Traveling is as much the number one dream of a millennial as of Gen Z. Look around any social media profile and there are Travel photos, travel stories and travel tips. Chances are, even a very casual discussion with friends and family inevitably turns to, “where are you going next?”

With the rapidly shifting world-view and disposable incomes, people are willing to explore new places in faraway places and countries, which practically was impossible even a decade ago!

Have you ever stopped to wonder what fueled that wanderlust?

How did so many people decide to dream the same dream, and about the same destinations?

Well, travel organizers did play their part, but for me, the proclivity to discover was catalyzed by a well-known yet barely-appreciated entity: Travel Bloggers.

Billions of travel queries are googled every year, and every authoritative search result has a painstaking research behind it – from someone who took the risk to visit lesser known destinations and record their experiences in words and pictures so that you don’t have to lose time, resources and money and have a ready-made list of travel tips in the form of things to do, places to visit in the form of India Travel Guide and International Travel Guide.

For this reason we decided to create and dedicate a comprehensive post where chosen Travel Advisors offer their best travel tips – tips, travel hacks and a few of their travel tales that will help you in taking an informed decision before you plan your next trip.

Of course, you will still make travel mistakes, but like Confucius said, mistakes are the foundation of experiences – or was it Socrates? No matter who said that, it definitely is as true as the sky is blue!

Here are best travel tips from those who travel the world – they will save you on money, time and make your trip thrilling in the right sense of the word!

Bhushavali

A heritage enthusiast who likes slow-travel and explore the backyard, now exploring them with my little gal in baby carrier!!!

Travel Blog – Travel.Bhushavali.com

Instagram – Instagram.com/bhushavali

If you had to offer a single travel hack to travelers, what would it be?
Scan all your passport pages. As you travel and add to your visas & stamps, keep scanning those pages. Even if you lose your passport, you at least have a copy of each and every travel dates/stamps etc.

Will you like to share a disastrous experience? Or a funny one?
Losing my passports!!! It was a horrible day when everything went wrong from Airbnb host canceling to unexpected train expense to losing passport to baby getting sick! I had just blogged about that day – http://travel.bhushavali.com/2019/03/expat-indian-passport-stolen-belgium.html

Who is YOUR favorite travel blogger!?
Whoa! It’s not even possible to answer that question. There are so so many! The world is huge and there are way too many bloggers who specialize in so many niches and regions! It is impossible to pick one!

Can you suggest your favorite travel gadgets?
Camera and Phone with GPS and GMaps (and GTranslate when traveling where I don’t know the local language)

Your Travel quote?
It’s technically a movie dialogue which stuck with me forever – “You learn more when you’re in the streets, traveling”. Its from a Tamil movie called Varanam Aayiram and the protoganist played by actor Suriya tells this dialogue.

Zero waste travel as a concept is catching up fast. What steps do you suggest to help mitigate the impact while you travel?
Traveling or not – the primary waste that we women generate are the sanitary pads. Converting to cloth pads and cups are great Eco-friendly alternatives and cups are super travel-friendly which hardly occupies any space or weight.

Nilabh

A 30’s something guy, who is all out to explore & document his journey one destination at a time on TravelEscape with like-minded travel enthusiastic.

Travel Blog – Travelescape.in

Instagram – Instagram.com/travelescapein

If you had to offer a single travel hack to travelers, what would it be?
Do not get fooled by discounts, cashback offer given by few travel OTA sites, half of such offers are useless, or they are discounted on inflated price.

Will you like to share a disastrous experience? Or a funny one?
So, this January we a group of 3 friends with our spouse went for group trip at Mahabaliburam, despite having bunch of hotels and resort in Mahbalipuram, we prefer to stay at beach house. Named as Kadal- meaning sea in Tamil, we had the best time there. Sea was barely 300 ft from our stay. The accommodation gave us opportunity to relax on hammock, stay in tent and try fishing as local does. The Bluetooth enabled speaker provided by the owner gave us the reason to sing, dance and enjoy the best way we can. You can read more about our Stay & review of ECR Kadal on my travel blog.

Who is YOUR favorite travel blogger!?
Very tough to say, however I will vouch for Shivya Nath and Ajai Jain as both took risk of starting and pursuing their passion long time back and still doing with full energy.

Can you suggest your favorite travel gadgets?
I am sure most of us will reply smart phone and so I am, apart from my smart phone, my drone, DSLR & laptop is second favorite.

Your Travel quote?
We all are human first and traveler the second!

Zero waste travel as a concept is catching up fast. What steps do you suggest to help mitigate the impact while you travel?
in my opinion, zero waste cannot be achieved in travel, however the first and basic thing we all can do and adopt is “say no to plastics” very simple and effective.

Niraj Vashi

An experiential traveller with a soft corner for heritage hotels. My first trip was in 1999 and as part of my travel agency profession, did another 350 more across India. I was fortunate to travel across India and see it develop over the years along-with enjoying some breathtaking views, superb hospitality and memorable “Real India” experiences.  There is a unique flavor to every district of India. Its dialect, cuisine, craft heritage and sight and sounds. There is a level difficulty in travelling around India. With that difficulty comes the local interaction, compassion and its hospitality. Once you start enjoying these local experiences then there nothing like India anywhere else.

