connected with the bus services and the minimum fare was Rs.20 for a place names as Katra. In search of the snow, I boarded a bus to Katra.
After 3 hours of the bus journey, I arrived in Katra, unaware of the fact that unknowingly I reached to the base of Trikuta Hill, the adobe of Maa Vaishno Devi. Actually, I found many billboards and hills painted with the chanting of Jai Mata Di, but since my mind was pre-occupied with the snow, I overlooked the signs of a great Hindu temple. When I left the bus at Katra, a person approached me and asked If I was in the need of a room. I denied, and then he asked whether I would like to take a bath before climbing to the temple. Then, I enquired that which temple was there. He informed me that I reached at the base of Maa Vaishno Devi Temple.
Oh My God! it was the biggest surprise in the entire journey. With mind full of surprises, heart full of joy and head bowed down in devotion, I visited the temple and offered my prayers there. After that I forgot about the mountains, the peaks, the snow and the Kashmir Valley. I returned to Delhi and narrated the entire journey to my friends. Getting a Prasad of Maa Vaishno Devi Temple was a pleasant surprise for everyone.
That trip was actually random train journeys made in hurry without any knowledge. It was not a trip of life-time for sure, however it changed my life forever. It gave me the much needed courage to follow my heart. I keep visiting the shrine of Maa Vaishno Devi in every semester of the engineering course. After the studies, I continuously went to the temple every year until I left Delhi. That place always gives me the courage and inner peace of mind.
My room-mate left the college in the second year and I used his pass twice, second time to Mumbai. Without the pass also, I made many trips during my engineering course either solo or with my friends, visiting destinations from Srinagar to Mumbai and from Jaipur to Kolkata. And this is how I started getting stories from the road. Years later, I have numerous stories of using general (2nd class) coaches of trains, spending nights at the platforms, eating foods on the roadside dhabas, spending money as less as I can.
After the college, I was busy in job switching, experimenting on many things expect the travels. I did not reach Shimla on my first solo trip and Shimla remained far away for the next 7 years, when I finally reached there in 2009. However, that was Shimla minus the snow again. The search of the snow was going on for the next few years, despite the fact that I visited Srinagar, Gulmarg in Kashmir Valley; Dharamshala, Mcleodganj, Shimla, Kalpa, Chhitkul and Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh; Badrinath, Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand. Nowhere, I got the chance to enjoy the snowfall or got any chance to stand on a snow-covered mountain. In 2014, I visited Ladakh in the month of January, where I found the illusive snow-falls, white covered valleys, frozen rivers and lakes. I found it again at Gulmarg in the month of March, and also during the Trans-Siberian Journey across Russia. The search for the snow was finally over.
In the year of 2011, I started compiling my travel accounts and experiences on the web and it took a formal shape on this website. Slowly, it becomes a passion to travel to the new destinations, meet the fellow travellers and share few experiences on the web. Travel motivates me to step out from my cocoon quite often, to search my soul, to explore a new place, to tell a new story.
I neither have a big desire to explore each and every corner in this world, nor have a bucket list. Its all about following my heart. It can be a road-tripping, trekking, river-chasing, photography, motorcycle riding, snorkelling, scuba diving etc. I want to live this life with full craziness at some of the most beautiful destinations in the world. While dreaming of all these, the idea is not to wait for the other people. Its written in The Dhammapada,
Travel only with thy equals or thy betters; if there are none, travel alone.
The words of Mark Twain are my source of inspiration,
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
After the first train journey on a railway pass, I visited Chandigarh, Amritsar and even Shimla many times and clicked a lot of pictures, but unpicked pictures of the first solo trip are still fresh in my mind.
I may work in a good paying job now, but I still believe in the budget travel and ‘Budget’ is not a dirty word for me. 17 years later, the quest of backpacking is still on. I continuously save money to chase the dream of backpacking. Whenever, I get leaves from my routine job, I celebrate my life on the road.
No matter how big or small, all of my journeys have opened my eyes, broadened my horizons, and given me deeper perspective into both my life and the world around me. After all, these journeys are celebration of my life. And here at this website, I just want to share my journeys with you. It may inspire some more people to step out from their comfort zone to explore this beautiful planet, to celebrate life on the road.
Hey there, I started reading your blog while I was doing my own solo backpacking for a long time. And I must say that your is one of the most helpful and to the point blog with the perfect blend of information and stories! I specially enjoy the detailed trekking stories from your blog! You have a fan in me!
