hello Lovely, on the pointers that you have given, which place do you think is the best in India? what I mean is the accessibility of the area and the attitude of the people.
On Mon, Aug 10, 2026 at 5:09 PM Rising Star Khilte Chehre < [email protected]> wrote: > If you haven't decided yet, Come to Singapore with us. We are going to be > there from 26 - to 30 Sep. > > Contact me : 8527044355 > > On Mon, 10 Aug 2026 at 16:08, Rising Star Khilte Chehre < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> Hi Uma, >> >> This was genuinely nice to read, because you’re asking the right question. >> >> I’m associated with Rising Star Khilte Chehre (RSKC), and over the last >> several years we’ve travelled with a large number of blind and low-vision >> people across destinations in India and abroad. One thing we’ve learnt very >> clearly is that there is no perfect “blind-friendly destination.” What >> matters much more is the combination of *local mobility, how compact the >> destination is, the attitude of people, accommodation location, and how >> much uncertainty you’re comfortable dealing with.* >> >> And since both of you already travel independently for work, college and >> everyday life, you probably have most of the skills required. Leisure >> travel is simply different because nobody has created the route for you in >> advance. >> >> For a first completely independent leisure trip, I would personally avoid >> choosing a place only because it is famous or scenic. Choose somewhere >> where the logistics are forgiving. >> >> Places such as *Delhi, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Mumbai, Bengaluru >> or Goa* can all work, but in very different ways. A compact city or a >> destination where Ola/Uber and autos are readily available is often easier >> than a beautiful hill station where every movement depends on hiring a >> private vehicle. >> >> For example, hill destinations can be wonderful, but steep roads, >> irregular pavements, scattered attractions and limited app-based transport >> can make spontaneous movement frustrating. That doesn’t mean “don’t go”; it >> just means your first independent leisure trip may be more enjoyable >> somewhere with fewer transport dependencies. >> >> A few things we have learnt from travelling with blind participants: >> >> *1. Stay location matters more than hotel luxury.* >> I would happily choose a simpler hotel on a main road, close to >> restaurants and transport, over a beautiful resort 8–10 km outside town. >> >> Before booking, call the property. Ask very practical questions: Is there >> a lift? Is reception staffed 24 hours? Can a cab reach the entrance? Are >> restaurants or shops walkable? Is the approach road straightforward? Don’t >> simply ask, “Is your hotel accessible?” because the answer will almost >> always be yes without telling you anything useful. >> >> *2. For local transport, app cabs are usually the most predictable >> option.* >> They give you the driver’s name, number, vehicle registration, trip >> record and navigation. But don’t depend on the pin being perfect. Calling >> the driver and describing a clear landmark often saves ten minutes of >> confusion. >> >> Autos can actually be extremely useful too, especially in smaller cities. >> Once you find one reliable driver, take his number. We have seen this make >> an enormous difference. A driver who understands that you are blind and >> communicates properly can become your local mobility solution for the >> entire trip. >> >> *3. Don’t over-plan every minute. Plan the difficult transitions.* >> Airport/railway station → hotel, hotel → major attraction, and your >> return journey deserve more planning than what you will eat at 4 PM. >> >> Railway stations, large bus terminals and chaotic pickup zones are often >> more challenging than the destination itself. Asking railway/airport staff >> for assistance is completely reasonable; independence doesn’t mean refusing >> assistance when it makes sense. >> >> *4. Tell people exactly what assistance you need.* >> Instead of saying only, “We are blind, please help,” something like: >> >> “Please take us to Gate 3 and tell us when we reach the entrance.” >> >> works much better. >> >> Most people want to help but don’t know how. >> >> *5. Build redundancy into your phones.* >> Both of you should have the hotel address saved, offline/accessible maps >> where possible, cab apps, emergency contacts, power banks and copies of >> IDs/bookings. >> >> And don’t keep every important booking only on one person’s phone. >> >> *6. Be slightly conservative about late-night exploration on the first >> trip.* >> Not because you are blind, but because an unfamiliar city becomes >> significantly harder when shops close, public movement reduces and >> landmarks become less useful. >> >> Once you understand the area, you can loosen that rule. >> >> *7. Ask locals, but verify.* >> One person will tell you something is “just five minutes away” when it is >> actually 1.5 km through chaotic traffic. 😄 >> >> For blind travellers, distance alone doesn’t tell you whether a route is >> easy. A 700-metre clean footpath can be simpler than 200 metres involving >> an uncontrolled crossing. >> >> And perhaps the biggest lesson from our journeys: >> >> *Don’t measure independence by whether you took zero help.* >> >> If you independently planned your holiday, made your decisions, chose >> where you wanted to go, solved problems when they arose and asked for >> assistance when you decided it was useful — that is independent travel. >> >> Some of the most confident blind travellers I know will happily take >> someone’s elbow for 30 seconds through a chaotic crossing and then continue >> independently for the next six hours. >> >> For a first trip, I would suggest keeping it to around *3–4 days*, >> choosing one city rather than trying to cover three destinations, staying >> centrally, and deliberately leaving some unplanned time. The first journey >> itself will teach you far more about your travel style than any checklist >> can. >> >> And please do it. >> >> One reason we started taking blind people travelling through RSKC was >> because we repeatedly saw the same thing: people were capable of far more >> than they or their families initially assumed. After the first journey, the >> conversation very often changed from *“Can I travel?”* to *“Where are we >> going next?”* >> >> That shift is worth experiencing. >> >> If you shortlist 2–3 destinations, I’d also be happy to share what we >> have practically observed regarding transport, hotels, mobility and the >> difficult parts of those particular places. >> >> Wishing both of you a fantastic first leisure adventure. >> >> Regards, >> Lovely Sarkar Soti >> Rising Star Khilte Chehre >> >> On Mon, 10 Aug 2026 at 13:22, Uma Shankar Veeravalli <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >>> Thanks Udit and Anirudh for your responses. >>> >>> @anirudh >>> I do travel to Bangalore quite often too. You're right. It is relatively >>> more accessible. But what we are looking for is like a proper vacation to >>> somewhere like Goa or Kerala. Do you have any experiences to visiting to >>> these kind of places? >>> >>> Cheers >>> Uma Shankar >>> >>> -- >>> Disclaimer: >>> 1. 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Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of > the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "AccessIndia" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/CAC%3DrEjsV0-wFEmUtpLYifmbpEQR-_R2_RuiBRcRYCGUmRvL9WQ%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/CAC%3DrEjsV0-wFEmUtpLYifmbpEQR-_R2_RuiBRcRYCGUmRvL9WQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- "every human is disabled because, none has got the wings to fly". Anirudh Rao your intellectual comrade. call/whatsapp me at 8277012082 join on Skype: anirudhrao3 if you just wish to be a facebook friend: click https://m.facebook.com/anirudh.rao.7731/about?lst=100005148125152%3A100005148125152%3A1563341090&refid=17 and send a request. Thank you Anirudh Rao. -- Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "AccessIndia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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