Travel Blog – Travellersden.in

Instagram – Instagram.com/travellers_den_

What’s your favorite travel tale?
I realised the true “Value for Money” when I stopped over for overnight stay at Puddukkottai in Tamil Nadu and was amazed to get a nice luxurious Suite room with towel, soap, shampoo sachet for just Rs. 630. I truly almost fell over next morning when I was served Daily newspaper in the room and it got better when I was treated to a most sumptuous South Indian breakfast, all included in the amount I paid !!!

If you had to offer a single travel hack to travelers, what would it be?
If you on road and stop for Lunch at a local dhaba, try their Mixed Veg option (tell them to make local style). You will hardly ever go wrong with that.

Will you like to share a disastrous experience? Or a funny one?
We had a hard time checking a group out and get ready for 12:30 train. Thereafter Our group got stuck in a bad traffic Jam and we made everyone run with their bags for may be a kilometer, only to find out at the station that train was delayed by two and a half hours :-).

Who is YOUR favorite travel blogger!?
Shivya Nath

Can you suggest your favorite travel gadgets?
Universal plug adapter that can be used anywhere in the world.

Your Travel quote?
Some travel, others explore, Some visit, others experience
Some look for whats popular, others take the road less traveled
Some need familiar faces, others like to do it alone
Some need to have a deal, for others its no big deal
Some need a holiday for a change, others cant live without one
Some take photos, others make memories,
Some are called tourists, rest others are travellers !!!

Zero waste travel as a concept is catching up fast. What steps do you suggest to help mitigate the impact while you travel?
Opt for hotels that use locally sourced ingredients for their meals and have Eco friendly practices for waste management and energy.

Sandy & Vyjay

Sandy & Vyjay are a husband and wife couple who turned their back on flourishing corporate careers to pursue their dreams of traveling the world. They set up their travel blog Voyager to share their travel stories and today the blog is one of the topmost travel blogs from India. They are focused on the niches of luxury and family travel and promote awareness about sustainable travel through their blog and social media handles.

Travel Blog – IMVoyager.com

Instagram – Instagram.com/imvoyager18

What’s your favorite travel tale?
After walking 3 hours through dense rain forest we stood in front of the towering figure of a mountain Gorilla, an endangered species. As we froze and silently trained our cameras on the Gorilla, something or someone brushed past us violently. We almost jumped out of our skins when we realized that what had brushed past us was another Gorilla in a hurry to get at his breakfast.

If you had to offer a single travel hack to travelers, what would it be?
We would love to tell travelers to go out and enjoy each and every moment. Yes do capture pictures and selfies for sharing on social media, but do not get carried away to such an extent that you end up losing the ‘real’ experience.

Will you like to share a disastrous experience? Or a funny one?
One of the experiences that could be termed as a disaster at least at that time was when we ended up missing our train to Florence at the Rome Railway Station. As we ran frantically we watched the train disappear from sight and along with it went our pre-booked train fare in Euros.

Who is YOUR favorite travel blogger!?
In terms of travel bloggers, we are quite biased and are our own favorites. We compete with ourselves and strive to better ourselves.

Can you suggest your favorite travel gadgets?

Phone, DSLR Camera, and Power Bank are our inseparable companions on our travels.

Your Travel quote?
Travel writers travel thrice to the same destination. Once in their imagination before reaching there. When they are physically in the destination. Finally when they write about the destination.

Zero waste travel as a concept is catching up fast. What steps do you suggest to help mitigate the impact while you travel?

Waste is indeed wreaking havoc on the ecological balance of the world. Especially single-use plastic. We carry our own refillable water bottles and would advise all travelers to do the same. This way one can contribute once mite towards reducing the plastic menace. Also, avoid printing of tickets and vouchers and go digital wherever possible.

Shailza Sood Dasgupta

A simple girl from mountains who loves to travel and explore different cultures. After working with companies like Google and McKinsey, I took a plunge to do something more meaningful, something that can bring about some difference in people’s lives. So I co-founded ‘Homestays of India’ 2 years back with an aim to empower women, stop rural migration and preserve Indian traditions and culture. I am now happily exploring the remote corners of India and helping local communities grow.

Travel Blog – Flight-of-a-little-bird.com

Instagram – Instagram.com/flight_of_a_little_bird

If you had to offer a single travel hack to travelers, what would it be?
Go for offbeat stays with locals rather than formal hotels, you will surely have a lot more memories to cherish.

