The Kerala Weekender trip was my first group trip experience ever and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. The people were amazing, and the group leader Yash made everyone feel at home and took care of everyone and everything. The itinerary was well-planned and had a nice mix of adventure, exploration, surreal views, and free time for conversations and getting to know other trip mates. The stunning backwaters of Kumarakom, the adventure camp at Vagamon and its pretty tea plantations along with the excursion to the Marmala waterfalls made for a fulfilling trip even though it was only for about 3.5 days. Super grateful to On His Own Trip, Yash and the group for making it awesome!

Early November, I went on a 20-day long trip to Argentina and Antarctica led by Captain Nero. When I booked this trip, I knew it was going to be special. As someone who had done four previous trips with OHOT before, I knew it was going to be the most epic trip of my life. And I wasn’t disappointed. This trip was absolutely unreal and unimaginable. It was completely out of this world! (I’ll try my best to keep it short but who am I kidding, it was Antarctica! I don’t think I can) We started our trip in Argentina. We explored everything from charming Hallmark-movie-like towns to breathtaking views (sometimes literally, hello Laguna de los Tres trek). We hiked challenging trails in the trekking capital of the country, took boat rides straight into Iguazu Falls (one of the three great falls in the world!), danced in an ice bar, and travelled from Argentina’s northernmost point to its southernmost city in the world. Then came ANTARCTICA – and no amount of research or Instagram reels could have prepared me for its raw beauty. It was like stepping into a completely different world. Watching whales, penguins, seals and sea leopards, snowshoeing, kayaking – each day was something new. So many times, we had penguins come so close to us and we couldn’t stop gushing over them! We even got to see an Emperor penguin that are super rare to spot at that time of the year. A trip to Antarctica is not a very budget friendly trip and since you’re spending a little fortune on it, it’s so important to ensure that it’s worth it and you make the most of it. The trip with OHOT was so worth it! Captain Nero and the OHOT team had done their research well. We had the perfect ship for the trip – small enough to ensure we got to go on all the landings and at the same time comfortable to ensure it wasn’t lacking in anything – food was good and had vegetarian options, rooms were so cozy, comfortable and clean, and we had educational lectures and presentations on board. If you don’t know, if you’re on a bigger ship, the more people there are and you will not get to go down on all landings. There were about 70 passengers on board that made it possible for everyone to be on the continent at once. And we had two landings per day of about 4 hours each (subject to the weather conditions, of course) and got to explore each location to our hearts’ content. The trip was something I’d only ever dreamed of. And it was made so smooth and made even more fun by Nero. If you’ve travelled with him, you know he gives it his all to make every trip an unforgettable experience. And add to that the fact that this was ANTARCTICA! Be it late night UNO sessions, movies, or simply sitting together and talking late into the night, it was simply perfect. There’s not a single thing I’d change.

This is for all those people who have wanted to take that trip since forever but always had some excuse to not go.

My first trip I ever took without my parents was with “This guy”aka Neeraj Narayanan I always wanted to travel alone but like any other Indian parents, mine were paranoid about me travelling alone too. My trip to Bali with him and everyone else on that trip was the beginning of my travel diaries. It made me happy and free like never before. It also gave me the courage to go for my next solo trip to Andaman just last month. The experience was amazing and Neeraj is a great trip leader- you will never be bored or alone. I’m sure everyone who has travelled with him swears by it too!

In the middle of the year, two days past a trip I exclaimed that Neeraj has been the best thing that has happened to me this year. I haven’t been this happy for a very long time and all my friends wanted me to stay there for as long as possible. But best things do come to an end and leave loads of fond memories. I have seen so many times that you mention yourself as a cocky person but I am yet to come across a person whose happiness gets fulfilled by the joy of 22 random strangers. One who doesn’t get bothered by sudden flat tires or relentless rain but when he hears that a couple of people are not enjoying the trip(sorry for that prank  😛). You are a sweetheart and nothing else. You have an amazing ability to push people out of their comfort zones and etch memories for them. You are a true leader and sort of a person who would excel in anything that he does. You observe things around you from pillows to eyes to the smiles of people. You are an extremely passionate person and the child inside gets excited when it sees an unexplored path, agitated when gets murdered in mafia through a scam and runs around with joy when wind gushes across his chin in an open field on a mountain. I have been asking this question for a while that what is the purpose of life and I was not able to answer this question since a while. This trip has given me an answer to mine. The ability to create memories, bonds and touch people lives like you do, would be the purpose of my life. It’s when you spend twenty hours every day for seven days and still long for more is love for me and so many of us are indebted to you for this love, captain.

O, Captain! my Captain! Our adventurous trip is done; The ship has weather’d every rack, The prize we sought is won Exult O shores,and ring O bells! It was a magical dream on the deck! #meghalya