By sagnika sinha
It all started with the calls of the Mountain! Or should I say Instagram? Well, that’s where I learned about this backpacking trip to McLeodGunj in Himachal, India organized by a group called Vagabond Experiences!
Apparently, individuals, couples, and groups were welcome on this trip! Can you imagine going to Himachal on a 10-day trip with complete strangers? Let’s talk about it together so you don’t have to imagine, you can relive one of the best trips of my life!
Yes, I have traveled to places alone while in college but never crossed states, so you can imagine my apprehension! When talking about solo travel for women, this trip brings out life-altering experiences.
Solo Travel for Women: A Rage or Raging Urge to be Alone?
I am here to talk about how solo travel for women is a step towards social change, do I sound feminist? Maybe a bit but then, can we also address the fact that it is adulthood at its best! Solo traveling as a concept is liberating but as a woman, it gives me a bit of an adrenaline rush.
Guess what I told my parents? 4 of us are going on this trip, 3 were imaginary of course! I gave them the names of my real friends, fortunately, I didn’t get kidnapped or killed because you know who my parents would have called if I went missing!
Day 1: Kolkata to Delhi
I boarded my train from Kolkata to Delhi, India because the travel group I was going with took matters into their own hands from Majnu ka Tila, Delhi, India! So, after I reached Delhi, I checked into the AC waiting room at the New Delhi Railway station which charges Rs. 10/- per hour.
I freshened up and changed into fresh clothing! Then I left the station and, outside met a few taxi and auto drivers who had different offers for me. I made a deal with one of them, five places for Rs. 800 and then he will drop me at Majnu ka Tila! Talk about bargaining and solo travel huh?
I was a bit scared of leaving one of my luggage in the auto when he dropped me at Jantar Mantar. But after having a beautiful time filled with anxiety exploring the place, I came back to see the auto bhaiya waiting for me. I was safe!
The next stop was India Gate! A majestic gate, people milled around it. Further on, my auto drove me to Red Fort (Laal Quila) which took my breath away. The final two places that I went to were Humayun’s Tomb and Connaught Place.
I did some essential shopping there, including woolen gloves, a beanie, one pair of jhumka (earrings), and a small pouch to carry chargers and USB cables. Finally, my auto dropped me at Majnu ka Tila around 4:45 p.m. and I met my fellow travelers!
I was hesitant at first but slowly introduced ourselves and started chitchatting until the semi-sleeper bus arrived! We got a dinner break around 9:30 p.m. where we all relieved ourselves, bought some juices and drinks, had paratha with daal, and were on our way to Dharamshala!
Day 2: Homing in Dharamsala
Did catch some shut-eye on the way but traveling through cities at night gave me reality checks. It took some 12 to 13 hours, and we reached Dharamsala, Himachal early morning! Got cabs to drop us at Dharamkot, where our picturesque homestay was located.
I got to share my room with another solo traveler, Namrata! We got ready and left for the day. I had the biggest breakfast of sourdough bread, Spanish omlette, and sautéed veggies with ginger tea and left with others for H.H. Dalai Lama Temple.
We took cabs to the marketplace and then walked a bit to reach the peaceful place. Then, we visited Namgyal Monastery and Tibet Museum. The museum showcases pictures, documents, objects, and other such artifacts. They tell the stories of exile, curbing cultural preservation, human rights abuse,s and exploitation of the environment.
Our last stop was St. John’s, a protestant church in the wilderness that gives you the chills! It feels like the church is standing still outside the bounds of time. It was a little spooky even with the sun high up in the sky! Then we discovered the graves, some with intact crosses, of course, it felt otherworldly.
After spending some time there, we started returning to our cozy homestay When the sun was finally on its way down. We tried carrot cake while hanging around in the cafe below our homestay.
Later that night we went to a local restaurant, and I had mixed fried rice, sharing with a guy from Mumbai, Akshay, a friend I made that day! Slept like a log that night!
Day 3: Tales of Naddi
A new day and new beginning, I had tomato cheese sandwich with a cup of coffee! Of course, Namrata and I were already exploring before we joined the others. We headed towards Naddi, a tiny village nestled among the vibrant green grass, yellow mustard fields and pine covered mountains.
