Traveler Interview — Mohit Agarwal
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“Mountains surround me and the first ray of sunlight falls right on my doorstep”, says Mohit Agarwal. He is talking about his town — Haldwani. Haldwani is a small town on the foothills in Uttarakhand and enjoys pleasant weather all year round. Mohit loves this place and living eight years in Delhi couldn’t change that. He prefers to explore the mountains more than bustling cities like Delhi and Mumbai. Watching the sun set among the mountains has become an integral part of his life, he says. “I travel to give a treat to my eyes and soul, to rejuvenate me and my lungs”, says Mohit. Being a Civil Engineer, he also enjoys exploring places that offer architectural and engineering wonders.
What was your most recent trip? And why did you choose that destination?
I had a great start to this year. In the first month itself, I got to spend two long weekends in the lap of nature. One of the weekends I visited Aweri in Himachal Pradesh. Aweri is a small town near Palampur. It is filled with visually soothing views and has a refreshing atmosphere.
If you think that a small hill station like Palampur might not have many places of interest, you would be wrong. There’s a lot to explore in and around Palampur. Palampur has a lot to offer — From an international level of Paragliding at Billing to the best tea estates of north India. We were lucky enough to have a local friend to unlock doors to more of unheard experiences like a pottery session in Andretta, majestic sunset at Jakhani Mata Temple and scrumptious yet simple homelike food at a local dhaba. Besides this, we went to Baijnath Temple, walked for miles through the streets taking a closer look at the vibrant houses and life of locals. Something that we missed was the two monasteries that can also be added to your list but not at the cost of comfort because that’s more important here. So make sure you don’t overdo and enjoy the enchanting freshness of the town to its fullest.
What has been your best trip so far? And why?
Every trip has unique experiences and moments that make it memorable. But the road trip to Chandratal Lake in Himachal Pradesh stands out as the best trip so far.
Chandratal Lake is perhaps the world’s most beautiful lake. The beauty of the landscape and the serenity of the panoramic vistas was one of the big reasons that made this my best trip so far. But some other experiences made it memorable.
Camping at high altitudes is physically demanding. Our campsite was near Chandrataal. As the night drew on the temperatures fell down rapidly and went down to -12ºC. Most of us experienced severe headaches and some of us even got really sick. The leader of our group had a severe migraine attack and the veins on his forehead began to swell. Fortunately, we had some medicines with us that helped us survive the bitter cold. No one knows whether the headache was due to severe cold and low oxygen or the ghost of a person who was murdered in the very same camp we were to sleep in! We then aborted our plan to complete the whole Spiti circuit. But, we decided to add new places like Mandi and Mcleodganj to our trip. Traveling in such situations gives you a new perspective to life. It taught me that good experiences are always accompanied by bad ones. One shouldn’t get affected too much because of a few bad experiences.
The 8 hr drive from Manali to Chandratal is a mixture of the most adventurous route where hardly any roads existed, on the one hand and the most scenic landscapes on the other. Every turn along the so called road showed up an exquisite view of the peaks varying from barren to snow clad to lush green. It’s the journey that makes this the best trip for me besides the fact that sitting by the Chandratal lake was the most pleasant time I have ever had till now.
Do you visit all the places on your list or are you a more spur-of-the-moment traveler?
I am much more inclined towards slow travelling and being at one place for the time it deserves.
I am kind of a lazy traveller and visiting all the places is something I do not do. I am much more inclined towards slow travelling and being at one place for the time it deserves. Sometimes I feel so relaxed in my resort that I hardly step out of the arena and just enjoy laying my back with a view affront or going for a dive in the pool. So this is what makes me a spur-of-the-moment traveller.
Can you describe in short what all things you consider when planning a trip?
I usually don’t plan much of my travels but when on the way to a new destination I do a bit research on Google. Something that I make sure to check is the political and climatic stability of a place and the things to do part is handled by sites like GoIbibo, TripAdvisor and more.
How do you manage expenses when traveling? Do you have any hacks for finding the cheapest tickets or hotels?
Well, since my travel plans are very spontaneous I have to deal with hiked ticket prices, costly hotels and more. Still there are a few ways I adopt to cut down my expenses like- travelling like a local in public transport, finding online deals for hotel bookings, opting for train journeys over flights if time permits and sometimes even exploring on feet.
What is your favorite travel accessory — one that you can’t go without?
One accessory that I can’t go without is a power bank. I still remember that night when I was strolling all alone on the streets with a dead phone with no idea in which direction my hotel was. That night taught me a good lesson and since then I make sure to pack a power bank first.
What equipment do you use for taking photos/recording videos?
My phone has always been my companion for all kind of photo and video shoots. Sometimes I feel like investing in a DSLR but then it gets very bulky and need lots of patience to set the frame and take a shot unlike instant clicks that a phone offers.
Do you have any advice for our readers (This could be dos and don’ts while traveling)?
The one thing that I have learnt is that one needs to open up to the strangers in order to know a place better. By open up I mean interact with them, trust them and spend time but do so with your eyes and ears wide open. Never ever blindly follow anything. For instance always use navigation when taking a local transport to be sure that you are on the right path and not duped by anyone.
What are the destinations on your list for 2018?
I don’t have a list. I am open to any destination. I just have one aim — I want to create beautiful memories.
Where can our readers connect with you?
As a blogger I would want people to connect with me through my jaunts i.e. through my blog where they can leave a comment or even use the contact form. Besides that I can be found on social media platforms such as facebook and twitter. Also I would like people to travel through my feed on Instagram and connect with me for any fruitful discussion. I also post travel videos on my YouTube channel.
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