World Tourism Day| Mona Singh, Avneet Kaur, Adah Sharma, Gauahar Khan on love for travel
On World Tourism Day, celebs Mona Singh, Avneet Kaur, Adah Sharma, Barkha Singh and Varun Sood share their experience and what makes these locales special
Be it off-beat places or must-see destination, celebs say that travelling uplifts their spirit. They talk about some of their travel experiences which are unforgettable.
Mona Singh
My husband Shyam (Rajagopalan, filmmaker) and I recently flew to Athens (Greece) and then took a domestic flight to Cephalonia, the sixth largest island in the country. After a three-hour drive, we reached a small village called Fiskardo. It was serene and isolated. Apart from stunning natural beauty, the place has beautiful vineyards and caves that we explored. We went diving as well. I feel such places just make the travel worth it.
Avneet Kaur
I have seen many places in India and abroad, but Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) will always be special. We went camping in the middle of the desert and really enjoyed it. The sunset, the cold temperature at night — it really was an out-of-this-world experience. We stargazed as the sky was very clear. The desert safari was a thrilling ride and the traditional Rajasthani food was delicious. I felt very connected to Nature; it’s an experience that I will always cherish.
Adah Sharma
I have travelled a lot, but one of my top favourites is Maharajapuram, a village in Tamil Nadu. I visited this gem of a locale for a shoot. It has many temples around, and the nearest five-star hotel was two-and-a-half hours away. There were hardly any people, either. We could hear birds chirping all through the day and crickets at night. One of its highlights was that it was on the banks of a river. There was no pollution and the locals were kind, too.
Gauahar Khan
Earlier this year, I visited Tanzania. We stayed at the Serval Wildlife resort located at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. It was an amazing experience — the property was surrounded by a forest and there were wild animals around. It felt like we had become one with Nature. My one-year-old son, Zehaan, was excited to see so many animals.
Varun Sood
Recently, I went on a trip with my siblings — our first one together. Among other places, we went to see the Cliffs of Moher near Dublin (Ireland). The ranges are around 14-km long and the place is unbelievably beautiful. In fact, it looks like a VFX effect! They seem untouched and preserved by Nature. As Harry Potter fans, we were excited to know that some iconic scenes in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) were shot there.
Barkha Singh
My trip to Finland is unforgettable. I visited Rovaniemi (a city popular as the hometown of Santa Claus) and felt like I was in another world. I loved the Nordic culture; their tradition of a hot sauna followed by a dip in the freezing river was my favourite! There are many activities that are close to Nature as well — berry picking in the middle of the forest and floating on water wearing insulated suits while gazing at the sun as it sets.