We walked across the forest trails, over hills, beside houses, among trees, and crossing little water rivulets! Our first trail walk took us to the Naddi River, clear as crystal with thunder over our heads!
We took our time, there were places in the jungle, creating the perfect environment to sit and listen to nature. We were often transported to a different realm with the Tibetan prayer flags lining the trees. We all felt positive, excited, connected, and happy in our journey to exploration.
Even though it was sunny when we left, a storm was brewing over our heads by the time we reached the little shack on the river. We spent the day there, lazing around in the river, with rain pelting across the little shack, giving us little cover. With piping hot tea and Maggi, it was a day to remember.
We returned, stopping at a hilltop cafe, the perfect sunset point! In the meantime, I have made two more friends, Pratik and Anmol. We sat at different tables, ordered food, mostly pakoras and then I had my favorite desert, cheesecake.
We took a cab ride back from the McLeodGunj marketplace to our homestay. Returning to our homestay, we did not stray far from the cafe downstairs. After all, the next day was huge!
Day 4: Hike to Triund
Our Experience managers, Shannon and Niraj instructed us clearly about everything we needed to carry along with different safety precautions the night before. We got an early breakfast, me having jam on sourdough bread and a poached egg with some cappuccino, looked forwards to the experience.
We took a cab to Galudev Temple which took about 30 minutes. From there, some of us collected walking sticks and started our trek towards Triund, 9350 ft above sea level. It looked over the snowy Dhauladhar mountain range. The hike was long, covering mountainous landscape with trees almost over the path!
We did see some rare wildlife along with the breathtaking view of Dharamshala below. At times, I took long breaks to sip water, wait and catch some breath. There were several cafes along the way, and I got my fill of power drinks there.
4.1. Camping right in front of the Majestic Dhauldhar Range
When we finally reached the campsite, it was snowing! The green lush mountain top was getting covered in white snow. With the sun in the sky, we spotted a rainbow across the mountain peak, a view for the soul. We then had some tea and aloo ka paratha.
It was cold as hell and yet we were excited. After the tents were set up, we changed, taking turns! I hope Namrata was my tent mate, and we adjusted quite well. She didn’t kill me during the night or the next day, so that is saying something, I guess.
How can we forget the challenge of going to pee at night, having another person standing guard nearby because we were on the mountain top! Later we had our warm rice and daal dinner, sitting around a bonfire, sharing haunted stories, singing, and making music.
Day 5: Trek to the Snowline
The sunrise was something of a showstopper, making me happy that I came on this trip. We woke up to see the snow-clad mountain top of the Dhauldhar range decorated in sunlight! We then went on to relieve ourselves in the woods, another experience of a lifetime because now it was broad daylight and people were around!
Finishing our business again with a fellow traveler standing guard, we had a quick breakfast of eggs, bread and tea. We trekked up again, climbing the mountain to reach the snowline. We reached the snowline while some of our fellow travelers went further.
While some of us lay on the open grass with the majestic view of clouds, mountains and snow! We came back to catch the beautiful sunset and had some tea. Then went on to have another night of delicious food, music, and camping.
Day 6: Live at your Leisure
It’s time to come down from the high! We woke up to catch the beautiful sun wrapped around the mountain and then had breakfast of egg Maggi. While descending, we had our fair share of fun with jokes of the past two days, surviving the wild.
With aching and tired muscles, we took a cab from Galudev temple to Dharamkot. The Vagabond Experiences planned well by giving this day to relax once we reach Dharamkot in the afternoon. After my first bite of the chicken mushroom olive pizza, I realized everything was worth it!
We went to the Mcleoud Gunj market at night to relax and explore. The strangers have become friends by this point, sharing bowls of food, having sips from each other’s drinks, and sharing inside jokes!
I tried some of the most delicious local food at Kailash Restaurant, a popular joint, most of which are inspired by Tibetan and Bhutanese food. Some were steamed Lamb momo, Lamb Pad Thai noodles, Alu Ping sha, Ema Datshi, Tingmo and Spicy fried Pork!
Trust me when I tell you, Himachal in India is one of the best places to travel solo female! We had quite some men in a group and yet when we girls were walking alone, we did not feel the need to be on our guard.
