CMYK

fter my first solotrip in India, manypeople asked mewhat it was like totravel alone as awoman.

Liberating, I always said. Totravel alone is to realise thatthe ‘big bad world’ has a bigheart and there is nothingquite as empowering as theconfidence to experience anunknown place by yourselfand that you don’t need a manto figure out directions!Here’s a mixed bag of some ofthe most women-friendlydestinations that you shouldnot miss out…

OVERSEASSingaporeThis small island nation in

Southeast Asia can seemalmost too good to be true as asingle woman: it is as safe as itis cosmopolitan. Withglittering shopping malls andmassive year-round sales,well-preserved culturaldistricts, tranquil seasideescapades and a happeningnightlife, there is enough tokeep you on your toes. Publictransport works like breeze, ahuge expat population meansthere are enough Asian andinternational cuisines tosample, and its vicinity toMalaysia and Indonesiamakes it a perfect base toexplore the rest of SoutheastAsia. If you’ve been therebefore, there are always newreasons to visit. Afterspending six years studying

and working in Singapore, Irevisited to marvel at Gardensby the Bay, the latest additionto the city skyline and anarchitectural marvel andsample trendy new conceptbars and cafes popping upeverywhere on the island. Thebest part: the island’s

reputation of safety precedesit; so convincing your lovedones to let you go aloneshould be easy!

BahrainWhat has the conservativeGulf region got to offer asingle woman traveller, youmight ask? The warmesthospitality, utmost respect,and some much-neededperspective; in that order.Bahrain offers a flavour of theMiddle East and a historylesson dating back to before2,500 BC, minus the touristsof Dubai and Egypt. In fact,tourism is in such a nascentstage that the residents aregenuinely happy to welcomeforeigners into their homes; Ifound myself conversing,

befriending, sharing mealsand even hitchhiking with thelocals. It’s here that the Easttruly meets the West — Arabmen and women intraditional costumes driveforeign cars, converse inArabic slang and accentedEnglish and hang out atEuropean cafes serving fusionMiddle Eastern cuisine!

In the vicinity of the coastlie spectacular uninhabitedislands; while inland, souks(street markets), potteryvillages and restoredtraditional houses standalongside bustling malls, artsyneighbourhoods and quirkycafes and bars. A state-of-the-art causeway connectsBahrain to Saudi Arabia, anddriving on this engineeringspectacle is as close as you canget to its conservativeneighbour as a solo woman.

Southern SpainNot quite taken by Zindagi NaMilegi Dobara? Then hearthis: Spain has more to offerthan the sun, sea and sand

getaway, a reason to party andbull fights. Along theAndalucian countryside, I wasmarvelling at Arabicarchitecture and Romanruins, biking aroundpicturesque vineyards andolive fields, and tapping to thebeat of the flamenco in a cavehamam (Turkish bath), all inone day. Much safer thanbigger European cities, thecountryside villages andtowns in south Spain have away of easing outsiders intothe good life—long lunchesand longer siestas—that areimmediately addictive.

CLOSER HOMENorth Kerala

North Kerala is one of the fewregions in India where, as asolo woman traveller, I feltgenuinely welcomed with agreater sense of admirationthan concern. Ditch thehouseboat-lined backwatersalong Alleppey andKumarakom for the sleepy,coconut-fringed hamlets ofthe state’s north. Here, thebackwaters flow like full-fledged rivers and are cleanenough to swim in, unitingwith the Arabian Sea acrossvirgin white-sand beaches.The hilly countryside is hometo well-preserved forests andtribal villages and manyfamilies in the region offerhome-stays on their teaestates and coffeeplantations, together withheart-warming hospitalityand delicious home-cookedfood.

Himalayan rangesIronically enough, the coldestregions of the Trans-Himalayas are home to thewarmest people! Spiti and itsbetter-known cousin, Ladakh,are enchanting places; hometo stark terrain, magnificentlandscapes, postcard villages,ancient monasteries, snow-hooded mountains and star-studded skies. I couldn’t havepicked a better region for myfirst solo trip, or my firsthitchhike. The smaller andmore remote the villages inthese Himalayan deserts, themore welcoming are thelocals. If the notion of atithi

devo bhava (guest is God) everdid justice to a region, it washere, and it really doesn’tmatter if you’re alone or not.

