In the midst of her solo trip to Mizoram last month, 69-year-old Geeta Garud had a divine experience. “I was on a narrow ledge, wading my way past a waterfall, trying to do something that I would not have done in my younger years. And I realized how liberating it was to go alone!
Before leaving for her week-long vacation, she was hesitant to travel alone. Garuda had asked friends and family but could not find any takers. Yet there she was, alone, enjoying a challenging trek. “Why was I depending on others? Being alone gives you a sense of freedom.”
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He got many first places. She impromptuly dances at the Anthurium Festival in Riek, wades into a river, and rides a horse. “I had the chance to ride a horse when I was young, but I couldn’t muster up the courage. This time I thought, if not now, I will never get a chance again,” says Garud, who was an athlete in his youth and used to play cricket. She was at her farm in Kopargaon during the lockdown, and was feeling suffocated by the lack of social interactions. As things got easier, it inspired her to travel. “Travel is also about connecting with people; When I finally did, I felt a sense of happiness and freedom. She plans to travel to Europe next.
Geeta Garuda in Mizoram | photo credit: special arrangement
Age is just a number
Welcome to Gray Gap Year, 🙂 Guardian So said a recent article about British baby boomers being adventurous after retirement. The trend has been on the rise for years, for sure. Older adults in India have always traveled – they visited children abroad, went on pilgrimages, and sometimes vacationed in bucket-list destinations. A pre-pandemic Frost & Sullivan analysis pegged the number of seniors traveling through the country in 2020 at 7.3 million. Then came COVID-19, canceling itineraries, tickets and timetables.
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Senior citizens were one of the most vulnerable groups during the peak of the pandemic. Isolation can mean boredom, lack of confidence, and increased anxiety, even for active elders. But now, with vaccinations, booster shots and the world reopening, urban upper-middle class retirees are booking more tickets than ever. They account for 10.7% of holiday-related outbound travel from the country, according to 2021 data from the Ministry of Tourism. And they are no longer simply choosing the ‘safe option’. At Silver Talkies, a social impact organization working with senior citizens across India, there has been a surge in demand for travel. Nidhi Chawla, CEO and Co-Founder says, “Our members seek to go on off-beat food trails and treks, and explore both domestic and international niches.” “Our upcoming Chettinad trip has the oldest passenger aged 77 and the youngest passenger in his 60s.”
Even filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya, who usually treads on safe, romantic grounds, has caught on to the trend. his upcoming release, heightVeteran actors Amitabh Bachchan, Boman Irani and Anupam Kher challenge themselves on a trek to Everest Base Camp as three senior citizens.
Amitabh Bachchan, Boman Irani and Anupam Kher in a scene height
, photo credit: special arrangement
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taking away anxiety
In August 2021, a few months after the devastating second wave of COVID-19, Hari Baskaran, 73, and his wife Deepa, 66, set out on a 770-km road trip in their Maruti Swift. “Nobody expected Swift to be this successful!” Hari laughing. He traveled from Delhi to Spiti’s Kaza with a group of 10 senior citizens, feeding off each other’s energy and enthusiasm. “For more than a year and a half, we were locked down at home and tested positive for COVID. Anxiety has been with us for a long time, so the road trip was a chance to break free from the shackles imposed on us by the pandemic, both mentally and physically.
Hari Bhaskaran and his friends at Kaza in Spiti | photo credit: special arrangement
The expedition to Baskaran came with the threat of danger due to weather, road conditions and possible landslides. But they were determined. “The element of danger made the journey more exciting,” says Hari, adding that he made sure the vehicle’s battery was in good condition before he left, and carried a battery-powered tire inflator and a puncture repair kit took away. Despite the co-morbidities, Hari is an avid cyclist and felt the journey came at the right time. “As we age, our mental abilities decline, and the fear of diseases is ever-present and becomes a source of anxiety. These types of experiences go a long way in keeping your mental abilities active.”
