To the guy who is clearly on his own trip and promises to take me on many more, Remember you kept asking me if I was happy? Who wouldn’t be if one gets to see everything on one trip—snow and a bit of snowfall, trees, rivers, monasteries and happy faces, a rainbow, stars at an arm’s distance and beautiful people. When I first decided to step out without knowing anyone, I didn’t know it would turn out to be a trip of a lifetime. I wanted to watch at least one sunrise, but to stay up with everyone to know just one more secret every night means much more to me than a sunrise. I wanted to climb at least one mountain, you made me go up two. I wanted to and missed dipping my head in a cold stream of water but you ensured I pop my head out of the bus to be kissed by some cool breeze. If you caught me quiet, you asked me to open my heart just so that a few became friends, and some did for life. I didn’t miss anyone back home, I lived and breathed in the moment, ate local, spoke to locals at every chance I got with your hand on my head. You are infinitely beautiful, on the inside and outside and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You really do amaze me with your courage and the way you face things that many others like me fear. You, our group leader are stellar. Gracious, polite, knowledgeable, loving, affectionate, respectful, concerned and brilliant at what you do. You are good at reading people and situations quietly as you lead the group. To you, for you let us savour every moment to the fullest. To you, for you are the most unflappable and the best implementer I have ever seen. To you, for you never lost patience or good humour with us. To you, for showcasing just the right mixture of professionalism and friendliness. To you, for your aplomb and energy gave all of us a sense of confidence and assurance that although we were travelling on top of the world (at most times), nothing could drill in us, a sense of defeat. I can’t be more gung-ho about future trips. THANK YOU NEEEERJA.

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!

A future fearing and an image conscious individual once decided to take a break from his bland diurnal lifestyle and travel solo to the paradise on earth. Being a naive, he had quite a lot of apprehensions before embarking on his journey with the strangers. With a mixture of fear and excitement in his mind, he set off on a journey which changed him as an individual. The noob was quite pampered by the captain (trip leader, Harsh) and his co-travelers. The journey helped him shed all his inhibitions and be his honest-self without having the fear of being judged. Amidst a foot or two of snow in the Aru valley, he was in tears watching the serene beauty of nature and talking to his trip leader. We all tend to meet a special person on a trip and even I ended meeting the one. Traveling on the top of the moving van with that special one in the freezing cold and experiencing true Kashmir was one of the highlights of my trip. We talked a lot through our silences feeling the calmness of the nature while we were lying on the top of the van. The late night games, dance moves to beat the cold, a group of strangers, snowfall, walking in the cold mountains and getting to be his own true-self were some of things which were quite new to this first timer. The experience of his first ever trip is etched so strongly in his memory that even writing this note has teared him up. I cherish each and every moment of this journey.

Dear Harsh,

The much awaited trip is over and i really need to tell u something. In the past 33 years of my life i have met a lot of people and only handful of them who created an impact on my life. N u r definitely one of them. U r so full of life that u spread that vibes to everyone around you. You light up every room, and lift up every single person around you. Sometimes only your presence makes everyone happy. I read somewhere that “if you wanna know a person or a friend better, then you must travel with them”. This was my second trip with you where u lead d trip n m so happy that i couldn’t ask for more. Although i know you for only 4 months now, but u r one of the close friends whom i have shared most of my secrets with n m sure you’ll keep them safe with u. The crazy two trips and few days in Mumbai together has a hell lot of memories n i absolutely loved being crazy in every single day. 

You change people, but you don’t let people change you. And don’t ever let them. Never let any single person come in to your life and make you believe that you ever have to be more of anything because you’re already more than all of us combined.

And I know you will never see yourself in the way that I have written here, but just know that I see it in you every time. It’s why you deserve the world. Because you change it. 

I never thought i would have done rafting or a cliff jump or ride on the top of a traveller on those deadly roads if you weren’t there. You can figure out how much trust i have on u. Lot of my fear/inhibitions are gone bcoz of u and i feel myself *Blessed* that I have met you. You are one of the best person I have met in my life. Just want you to know, you have got a friend for life. Anytime, you need a friend, m just a call or a flight away.