MeghalayaWhile all seven north-easternsister states pay an ode tonature in the majesticbackdrop of the EasternHimalayas, Meghalaya stands

out as a matrilineal society;descent is traced through themother and women who playthe more dominant role ineveryday life. Rest assuredthat female travellers are notonly safe, but also highlyrespected. True to itsSanskrit name, ‘the abode ofclouds’, much of Meghalayareceives high rainfall, makingit one of India’s richestbiodiversity belts, its ancientforests protected by the hilltribes for their cultural andreligious beliefs. An almostmystical aura engulfs thestate during the rains, withthe clouds coming low to kiss

the verdant hills andpicturesque villages. A sightthat will remain indelibleforever!

(The writer is the co-founder ofIndia Untravelled—a social

enterprise that aims to settravellers off-the-beaten track

to experience rural India)

Travel meanderings

> Continued from page 1

However, such income once reinvested—the subsequent income will be tax-able for you. If you are in the lower taxbracket, there can be tax savings for thefamily. Investing in the name of awoman can potentially provide protec-tion to the assets from any unfortunatebankruptcy or other claims against themale family members.”

Invest at the right ageShweta Aprameya, Vice President andHead-Business Management andGrowth, FINO PayTech Ltd. says, “Pru-dent rule says that the type of invest-ment should be determined by calculat-ing the retirement age minus currentage. Say your age is 40 and averageretirement age is 60, in this case 20 percent of your investment should be equi-ty and 80 per cent should go into debt.”Gurmeet Singh, Head-Wealth Manage-ment, DiVitas Capital Advisors Pvt.Ltd. advises, “Mutual funds are quiteadvantageous. The pooled investmentavenue gives an individual the benefitof investing in equities, debt and liquidfunds; however, a right mix of equityand debt has to be selected according tothe age group. Those in the age group of25-30 should invest 70 per cent moneyin equity related products and 30 percent in debt and fixed instruments.Those between 40 and 50, should have60 per cent in equity with 40 per cent in

fixed income; and those beyond 55-60,should have 80 per cent in fixed income with only 20 per cent allocationto equity.

Mutually beneficialIf you’re looking at investing in mutualfunds, a long-term plan and regularinvestments are the best options.Gurmeet advocates the benefits ofinvesting in mutual funds: “Mutualfunds are the best option for invest-ment as it invests according to theinvestment objective specified at thetime of launching a scheme. So thereare different kinds of funds such asequity funds, debt fund, fixed maturityplan and liquid funds and many othersthat cater to different needs of aninvestor. The availability of theseoptions makes them a good investmentchoice. The only factor to keep in mindis that the fund has to be selected keep-ing the risk profile in mind.”

Gold advantageIf we look at the global scenario, todayIndia stands as the world’s largest sin-gle market for gold consumption. Therapidly increasing value of gold, cou-pled with the current economic condi-tions, and the use of gold in many evolv-ing industries has made the yellowmetal a winner all the way.

Gurmeet suggests, “An allocation togold provides potential portfolio diver-sification benefits. The more assetclasses you invest in, the less chance ofall your holdings to fluctuate in tan-dem. Diversification of portfolio resultsin the risk being reduced because at anygiven point in time, investments do notreact in the same way; hence the lossesof one investment can be compensatedby gains in some other investment,thereby reducing risks. When consider-ing any investment, you should not onlyconsider the potential positive and neg-ative scenarios for that investment overtime, but also the impact on your over-all portfolio performance. The goldprice has historically exhibited a lowcorrelation with other asset classes.This fact makes gold a good source ofdiversification for a portfolio and goldmay help protect against the downsiderisks.” Always buy gold in the form ofcoins or bars or invest in gold funds;never consider gold ornaments asinvestment. Gold in the form of jew-ellery is only going to cause loss in theform of wastage and making charges.

