Tour Guide, Jaipur, India
| 3 mins read
Walking tours have a special place in the travel activities anyone indulges into.
In most cities of the world they are easily available and are very pocket friendly. But affordability is not the only reason for travellers to pick Walking Tours as their choice.
As a kid one explores surroundings on foot and thus knows the area so perfectly that he remembers every single mark, pothole, turn and color of the area. As one grows up and the curiosity to explore goes further and thus the avenues to explore unfold.
Walking tours became popular a couple of decades ago in Europe and thus became a popular culture in travel. In India walking tours came in in the last decade but haven't made a strong mark. There are a bundle of travel companies who operate walking tours in popular tourist destinations.
What they miss out in their delivery is - A walking tour is very different from sight seeing.
People who were previously engaged in sight seeing activities went with the fashion and started walking tours, but could not come out of the groove of pin-pointing famous buildings.
TeamActive has taken the initiative to break this stereotype.
We have our own definition of a walk. We call it - Walk the Talk.
Let's first take you through the elements we stress upon during our walking tours:
1. Story telling- We are talkative and love telling stories. Truth or fable, these stories keep the walkers engaged. The stories have been collected from the people we meet in the street. The stories are theirs. Their version of the past and of the culture.
2. Get into anyone's house- Having a rapport with the locals, we know them just like a family. During our walks we are allowed to peep into their houses, provided we don't trouble them.
3. Ask us questions- We will probably have all answers for you, so ask us as many questions as you like. If we don't have the answer the people around will come up with their theories.
4. Chai & Naashta - In English this means 'Tea and Refreshment'. All our walks have a special element of tea and refreshments with a local family, in their living rooms, with them and all made in their kitchens.
5. Photos- While walking in the streets there will be so many opportunities of clicking pictures which you might have not, if just walked past the famous buildings.
6. No Shopping - We don't push our walkers and nag them to shop. They are free and are allowed to shop from wherever they please. No specific shops, no specific vendors.
7. Suits all - Are you a school kid, a photographer, a journalist, a writer, a professional, an artist, a lawyer, an army-man or anything in this big world our walks adjust to every taste and mood. Just let us know what we need to fine-tune and we will be with you.
So what are your plans this time when you visit INDIA??