This is for ‘This Guy’ Neeraj Narayanan and ‘This Gal’ Niyati Saxena for taking me to my winter wonderland. ‘This Trip’ to Tirthan was special. ‘cos I had an awesome time, the time of my life with these two awesome people ‘cos a lot of strangers became good friends in just 3 days ‘cos it was snowing and all around us it was just fresh, calm snow ‘cos I danced to “Yeh Ishq Haye” in the fresh snow and lived my Jab We Met dream ‘cos we played in that snow, threw  snowballs at each other and made a cool snowman ‘cos I learnt that you have no option but to rise up each time you fall ( quite literally 😉 ) ‘cos we had a near death experience and learnt how to be calm in such difficult moments as well ‘cos I learnt how important it is to keep walking no matter what ‘ cos to sum it all, it was one of those never-to-forget awesome experiences of my life Thank you Neeraj and Niyati. Looking forward to many more trips with you!

I would like to thank you for one of the best experience that i have got on your kasol -Bun Buni trekking trip which gave me chance to meet complete strangers and know their fun and inspiring stories and made friends for lifetime.

The beauty of the Bun Buni pass can not be justified with these few pics , its not what we saw there but its what we felt while treking up the hill , sitting at the top of peak ,sleeping in tents ⛺️ under stars , eating one of the best possible food in that moment , having tea sitting at the peak with new friends , bourne fire ? with happy moments to cherish for lifetime 

Also i would like to thank our Miss Guide @Sakshi Pant for letting us enjoy the way we want to and being that connecting part between the strangers to convert that into life time friendship .

I am gonna miss you all every much. Be freaking awesome and keep rocking 

#kasol #trekking #bunbuni #explorethehimalayas #friendsforever #besttime#himachalpradesh #kullu #manali #parvativalley #goodtimes

Planned this trip as my soul searching trip and I did find myself, relived my childhood, making friends with strangers in just 3 days and sharing a deep bond, rolling down the hill, laughing crazy like a child, blowing at a dandelion.   Thanks # Onhisowntrip and Sakshi Pant  who made this possible

The moment I had decided to go on a trip wid u Neeraj Narayanan …I had a feeling that it’s gonna be a grt fun…the way u lead ur trips …the way u make ur co-travellers comfortable is simply commendable. I really liked the way u we're putting ur best efforts to keep everyone engaged in some activity so that no one feels left out. There is so much to learn from u….ur positivity…ur socializing skills ….n the list goes on. A big thanx for organizing this grt trip …..I had a grt tym wid u n wid all of my crazy naughty stupid yet adorable co-travellers. Missing u guyz ….hope to see u all soon…A big hug to all of u..

A travel experience with a group of complete strangers which started with apprehension and nervousness turned out to be one of the best trips of my life so far. As soon as I was united with the rest of the group, the excitement kicked in and this impulsive decision to set off to the mountains just felt so right. These 8 days of unprecedented fun, frolic and adventure felt magical. The zeal to reach the mountain top at the beginning of the trek, kept us going for hours until we finally reached the destination, and immersed ourselves to the mesmerising, heart stopping view of the snow clad mountains with sparkling golden shimmer wiped away every bit of exhaustion of trekking. Also, the unexpected snowfall added to the thrill made us dance as if no one was watching. Camping by the river side, jumping at the sight of the waterfall, throwing snow balls at each other, dancing and singing around the bonfire, star gazing till 4 am, mindless jokes and chattering along with meaningful conversation with these bunch of awesome people (once strangers now friends) added warmth to the cold winter night. The entire day’s activity could not prevent us from playing uno, mafia, S&T and Dumb Charades until sleep overpowered us. The most refreshing part of my day was waking up early in the morning to a beautiful view of the looming mountain ranges and the soothing sound of the river flowing past provided peace and tranquillity to my body, mind and soul unlike my regular days when I wake up to the most hateful sound of my alarm. Even the trip took care of making us fall in love with mundane Monday by planning an exciting activity like paragliding. However, when the trip ended and we had to head back home, we parted with a sense of sadness that lingered for a bit, ‘but then it passed, as all things do’. Now as I write this post I can visualise my trip in clarity and I am filled with appreciation and gratitude for being a part of this adventure. For every bit of delight, friendship and emotions that I have felt, is something I will cherish forever. And I would like to thank each and every one who was a part of this trip for providing me with such fond memories. Most importantly this trip would not have been what it turned out to be, had it not been for you Sakshi Pant, can’t thank you enough for being such an awesome, caring and chilled out trip leader, you are such an inspiration. And I think I have already planned my next trip in my mind with This Guy’s On His Own Trip.

