User:GargHimanshu1/sandbox

There exist numerous travel accounts from time immemorial, of solo travelers taking over the world with their zeal and curiosity. All this makes one question- what about those well-settled people, with a family to look after, with parents or grandparents or children. This makes one question if such a person does not travel at all or if they do, it isn’t fun enough to be recorded or accounted for, right? Well, Mr Himanshu Garg is here to prove you wrong!

The jack of all trades!

Mr Himanshu can very well be considered as the master of all trades! Before delving into his traveler accounts and his special tips and tricks for family travelling, it’s rather interesting to note that he is a full-time businessman, successfully running the family business. Prakash Textiles, established in 1952, is the pride of the Indian textile industry. Famously known as Khadi Wale, Prakash Textiles is located in Ghaziabad and continues to receive the expertise of Mr Garg.

In addition to being a full-time businessman, Mr Garg is an avid traveler. But, not the type we’ve all come across, almost always. Mr Garg is a true family man and that is reflected even in his travel accounts. His Instagram handle @not_a_solo_traveller has over 13,000 followers, who love to check in on his travels, journeys and experiences; who share the joy that he does when he travels with his family. Yes, you heard us right! Mr Garg travels with his wife and child and has taken 10 trips till date, covering numerous cities, states and countries. His colorful Instagram account is a live journal of all his experiences in the way of a photographic account of memories! Be sure to check it out for some amazing travel blogging content!

The Beginning

However, the story of Mr Garg didn’t start like this and is, in fact, a peculiar one. He started travelling after he became a father and his first visit was to the magical land of Gujarat where Mr Garg along with his wife and child, traveled from the Rann of Kutch to Sasan Gir and ended their travels in Diu. It was this trip that kick started his travelling experiences with his family. He found these trips to be more fun and exciting and also offering a host of colorful memories than one would have when it comes to solo travelling.

Before this first trip to Gujarat, Mr Garg had planned everything, right from the timing of the trip, to the weather and the various places that they could visit and get to see during their stay. He firmly believes that every traveler, before actually visiting the place, should explore the place virtually to get an idea of the road map and pit stops to be made for the comfort of all accompanying family members.

While accepting the difficulty that one may face sometimes during family travel, Mr Garg also highlights the fact that one gets to learn very important lessons in terms of the dos and don’ts during family travel and with each trip things become easier because one understands the needs of their parents or child or any other member of the family that accompanies them on their trips. Even though Mr Garg has been on 10 trips with his family already, he still believes that they are still learning things about their child because learning never stops and every single trip teaches them a new way and a new thing about their child, their family and their bonding.

Mr Himanshu believes the travelling is very essential in human life because with a fast pace life and the career rat race, our mental health is being impacted negatively and he firmly believes that travelling acts as a medicine for our mental health and gives it much needed peace in these unprecedented situations. Travelling with your family would definitely help you create a stronger bond with them and spend some quality time with them, away from the hectic hustle bustle of your daily life.

He also highlights how travelling with family makes you a better planner and improves your management skills because with family you can’t just be reckless and make your decisions on the spot. With family, one has to plan carefully, every step of the trip that they wish to take, right from the budget to the timing of the trip and the accommodation throughout the trip.

His thought process is so empowering that we ourselves consider family travelling to not be a Herculean task anymore. So, here’s to more quality time and family trips to come in the future!