“We travel not for trafficking alone;

By hotter winds our fiery hearts are fanned:

For lust of knowing what should not be known

We make the Golden Journey to Samarkand”

• Excerpt from “The Golden Road to Samarkand” by James Elroy Flecker

I had always wanted to visit Uzbekistan (and other ‘stans of Central Asia) for its history linked to the Old Silk Road long before Soviet times. The mystic lands of Samarkand and Bukhara further drew me to plan a trip towards the end of 2019 just when it was off season and pocket friendly.

As soon as we landed into Tashkent, we realized why it was off season. It started snowing as soon as we stepped out of the airport; Couldn’t have asked for a better welcome.

Tashkent was largely destroyed in the earthquake of 1966. Most of the it was rebuilt; hence it feels like a Soviet city to a great extent. Although it’s the capital city, it is less than half the size of Bengaluru and is 6 times less populous.

Chorsu Bazar, one of the largest markets of Central Asia is also situated in Tashkent and the meat selection on display is definitely not for the faint hearted. Apart from it, nuts, spices, fresh produce (heaps of pumpkin) and Non (Uzbek bread) is readily available for the daily grocery needs of the locals.

The Plov Centre at Tashkent serves the national dish of Uzbekistan, Plov (also called Osh). It is cooked in gigantic vessels and kilos of it is wiped to the last grain on a daily basis. Plov is similar to Biryani but with an extra dash of chickpeas, raisins and dry fruits. It is served with bread, salad and lemon tea.

After acclimatising to Uzbek know-hows, we boarded the overnight train to Bukhara which was a challenge in itself owing to language barriers. It definitely helps to know some Russian when you’re in this part of the world. (Majority of the population still speaks Russian)

As most others Saroys (resting points) on the trading route, Bukhara has remains of old market squares, magnificent mosques and madrasahs. But one monument which steals the limelight is Kalon Minaret (Death Tower).

Legend has it when Genghis Khan was passing by Bukhara, Kalon Minaret was the only establishment that he didn’t destroy and made it a landmark for his expeditions across the Old Silk Road.

Moving on from Bukhara, we literally took the Golden Road to Samarkand as we cruised on the roads of Uzbekistan reminiscing the times when Caravans of traders used to make these journeys.

Samarkand is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central Asia. It is also considered to be the birthplace of modern day globalization; 2700 years ago, when Spanish merchants met Chinese merchants at Registan which today stands as ensemble of madrasahs.

Apart from the Registan Ensemble, the Ensemble of Shah-i-Zinda perfectly showcases the work of turquoise stone on Uzbek monuments of era bygone. Bibi-Khanym mosque is another place of interest which is also an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On the other hand, the new city of Samarkand has a very unique vibe aptly defining itself as crossroads of culture.

In conclusion, the trip was definitely enlightening with exposure to Central Asian culture which had some similarities from back home (everybody wants you to get married) and some completely contrasting ways of life.

Glad I made this Golden Journey to Samarkand!

For more glimpses from the trip, do visit the highlights on instagram.com/urbankhanabadosh or feel free to reach out to me.

*All pictures shot on Samsung Galaxy A50

The Golden Journey to Samarkand was originally published in Urban Khanabadosh on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I often get asked where to start when it comes to travelling. Travelling to many appears to be a tedious task when it gets down to picking a destination, planning, and booking tickets for transportation and accommodation. The desire for travelling usually takes a back seat when one sits down to plan a trip.

Irrespective of your travelling style, in a group or solo, the intent needs to be cemented before you proceed with planning your trip. Are you willing to put travel above anything else?

If your answer is yes, I have put together a quick guide for you to explore with.

Short Answer: Pack your bags and leave!

(Impulse might be the best solution at times but not always. Cue: Grain of salt)

Nonetheless, the following steps can come in handy while planning your next expedition.

Step 1: Decide whether you want to travel solo or in a group

Your options when it comes to deciding a destination gets heavily anchored on how you decide to travel. If you choose to travel solo, then options are endless. In a group of family/friends you’re mostly restricted to a set of options based on multiple preferences and a common defined budget.