It is said that the best times of our lives are lived when we let go of our fears and embrace life as it comes. So after completing my degree, I decided to take a travel break with a bunch 20 unknown people to the land of happiness: Bhutan! “Would I be getting a girl to share my room with?” “What is your refund policy in case of an emergency?” Those are the exact two questions I started out with, before I finally decided to undertake the Bhutan trip planned by a certain high-on-life, down-to-earth traveller called Neeraj Narayanan (thank God for my friend’s suggestion, Surbhi Dugar)! And thus began THE much anticipated expedition of my life, my longest ever outing without family which left me astonished not once, not twice, but every single day that it lasted. The jaw-dropping sights of the country he showed us around not only left us breathless (literally, too  :P) but also helped us experience the sheer calmness which wraps us when we feel one with nature. I have never seen, never heard of a traveler holding hands of his group members to make them cross bridges, jump into waterfalls, click their pictures, dance with them, play antakshari, visit rooms to wake them up, play board games and all of this without complaining even once about the constant hiccups cropping up along the way. You taught me how to throw my cares away and just be myself in every single situation! Yes, your constant “What are you thinking?” made me loosen up enough to speak my mind and feel at ease with myself, with you and with the group. Climbing upto the Tiger’s Nest was surely a one of a kind experience interspersed with the special stories that you shared and obviously for the titillating waterfall moment which I would have never imagined doing without your prodding! Feeling unsafe or uncared for goes out of question when you have people ready to hold you tight when you shiver with cold, play games with you when are not sleepy, dance with you for the longest time! In between finding shortcuts to Buddha Point and running down the mountain from Tiger’s Nest, I lost myself, In between twirling at the dance parties and braving the wind at Chele La Pass, I re-discovered myself. And although I am back here, yet I am there somewhere with you all, In my own heart, your dimple does make a mark (romantic, heh)! The things I learnt about myself and about life would have taken me months or maybe years had it not been for this getaway I so passionately looked forward to and thankfully went ahead with. #thisguysonhisowntrip and his adventure is worth every bit once you are onboard with Captain Nero! Loads of love and success to you Neeru, Nehussshhh!  <3

Going to Spiti and going on a trip with This Guy’s On His Own Trip were both on my bucket list for over 4 years now. And I am so glad that I finally did with these amazing bunch of people. Ovee Sarda didi and l couldn’t have kickstarted our birthday celebration in any better way! Spiti was truly picture perfect! And it was made a 100 times better with the group. Sakshi Pant you were an incredible trip leader. Made all of us feel welcomed and at ease. We instantly felt comfortable with each other. I am truly looking forward to traveling with you again ❤️ (P.S let’s go back and bring Tini home!)

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

Harsh, You were fabulous Chotu:) and I mean it.. as a leader you had a ‘participative’ style of leadership ..taking everyone’s opinion and going ahead. You were easily the Energy giver on most days and kept the group together. So big big hug and thanks ! Am glad we had those talks ( you think a lot .. I figured ) ..haha ..but don’t become rigid in thoughts ..keep room for   flexibility and life will teach u a lot. I learnt from you as well about managing people . So super meeting you… Let’s meet at Kashmir and yes ..let’s keep the conversations going. Kudos! Thanks ! And big hug 🙂

A genuine and sincere thanks to @onhisowntrip and Niyati Saxena. Because of you I was able to connect to so many great people and thanks again for making the travelling this enjoyable. Thanks to all the fellow Tirthan trippers for being amazing and full of life. Without you I would have missed an infinite number of memories. This trip and you guys will always remain close to my heart!

Hey Harsh .. just wanted to express a bigggg bigggggg heartfelt thanks for making the last one week one of the most memorable ones .. You are an awesome trip leader but more than that you are an amazing human being, with so much patience..love, care, positivity and coolness..(I mean it 😉 ) I had gotten so attached and used  to you being there hence it was a very emotional moment to bid you farewell .. I may not have been too vocal comparatively but have had my share of lot of precious moments  on this trip. Keep smiling always and continue to spread the laughter.. Would love to travel with you again 🙂