Priyanka Gupta is an itinerant blogger from India who has left her investment banking career to travel the world and write about it. Read her best ideas and travel stories on her blog https://www.onmycanvas.
What inspired you to start traveling?
When I went on my first solo trip to Thailand, I met both the good and bad kind of people. My experiences were mixed, but overall the trip left me wanting for more. I wanted to see the whole world, so I started traveling more often since then.
What do you pack first?
My clothes go into my rucksack first. Then comes shoes and everything else follows.
Where do you go for the best view?
I think in India the Himalayas and the Western Ghats offer the best views.
What’s your fave foodie destination?
After India, I love Southeast Asian food. Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam have rich and delicious cuisine that makes me travel to these countries again and again.
Name a place that most lived up to the hype.
Bali.
Name a place that least lived up to the hype.
Venice.
If I had a one-way ticket to anywhere in the world where would you go and why?
I would sail to Antarctica. Then I would make my way up to South America. I lived and traveled in South America for nine months and loved the continent. But I want to sail to Antarctica first for I have been fascinated with the iced continent since I was a little girl.
Tell us about a great little place you know?
I know a great little coastal town known as Varkala in Kerala. The salty air, the friendly shacks on the beach, the hippie atmosphere, delicious seafood, and the openness of the people there have made Varkala one of my favorite places in India.
Where in the world have you felt happiest?
South America.
Any horror/funny stories while traveling?
Any horror/funny stories while traveling. Though I keep saying that I love South America, when I first went to the continent, I was struggling to communicate with the locals in Spanish for I didn’t know Spanish. Slowly I started to learn the language and started talking to people. But I remember one incident when I went to a medical store in Santiago to buy sanitary napkins. But when I stood at the counter, and the shopkeeper asked me what did I want to buy, I went blank. Unlike every other time when I rehearsed Spanish conversations in advance, I had forgotten to find out what was the Spanish word for sanitary napkins. So I stood there clueless about what to say. The attendant was smart and asked me if I was looking for some sanitary products, and I breathed with relief.
What places have you planned for 2019?
My plan for 2019 is to write and travel. I am on a two months-long trip to the Himalayas in the North of India. Later in the year, I will visit Turkey. That’s all for now. I am not a good planner, and most of my travels are impromptu.
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