“If you’re twenty-two, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel — as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them — wherever you go.” — Anthony Bourdain

If you have a like minded group with similar preferences, then nothing like it. Never travelled alone? Want to explore Solo Travelling? I say go for it.

Myths about (Solo) Travelling!

Step 2: Define available time and funds

To make the most of your trip, it’s advised to chalk out a ball park figure for your trip in terms of usable time and funds. Say ₹5,000 (~$ )/per person for a 4 days trip. Prefer keeping an upper limit and a cash reserve because you can never trust Murphy!

If you want to travel internationally, most backpacking and travel guides available online define affordability of international destinations in the form of Daily Budget (in $). You can use the following formula to derive a rough budget accordingly.
Total Budget/per person= Return Airfare + Daily Budget(in $)*No. of Days

I know these calculations might appear tedious initially but once you start doing this consistently, you’ll eventually have these figured out without a sweat.

Step 3: Pick a destination

Now this will depend on your outcome(s) from Steps 1 & 2. Based on your interests, preferences, time & budget availability, you can pick a destination of your choice. It could be a place that has been your bucket-list, a beach destination, mountains, a village, a jungle safari or just your usual weekend getaway.

If you’re aspiring to travel solo for the first time, I’d suggest that you pick a destination that is not faraway from your base and you’re fairly aware about the culture and customs from there. It could be a weekend trip so as to get an initial flavour of travelling alone.

My first legit solo trip was to Jaipur when I used to work out of Gurugram (Gurgaon) — That’s just a 4 hr train journey one way. It was a completely random trip planned around Jaipur Literature Festival that year. Heck I don’t even follow Literature, I just wanted to be there to attend a talk from none other than Stephen Fry!

But don’t forget to research before picking a destination. Have a fair amount of understanding of what to expect in a destination that you have never been to before. In this day and age, you’ll find multiple sources in form of vlogs, blogs and itineraries across the internet.

Step 4: Book transportation and accommodation

The costs linked to transportation and accommodation can add up to anywhere between 60% and 80% of your total travel cost based on how you plan. A lot of travellers usually just follow the Short Answer given above, however it causes no harm in booking your transportation and accommodation (fixed cost) in advance to save up on some bucks and make your trip cost effective.

There are multiple free online sources such as Skyscanner and Momondo (which are no more a travel hack secret) to help you find cheapest air tickets. And you can always book accommodation with free cancellation and pay later options on Booking.com

If you’re travelling within India, it’s no secret that Indian Railways is one of the most cheapest and reliable forms of transportation. With major train seats getting sold out months in advance, advance booking is the only option unless you possess ninja IRCTC skills to get hold of Tatkal seats.

Step 5: Pack your bags and leave

Now that you have traversed across the steps above, we can get back to the Short Answer. Having embarked on multiple journeys in the past, one thing I can vouch for is the sheer excitement that rushes through you when you finally leave for your trip and there’s always a sense of euphoria awaiting once you reach your destination.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” — Helen Keller

To make the most of your trip, pack light and smart. Invest in good luggage and ensure your packing style matches your travelling style.

Although most of these steps appear obvious on surface but they sure come in handy if you want to make your pre-travel and travel experiences rather smooth. Each of these steps most definitely deserve a blog post of their own.

So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and leave!

If you have read this far, I would like to thank you for your patience and time. Leave a 👏 if you enjoyed reading this. This is my first time writing at this scale and I intend to continuously become better at this. Your support and feedback will help me go a long way in pursuit of that.

Footnote: For the uninitiated, I am Akshay Seth, a 26 year old male from India, about to wrap up MBA and soon-to-be an HR professional. When I am not going to school/working, I am on the road travelling as Urban Khanabadosh. I post my travel updates on my Facebook and Instagram. In my Journey So Far, I’ve traveled to 108 destinations across 8 countries 🇮🇳🇬🇧🇦🇪🇳🇵🇻🇳🇹🇭🇷🇺🇮🇩 (India: 88 destinations, 24 States, 4 UTs) — as of December’18.

