Especially in India, people have been locked down for a really long time, and just when domestic travel seemed to be opening up slowly, we were already staring at an unprecedented second surge. While many of us are dreaming of sunbathing at beaches, exploring monuments and scaling mountains once again, we must also realize that travel will never be the same again.
This discussion is something we strongly feel about - about travel as a doorway to life changing, immersive experiences and for us 'food' has always been a big part of these stories. We were wanting to initiate this dialogue since a long time, but right now seems like the most appropriate time to be doing this.
We are all staying home, and thinking of our past and future travels…. It's the perfect time to rethink how travel can be an opportunity to make an impact, do good, contribute to community welfare, experience a culture and deepen our understanding of local food systems, biodiversity and mindful consumption of natural resources.
So here we bring you yet another series in collaboration with Travel Dirty - SAFARNAMA, a thoughtful travelogue that will focus on FOOD as an identity of culture, lineage and history tied to the land and its people.
The next time you plan to travel, we wish for you to review every decision you make - should we keep out all single used plastics, carry our own water bottles and containers to drink and eat? Will we be mindful and carry our own trash until we find a bin, never litter and eat naturally available local produce? Will we consider flying less and in our own small ways prevent burning off natural resources?
We will share experiences that will explain how food can reveal the authenticity of cultures and have us meet new people through more intimate moments of sharing family recipes and cultural celebrations.
Travel Dirty was founded in 2018, by Aishwarya Phadke - mainly with a passion for traveling and then slowly realising it's potential in empowering rural livelihoods. Through Travel Dirty, she hopes to bring the urban population closer to their roots and traditions.
Aishwarya explains, "Travel means different things to all of us. To me, it has been a world of magic, full of unexpected friendships and transforming moments. Travel has also been about beautifully authentic meals shared with locals with conversations galore.
Through this series, I will try to bring you stories from my travels, most of them from the countryside, as I reflect upon ancient wisdom and roots, human values and the power of connection."
SAFARNAMA - for the next 8 days at 6 pm IST! Stay tuned. Can't wait to know your feedback!
