Celebrated fashion designer Masaba Gupta says travelling solo liberates her from the daily chaos of life and makes her a better observant individual.
Masaba was present at "She Travels, She Hosts", organised by Airbnb to celebrate the enterprising women who are hosting guests globally and to encourage solo travelling for women.
Talking about solo travelling, Masaba said, "I think the most important thing I get to do when travelling solo, is spending time with myself and absorbing the energy of the place I am in. In a city like Mumbai, when you have a crazy professional life, we are always surrounded by people, and all we are doing is interacting either with professionals or friends. There is so much noise around us and it goes in our headspace as well."
"Travelling solo gives you the chance to have me time. When you travel solo, you do not set your schedule according to others, it is all yours."
Emphasizing on the concept of 'me time', actress Dia Mirza, also present at the event, said, "Yes, I agree, travelling makes you feel comfortable in your own company. In India, women are always surrounded by people taking care of them."
"It is great. But it is also important to have self-actualisation and self-discovery for which you have to spend time with yourself," added the actress who is also the United Nations Environment Goodwill Ambassador.
The evening was attended by many women Airbnb hosts. One of them was Soraya Postel who alongwith her daughter hosted more than 300 guests in Mumbai from across the globe.
She is one of the recommended hosts of Airbnb.
When asked about what is that one quality that makes someone a great guest, Soraya said, "Like the way I travel with an open mind to know, to explore, people should also come to our country or my home with the same intention, with an open mind. One should not have any preconceived ideas and prejudices about our country and its culture. As a host, I always welcome guests happily. It starts with a handshake and ends with a hug!"