B’lureans learn even on vacation

BENGALURU: Travelling just got more exciting. Instead of rubbernecking, more and more Bengalureans are imbuing their wanderlust with a sense of purpose.
Take, for instance, Anil Srivatsa, 48, CEO, Radiowalla Network, who recently travelled to Antarctica, not merely for the high adrenaline experience of crossing Drake Passage, where the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans meet and the roughest of seas has sunk over a thousand ships."I went to see the effect of climate change. I learnt not to pollute places. Tourism accountability may be a concept the world is not bothered about, but I just cannot remain a mute spectator," he says.
Anil Srivatsa's next plans include a trek to Mankara in Kodagu district, a volcano walk in Java in September-October and a long drive to Scotland to shoot a documentary on 'how love has a lot to do with% preserving nature'. Culinary tourism is also becoming popular among Bengalureans. Cox and Kings offers a one-week package to Thailand where a master chef teaches various recipes and talks about food.
Mother-daughter duo Vani Bheem Rao and Anusha Angur went to Bali for four days and learnt Balonese cuisine for a day from popular chefs. They said the trip was a great way to bond as it was one of those rare moments when they learnt a cuisine from scratch.
Similarly, Harshini Shah Zainulbhai and her husband recently went to Italy not just to see Rome but also take quick lessons in making gelato. "In Florence, we wanted to take in all the gelato and wine. Driving through the gorgeous Chianti hills to San Gimignano, a scenic medieval village, we saw men picking mint leaves for making mint gelato," she says.
Now, Cox and Kings is offering a similar package to Turkey. "This year, the company is offering a one-week package to Istanbul, where there will be a walking tour to discover food and culture of European and Asian Istanbul, tastings of Turkish delicacies and interactive cooking demonstrations of Ottoman dishes," said Karan Anand, head of relations, Cox and Kings.
Bengalureans in the age group of 25 to 35 years are traveling more often, say tour planners and web and app-based travel community platforms, explaining the increase in number of platforms that seek to suit the needs of a traveler who is clear why, where and for what he/she is traveling.
Thrillophillia, Byond Travel, Toehold and AudioCompass are a few of the travel startups that are tapping the niche market. Make My Trip and Yatra, too, are innovating services to suit their customers.
"Earlier, one would have to depend on publications like Lonely Planet or watch National Geographic to learn about activities at different destinations. Today, with the rise of photo- and video-based content, along with easier ways to get your content distributed online and offline, there has been a tremendous increase in the amount of content created around specific activities. A lot of people now have a credible source to go to and ask questions. Suhel Seth's expedition to North Pole led to him answering a lot of questions on how to get there, costs and planning," explains Vikram Ahuja, founder of Byond Travel, which is planning its first Antarctica trip next year.