What could be a better embodiment of a constant traveller than the Indian milkweed, which goes along wherever the wind takes it?
An ‘appooppanthaadi’ as they call it in Malayalam, is a fascinating little thing that has caught the fancy of generations of kids and adults, for its implausible ability to surface at the unlikeliest of places. And as far as tracing the journey of these little seed carrier is concerned, it is as good as a lost cause.
How amazing would it be if one could travel with carefree abandon like the humble appooppanthaadi and soar away to places lesser known to quench the wanderlust within?
It has never been a better time for those bitten by the travel bug, as more and more people are packing their bags and exploring new places, either in packs or solo. However, concerns such as cost and safety aspects deter many from travelling in India, especially women.
One all-women travel group based in Thiruvananthapuram is removing all such misgivings and is helping women fulfil their travelling goals fearlessly and that too, on a light budget!
Taking the moniker of fuzzy seed carrier, Appooppanthaadi is the brainchild of Sajna Ali, whose own thirst for travelling and exploring lesser-known places gave birth to the venture.
A software engineer by profession, Sajna has been single-handedly organising all-women tours across the country for the last two years and has led a diverse crew of women to lesser-explored destinations from Gandikota, Nilambur, St. Mary’s Island, Yellappetty, Chitharal, Meeshapulimala and Dhanushkodi in the south to far-flung places like Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand and Tawang, Nagaland.
“Travelling had always been something that I wanted to pursue but more often than not, trips planned with friends never worked out as someone or the other would always back out at the last moment. This futile dependence on others on repeated occasions further cemented my desire to head out on my own, and nothing was more exhilarating for me to finally realise that you don’t really need anyone to travel when you have made up your mind,” says Sajna to The Better India.
The next four years, she went to a lot of places without burning a hole in her pocket and started posting her travel exploits on a blog, and that is when requests to join Sajna on her next trip started swarming in.
“Most of these were from women, who really wanted to travel but had some reason or the other holding them back. That’s when the idea of an all-women travel group cropped up, through which women could not just travel to new, unexplored vistas but also feel liberated through the experience,” Sajna explains.
A one-day trip to Rosemala in Kollam district was the starting point. Although close to 20-22 women had initially shown interest, only eight women turned up, but it was an immensely exhilarating trip for everyone. Slowly, word of mouth began working in favour of Sajna, who found a lot of women approaching her for trips after finding great reviews from friends who had travelled with Appooppanthaadi.