Narendra Agarwal, founder of TIMEPAUSE Adventures, is passionate about adventure travel and nature. In this interview, Narendra shares his favorite India adventure travel destinations with us and reveals some great adventure spots not far from Mumbai.
First of all, tell us a bit about yourself, your qualifications, and what you do.
I'm a management consultant and trainer, and also an adventure sports instructor. I design and conduct corporate workshops on team building, motivation, leadership and allied management skills. I also organize adventure sports trips and tours. I have done various courses from the Mountaineering Institutes of India and have completed my MBA. I've been involved in adventure travel for the past 15 years.
What motivated you to get into adventure travel?
The excitement and thrill of doing something dangerous and difficult was a draw. Also, adventure travel required one to go to remote and virtually inaccessible places, far from the usual tourist spots, pristine and untouched by modern civilization, reveling in natural beauty and very basic human settlements.
What are some of your favourite places for adventure travel in India?
In India, mostly the Himalayas abound in adventure opportunities. Thus the states of Jammu & Kashmir (Ladakh), Uttrakhand, Himanchal, and Sikkim are some of the favorite places.
You're based in Mumbai, so what are the best places for adventure around there?
Mumbai and surroundings offer some splendid opportunities for advanture sports. Some places are Lonavala, Khandala, Kolad, Igatpuri, Matheran, Kamshet, and most of the 300+ hill and sea forts of Maharashtra.
What kind of trips do you offer around Mumbai?
Around Mumbai we have camping, trekking, nature study, river rafting, rock climbing, and para gliding trips.
Do you offer adventure travel trips to any other places?
We offer trips all over India. In addition to north India and Maharastra, we have trips in Karnataka, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
What can you recommend for adventure travel enthusiasts visiting India? What highlights does India have to offer them?
To start with, India has the Himalayan range including the Himalayan foothills called the "Shivaliks". This area has numerous trekking trails ranging from a day to a month long trek with various difficulty levels. These trails have some of the most amazing views in the world and interesting flora and fauna. Trek support, equipment, and guides are available at reasonable rates. Also, this area features numerous rivulets and rivers formed from the melting glacial ice. They form challenging rapids on their descent from the mountains and offer adventurous river rafting and kayaking experience. Also, the mountain terrain offers some very interesting rock climbing pitches and para-gliding wind conditions.
In your opinion, whatʼs the number one experience that seasoned adventure travelers shouldnʼt miss in India? And beginners?
Not to be missed is a mid altitude 2-4 day trek in the Himalayan region covering some typical Himalayan villages and the way of life there, going to the snow line and viewing some amazing Himalayan mountainscapes on the way. Also suitable for beginners.
Narendra Agarwal from TIMEPAUSE Adventures can be contacted by email: timepause@gmail.com or phone +91-9820075770.
