TravelBaits: Unique Experiences and Stories from India TravelBaits

In 1983, twenty-one-year-old Amy Edelstein set out on a 500-kilometer journey in Zanskar, India, the highest valley in the world. She walked alone by foot, crossing passes above 16,000 feet, sleeping in caves, meeting high lamas, and exploring a culture that had remained virtually the same for thousands of years. Her book on "Adventure in Zanskar" is an Amazon bestseller. In this episode, we talk with Amy herself on her journey through Zanskar and what she experienced there, and what she has in mind for anyone willing to visit the uniquely beautiful valleys and monasteries of Zanskar.  

We talk to Raj Basu, popularly known as the Tourism Gandhi of the North East, about his movement of sustainable rural tourism in the North East India. A fascinating story teller, Raj walks us through the rich history of the region, which he calls the Gateway of India into Asia. He gives a vivid description of immersive tourism, where the traveller should forgo his/her city ego, and immerse into the deep roots of rural tourism, including homestays, wildlife and trekkings. We conclude with some must do places to go and essential cross border experiences in this vast region.

This episode we talk about a very popular spiritual movement that came out of India, ie, the Hare Rama Hare Krishna movement, typically associated with ISKCON. Here, we talk with Dr Himanshu who is a professor in TIFR, Mumbai, and holds keen interest in philosophy, social and religious studies. We talk about the history and founder of this practice, how it became popular in the West and then in India, and what are the historical places of importance to visit in connection with this. We also briefly discuss the best times to visit the places, and end with a short discussion on spirituality and human progress.

In this episode, we talk with Rajiv Lochan, a very successful tea-preneur who started growing tea in a non-traditional area, and converted it into a brand which has won prestigious tea awards around the world, including a very special event hosted by the Emperor of Japan himself. We discuss with him the qualities of a good tea, and the stylish ways to enjoy it. Further, we talk about developing Tea Tourism Experiences, and his thinking about linking the holy Buddhist circuit with a visit to the organic tea gardens.

Madhubani is a very famous art form in India. In this podcast with Kaushik Jha, a famous promoter and teacher of the art, we go through some history, personalities and intricacies of the art and the best ways to buy it.

TravelBaits is a firm curating unique experiences in the Indian subcontinent. We are working towards making digital interventions in the hospitality industry, and make tourism experiences more meaningful and rich. Explore the Indian subcontinent in a very different way with us! You will never be bored with our stories.