Retro Kolkata : First of all, thanks a lot for accepting our invitation for an interview. it’s a great pleasure to have you as our Guest. Let’s start from the first question… Let's jump into the past. How did you get started with traveling? What inspired you to start solo travelling?
Zoha : So when I was a kid, I was always very keen and interested in travelling, but because my parents were always working and we never really had that much financial strength, I wasn't able to travel as much as I wanted to. However, when I went to college in Dehradun, I had my first opportunity to travel outside of my hometown and that made me realize how much I love travelling., I used to like travelling since I was a kid, but I never did. I was in Law School at the time and had really bad mental health, and travelling was the one thing that I chose. My therapist asked me what I wanted to do, and I said that I didn't want to be a lawyer. I stated that I didn't want to see myself as a lawyer in the future and that I would prefer to do something that would allow me to travel. So she suggested starting a travel page, and I did, and then I dropped out of college and enrolled in BBN tourism management, and that's how the journey began., And that's how I started travelling. The main reason I travelled alone was that I didn't want to be dependent on anyone around me. If one person went on a trip with me, I couldn't go. That's why I started doing it on my own. I enjoy my company. I'm not an introvert, but I enjoy being alone. I enjoy spending time alone with my thoughts, so travelling solo came naturally to me.
Retro Kolkata : What are some of your favourite places you’ve visited?
Zoha : So every place has a special place in my heart, but I think Nagaland is one of my favourite places, followed by Thailand, and finally a small village near Dharamshala. I'm not sure what the name is, but it's nice and has some nice birds. So, I believe these three locations are my favourites, especially, Nagaland and Thailand.
Retro Kolkata : How do you stay safe when you travel alone? Do you have particular safety tips that you stand by?
Zoha : I think it's really important to stay safe while travelling solo. You should practice it first, like in your hometown, because when you're travelling solo in your own country, people generally won't even notice that you're an outsider. But when you're travelling somewhere outside of India, people will figure it out that you're from another place, so it's very important to practice it in your own country, in your city - a place where you know people. You know how to do errands alone or go for a walk alone--do it slowly and steadily, and once you get confident, 50% of the problem is already solved. Because when people see that you're confident enough, they won't approach you in a bad way in general. But in this case, I always send my location to one of my friends or someone in my family. So if something goes wrong, they can always track me. Second, I recommend keeping a pepper spray, but only using it when it is necessary and, most importantly, when something bad is happening. Don't freak out; simply use your brain at that time. Because what happens if you panic when something bad is happening? Your brain stops working. You have to keep yourself calm and appear unafraid. Being confident is the key, I would say.
Retro Kolkata : When you first travelled solo, was it what you expected?
Zoha : So when I started travelling solo and on my first trip, what I had in mind was this very good thing- like..Oh! I will enjoy it. I will meet so many new people. I will make friends, I will talk to strangers. What happened was that I was having fun, enjoying the place more than the people, because when you are alone, you are free to do whatever you want to do., You are free to go wherever you want to go; there is no restriction. It was like this, but actually, I felt lonely, even though I love my own company. You know, on social media you see that solo travelling is just fun and they send that, but at times you are human beings., We are all humans so we sometimes need that personal connection. And when you are on your initial few trips, I think it's really hard to make friends because you're not always so open to talking to new people. Sometimes you will think that how will this person turn out to be? So that comes with time. I think, with time and practice, and gradually you take this more comfortably and it keeps getting better.
Retro Kolkata : People often talk about solo travel being empowering. But what are the challenges and how do you manage them?
Zoha : I would say solo travelling is empowering because once you start doing it, you know on your own that you start gaining more and more confidence and you get this feeling that, "Oh, I am self-sufficient and I can do whatever I want to do in life. I can do it all on my own. I don't need any external help or support." That build-up with time, but then I say like there are problems., As you know, you will feel lonely and then all the responsibilities are on your head. But as for me, I enjoy all these things. I like to take initiative. I like the leadership thing. So it's the best point for me and I don't have many problems apart from feeling lonely sometimes and missing my friends like when I went to go solo I wanted to meet new people and have friends but then you know I did not have friends and that felt quite a vacant. How I manage it is like I try to keep in touch with my friends over the phone or something like that, and the main thing that I do is always stay in hostels and make a lot of good friends there. Then we can travel together and do stuff like that. So, I think that is a great point like hostels. I would like a series for us. Solo Traveller.
Retro Kolkata : What destination(s) would you recommend to first-time solo travellers?
