Travel has continued to intrigue humans in a way that it's evolved from a mere desire to explore to a full-fledged industry on a roll. Thanks to the social media nowadays, which makes for a perfect platform to put your experiences on display, most of us often forget to give it back to nature, or society, or cultures that form the fabric of the whole idea of travel.
So, here's the list of seven travellers who are setting examples of how to pay it back to every aspect that makes travel the experience it is.
1. Healing Himalayas
Born and brought up in Ajmer, Pradeep Sangwan was someone for whom discipline came naturally, thanks to his military school upbringing. Sangwan has always been an adventure enthusiast who loved going on treks when he was in college. The more he travelled, the more he fell in love with the grandeur of the Himalayas.
However, the litter left behind by tourists in the scenic locations bothered him to the point that he came up with an idea to clean the mountains with the help of travellers who understood the need to save the ecology from irreversible damage. And that's what he aptly named Healing Himalayas.
As per an internal audit, Healing Himalayas has till now cleaned the mountains of more than 400 tonnes of non-biodegradable waste. He says that the aim is not only to clean and heal Himalayas but also reduce global warming.
2. Indian Biker [super]Woman
Hailing from Hubli, Candida Louis was just another one of those people in the 9 to 5 grind of the corporate world until she couldn't contain her immense love for biking – something she inherited from her father. And so, one day, leaving behind her apprehensions, Candida quit her job to pursue biking as her career. There were enough hiccups in Candida's journey, including the unavoidable financial and emotional hurdles.
But breaking all the stereotypes, Candida followed her dream and did something unthinkable when she biked solo all the way from Bangalore to Sydney for around eight months. This was not only an inspiration for women who think certain things are beyond their capabilities but every traveller out there who's paying monthly salary as a price to see their dreams go down the drain.
3. Travelling the world without flights
Every other day, we read about the adverse effects of climate change that we, humans, are responsible for, and many of us, being the 'travellers' we are, voice our opinion on the need for conservation of nature. However, very few people make real efforts to do their bit, especially when it comes to responsible travel. And one such example is this French couple – Margaux and Julien – who left their well-paid jobs to travel around the world, without taking flights!
They believe that air travel causes carbon emissions and is mostly overlooked, even by the most conscious travellers. With an aim to find more ways of sustainable travel, Margaux and Julien are already making headlines, all for good reasons.
4. Living the van life
Did you just cancel your long-pending travel plan because you feared you might end blowing your budget? Well, Vimal Geethanandan, an engineering dropout from Andhra Pradesh, doesn't agree. In fact, he believes that if a dream is chased with 100% effort, the whole universe conspires to help you make it happen. Powered by this belief, Vimal has already explored nine Indian states, without spending a single penny.
He says that he wanted to set an example and show people that nothing is impossible. Now after travelling in India without spending money like most of us do, Vimal is all set to embrace the van life and make it his home while he travels the the world in the days to come.
5. Karen beyond limits
"Ability is a state of mind, not a state of body", and if you have trouble believing this, there's no better example than Karen Darke. A native of Inverness in the north of Scotland, Karen at the age of 21, got paralysed following an accident during her sea cliff climbing adventure.
And while many would simply give in to the physical and mental trauma, Karen persevered and went on to become a British Paralympic cyclist, para-triathlete, adventurer and an author. Well, in short, she is living an extraordinary life and inspiring many others with special abilities to make one for them.
6. Backpacking Indian mum
Travelling is known to get harder, especially when you have kids. And while most of us would drop our plans because of this, here's the Jaipur-based travelling supermom, Deenaz Raisinghani, who never let parenthood stop her from realising her dream of travelling around the world. In fact, this mother of three-year-old has travelled to nine countries with her kid, and sometimes even solo. For all you parents out there, this is quite an inspiration.
7. Exploring the world as a minimalist
If there's one person who can be the next one to take the baton from the famous adventurer Christopher Candles, it's Peter Van Geit – a Belgian who came to Chennai in 1998 for work and since then settled in India and started exploring places on foot, without fancy equipment. From traversing over 40 rugged Himalayan mountain passes with almost no hiking gear to walking through jungles and staying in places with no human settlement, Peter has his unique way of travelling that completely defies fear and endurance. he loves spending time in nature through long endurance journeys. It’s his way of meditation in remote, virgin locations, experiencing what he calls "lost humanity. Besides being an explorer, Peter Van Geit is also an ultra runner and an alpinist.
Take some inspiration from these outstanding people who are changing the way the world should travel in their own unique ways. Have you also done something like that or know some one who's travelling for change? Let us know in the comments below.
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