Follow for regular updates on posts, photo and stories of all things travel:
Medium Publication: medium.com/urban-khanabadosh
Facebook: facebook.com/urbankhanabadosh
Instagram: instagram.com/urban_khanabadosh

How do I start travelling? was originally published in Urban Khanabadosh on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Human Beings have thrived on curiosity from the beginning of time. Curiosity has led to invention of fire and the wheel. Curiosity has taken us to unexplored places in search of the unknown (and known). Social communities have been established, trade routes have flourished, globalization has taken shape the way it is today.

It has never been easier for human populace to navigate across borders of their civilizations and comfort zones as it has been in this day and age, so much so that in most places around the globe, point to point travel is taken for granted.

The definition of Travel has drastically changed over the years. What once used to be reserved for the elite, businessmen, traders, or some round pegs in the square holes, has now opened up for the masses.

I will now be inserting a cliched travel quote on a dreamy background to add weight to this thought. Hold onto it!

There are more than handful of countries and regions around the world whose economies are directly dependent on tourism. Tourism is often seen as a major source of revenue in regions where either there is no agriculture or there is a lack of natural resources (bunch of other factors also play a role).

On the other hand, humankind in the 21st century is now more eager than ever to travel the world and absorb new experiences. With the explosion of technology and internet, the borders and obstacles to travel have started to diminish. One can now experience places virtually even before they begin to travel.

There are bunch of Myths that always find their way to cloud one’s beliefs and assumptions about travel. These myths are something that are clearly believable but at the same time, most of these myths have been debunked time and again. These myths largely vary in terms of impact depending on which part of the demographics you belong to.

I have been raised around Indian middle class millennials, therefore my list mainly addresses the myths from that standpoint. These still hold true for most other demographic sections though. Take everything with a grain of salt. For ease of consumption, I have bifurcated the myths into a) General Travel Myths & b) Myths specific to Solo Travelling.

Without further ado, let’s get down to the real deal.

TL;DR Version:

Travel Myths:
1. You need to be rich to travel
2. You need to quit your job to travel
3. Guided/Packaged Tours are best way to travel
4. It is unsafe to travel alone
5. It is easy to travel

(Obvious) Common response to all: NO!

Long Version:

a) General Travel Myths

1. You need to be rich to travel.

(The most common one)

#CheesyQuoteAlert

The only thing you need be rich with, is the intent to travel!

Not anymore. You don’t need to be rich to travel. In the most literal sense, non-leisure travel is performed by billions on a daily basis and that too in a budget. I understand, a sense of splurge emerges when you intend to travel. However, there is always a trade-off when you choose travel above anything else.

To make it simple, let’s have a look at a trade-off framework when it comes to travel (the irony, this is what MBA does to you).

You have three components to choose from — Comfort, Time & Cost.

If you are compromising on time, you gotta cough up the cost for the required comfort/convenience, if you are maximising on time and cost, you got to give up on comfort, so on and so forth. (Exceptions exist)

I believe the common preference would be of saving on cost component while traveling. The disbelief has been majorly cemented by the over advertised and marketed concept of luxury and glamour linked to travel.

Once you have decided to travel and if you plan it well based on your preferences (realistic), your travel expeditions can be easily budgeted. But irrespective of anything else, the intent needs to be transformed to prioritization for all things travel.

For instance, in the summer of 2016, I was able to travel from Pokhara, Nepal to Gurgaon, India (~1100 kms) for as low as ₹ 936 (~$13). I will be writing more in future on how can you save on costs and make your travel free of financial worries.

Work. Save. Travel. Repeat.

2. You need to quit your job to travel.

Speaking of work, this is another popular belief that holds back people from initiating travel.

It has been an on and off trend these days to quit your job and travel the world for the millennials around the globe. It has been slowly catching pace in India as well and there are multiple traveling souls out on the road doing this full time while running an online mode of income a.k.a. Digital Nomads. I thoroughly respect these folks for their strong will to see the world on their own terms.

However, for the masses, this doesn’t appeal to be the most plausible option to pursue and sustain. The good news is that you ACTUALLY don’t need to quit your job if you intend to travel and I wouldn’t recommend otherwise if you haven’t planned out your alternate source of income to support your travels. If you choose to do so, there are also ways to earn abroad once you have exhausted your savings but it becomes all the more challenging with an Indian passport (sad but true).