Zoha : For your first time, I would suggest you start with Himachal if in India because it's very friendly. You will feel the warmth of the people, who are welcoming. It's nice and budget-friendly, and it's quite safe. Then I would say Thailand and Vietnam is also nice option. But I think Thailand is very travel-friendly and it's quite budget-friendly as well. Then, you have quite a lot of rules and regulations. If you know how to keep yourself safe, then I think it's a really good destination for a solo trip.
Retro Kolkata : What are the challenges you faced as a solo woman traveller?
Zoha : I will share one incident when I was coming from Gorakhpur, my hometown, to Delhi. This time, I wanted to try the sleeper train. I had never ridden in a sleeper train before, so it was a new experience for me. Anyway, there was a guy who was being here and there around me, and he was sitting in front of my seat. So, at night he came there and sat next to me. And he just lay there on her seat, and I just panicked badly. I anyway made noise and told him to get off but later the people also threw him off but the train was moving. He was still on the train and later my train reached daily around 3 AM, it got delayed by 6 hours. And when I took off to the station, he started to follow me and he was saying, "I'll handle your bag" and I was saying, "No, no, no, no," but I just pretended to talk to my father on the call. Then I saw him following me and I panicked. I got afraid, but then luckily, There were two police officers. So, I reached out to those men and they told me to sit in the waiting room nearby. The main thing is if you ever feel unsafe or something like that, reach out to whoever person is near you or if there's a shop, just enter the shop and tell the shopkeeper. Just try not to run in an empty area, try to run in a crowd that can help you and always ask for help - don't hesitate.
Retro Kolkata : Tell us about one of your most memorable adventures, and the impact it had on you.
Zoha : My most memorable adventure would be my first ever trek to Triund. Before that, I always fantasized about trekking and hiking, but I had never done it before, so I didn't know what to expect. I was very unfit physically and started hiking in Triund. , I was supposed to stay there at night. It was like just a hike from here to the base camp, you know - from the base to the top. But then I started walking and everyone reached there 3 hours or something and it took me like 6 hours. That day, while I was climbing, I thought I would never trek again., I will only do city travel; I will never do a trek again. But then, as I reached the top it was almost sunset time, it took me almost 6 hours. And then, I was just very tired; I couldn't even see the sun., I just sat there and after sitting for two minutes, I just opened my eyes and saw the sunset there. And then, I got shocked. I had no idea that you knew the six hours that I walked, losing my breath and I think this is my most memorable moment. After that, I did it eleven times and I think that changed my whole perception about travel., Travel is not about your comfort; it's about expanding your horizons. You'll always feel like you're taking a risk, and you'll get tired while travelling, but at the end of it you'll feel that it was worth it.
Retro Kolkata : It seems like you have a deep connection to nature and that this has sparked your love for photography. Apart from Travel Vlogger, you are a photographer also. How important do you believe it is for a photographer to love the outdoors, not just the results?
Zoha : I think photography is just an art like any other art like sketching, drawing, or anything. You must have heard a lot of times that when the painter paints something, it's not the painting, it's the emotion that he is taking out in his paintings. The same goes for a photographer. I would say so. I feel very, very calm and I feel very nice. I'm out in nature and I feel like I belong there. I don't like city life as much. I'm more of a countryside person. So when I feel good, the pictures come out that way. If I'm feeling happy, the Pictures will be more creative, and they will have a more happy vibe to them. If I am feeling sad, the pictures will be moodier, and editing also plays a part in the process. So, I think being in love with nature has a huge role in turning out to be a good photographer because your love for nature will show through your pictures.
Retro Kolkata : Have there been times that you’ve had to revisit your favourite places many times to achieve the required result? Can you tell us more about your method of working?
Zoha : As I told you in the previous answer, I have been to Triund eleven times, but still don't have a proper Vlog about it. At first, I didn't Vlog my experiences; I just made small snippets. But then I decided to Vlog it properly, so I went there and Vlogged the whole process. And then what happened, while returning, I was shooting on my phone, and my phone hung. I lost all the data, so after maybe a month I went there again. This time I felt too tired and I couldn't Vlog the whole process. That kept on going every time and I couldn't just vlog the clip that you know, the thing that I wanted to cover., I just couldn't do it and as it is, it takes almost 1 to 2 days to do the whole trek. So, it was not an easy task but I still have not got the results that I wanted. So, yes, sometimes it happens. Travelling is all about moments, if it passes, you can't capture them. I generally do is when I visit a place and I think it's worth photographing or shooting, the shot which always has in my mind, that can come out well and I just take the shot, I don't overshoot and then I put the camera aside and chill. I keep the camera inside and I will just sit and chill so that you know.
Because I do this because I like to travel, and photography comes second.
My love for travelling comes first, but lately, it seems like photography is my main interest because I enjoy doing it. But I always make sure that I'm enjoying the place and its vibe more than just shooting pictures.
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