Thank you very much for this beautiful comment. You made my day. Happy Travels. 🙂
Thanks buddy… i am visiting Egypt from 24th of February 2018 to 13th March 2018…your posts helped me to design my itinerary…
Dear SoloBackpacker! I found out your wonderful true adventure travel stories by looking for information about how to reach Aswan from Cairo. You detail everything very accuratedly, what helps us (me as another solo backpacker) a lot! Thanks a lot. I am following you in Facebook! Thanks a lot! Hugs!
Thank you. I am glad that the information helped you out. Happy Travels 🙂
Hi Avinash,
I was reading your blog posts on Egypt! The details, clarity and options you give is fabulous! And of course, they are all inspiring as well!
I am going to Egypt in March 2018 and your posts would be very useful! Thanks for the same!
Happy travelling!
Hi Solo Backpacker,
Looking for information about differents place in Northern India, I landed on your blog…I find it splendid, with many and varied details, and, the most important, full of inspiration!!!
Thanks for sharing your experiences and with them help me in planning my next trip for your incredible country.
Blessings from Spain!
“See the world.I’ts more fantastic than any dream” R.Bradbury
Thank you very much. Hope you will have an awesome experience here in India. 🙂
GREAT … Dear Backpacker . You doing a great job to assist others for providding clues to places with not great transparency in terms of Visas , Travel etc. etc .
I am also a vivid traveller with 40 years of aimless wandering around the globe & been to : North Pole by a Nuclear Ice breaker , Antartica , Glaciers of Ilulissat & let alone rest of the other popular places on this planet earth you name & probably I have been there .
It will be my delight to be in touch with you if we can reciprocate to assist mutually as well others .
Ashok Gupta / India
email : rajapluto7@gmail.com
My Business : http://www.radhaashok.com
That’s great Sir. I would love to hear your stories. Hope to see you soon. 🙂
hey @solobackpacker i am a travel enthusiast and planning to go to roopkund trek. I read your blog about roopkund trek and it was very nicely described. But the problem with me is that there are many companies and organizations which organize the trek. Can you please suggest me any one of them on which I can realy and have trust. I am mostly concerned about the safety and proper managment of the trek. Please reply to this ASAP.
Regards
Yash
Hi, I have no idea about the tour operators. Most of them follow same itinerary and same pattern, one may start from Wan Village and other may start from Didna Village. That’s it. Choose any among the well known name.
Hi Solobackpacker!
I’m planning a solo trip to Spiti Valley and have been religiously following the intricacies mentioned about the journey. I hail from Delhi and wish to take Shimla route. Then reach Peo and later Kaza. I’ve budgeted 8 days including return. First, Is it a fair bargain?
Also I’m aiming for last week of May 2017 or First week of June 2017, was just curious to inquire if the roads are motorable around that time.
Lastly, a big thank you for such an encouraging coverage of the place. I’m sure you bare the flag of solo backpackers. Bravo! This blog really gives a kick to travel.
Please do share a few links you’ve mentioned above detailing about the en-route experiences 🙂
Hi, Thank you for the appreciation. First week of June is good time, but you may have to take the route via Shimla during onward as well as return journey. The route via Manali may remain closed. 8-days time is good, but effectively you will get only 4 days for Spiti Valley. If you can add 3-4 more days, then it will be a good itinerary. 🙂
i really like these lines ““At the dusk of my life, when these eyes started to close, there should be the peace in my heart, that I lived this life with full craziness, spent few moments at some of the most beautiful destinations, and inspired some more people to step out from their comfort zone to explore this beautiful planet”.” Thank u
You can’t imagine how you inspire my life… I will be glad to meet you personally…. thanks sir
Hello Solo backpacker!
Chanced upon your website while planning a trip to Russia and was absolutely blown away at the way you’ve made all this information open source and collated. A big ‘thank you’!
Hi, Thanks for the encouraging words. Glad that these information are helpful to you. Happy Travels. 🙂
Hi Solo, thank you for a brilliant blog – much appreciated. I am a woman and plan to use the metro for local travel. I have seen that you say that the “woman only” carriages must be avoided. Is it not available to foreign woman? Thanks, Tracy
Hi, I hope that you are talking about Cairo Metro. As a woman, you can easily board the women only carriages, Nationality doesn’t matter for that.
Athato Ghumakkad: Riding a bicycle in Tehri Garhwal it was amazing trip was mine. good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.