Easier said than done, but all you need is to prioritize your time and funds and direct them to your travels. Once you are conditioned to constantly travel, this will become an unconscious habit. In my first year of intensive travelling, I was able to make 8 trips on a tight budget while working a full time job.

Even two years of rigorous schedule in my MBA did not restrict me from traveling more than couple of times each year and not just within India but also abroad.

It is not easy but definitely possible to travel the world without compromising on your professional and/or educational engagements.

3. Guided/Packaged Tours are the best way to travel.

For some they might work well.

Packaged tours and trips has been the conventional way for Indian middle class to travel. Until the arrival of internet and OTAs, family trips were largely dependent on the recommendations (and vested interests) of the local travel agent. A lot of families also had a designated family travel agent similar to the concept of family doctors.

However, The Times They Are A Changin’

The travel agents have now transformed into OTAs (Online Travel Aggregators) with packages being broken down into modular components for a tailor made travel booking experience.

The best way to save cost is to NOT buy guided/packaged tours. Also, guided tours are largely restricted by their fixed schedules. Travel should not be treated as one-size-fit-all and packaged tours do exactly that.

They definitely help you make your trips cost effective and make things convenient for you. And this exactly makes the experience incomplete rendering your travel experience a rather fabricated one.

b) Myths specific to Solo Travelling!

“The man who goes alone can start today, but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready.” — Henry David Thoreau

4. It is unsafe to travel alone.

A shady alley in your town is as unsafe as a shady alley in another town.

Being alone as a human being is a frightening thought in itself. However, that is a discussion for another post. Travelling alone is easier for people who enjoy their company by themselves but it is not completely impossible for strong extroverts either — It is easier for them to instantly bond with the locals.

Of all forms of travelling, solo travelling is my favourite kind. Not because, I want to keep travel a personal affair but because travelling solo helps you absorb experiences to the fullest — raw and unfiltered.

While travelling in a group, you are constantly distracted which hinders your travel experiences but when you completely immerse yourself in a new destination that’s when you make the most out of your travels.

“Don’t be scared to walk alone. Don’t be scared to like it. “— John Mayer

It is advised to exercise common sensical approach to any given situation like you would do back home. For instance do not wander off in a shady area after dark, respect and follow local customs, smile (doesn’t work everywhere) and be polite. Do some research before you go to a new place and be prepared accordingly.

Media plays a significant role in painting an image of any given country/ region as unsafe to travel whereas real time travel experiences account for safer encounters as compared to experiences in global cities such as New York and London. One similar classic example from back home is of North East India — It is safer to travel there as compared to most metropolitan cities in India today.

Some places with limited tourism infrastructure definitely pile on some extra cost on solo travellers but that doesn’t hamper the safety concern in any way.

5. It is easy to travel.

A difficult one to grasp but a genuine myth.

All that glitters is not gold. #AnotherCheesyQuote

With all the flowery & shiny posts and stories on social media fuelled by advertising of glamorous locations, it makes travel appear a rather relaxing and luxurious affair.

Travelling solo to a destination with languages, food, and customs unknown to you, travel can be intimidating at first sight and some experiences require more courage than others. But that’s what solo travellers feed on — Courage.

Travelling is a perfect analogy to life. It comes with its share of ups and downs. Not all travel days are the most convenient ones. You are often thrown out of your comfort zone into courage zone. Unless you have travelled solo, you have not travelled.

I would like to close this by a quote that I live by:

“Travelling is something that is entirely mine. No one can take it away from me. It’s a state of zen in the purest form that can be only felt. The feeling in itself is unique to each and every individual. Don’t live to travel, travel to live.”

If you have read this far, I would like to thank you for your patience and time. Leave a 👏 if you enjoyed reading this. This is my first time writing at this scale and I intend to continuously become better at this. Your support and feedback will help me go a long way in pursuit of that.