Disclaimer: The above investment options give youan idea of what is available in the market; it is bestto consult a financial advisor before you make anydecisions.

22 l Friday, March 8, 2013

Penny wise,pound foolish?

● Balance your planwith a combinationof low and highrisk investments● Jewellery cannotbe considered asinvestment. So

invest in gold fundsor gold coins/biscuits

● Plan your retirement.A combination of systematicinvestments in ULIPs and mutualfunds are good options

● Make sure that 20 per cent of yourincome is set aside for investments

● Have a good medical cover as ithelps in the long run

MONEY-MATTERS

Great places transcend personal tastes. Take a tour of these must-visit destinations thathave also claimed the ‘women-friendly’ tag for solo travel or girlfriend-getaways b y S H I V Y A N A T H

Knowing your body type andaccepting it goes a long way inachieving the perfect figureb y A N U S H K A S H A R M A

Body

basics

Fitness firstFor me, since I am a part ofshowbiz, it’s imperative tostay fit and look good. Howev-er, fitness is more important,which extends to beinghealthy and confident withyourself. This goes a long wayin looking and feeling good inthe bigger picture as nothingcan conceal if you aren’thappy with yourself. It’sbound to reflect onyour face.

Being in the industry that Iam, there is immense pres-sure about the way you look.There was a time, not long

would want to tell all younggirls who are increasinglybecoming figure conscious;not every one comes out fromthe same mould or has thesame frame, so there is nopoint following any actor’s fig-ure or fitness routine. Eachbody has a different need andform, so get the right assis-tance and follow what is rightfor you and what will work foryou, that’s what matters.

Diet and trainingThe most important thing is toidentify your body type—whether you are an ecto-

Besides weight training, Ibelieve in working out withdumbbells and resistancebands regularly; I carry themeverywhere I travel. Besides Ido a lot of toning exercises tobe in shape. Having a highmetabolism, I keep eatingevery two hours. What mostgirls fail to understand is thateveryone has a differentmetabolic rate. When itcomes to food, I eat every-thing. According to me, noth-ing can compensate for theactual intake of food, I don’tsubscribe to body supple-ments as they don’t provideall the nutrition that actualfood can give.

Tips and tricksI have lots of water and juiceswith my breakfast. Eggs, toastand juices are what comprisemy breakfast. You must makesure that you consume a lot ofliquids as that aids in releasingthe anti-oxidants and helps inachieving flawless skin. Otherthan my regular routine, I lovecycling or playing a sport likesquash or badminton whenev-er I can and feel like it. Also,keep changing your workoutroutine from time to time asyour body tends to get used toit and see what wonders youcan achieve with it!

Signing offWhat I really urge people tounderstand is that if there issomething called overweight,there is something like thisbody type as well. And it’stime one stops using the wordskinny, just like you wouldusually not call someone over-weight or fat! It’s that simple.

(The writer is a Bollywood actorand has hits like Band Baaja

Baraat, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi,Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola

under her belt. She is currently shooting for

Rajkumar Hirani’s Peekay)

morph, mesomorph or endo-morph. Once you understandyour body type, you can workon your training and dietaccordingly. I am an ecto-morph — the kind who are leannaturally with lean musclemass and don’t gain weighteasily. Unlike most, I can onlygain weight if I go to the gym.So my secret is doing weighttraining and not cardio.

In fact, if I stop working out,I start losing weight. This ishow this body type works.What works for me the most isbeing on a high-carb diet.

back, when people and themedia wrote and spoke a lotabout my weight loss, someeven claiming that I amanorexic. But the truth is Iwas always the way I am, evennow. In my earlier films, Iwore a lot of Indian outfitswhich camouflaged my figure.I did have baby fat on my face,which I lost over time, but Ihave always been blessed witha lean frame. I started losingweight due to stress, but it’spertinent to not get affectedby what people have to ‘say’about you. This is what I

Marketing Coordinator: Response, Thane Editorial: Aindrila Mitra; Sumita BagchiChief of Design Head: Madan Patil Creative Team: Avinash Virshid, Nitin Sawant, Manish Bhatia (RESP-ART: MUMBAI)

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