Most Indian tourists can be found lounging at the beach, chilling out on a Swiss mountainside or munching on theplas on the Eurail. But a small number of desi travellers are breaking away from the package tour mould and, instead, opting to pick up skills, certificates and souvenirs that last a lifetime. Whatever they do—flapping fins underwater, cooking up exotic dishes or climbing a Himalayan peak —you won’t find them near the proverbial beaten path.
Underwater itinerary
On a family holiday to Mauritius, Varun Shah, 15, was very disappointed when he was told he couldn’t go diving despite his swimming skills. “Till then, we weren’t aware that one needed to be certified to go diving,” says Janak Shah, 43, his father. So, the two of them went on the underwater walk Mauritius is famous for and, while it was fun, it wasn’t too memorable.
Take the plunge: Learn diving and soak in the breathtaking submarine life.
Back in Mumbai, Varun began badgering his dad for a visit to the Andamans, where he had heard there was a diving school. But, a travel agent told them about the Lacadives diving school in the Lakshadweep islands and and the two of them took off on an impromptu holiday in March. “The whole trip was completely unexpected,” says Shah, a garment exporter. “We were in Lakshadweep for seven days and the course took up five of them. It was a beautiful learning experience.”
The foundation course the duo signed up for covers snorkelling, equipment orientation, lagoon dives and open water dives, in addition to diving theory. After practical and written tests, they received CMAS (Confederation Mondiale des Activites Subaquatiques) one-star certification, a lifelong licence to dive anywhere in the world up to a depth of 21m.
“In the past season itself, we have issued 100 certificates, up 150% from the year before,” says Siddharth Pujari of Lacadives (www.lacadives.com). “The combination of clear waters around Lakshadweep and guidance from trained instructors opens up a whole new dimension of beauty for our clients.”
Coral reefs, shoals of fish, water snakes, turtles, manta rays, sting rays, unusual sand and earth formations and even some remnants of natural destruction—snorkelling and diving reveal a world that is silent, singular and, by its very nature, stress relieving. With a glass mask to protect the eyes and nose, a tube (snorkel) that helps you breathe and a set of propelling fins, even a novice swimmer can catch a glimpse of submarine life from the surface of the lagoon. Breathing through the tube, though, takes some getting used to.
Scuba diving (the acronym stands for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) is stage II of the underwater experience: Instead of the simple breathing device that is the snorkel, it uses compressed air to allow a swimmer to go deep and remain there for extended spells of time.