Renuka
THE GIRL WHO GOES PLACES
Hyderabad girl Renuka caught our attention for her
cheerful, down-to-earth voice. Her blog, Voyager For
Life, features some of India’s most beautiful places
through photos and words
Renuka
"My favourite stays
have been in Sikkim
and Darjeeling–I
stayed with a Bhutia
family in Gangtok
(Shire Guest House)
and a Nepali family
in Darjeeling (Kettle
Valley Home Stay)."
74 Travel Secrets September-October 2015
Why do you travel solo? What are some of
the joys and downsides of going it alone?
I wanted to know what it really is to
explore a place alone. But, as I started
travelling more frequently, I realised I had
no company! That’s when I decided to do
it on my own, and it’s been an incredible
journey so far. The idea is not to give up
on your travel dream just because you
don’t have anybody to travel with.
Solo travel gives you freedom to do your
own thing. You can travel spontaneously
at a slow pace. You get to connect with
people, make new friends and are able
to absorb a place more deeply. The only
downside to solo travel is that there’s
nobody to take your pictures!
Since when have you been blogging about
travel, and how did the idea come up?
I have been blogging since August 2012.
I started blogging very casually with no
big idea on my mind. I just wanted to
showcase my travel photographs and
perhaps write a few lines around them.
But then, I started enjoying blogging and
it seemed a good way to build my travel
writing portfolio.
How often do you post on your blog? Are
you a disciplined blogger?
I try to post at least once a week. Yes, I’m
a disciplined blogger for sure, because I
do stick to a schedule. I believe a blogger
should post often only if he or she has
solid content to share, otherwise it’s better
to post once a week. Quality is always
better than quantity.
Please share your tips for aspiring
bloggers
To begin with, a blogger should focus
on churning out good and interesting
content. As long as your content is
valuable, people will notice your blog
eventually. So, write with honesty. If it’s
a travel blog, make sure you use high
quality pictures. Connect with people
both online and offline. Build a strong
social media presence.
One stamp on your passport that you
are proudest of, and why?
In fact, I have only one stamp on my
passport so far, which is of Australia
and I’m extremely proud of it. Looking
forward to a lot more stamps in the near
future.
Which of your stays so far would you
pick as the best ever?
My favourite stays have been in
Sikkim and Darjeeling–I stayed with
a Bhutia family in Gangtok (Shire
Guest House) and a Nepali family in
Darjeeling (Kettle Valley Home Stay).
They were wonderful people, extremely
hospitable and gracious.
Which camera do you use?
I don’t really carry much of photography
equipment with me. I use Nikon’s
DSLR 5100 and I also try to carry a
point-and-shoot for random, candid
photos. I do take my tripod along
on some trips, but I find it a bit
cumbersome.