We all have our notion of what travel means. We all have our inhibitions as well. Shattering all stereotypes and inhibitions are the new travellers round the block: senior citizens. An increasing amount of travellers aged 60 and over are choosing to enjoy their golden years by traveling journeying to places they never had a chance to visit, building a community of their own and seeking adventures together.
We organized a trip for senior citizens aged 65+ and above to The Kingdom Of The Thunder Dragon: Bhutan in October. The group of men and women explored this beautiful country together, indulged in fun adventures, ate lunch with locals, laughed a lot, and returned with countless memories and stories to share.
Here, four travellers from the group share some of their favourite memories from their holiday:
1.“Making friends never felt easier!” ~ Kalyani Devanathan
We had like-minded people in the group, going through the same phase in life, so the connection between all of us was instant. Exploring a new land and the fact that we were travelling together as a group brought out the storytellers in us, and the exchange of experiences was more natural than the breathtaking scenery that enveloped us.
2.“It made me more open to travel”~ Rangachari Devanathan
When you are in a new land alone, you hesitate to ask questions or interact, due to a lack of acquaintance with the culture and people. But with the group with me, I felt a lot more safer and secure. Warm conversations over cups of tea or being bedazzled upon seeing majestic sights while travelling , was made more special because of the people I was travelling and sharing those experiences with.
We all became a family. A very colorful one I must say! There were 13 of us, and all senior citizens. Plus, it was a blend of almost all cultures in India as no one was from the same state.
“Choosing experiential travel over a touristy trip was the best way to learn about new places and culture” ~ Ramchandran
From lunching with a local family by the riverside in Paro to visiting ancient monasteries, the whole journey became a learning process. Moreover, the fact that it was a senior citizen group was the cherry on the cake! The itinerary was designed according to how a senior citizen would want to travel and the organization had taken care of all the arrangements for our trip, so all we had to focus on was to enjoying everything, together.
“Travelling with senior citizens was as young-spirited and carefree as my travels years ago with my children” ~ Bharathi Ashok Jain
This holiday transported me to my good old days! That’s how strong and genuine the affection between everyone on the group was. Indeed, if you ask my most memorable moment it would be the fact that each member, including the trip leader, would eat breakfast , lunch and dinner together. Everyone used to wait for everyone , everyday. It was a beautiful feeling. This is a must-have experience!
If you’re a young-spirited senior or want to give the gift of travel to a family member or friend who is, CLICK HERE to view our upcoming list of trips.
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Written by Shreya Shashank
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