Day 7: Paragliding at Bir
Again, after an early breakfast of tea and jellies on bread, we started towards Bir Billing! Today was the day I flew. There were other things to do if someone did not want to try paragliding, my roommate Namrata was one of them.
I did miss her in the experience, but I was happy she got to do her own thing too! A gem of a person, we became two peas in a pod, going on random trail walks, coffee hangouts and shopping excursions.
Apart from Namrata, I also bonded with Harshita, Khushi, and Rhea, and made some cool friends! If you ask me, each of them was a prime example of explaining why solo travel for women is necessary!
We were all ready to have our lifetime experience, and it was the best. It was exhilarating and I felt like I created a memory just for myself. I was selfish and it got me somewhere good in my life. When I ran across the ledge, the paraglider guide shouting in my ear, my heart was thundering! Sounds like adventure travel, doesn’t it?
But then slowly, I saw myself for who I was. I had a road accident when I was little, and I have never been completely able to lose that trauma. I guess the fear led me there, at the edge of the mountain forgetting the “What ifs” and the “buts”!
After having a delicious lunch of rice and Himachali Chicken and cola lime water, we veggied out when returning from Bir. We then went on to have fruit shakes and cakes at a cafe called Clay Oven in the market. We also had loads of street-side momo!
Day 8: Shop your Heart Out
The last day of the trip was all about focusing on shopping, collecting everything we had been window shopping in the last few days. On the streets of McleodGunj, folk music was being performed while clusters of us went on from shop to shop.
Sometimes, I was alone exploring things but then we became groups of people including me, Khushi, Harshita, Rhea and Pratik. We helped each other buy things for our friends, family and ourselves, dropping our opinion. Hence, solo travel for women is not only about a woman wandering alone but also bonding with strangers!
I also went alone, shopped for jewelry, clothing, showpieces, bags and much more. We then met back and ate Laphing, another Mcleodgunj street food, some bhelpuri and chocolate mousse cake! A sweet end to a beautiful journey. I got Bhagsu cake, a Himachal speciality for my parents back home!
We boarded the overnight bus the same evening, returning to Delhi. We got a break at night, people relieved themselves, had food and then went on to rest. It was 13 hours of journey, but a lot has changed within me in the past few days.
Being solo, completely dependent on myself, carrying my responsibilities and my luggage all alone, I have come to peace within myself. I have accepted a lot of things and made myself promise to always be true to myself. As a woman, I have learned and grown a lot.
Day 9: Hardest Goodbyes
The trip ends with people getting dropped at Majnu ka Tila, Delhi! Everyone is excited to head back but also spread hugs and smiles, with promises to catch up. Yes, I can say that none of us met after the trip ended but some of us are connected on Instagram.
We see each other going through different experiences in our lives and we are happy for each other! This solo trip has given me the confidence to be myself with a group of strangers, some liked me, some did not but at the end of the day, I liked me.
I think it is the most important part of solo travel for women! Liking yourself, identifying your changes over the years, forgiving yourselves over your mistakes, and being a little less hard on yourself.
Why did I go?
I seek sensations that are intense, euphoric and pleasurable! But is that why I went? The desire to experience something extreme without someone, hand holding was high! I was at a point in my life where I was going through withdrawal, isolating myself to discover who I was at my core.
Traveling solo was my way of dealing with emotions, pain, overthinking, absence, and loneliness! Yes, I traveled alone to get out of my loneliness because I needed to feel that I am enough alone. I loved my moments; I fell in love with the culture, the people and places.
When I jumped off the mountain cliff in Bir Billing, I discovered I could do more than I ever felt capable of! Apart from body image issues, I was also concerned about being safe, being taken advantage of and being tagged as reckless! I proved others wrong, but most importantly, I proved myself wrong!
After traveling solo, I feel solo travel for women helps them trust themselves, their capabilities and power. Over the years, I have met women, traveling alone, with their partners, friends, and family. I realize that women do not need to be solo to experience the best in life!
And yet, they can experience the best in life while solo traveling! Give it a try little birdies, and get out of that nest you have created for yourself. You can come back any time after traveling solo, you arrogant little pookie!
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