Adii Dande, 42, was on holiday in Sarajevo, Bosnia, in 2019, when she met a fellow traveller, a woman from the UK. "She carried her own foldable frying pan, and made all her meals in it," Dande recalls. "It fascinated me. That was the first time I thought about how I was travelling and wondered whether I was harming the environment, even if it was unintentional."
The Pune-based freelance writer and art business owner has visited 28 countries since 2016, and spends months planning one long vacation a year. "I book just one return-flight ticket, irrespective of the number of countries and cities I visit. I book buses, trains or ferries between destinations. Within India, I avoid air travel as much as I can."
She also stays at backpacker hostels and makes the most of the ones that have attached kitchen gardens and provide basic ingredients and pots and pans for guests. "Unless there's a local delicacy that I really must try, I prefer cooking for myself with ingredients from local markets and small cooperatives," Dande says. "Many hostels and hotels clean the room only when guests ask. I think it's great! If I'm staying just for a couple of nights, I don't ask."
Dande's travel plans are far removed from the group tours of the 1990s, the itinerary-packed packages of the 2000s and the selfie-driven trips of the previous decade. Booking.com and McKinsey's 2023 report, How India Travels, states that sustainable travel is a growing concern for Indian tourists. It's not the primary guiding factor in travel choices yet (cost usually is), but some Indians are starting to think of the environmental impact of middle-class wanderlust.
First steps
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Denne historien er fra October 28, 2023-utgaven av Brunch.
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Staying well within range
Driving from Mumbai to Mahabaleshwar in an XC40 Recharge at night means going against the odds but it's not dangerous
Forget demure, forget mindful
Women are expected to dress their age. But why should arbitrary numbers dictate anyone's choices? Wear what you want, when you want
Bubbling under, boiling over
The year's best food yet, from Bandra to Seoul, from old names and new, from starters to afters
The new spin doctors
Come for the hooping, stay for fire poi, dapostar, leviwand and more. India's newest subculture blends art and athletics, meditation and showmanship, public and private. And it looks great on the 'gram
Shall we put a label on this?
What is high fructose corn syrup? Is red dye good? Dieticians and nutritionists break down the confusing stuff we see on food labels
Pho heaven's sake, explore!
There's more to Vietnam than the Golden Bridge or Ha Long Bay. Discover limestone cliffs, rice terraces, and local foods that haven't made it to the 'gram
No. Wait. She did what?
These mean girls are self-centred, bratty, and can make your life hell. But they stole the show. Read on, loser. And tell us how it wasssss
Are you seeing spots too?
Jyoti Bhatt's serigraphs use traditional symbols in modern ways, creating art that is slyly clever and full of little stories
Leave us to our own devices
Instead of banning gadgets, restaurants should ban people that are actually disturbing the peace
Siam Siam, but different
The reason Indians feel instantly at home in Thailand is because their mix of Hindu and Buddhist traditions so closely mirrors our own, creating a comfort zone abroad