Priya :- promises myself before travel in book want to explore world in my own eyes.
Hope you will travel more and more 🙂
Hello this is my first time on your blog. I am searching bout egypt and landed here. This is an awesome blog, very informatif . I like your blog. Btw, how did u manage your blog like that?
Thank you. I am just following a passion and that helps me to maintain this blog. 🙂
Thanks for sharing, Solo Backpacker.
Hi
I feel happy for landing in your blog, finally, as it is.flooded with the info (experience of yours) I have been looking for. Your way of real story telling is superb. Thanks a lot for penning down such inspiring words here.
Keep exploring and keep.posting your ride on road experiences! Reading your blog itself gives a kind of.refreshing feeling!
Thank you for the encouraging words. 🙂
Your writing is all about honesty and confidence. I loved reading your articles and I loved reading this about page even more. Your style of traveling is a lot like mine. No checklist, no plan, just be on the road for the stories. I’m following you.
Hi, Thank you very much for this lovely comment. I am following you too 🙂
Hi I loved reading your blog , specially the spiti valley ones. I am planning myself for a solo trip along the valley and would like to know some more from you. let me know how can I reach you for the same.
Thanks
Debjani
Hello Solobackpacker
I just read one of your posts. Remarkably written indeed. That’s what one needs to know to make travel plans.,
Amazing, simple, to the point. Great.
I also travel a lot and write my Blog, but yours is very nice indeed.
We can exchange views and you may use read some of my posts to countries that you still desire to visit.
I am at sdmalhotra@yahoo.com
All places you explored are nicely explained and carry all information once should require. I am from Gujarat and last year I did a trip to Ladakh and your post helped a lot too.
Have you ever been to Gujarat? Would love to learn about your experience.
I haven’t been to Gujarat yet. It’s on the card, but not very soon. I am not sure about any plan for Gujarat. 🙂
Hey, why you haven’t come here to Kerala? 🙂
Kerala is still an illusion. Far away. I am in no hurry. Let us wait. 🙂
Such vivid and interesting space you have created here!!! Your stories are so informative and helpful….Thanks for sharing the love for travel
Hello….I just came across your site, while researching about Abu Simbel, thanks for outting the information which has helped me.
Stay blessed…….
All i needed a little push…..after reading these posts, i will travel as if i don’t care…..
Amazing blog! Really helpful for solo travellers like myself. Thanks a lot and looking forward to reading more of your travel chronicles! 🙂 Keep inspiring!
Thank you for motivating me to travel and to write. 🙂
I really liked your travel philosophy…… hope I can also follow it so soon
Thanks Sonali. I wish you to travel more and more. Apart from the travel, I really enjoyed reading about your Love philosophy on your blog. 🙂
My Dear Solo Backpacker,
The thinking, the philosophy, the words, and the person behind all of these things. A big salute to you. I am 52 now and when look back I only found that your words are very true. I also follow some rules in my life (some of my friends says that it is my philosophy). But what I feel, if you have some philosophy, you can live a better life.
Best wishes for your future.
Debasis Lahiri
lahiridisp@gmail.com
Thank you Sir. Your words are truly motivating :-).
Amazing…….
still reading and making plans
Written very well..
I will be most probably visiting spiti valley in the month of september for around 15 days.
I want to know that is it safe for a female solo traveler to go there?
I would also like to know that are 15 days sufficient to explore spiti and all near by villages and experiencing their lifestyle?
Hi Palak, Spiti is perfectly safe for female solo traveler. People are very kind and helpful. You will definitely enjoy your stay there. 15-days is enough to explore the Spiti Valley. Try to make the complete circuit from Shimla-Reckong Peo-Tabo-Kaza-Losar-Manali and back. Have a nice trip.
Hello Avinash, what a wonderful website you’ve managed. It’s taken me a full day to jot down all the details I might need for spiti and fishing for more tips from your comments. I have a similar plan of 15 days in September. I am doing it solo and while I have a good idea/plan of the delhi-shimla-peo-kazo route by “kazo bus” (after I read your post). I am a little sceptic about exiting via the Manali route. Is rohtan pass going to be open in the sept-1-15 period. Is there a public bus option for this one..like the kazo bus with a sort of fixed stoppage so I can see places and catch the same bus next day? That is how I will do the shimla-kazo route and explore pretty much the same places you stopped. Do share your inputs. Also, I would love to find a travel partner. So this is for all the curious readers of solo backpacker. I am travelling solo and should anyone have a similar plan or is interested in doing these places on the following dates…please do drop me a line:-
Sept 1-15th – delhi- shimla-spiti-manali – Delhi
Sept 18 – 28th ladakh
Sept 30 – Oct 11 – Kashmir
I am based in Mumbai and will fly to Delhi on 29th august. Solo, and budget where ever possible.