Will you like to share a disastrous experience? Or a funny one?
Have you ever traveled in an oil tanker truck? I did once, and that too at an altitude of around 11,000ft. Here’s the story…
I was travelling from Leh to Manali via Sarchu when later in the day one of the tyres got punctured . It’s a rough terrain and there is no habitation or any shops for kilometers. Anyways we just crossed our fingers and continued our drive after changing the stepney. To our dismay we got another punctured tyre  just after a few kilometers drive . Now in this deserted land we had no one to approach. It was just 4 of us and the driver. We decided that 2 of us will hitch hike till Sarchu (nearest habitation) and get some help. But unfortunately no vehicle came for long. After a wait of around an hour all we got was oil transportation truck. We could not waste any more time waiting as it was getting dark, so we, 2 girls, got on to the truck. The terrain was rough, the altitude high, barren landscapes with no other person to be seen for miles together and on top of that it was getting dark. We just trusted our fellow men – the driver and the conductor and got on with the epic ride. Climbing up to the seat in itself was a task. And then the bumpy ride on those roads. Our hearts kept missing beats till we reached our destination but it was a ride of a lifetime. I will never forget that experience.

Who is YOUR favorite travel blogger!?
Shivya Nath – The-Shooting-Star. I like her travelling and writing style. And also the causes she supports and writes for.

Can you suggest your favorite travel gadgets?
My Nikon camera and Dell Inspiron laptop. They both travel with me and help me document my experiences.

Your Travel quote?
“Travel not to show the world but to know the world”

Zero waste travel as a concept is catching up fast. What steps do you suggest to help mitigate the impact while you travel?
SAY NO TO PLASTIC
– Carry refillable metal water bottle. Stop buying plastic water bottles every time you are thirsty.
– Do not use plastic straws or disposable cutlery and cups.
– Minimize the consumption of packed food.
– Ladies out there try environmental friendly products like menstrual cups rather than non degradable pads.

SAVE FUEL &  LOCAL RESOURCES
– Use public conveyance or share cab wherever possible
– Be very careful with using water, electricity and other resources especially when you are travelling in remote locations. You may not even know how much efforts the locals might have done to provide you of these.

SELECT YOUR ACCOMMODATION WISELY
– Opt for staying at homestays rather than big hotels. That way you are not only helping the local community grow but also discouraging the commercial hotels to mushroom in huge numbers and spoil the destination.

Archana and Vidur

Archana and Vidur are a couple and full-time travel bloggers. Over the last 3 years, we have focused on traveling to lesser known destinations, meeting locals and immersing ourselves in their cultures. We don’t travel to tick off destinations from a list but because we connect with a certain destination. And that’s why we don’t travel everywhere! Travelmynation is a work in progress to highlight such experiences, people, stories and destinations across India. To create awareness about responsible travel and how we can make a difference to our overcrowded, over exploited tourist spots.

Travel Blog – Travelmynation.in

Instagram – Instagram.com/travelmynation

What’s your favorite travel tale?
In 2016, we did a ride to Arunachal Pradesh and hadn’t prepare for it at all. When we reached Sela Pass, AMS hit us. We didn’t know it at the time but all 5 of us started behaving in strange ways. Archana started laughing at everything we said, I started speaking in Nepali accent, and a friend started talking gibberish. This continued for half an hour and once it subsided we all burst into laughter having realized how funny all of us had acted! We still laugh about it coz I have most of it on video!

If you had to offer a single travel hack to travelers, what would it be?
It’s not a hack but I think travelers should connect more with local experiences and cultures. Travelers are stuck with just ticking off destinations. If they were to spend more time immersing in the cultures, they would have memorable travel experiences.

Will you like to share a disastrous experience? Or a funny one?
Well, we generally don’t go to these touristy destinations but during our 6-month Himachal drive, we decided to spend a night at Kasol. We knew it wasn’t the kind of destination we associated with but had to take a break in that region while exploring close by places. It was a camp stay by the river next to the market. And Archana, her sister and I were sitting by the bon fire, when a group of guys came and started drinking. No issues with the drinking but then they started staring at the girls. We got up and left for our tent but for the next 2 hours saw the guys standing outside our tent making lewd gestures. During those 6 months in Himachal, we traveled to remote places but never feared for our safety. But in Kasol, with 50 people in the camp site we felt unsafe. Vowed never to go back to that area ever again.

Who is YOUR favorite travel blogger!?
This might sound strange but we don’t follow any travel blogger closely to have a favorite one. But we did meet Raja Bhasin in Himachal and were impressed by his knowledge on the state!

Can you suggest your favorite travel gadgets?
We don’t use a lot of gadgets but our smartphones, laptop and action camera are always with us wherever we go.

Your Travel quotes?
Don’t travel because someone else did. Travel because a destination calls out to you!

Zero waste travel as a concept is catching up fast. What steps do you suggest to help mitigate the impact while you travel?
The biggest challenge we have seen in India is the plastic waste tourists throw at every destination. It was sad to see that even in high mountain passes we saw beer bottles, cold drink bottles, water bottles and chips packets strewn around. We are very particular about keeping our nature intact and hence travel light. We carry out own reusable water bottles, don’t consume beverages that cause littering and dispose plastic waste at proper disposal sites. Apart from this we carry our garbage with us till we can dispose it safely.