Footnote: For the uninitiated, I am Akshay Seth, a 26 year old male from India, about to wrap up MBA and soon-to-be an HR professional. When I am not going to school/working, I am on the road travelling as Urban Khanabadosh. I post my travel updates on my Facebook and Instagram. In my Journey So Far, I’ve traveled to 108 destinations across 8 countries 🇮🇳🇬🇧🇦🇪🇳🇵🇻🇳🇹🇭🇷🇺🇮🇩 (India: 88 destinations, 24 States, 4 UTs) — as of December’18.

Follow for regular updates on posts, photo and stories of all things travel:
Medium Publication: medium.com/urban-khanabadosh
Facebook: facebook.com/urbankhanabadosh
Instagram: instagram.com/urban_khanabadosh/

Myths about (Solo) Travelling! was originally published in Urban Khanabadosh on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

It has been long since I have been contemplating writing my thoughts/experiences/travel tales and sharing it with the world. I have had on and off phases with blogging sites with the likes of Tumblr, Quora, Medium, so on and so forth. There also have been multiple scenarios planned (in my head) with respect to publishing content on each of these aforementioned platforms.

However, I have never been able to pull myself together to MATERIALIZE any of those scenarios. But fret no more, better late than never. Of all the platforms that I’ve come across, I see Medium as a perfect place to start (I will talk more about this in future). Before I continue to ramble, allow me to put across a disclaimer.

The most legit personal content that I have written so far is only on Social Media handles and I may not be even close to perfect in structuring/narrating content through this Medium. I shall look forward to your support and feedback towards continuous improvement.*fingers crossed*

Who am I?

For the uninitiated, I am Akshay Seth, a 26 year old male from India, about to wrap up MBA and soon-to-be an HR professional. When I am not going to school/working, I am on the road travelling as Urban Khanabadosh. I post my travel updates on my Facebook and Instagram. In my Journey So Far, I’ve traveled to 108 destinations across 8 countries 🇮🇳🇬🇧🇦🇪🇳🇵🇻🇳🇹🇭🇷🇺🇮🇩 (India: 88 destinations, 24 States, 4 UTs) — as of December’18.

Having grown up/ studied/ worked in multiple cities and regions across the length and breadth of India, I’ve been exposed to a multitude of cultures and that’s where I derive my inherent aspiration to travel the world.

I’ve been fortunate enough to travel this far without compromising on my professional and educational engagements. As for my professional/ educational journey, let’s connect on LinkedIn.

I also have keen interest in Food, Quizzing (trivia), Armchair Philosophy, Anthropology (and all other social sciences), Geography, Aviation, HR Trends and General Business Literature.

Over the years, I have been drawing a lot of information and knowledge from diverse content all across the internet and (in a way) this is my humble attempt to give back by sharing my two cents. I hope I’ll be able to sustain this attempt.

What can you expect from me?

Having travelled extensively, most of my blogs are bound to be travel themed. However, I will try to develop and present a mixed bag of content representing anything and everything under the sun.

As much as I am averse to ambiguity and uncertainty, I have not planned the sequence or structure of the content mix. I intend to go with the flow as of now and see how it unfolds based on the feedback and support — classic Supply Demand situation (pardon the unsolicited MBA lingo)

Over the coming months, I intend to make this a frequent affair and also continuously thrive to improve towards refined structured narrations through my content.

What do I expect from you?

A Conversation; I would highly appreciate your support and constructive feedback to help me share my experiences with the world. I would be glad to connect and have follow up conversations on your topics of interest. I would also love to hear your experiences and learn from them.

“I did not write half of what I saw, for I knew I would not be believed” — Marco Polo

Your support and feedback would go a long way in helping me hone this craft. Feel free to connect with me on my social media, if you want me to write about any of my trips first (I’ll be selecting at random initially). I am always available for free travel advise/planning on urbankhanadosh@gmail.com

Another exciting journey awaits. Follow me to continue receiving updates on about my upcoming posts. Leave a 👏 below if you enjoyed reading this. It’d help me with gauging your interest and preferences. Cheers!

Footnote: Although I have hardly scratched the surface with this; There is an overwhelming sense of relief and mild euphoria that I’m experiencing while closing this introductory blog post. Phew!

I have finally started writing! was originally published in Urban Khanabadosh on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.