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Naina Lal
started Experiential Travels in 2006 with the mission of
helping a younger generation understand India.
Experiential Travels offers immersion programs, summer
internships, travel seminars, semester programs and
study tours to India showcasing a mix of modern and
traditional India. Experiential Travels will design a
completely customized travel program for your school.
As for Naina, she
spends her time between Bangalore and Freemont,
California, where Experiential Travels has offices.
Naina has a MBA degree and she worked in corporate India
for a dozen years before coming to live in California in
2001. She is an avid hiker, swimmer and marathon
runner.
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A
Sample Itinerary
Teach India
Project (TIP): Naina, how did you think of this way to
promote understanding of India?
While living in the
bay area in northern California, I used to hear a lot
about how “our jobs are being sent to India”. Also
juniors and seniors in high school were contemplating
taking Mandarin or Hindi for their foreign language
requirement, as it was felt that the business world of
tomorrow would use one of these languages for effective
business communication.
That set me thinking
that here I was, an Indian, born and brought up and
having worked in various Indian cities for over a
decade, AND a bay area resident since 2001 - who better
to help the younger generation gain a better perspective
on India, enable them to experience and learn a new
culture, expose them to a new way of looking at things,
than by taking them to different cities in India.
TIP:
Why tours? Were you always interested in travel?
There is no place in
the US which can simulate the smells and colors of India
– one has to be in India to experience and feel it. Also
India as you know is very far away from the US and
traveling there and not seeing the historic and cultural
landmarks and heritage buildings would be a shame. Hence
an immersion program or a tour like you say, gave me the
flexibility to structure the itinerary in a manner which
covered all the objectives of the group as well as a few
important site excursions.
As a kid growing up
in India, we moved to a different city every few years
and also took many family vacations in different parts
of the country. And, because of my personal travel and
long stays in various cities in all parts of India, I
have learnt a lot about the different geographies, their
culture, their food, their festivals and languages. And
I have used my business background at Experiential
Travels to partner with a few travel companies in India
and US who handle my ticketing requests and give me
logistical support as and when needed.
TIP: I
understand it took quite a while from the time you
formulated the idea to your first booking. What were
some of the obstacles you had to overcome?
In northern
California, I saw young people interested in learning
about other parts of the world. So I thought I had a
huge market ready for me!
But when I started
talking about my idea and approaching the student
community, I realized that though they were the end
users, my customers were school administrators and
parents. Hence, I needed to sell my idea to them first,
not to the students.
Other than that,
travel budget of most students was limited, so they
could plan for an India immersion trip only if they had
some financial aid or family help.
TIP: How do
you reach out to schools and colleges now?
Via electronic
medium, personal interactions and participation in study
abroad fairs. Also give presentations at different
forums and share my vision with administrators and
teachers at such forums.
TIP: You
mentioned that tour group members get to meet ‘locals’ –
how does that happen?
The interaction with
locals happens all along – in fact from the moment the
group members land into India to the time they leave. A
dedicated tour manager is assigned to each group who
receives them at the airport and then travels with the
group. There is time planned for interaction with local
Indian students - could be a friendly game of basketball
or shadowing a few classes or sharing a meal with them
or even learning some bollywood moves! Visits and
meetings with experts and professionals are also planned
in the itinerary, and questions and answer sessions are
mandatory in such meetings. Further, during their free
time the group members are encouraged to explore the
bazaar, attend cultural shows in small groups.
TIP: Could
you design a custom tour for a school or college?
Yes, all our
products are customized based on the goals of the group.
We strongly recommend identifying an ‘owner’, who
becomes our point of contact for defining four key
parameters for product design, namely Timeframe, Active
Owner, Clear Goals and Travel Budget for India (TACT).
Once these parameters are defined and a product design
ready, the owner then markets the product with our help.
TIP: What are
your future plans?
Plans are to expand
the product offerings to student communities in
different parts of US and other countries. India's
economy is growing very rapidly. It has the fastest
growing educated middle class, which is spending on
items once considered the bastion of the nouveau riche.
As a result, modern India is seeing tremendous growth in
hospitality, travel and tourism, event management,
retail, lifestyle products and more. With this growth,
comes changes in ways of doing business, in family
relationships and in society at large, which is a good
learning environment for the students.
So what better time
than now to visit India?
TIP: Would you like to share
some feedback from tour participants with us?
Based on the
feedback from our group members, we feel that we have
made a positive impact on their way of
thinking…………you’ll agree when you read some of their
comments ……….
-
It was a life changing experience for
me
-
Warm smiling faces of the locals
everywhere we go
-
My life will be lived differently after
coming to India
-
Amazing trip which helped me grow as a
person and broadened my perception and worldview and
let my guard down
-
Phenomenal out-of-country trip for me –
have learnt not only of other people and their culture
but more importantly I’ve learned more about myself.
-
I appreciate the Indian way of culture
and I only wish the US could become culturally more
accepting
-
I need to appreciate my own country
more just the way the Indian culture does
-
Welcoming and accepting people all
around
-
We have opened our hearts to India and
India has opened its heart to us
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My time in India has been life changing
and unforgettable
-
The people of this country have taught
me that the material belongings are insignificant
-
I am so grateful to have learnt from
the people of India that what matters is inner
happiness, kindness and the importance of family. I
cannot wait to go back to the US (though I am
reluctant to leave) and spread my learning to my
fellow Americans.
-
Try to live “the Indian world view “on
an everyday basis from now on
-
One of my favourite aspects of living
and travelling through this beautiful country is the
people.
-
Culture is much deeper than basic
characteristics
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Contact
Office address in
India
Naina Lal
Experiential Travels
B 64 Diamond District
Airport Road
Bangalore 560 008
India
Tel : +91 80 4157 2541
Email:
experientialseries@gmail.com
Office address in USA
Naina Lal
Experiential Travels
Suite #304, 39270 Paseo Padre Parkway
Fremont, CA 94538
USA
Tel: +1 510 656 6328
Email:
experientialseries@gmail.com
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