Our raison d'etre..

The Wanderers was formed with a view to promoting unconventional and offbeat holidays for the discerning traveller. Our tours are for those who would like to explore the land and its people,  for those who wish to uncover the superficial layers that can never reflect the truth of a great culture and to finally discover the real gem that shines within. The idea is to show people a world that exists beyond brochures and boundaries, beyond luxuries and beyond imagination! The stupendous natural beauty, the cultural diversity, the exotic flora and fauna, the historic sites steeped in time and the warm and gentle people will all be a part of your travel experience. For the days you spend with us, we will be the catalyst watching you evolve as you experience the magic that unfolds. 

The Wanderers are..

Abhik Dutta spent most of his childhood wandering all over India with his father who was in the Army. His love for the Himalayas started at the age of 10, when he began studying in the little known hill station of Kurseong that lies under the shadow of its more famous cousin, Darjeeling. The frequent picnics in the tea gardens, the chugging of the toy train, the distant views of the mighty Khangchendzonga range, the midnight trek to Tiger Hill, Senchal Lake as well as to the Balason river valley tugged at his heart and many years later he returned to promote the areas in which he grew.  After a short stint in the corporate world, he met up with two close friends who shared his passion for travel and together they started The Wanderers. With his special love for the Himalayas, he has traveled the Indian Himalayas from Ladakh and Kashmir in the West to Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in the East with journeys through Uttaranchal and Himachal as well. Some of his most memorable forays have been through Bhutan, Tibet, Nepal, the dimly lit backstreets of Thailand to the temples and erstwhile 'killing fields' of Cambodia. Other adventures both foolhardy and exciting have caught up with him in New Zealand, Scotland & England, Italy, Namibia, South Africa, Turkey, Spain and Indonesia. Passionate about bird watching and fishing and inept at both, he hopes someday he will land himself a fish. He dreams of having a mountain lodge near a stream with loads of rainbow trout in it and birds above it.

Ashis Das met Abhik in college in Kolkata and thereafter the two drifted in various directions. He started off as a life insurance agent and simultaneously carried on the family business of retail distribution. His occasional disappearance in the midst of work to surface hours later in a remote hamlet in Darjeeling or Sikkim (and even Bangladesh, a fact he rarely admits!) baffled his bosses and family alike. He then took the wise decision to 'officially' chuck it all up for his first love - the mountains. Meeting up with his old friend Abhik and Rajinder (the third of the trio), he dived headlong into forming The Wanderers. Today, he is the backbone of the firm and is the 'figures' guy and operations take him to some incredible places in search of wilderness lodges, quality 'chhang,' the flowers at Yumthang Valley, desert hamlets in Rajasthan, off beat locales in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Borneo, South Africa, Ireland, Italy and Sri Lanka and just ONE quality snap to establish his reputation as a photographer! (Of late, digital technlogy has come to his aid and he has come up with snaps that are well..there..almost..uh)

Rajinder Singh is the 'fingers' guy and likes to meditate and hold three fingers 'up' while trying to win an argument. As long as it's not one finger, we don't mind. He met Abhik at the 'Forum' in Mumbai and their common love for Sikkim brought them together. Having successfully negotiated the fluctuating fortunes of the computer industry with which he was closely associated, he decided to chuck up his business, put all his Himalayan travel experiences in order and share them officially by forming The Wanderers. He has a special interest in unravelling the many mysteries of the Himalayas and the PC's that we use, and he'll recount his sordid tales (of both) for a song! He dreams of taking a year off, driving through all of India and searching for an ideal piece of land in the shadows of the Himalayan range and building a small cottage to hang up his boots some day. In his spare time he'll be up in the Himalayas or dangling 100ft up on a tree house in the rainforests of Northern Kerala trying to figure out why he exists. His travels have led him to sky diving in New Zealand and 'dipping' his feet in the waters of Mauritius;  to finding bio-diversity hotspots in  Thailand, Halong Bay & Malaysia; 'Veg Chinese food' in Hong Kong; offbeat tracks in Wales, Austria, Switzerland and self drive routes in South Africa and Australia!