Gaurav Singh
Think.singh@gmail.com
7506460961 (watsapp)
Once again thank you Avinash. This is such a brilliant feat you’ve achieved with so much of the helpful info all over your website. I have a long 4 months of south east Asia trip planned for Nov ’15 – Feb ’16. Will start making an itinerary, visa pointers and notes from your website real soon.
Good luck!
Hi Gaurav. Thanks for your kind words. Kaza-Manali route will be open during your trip. Two government run buses ply on this route everyday. Many shared jeeps also operate between Kaza and Manali, when this route gets open. For a travel partner, why not to use the forum section? You may able to get the right audience there. Hope you will have a nice trip. Looking forward to hear your experiences.
Hi Palak, Just curious to know if you went for this trip, and if you did, look forward to your experiences of traveling solo to Spiti, your detailed itinerary and feedback, if any. Cheers!
I am a retired person – a 58 years young and a travel enthusiast.I have traveled to many places in and out of the country but with family and friends except once to Goa.I traveled solo to Goa once about 10 years ago but somehow did not enjoy the trip.
I chanced to see your blog and the traveler in me got invoked once again. Your blog is awesome and I got hooked up with the simple and clear language. I started off with one article but could not resist reading more.Keep it up !
I am bookmarking your page for future references.I would also like to know if there are any budget trip planned and possibly I can join. I am fairly fit person and do a lot of walking during my travel.
Thank You Sir. I just returned from a solo trip to Russia. As of now, no trip is in my mind. Its time to work. 🙂
v nice pic.
Hi! I came across to your blog while seraching inforamtion about abu simbel. You have covered the information nicely & precisely. It was helpful. After completed reading Egypt I jumped to Leh trek n then to Bike Ride to Tanot. I feel like just go on reading all experiences. I am a biker n would love to read bike ride experiences.
You are doing good work. Keep up the spirit!
Ride Hard.. Ride Safe!
Regards…
Vaibhav Gaikwad
Team BBRC (Biker Buddiz Riders Club)
Thanks Vaibhav 🙂
Thank you for your post about travel between Aswan and Luxor. You are an excellent storyteller! I will be in Egypt next month, so the information your provided is very useful to me. Thanks!
HI
Really the blog is gr8. It helps people a lot.
M planning to visit in May 26th to Maa Vaishnav Devi, Could u please guide us towards hotel bookings and how to reach Amritsar as we have to visit Golden Temple, Wagha Border and Jallianwalabagh
really great
Just came across your blog and loved it…..
need some information about Udaipur…. can you help me out?
Sure..What do you want to know about Udaipur?
I wish to share my SOLO journey to Canada from India 😀
Hi, do you want to share it here? Send us your story on info@solobackpacker.com with the photographs. We would love to publish it. 🙂
Hey……… Avanish, Great job man keep going…..awesome blog which gives lots of information to solo traveler like me
Thanks…Enjoy Travelling. 🙂
I can say only one word about this blog…..Just Awesome. This blog provide lot of information that inspire me to travel more.
Thank you so much. Enjoy backpacking.
BAHUT SHANDAR JANKARIYAN DI GAEE HAI ES BLOG MEIN.. BAHUT BAHUT DHANYAVAD… UMA SHANKER SHARMA. RAJASTHAN (INDIAa)
Hi, it is wonderful. whole I have read your details for egypt. I wish I can travel like you. it is wonderful/ I wish you have more & more travel safely & peacefully. Regards,Gopinath
Thanks Sir..Your words are truly inspirational..
Hi bro, myself Sudhir ( Maddy ) from delhi
First of all I would like to say about your blog ” LAJAWAAB, dil garden garden ho gaya aapke blogs padh kar.”
Thank you dear Avinash for your valuable, fantastic,wonderful,awesome n amazing blog.
I want to visit your office n meet you if you dont mind.where is your office.
My no. is 09999139914.
Have a great day !!!
Thank you very much, Dear. I will call you soon.
hey.. just came to this site while surfing on the net.. and the blogs written are amazing.. which makes me travel like that alone… so if there are any further trips happening and u take people with u i would love to join.. please do inform me for the same!
