Local food rituals make for great stories

Travel plan

My travel plans are mostly built around my shoot schedules. If I’m shooting outdoors, in a place I’ve never been to, I always stay back a few days to explore it. I love outdoor schedules.
Travel style

I want to be a light traveller but I always end up packing a lot more than I’d like to. In terms of travel style, I love exploring the city I’m visiting in its most raw form. I prefer walking or taking public transport, I enjoy local cuisines and street shopping.
Food while travelling

I love eating local. So recently, when I was in Turkey, I insisted on eating Turkish cuisine throughout and I didn’t get tired of it. Local fruits, local rituals around food make for great stories and provide a tremendous insight into the culture of the place one is visiting.

Solo travel

Puducherry and Auroville

Holiday with friends

Goa. Always

Must-pack items

A lot of sneakers. Because I enjoy walking in new places, comfortable footwear is an absolute must. I avoid denims because they tend to get hot and aren’t the most comfortable to lounge around in. Certain places have erratic weather conditions so always carry a light jacket for layering.

Funniest or scariest travel moment

My scariest travel memory, which in retrospect is funny, was this one time in Singapore when my phone refused to start after arriving at the airport. I tried charging it but it just wouldn’t start. I was at a complete loss because I didn’t remember the numbers of any of the people I had to meet in the city. To add to that, my foreign currency card stopped working too!

Travel pet peeves

Planning in too much detail.

Best weekend getaway

I like going for weekend trekking trips, near Mumbai.

Family holiday

Kashmir in 2013. It was really special because I’m a Kashmiri and that was my first time there.

Next stop

Greece (fingers crossed).