Dinesh Seth, (Manager-Sales), is the smiling face of The Wanderers. A warm personality, he loves a challenge and will talk endlessly about how he successfully navigated an IIM group through landslides in Sikkim and swam in the Teesta river or unravelled the mysteries of the Lake Palace in Udaipur. He also boasts of having some of the prettiest clients of The Wanderers (something he's secretly very proud of!). Has traveled extensively in Kailash Manasarovar (Tibet), Sikkim and Darjeeling, Kerala, deep South, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand.

Shobita Louis is our Deputy Manager-Operations. Efficient, dedicated and affable, she is hard to beat. A dog lover she spends her Sundays caring for strays in and around South Mumbai. Her hobbies are music, movies and indulging in 'retail therapy'. Her dream holiday would be in Naples with George Clooney for company. A workaholic, she knocks off 11 hours a day (minimum). Stood 1st in the 'I know America' course conducted by Globus/Cosmos for Travel Agents across India. Way to go..

Parthasarathy Das, is our Accounts Executive and shows us the money. He  is our Agony Aunt and hears out all our problems with a patient ear. His hobbies are singing, playing cards and partying till the wee hours of dawn. He is also our "Outdoor Expert" and a regular fixture at our corporate programmes. Right from balancing our tents and our balance sheets, we can always 'lean' on him.

Farah Bode, is our Deputy Sales Manager . She has a number of years of experience in outbound sales. Music is her second passion and she loves Arabic, 80's, Latin, and Andrea Bochheli's Operas (we are still trying to figure that one out). Besides, she enjoys interior designing, dancing and shopping in the bustling streets of Crawford Market. On an off day you will find her at the shack with her Mc Gang (whatever that means).  She has widely travelled in Canada, US, Thailand, Phillipines, Malaysia, Singapore, UAE, Kenya, France and Italy. PS: It helps to have airline tickets delivered free of cost

The Wanderer in Kolkata

Our Kolkata office is headed by Alifiya Calcuttawala (her surname hasn't changed!). She is widely traveled herself and shares a passion for travel just like the rest of us. In fact she has traveled extensively with The Wanderers (prior to opening our Kolkata branch) and knows all the quirks that a wanderer exhibits. For her it's a home coming of sorts too, considering her penchant for travel. We remember her walking into our Kolkata office 9 years ago and signing up for an obscure tour in the Himalayas (where she was possessed by a 'ghost'! No, wanderers dont do ghost tours yet). Alifiya will be catering to both individual as well as corporate travel enquiries in India and abroad from her base in Kolkata.

The Wanderers in Gujarat

Keyur Dave: For someone who believes that 'happiness is positive cash flow', it's hardly surprising that Keyur should be having the additional responsibility of showing us the money in Gujarat! Loves the Himalayas and wildlife and has an eye for detail and dreams about living out of a 'modern hut' in the wilderness!

Sarang Bhatt loves the mountain more than his family (though his wife doesn't know it yet). Is a self-confessed travel freak and a keen wildlife and trekking enthusiast. Has wandered in Tibet, Nepal, Indonesia, Thailand besides covering the length and breadth of India. Would like to go to the South Pole someday. Right now he would love to do something for the big cat..the tiger (but doesn't quite know what..)

The Wanderer in Pune

Shilpa Maithili Barve was a bharal (blue sheep found in high altitudes) in her previous birth. What else explains her decision to drag a 'brand new husband' for 2 weeks on her honeymoon in the wilderness of North Sikkim where locals fear to tread in winter! Has travelled around the world with her husband who is a 'shippie' but calls Pune her base camp. Has travelled extensively to remote parts of India. Wants to get some answers about life and settle in a remote mountain place ('though maybe once I get the answers I would not need to go anywhere!!').

The Wanderer in Delhi

Ankur Khanna has travelled extensively and his ‘conquests’ include places like Sardinia, Bhutan, Finland, French Riviera etc. He is on the French Tourism Board’s International Advisory Board and is also the only official agent from India who has been asked to cater to the frequent fliers of Finnair.  He will be spearheading our focus on offbeat MICE and energising the FIT segment with innovative products in North India. He lives with his parents and wife and is  growing up with his 1 year old son.