It’s a sentiment with which Vidya Surendran agrees. The 64-year-old believes that fear is one such factor that needs to be overcome. The Delhi resident had hired a van to take a week-long road trip to Ladakh with her husband, retired Wing Commander Surendran, 72, in June this year. for us,” she says.
Vidya Surendran with her husband | photo credit: special arrangement
Surendran had a compelling reason to make up for lost time and travel. She worked as a teacher, was retiring in April 2021, and had travel plans. “When I was teaching, I was forced to travel only during summer vacations. So when I retired, I kept thinking it’s time to go and see the place, and I’m sitting at home! What am I missing?” Their trip to Ladakh gave the couple the courage to move on to Spain and Portugal.
there is no room for fear
More than anything, the pandemic has made everyone aware of the times. “People don’t want to leave it,” laughs P Geetha, 62, from Bengaluru, who discovered her deep love for mountains in her 50s. Most of the people on the Valley of Flowers trek were above 60. Everyone seems to be in the mood for adventure now, and I’m seeing some FOMO too!”
P Geetha on one of his treks | photo credit: special arrangement
It is this spirit of making up for lost time that is driving 79-year-old BL Vohra and 17 Delhi-based friends (between 70 and 80) to travel to Manipur and Nagaland this month. Vohra, who has served in Manipur and Tripura as a senior IPS officer, believes that apart from the renewed interest in travel among senior citizens, there is also an opportunity to see lesser-explored parts of India such as the Northeast. New interest. “People have traveled abroad before. Now they want to discover India.
And road trips seem to be a favorite. In January 2021, college buddies Usha Hooda, 66, and Amrita and Robin Nakai, 66 and 69, set out on a driving adventure around India.
Usha Hooda (seated left) and Amrita and Robin Nakai | photo credit: special arrangement
Deciding on the spur of the moment, he drove a Scorpio from Kasauli to Chennai, taking in Goa and Hampi on the way, the Andamans, where Hooda’s sons live, and heading towards Pondicherry. When we speak, he is planning to drive to Pathankot to meet a friend. Nakai and Hooda have been taking road trips for years – though during the pandemic, they were armed with RTPCR reports and hand sanitizer, taking precautions even when rolling down a car window to ask for directions.
Hooda says the road trip wasn’t just about renewing his travel energy; More important was overcoming any fear that creeps in with age. “All three of us are cancer survivors. Amrita has just taken the last dose of radiation and chemotherapy. We have also learned about his treatment.” Has he ever worried? “Death can overtake you even in your bed. You can’t live in fear. You have to live every day, ”says Hooda, a talented artist.
a changing world
It is not just a desire to fill a two-year gap in their travel diaries that is driving senior travel. Economics has also helped. Many urban seniors have greater financial stability than previous generations, with higher incomes, provident funds, pensions, and investment strategies.
Nishikant Das, founder and CEO of travel platform Anvaance, says 40 per cent of his portfolio comes from senior citizens. And, he attributes this change to it. “Increases in income over the years have meant greater financial stability among older adults. In earlier generations, people saved for children. Now, it is increasingly believed by seniors that their children can provide for themselves. And even if they want to leave something behind, the younger generation is not dependent on it. So, they want to make good use of their money.”
And unlike before, kids aren’t telling parents to slow down at age 70. Seema, Baskaran’s daughter in Bengaluru, jokes that her parents have a more fun and active life than hers. “We want them to enjoy their lives, travel and not sit at home,” she says. While Seattle-based software engineer Sudarshan Rao – who himself loves mountaineering – was the one who encouraged his mother Geetha to go on the trek. Rao admits that he feels some anxiety when she leaves but he never fails to encourage her. “I’m impressed with how hard she’s worked on her fitness and she really loves traveling to new places, so I’m more than happy to support her,” he concluded.
The writer is co-founder of Silver Talkies, a social enterprise for 55+, and co-author of rethink aging ,
