LEADING THE (BACK)PACK
As travellers, Yogi and Suchna Shah hated it when they were being herded around in group tours that take in 10 European cities in seven days and serve 100 per cent pure vegetarian food. They also noticed how easily American and European youngsters backpacked around the world. Why couldn’t the adventurous Indian do the same with a little help?
“We tried to look for companies that would help us travel like that and get a feel of local flavour and culture, but there were none. We started The Backpacker Co five years ago to bridge this demand,” says Yogi Shah. Suchna was then a cabin attendant with Singapore Airlines while Yogi was working in his family-run logistics company.
“The Backpacker Co and the travel sector as a whole have evolved quite a bit over the years. When we began, people were sceptical about travelling alone and felt that backpacking was about living on bread and water,” says Shah. What has changed today is that many travellers don’t want sanitised experiences. “They are looking to head out to different locations and travel like locals using public transport,” says Shah. “Many are not backpackers but ‘flashpackers’ — essentially, backpackers with a bigger budget but those who still want immersion travel.”
The Backpacker Co is willing to be fixed or flexible. Although it is group travel of a sort, the groups are small with not more than 10 people in each. They mostly use public transport and accommodation is usually at hostels. “Typically, our groups are a mix of single travellers, friends and couples, all coming from various professional backgrounds,” says Shah. Women only trips are surprisingly popular, and The Backpacker Co has even branded them as ‘Girlfriend Getaways’.
The Shahs have recently launched The Villa Escape, a new company that helps people plan villa vacations in countries such as Italy, France Spain and in Bali, Indonesia. “It caters to travellers who have
travelled to the metros and now are looking for a slower experience. They want cooking lessons, wine tastings, olive picking etc.
As travellers, Yogi and Suchna Shah hated it when they were being herded around in group tours that take in 10 European cities in seven days and serve 100 per cent pure vegetarian food. They also noticed how easily American and European youngsters backpacked around the world. Why couldn’t the adventurous Indian do the same with a little help?
“We tried to look for companies that would help us travel like that and get a feel of local flavour and culture, but there were none. We started The Backpacker Co five years ago to bridge this demand,” says Yogi Shah. Suchna was then a cabin attendant with Singapore Airlines while Yogi was working in his family-run logistics company.
“The Backpacker Co and the travel sector as a whole have evolved quite a bit over the years. When we began, people were sceptical about travelling alone and felt that backpacking was about living on bread and water,” says Shah. What has changed today is that many travellers don’t want sanitised experiences. “They are looking to head out to different locations and travel like locals using public transport,” says Shah. “Many are not backpackers but ‘flashpackers’ — essentially, backpackers with a bigger budget but those who still want immersion travel.”
The Backpacker Co is willing to be fixed or flexible. Although it is group travel of a sort, the groups are small with not more than 10 people in each. They mostly use public transport and accommodation is usually at hostels. “Typically, our groups are a mix of single travellers, friends and couples, all coming from various professional backgrounds,” says Shah. Women only trips are surprisingly popular, and The Backpacker Co has even branded them as ‘Girlfriend Getaways’.
The Shahs have recently launched The Villa Escape, a new company that helps people plan villa vacations in countries such as Italy, France Spain and in Bali, Indonesia. “It caters to travellers who have
travelled to the metros and now are looking for a slower experience. They want cooking lessons, wine tastings, olive picking etc.
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