Hi, Just introduced a new widget in the right sidebar of this blog. You can see next five trips planned by me there. Except family trips, we do search for the fellow trekkers/travellers for the other trips. Keep Travelling and Enjoy. 🙂
Hi Avanish,hey buddy wassup?Where have you been travelling latest..Love reading the articles on your blog – very nicely written – always.
Hi, I am fine. What about you? I am planning a 12-days trek across the Pin-Parvati Pass in Himachal Pradesh, probably in July/August. Any plan to be in Delhi? Let’s meet.
Hi Dear,
Nice Blog, vibrating thoughts & contains very useful information. Inspired by your thought to come-out of our mechanical life. To day you have provided me useful information even at midnight spending your precious time. I had experience that people are charging in dollars as consultancy service, how you are responding & advising free of cost sacrificing your own time ?
Heartily thank for you & Solo Backpacker. Well done man…! Keep up the good work…!!
Best Regards,
Manoj
Thanks Sir..You are so kind with the words. I am making a good living in my current profession, so never think about those Dollars. Lets wait for the future. Keep travelling. 🙂
Hi there ! Nice blog and believe me you have created a platform I was on lookout for. I have just enrolled myself for your updates. Can we connect with like minded people to join when ever some one is planning a Solo trip ? My next three trips are Rajasthan Desert Safari at Jaisalmer – next week, Vietnam & Cambodia over New Year eve and then NYC and over to Peru & Bolivia Jan end / Feb – SK
Thanks SK..I endorse your idea of a community of like-minded people..But, I doubt, if many of us are able to travel at your pace :-)…Your coming trips are amazing and making me jealous..Happy Backpacking Buddy..
You got a way with the words ! Nice. But I have some catching up to be done with the procrastinated plans from the past !!!
Hi Avanish, landed on your Blog while searching for Thai Visa for Indians. Have seen so many expat/backpacker blogs, It feels really good to know a native backpacker. Your blog is full of inspirations to many who have a hidden backpacker inside them but are scared/afraid to take it out. I was scared too but after traveling abroad with friends for the first time and reading expat blogs I realized my fears were nothing but self made boundaries.
I am upto following my backpacking dreams. Next, I wish to go to Thailand (again for 3rd time) Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam. I wish to see all Asian countries first than saving up for Europe 😛 Happy backpacking buddy! I’ll read your blog posts on in spare time!
Thanks Sunny, you are very kind with the words. Hope to cross your road somewhere. Happy Backpacking to you too.
I always remember those few trips (college days) done with u while reading ur blog … Keep going buddy.
Thanks bro, those trips were starting of all these backpacking. It was those trip only with you guys that inspired me to travel more and more. 🙂
You are a dude and dude for me is any person (irrespective of gender) who has the guts to follow its heart… So may be I am not Queen of England to confer the title of ‘Sir’ but getting a ‘Dude’ from me isn’t that bad either.. Keep up the work, Dude, twenty years from now when your kids will see these photographs, again and again and again, they will be proud of their Dude Daddy 🙂
Thanks Divya for the sweetest comment..You may not be the Queen of England, but getting the title of ‘Dude’ from your side is really a honour for me. 🙂
Great blog man!…Feels great to read about a fellow solo backpacker…considering its such a rarity in India!…Keep up the good work!
“Traveling — it leaves you speechless, then
turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta
Thanks Nishant 🙂
enjoyed your blog keepup the good work.and offcourse travel more n more n more !!!
Thanks…
Very nice sir ….. awesome blog ….. Wish U to be in the top travel blogs of the world …….
Fantastic blog this one! I am headed to another backpacking adventure in SE Asia in Feb ’13 and it was nice reading from an Indian backpacker’s perspective, helps a lot 🙂
Thanks Shamik..Have a wonderful trip ahead..Happy Travelling. 🙂
Wonderful blog! i like it very much. Although my idea of travel is always associated to driving, hence becomes a little limited, but i enjoy it, so no complaints 🙂
Thanks for visiting this blog, Sumeet. Your idea and dream to drive across India is wonderful. Hope to see a lot of trips from you in coming days. Will meet you somewhere on the road.
Regards,
Avanish
Hi Dear found out about your blog lately..I totally enjoyed reading it ..especially that macau incident 😉 ..keep up the good work…cheers
Thanks Sir, I am happy to see you here..
You have an awesome blog…. I really love the way you have maintained your blog. Keep up the good work