Breaking away from their monotonous life or an inordinately demanding professional workplace, a lot of women in India are taking out time for a sabbatical and visiting far-off places.
Instead of waiting for months or years to go with the family, many women now prefer all- women group travel for excursions.
Sputnik India talked to a few travellers to explore why all-women group travelling is such a big draw.
Break Away from All-Consuming Life and Depression
Swapna Sarma, a managing director and owner of a Tea Garden in Assam, finds travelling to be a big relaxation after rigorously working for days. "Generally, I go three-four times a year...And, the family has a sense of security in an all-women group."
Travel to Enliven Life
"It's quite refreshing individually. I went for a change after my husband passed away. I feel such travels help in rediscovering interest in the workplace. It helps fight depression," she shared.
"Personally saying, I feel travelling is much better than undergoing medical treatment. The must-have experience at least once in a lifetime, actually opens up one's mind."
She believes that the best thing is that "we get time to forget everything".
A Must-Have Unforgettable Time
Swapna feels women must travel especially with friends or in all-lady trips at least once or twice in a year. “It’s a completely different feeling to be with family, and being with friends.”
She said with family, a woman may hesitate to go out on a beach. “But with friends, you can go everywhere.”
“With friends, you can wear anything freely. Actually, we feel like once again being college students. You can enjoy swimming or other activities…with friends, you feel energized, excited at a different level."
An all-women group at Valley of Flower national park in Uttarakhand state
© Photo : Nang Sukanya Rajkumar
Changing Traditional Mindset
Thanks to social media for routinely showing that so many women undertake such trips, have a good time, and safely return despite men not accompanying them, stated Moshumi Ghosh, a school teacher-turned-housewife, who feels: “This is helping the traditional, conservative mentality to open up, and remove various mental cobwebs."
Like many other families, hers too had its share of hiccups about her being alone at a new place or security at hotels. But the lady applied smart thinking and managed to visit Gangtok, Ladakh, Hemkund Sahib, and the Valley of Flowers.
Moshumi believes that in an all-women groups, there's a general sense of discipline to be back at the hotel, even while commuting, before 8.00 due to being at a new place. “In the case of gents, they may go lenient or casual for such a hurry to return to the hotel even if it's quite late.”
Traveler women enjoying their time amid mountains at Pangong Tso, Ladakh
© Photo : Nang Sukanya Rajkumar
Getting Rid of Hesitations, Taking the Plunge
Talking to Sputnik India, Moushumi shared that it's rare to have a long time off for the entire family. "So, it turns boring for such a long period for housewives like me. When I first mentioned going on a group trip, the family became apprehensive about the likely environment or what if stranger males were also there."
So, she began with an experimental excursion of a 113-km trip from West Bengal's Siliguri to Sikkim's Gangtok. "Since it was not far away, I could return any time," said the mother of a working daughter. She pointed out that in the case of unknown men, their meals may involve alcohol which may turn troublesome. But in an all-women company, there is no such problem.
Moushumi suggests everyone’s hesitation ends with the first trip itself and you begin going on other trips.
An Opportunity for Self-Discovery
Asked what fascinated her to travel to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Poornima Y. Kulkarni from Karnataka state’s Hubli city, shared: "I wanted to have a way out of the personal cocoon that we build around every time in a patriarchal society where women are not exposed much to her interest or her ideas."
Poornima told her supportive father that she wished to do something that she hadn't done before. “I wanted to just come out of this mundane life… It made me confident enough of going anywhere without anybody's assistance.”
Talking of initial concerns, she admitted being apprehensive at the outset about how it would turn out, travelling with new people including the host. "There was fear of the unknown... But I took my leap of faith."
A women's group merry-making at a cliff in northeastern state of Sikkim
© Photo : Nang Sukanya Rajkumar
Her instinct, however, drove her to push her limitations.
She believes that problems become common when two women are around rather than being a man and woman together. “The understanding is automatic. You don't have to really tell them in words. Women understand each other via their sixth sense.”
In the women's group, said Poornima, one need not worry what other lady may think of you. “They don't know the past. You are a fresh person to each other. Everybody starts on the same page. We take each other at face value.”
As per Ajanta Baruah from Tezpur city of Assam state, the family believes it’s safer for women to be around women. So that's an advantage in a women-only group. “When we mentioned it’s an all-women group, the family got a sense of security.”
Good Remedy for Loneliness
Considering there are so many women who may be divorced, widowed, or suffering with silent depression, the graduate housewife said, “what you find quite difficult to share with you own people, at times, you feel like sharing with new people.”
“It's actually nice since you forget about some of your responsibility and you just enjoy [the trip],” she stated, adding: “Generally, women feel a lot about travelling alone, planning and budgeting. But travelling in a group and package is always comfortable too.”
Cost-Effective Refreshing Experience
She shared that be it young girls or women, they prefer group travel for cost-effective comfort, care, and a fully enjoyable hassle-free experience.
For her, a long-time passion became her profession, when Sukanya launched a travel group about a decade ago. "For being born and brought up in an army family, I visited many places. Now, I wish to help ladies and others see through my eyes."