50 Countries under 50 - Kavita Kumble - solo traveller, blogger and lover of life

 

Imagine a woman raised in a conservative and traditional Indian family, growing up and settled in Mumbai. The picture we would paint would have responsibilities, probably juggling a career and family,  childbearing years, raising a family, taking care of her parents and her in-laws, countering life's challenges alongside her husband, managing chores and routines. Some precious time to take care of herself, some time out to meet friends and connect. A woman happy to have these moments for herself.

If we take the exact same scenario and add just a couple of things in there, like seeking relief by getting out of her routine, wanting to travel and enjoying travel the most in her own company, having a husband and family supportive enough to understand and allow her the liberty and space to do so, we get our very adventurous and happy solo woman traveller. 

I think the world is generally a good place but when this solo woman traveller tells me that in the last 11 years of her travelling the world, she hasn't experienced any kind of harassment, I think we're really seeing a global shift of mindsets.  This really makes me happy and I am curious to hear Kavita's story. 

Kavita Kumble is a blogger, travel enthusiast , mother and a banking professional. Her travels have taken her all over the world and the uniqueness of her trips is that she enjoys them on her own. How does she do them and how did she have the courage to start these adventures in her life I ask her? She says that it may have started from watching her mother who travelled within India to all the temples and pilgrimage sites. Kavita found herself often forced to cook at home because her mother used to take off on her trips. These trips brought her mother joy which was easy to see. Despite having to work in the kitchen during those times in her mother's absence, Kavita credits the joy she saw her mother experience through these travels, as the initial push to discover the world herself. 

Yet it was only after her marriage that Kavita actually started travelling seriously. Her husband, it turned out was also married to his work and preferred letting Kavita enjoy her passion on her own. He indicated that he would be happy to listen to her stories second hand.  The first couple of times, Kavita travelled with other women who were similar to her in wanting to discover new horizons and experience new things. She took a trip to Scandinavia in 2014 to Norway, Denmark and Sweden with 25 women. This trip allowed her to take note of the incredible modernity of the Scandinavian countries with their amazing infrastructure. Luckily for Kavita, she loves both continental cuisine and cold weather so the trip there was not difficult for her. She made so many memories and friends and in general it boosted her idea of travel being accessible to her. 

After that first trip and its success, Kavita travelled with another group of women to Jordan. Another trip, another good experience and more confidence gained, Kavita felt that maybe it was time to take the step of stepping out totally on her own. This of course, raised some eyebrows in the family but nobody actually stopped her. In 2016, she excitedly planned every detail of her first solo trip. She backpacked Eastern Europe - from Berlin to Prague to Austria to Budapest on her own. That trip gave her all the confidence and lessons and excitement and highs that she needed to get hooked. The liberty to do what she wanted, when she wanted without having to negotiate, consult or follow someone else became really something that she was no longer willing to give up. 

She has since then covered 50 countries and all the continents. A woman who works hard so that she can spend her money on her priorities in life is an inspiration to so many girls and youngsters. It would be hard for me to get all her travels covered in one article but the most interesting travel she had must take first seat on the post. In December 2017, Kavita travelled solo to Antartica! The idea first came when a friend told her about a group trip to Antartica but the cost was so astronomical that she decided to find a cheaper alternative on her own. Kavita did so much in those 3 weeks when she travelled first from Mumbai to Brazil. Then she missed a flight connection to Argentina and found herself exploring the streets of São Paulo and being forced to really let go of several fears as she spent unplanned time in Brazil. Another challenge was that she had to make it by a specific date to Argentina to board the cruise to Antartica. Several problems later she was able to board that ship. This was her first ever cruise and she travelled onboard with around 200 passengers, mostly French citizens and about 70 Indians. The challenge of this cruise was getting through the Drake Passage where the Ocean is reputed to be very rough, with waves that are 30-40 feet in height. The funny thing is that while going there the sea was completely calm and they didn't feel anything at all but on their way back, they experienced the scenario from hell that we mostly associate with the Titanic type of movies. Cutlery flying everywhere, people being seasick and the ship getting whipped by crazy amounts of water. With the wind wrecking havoc at 150mph, Kavita found herself mostly in her cabin, abstaining from eating or drinking. She remembers having survived on two apples over the two days. Kavita talks of how just before this crazy ocean passage,  she had participated with other passengers in a formal Captain Closing Ceremony. Everyone was dressed to the nines and Kavita wore a white sari with golden glimmer to go with the theme of the evening. From Glamour to Gloom would capture that voyage well I think, imagining this pretty lady dressed in all her finery and then finding herself truly in the heart of a storm.

Kavita claims it was worth every hardship. She had just had a trip that was like going to the moon and back, so surreal, so pristine and so raw. She got to see amazing sea life like hunter whales, penguins, seals all in their natural environment. She remembers witnessing glaciers falling. She talks of how she visited the only bar on a Ukrainian base where there were only men. They were all very happy to see so many new faces and especially so many women. In the bar, to their utter astonishment there was a large display of the most colorful bras. These were of women visitors who are offered 3 vodka shots if they were willing to add their bras to this unique collection of inner wear, for all & sundry to admire.

Kavita fondly remembers this voyage as she met some amazing people on the cruise. She mentions that her neighbour aboard the cruise liner was a French writer. She is in touch with him and many of the people she met on this travel and several others even today. There was yet another surprise in store for them after having to weather the storm and getting back to Argentina. A flash strike welcomed them at the Buenos Aires airport and hence the ship housed its passengers for one more day after which they had to find hotels and make new flight bookings at the last minute. A painful and poignant twist to the trip that made her journey back to India more memorable. Something that can only be truly appreciated in retrospect I think.

When I ask Kavita differences that she finds in herself from when she started travelling on her own more than a decade ago and more recently, she mentions that she has slowed down her pace. Earlier, she was eager to do a lot in little time and now she does little things that matter to her with enough time to savour and enjoy the moment. Whether it be lying down and reading a book in a cemetery in Copenhagen or walking the parks in Paris, or meeting locals on her travels and sharing a meal with them. She also travels lighter than before, rarely with more than a small suitcase. She does carry some Indian food essentials and cooks her own breakfast and dinners in the AirBnBs that she books. Her lunches are local restaurants with local flavours to be discovered.

She fondly remembers Dec 2022 when she spent time in Paris and then travelled to Belgium and stayed in a 12th century castle all alone on a night just after Xmas. She was the only guest in the castle and used some liquid courage and chocolates to get her to sleep. She then returned to Paris and brought in the New Year enjoying the crowded Champs Elysees. 

Another of her recent cool experiences was booking herself a spot in the Coldplay concert while travelling to New Zealand in Nov 2024.

Kavita has done just too many travels for me to do justice to each of her stories but since she is a blogger you can enjoy her travels on her site  and her Instagram. I will leave a list with her details and some of her special travels under.

Along with her mother's travels being a big influence, Kavita has another reason she links to her spirit of adventure. The turning point for her when she started really to make time for herself and what she loves was when she survived a trekking accident back in 2011 where she fell and had a head injury. The 21 staples on her skull and concussion resulted in her making herself a priority. She wants to live life to the fullest ever since she has come back from near death. She even ran a 21kms marathon a year after this accident, against her doctor's advice. Life had given her another chance and she was going to grab it with open arms.

 Her message for women is " Never underestimate the force you have within you. Your voice is your power. Speak up, stand tall and change the world. Be financially independent and create a legacy to inspire all, in which ever way you can." Her daughter is happy to see her mother thriving on her travels and Kavita does take one trip with her family every year. She still has several places on her bucket list and her thirst for travel has not lessened. 

Why I find Kavita unique is that she is an Indian woman who has an otherwise normal life with a job and a family. Still she sets aside time and money for herself and invests in her own well being. She does what she thinks is correct for her and doesn't need other people along to experience and feel that her travels are worthy. The journey and the route and her own company are what bring her joy. Her story is surely an inspiration to many people who want to travel but don't either for want of a partner or for one of several other reasons.

Kavita says she is busy making money to save up for her next trip and we're eager to know the destination she will hone in on. 

Some photos from Kavita's recent travels 

Kavita's blog's home page https://www.kavity.in/

Antartica article https://www.kavity.in/2019/03/the-only-existing-bar-in-antartica/

Skydiving article https://www.kavity.in/2018/09/sky-diving-kill-the-fear/

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