Ladies, how often have you dreamt of leaving the family life behind for a bit of ‘me time’ spent exploring the world? Women On Wanderlust makes it possible, finds out Pratibha Umashankar

Sumitra Senapaty has kayaked in the South China Sea, snorkelled through the Great Barrier Reef, sailed the waters of the Seychelles, rafted the Zanskar River in Ladakh, cruised the Mediterranean, toured Alaska, Canada, Egypt, Turkey and camped out in the wild African Bush.

A freelance travel and lifestyle writer, she wanted to share her passion for travelling with other women, and  Women On Wanderlust (WOW) was born.

It’s based on a simple concept: safe and hassle-free trips for women. Whether they are 16 or 65, they can sign up. It’s a web-based business model and works through the WOW website and e-mails, until the final stages of actually booking, when the women who have signed up talk over the phone to clear doubts, if any, about the trip. They then pay the tour costs either by sending in cheques/drafts, online transfers or depositing the amount directly into the bank.

Since the information about the trip is disseminated through the Internet, once the itinerary is out, anyone, anywhere in the world can join, as long as they belong to the fairer sex. Sounds unfair? Well, the men can go climb a tree, or tear their hair in despair while the women let theirs down.

“The first step is to research which destination is attractive to women,” says Senapaty. “The next is to identify a suitable support system — hotels, transport etc. An itinerary is then designed that is interesting and fulfilling, rather than focusing only on sightseeing. We then negotiate the rates and finally put out the product and wait for women to sign up.”

They invariably do. 

Senapaty, an astute entrepreneur, was nudged into starting WOW by the woman-traveller phenomenon that is gaining ground in the Indian subcontinent. She knew there were women out there who wanted to but couldn’t actually pack up and leave home to explore the world. She set up WOW in 2005 to make this dream possible.

Now she has an office in Delhi, with a base in Bangalore. Senapaty calls both cities home and shuttles between the two. A full-fledged Bangalore office is slated to open in December this year, and she also has her eyes trained on Mumbai. “Our first domestic trip was to Ladakh. The response was amazing. It’s still one of our most popular trips. We have had eight groups visit Ladakh this year. Egypt was our first international tour in 2006 — and it continues to be popular,” she says.  “We undertake 
about 35 trips to various destinations annually. I accompany about eight groups. I 
now have a WOW membership list that runs into several thousand and growing every day. The interest has been truly astounding. I’m touched.”

All this is thanks to the new avatar of Indian urban women. Living life to the fullest is their new mantra.

There was a time when the family came first for them, and it still does today. But now, with flourishing careers of their own and disposable incomes, women have begun to feel less guilty and selfish about having a bit of ‘me time’. Even elderly women have learnt to enjoy themselves. This is good news for the leisure travel business.

Senapaty agrees: “More and more women are thinking about leaving their husbands at home and hitting the road with other women. When women travel together, it’s fun, non-competitive and stress-free. It’s also a great bonding experience.”

Her clients talk about it as being liberating because it offers the freedom to choose their own destination and activities without having to compromise with family members who might want to do something else.

Many feel that independent leisure travel is truly empowering and exciting.

“Also, let’s not forget that there are a large number of well-off working, single women, young widows and divorced ladies who love travelling,” she adds. “We take care of their travel plans. We also act as advisers and facilitators for those who want us to arrange holidays according to their requirements.”  

Since WOW was the first travel company of its kind in India, news of its success has spread by word-of-mouth via satisfied customers. Those who get hooked bring others along for the next trip.

But is there a typical WOW traveller profile? Yes, says Senapaty: “They’re typically urban women. They want trips designed around good food and fine accommodation, enjoy flexibility in the travel schedule, and don’t want to be part of too large a group.”

On most trips, the average age is between 28 and 65. But she tells all those interested in joining up not to worry if they’re older or younger. Once a trip begins, it’s like travelling with friends. The common denominator is the travel experience, not age.

A few British, Spanish and German women have joined WOW and quite a few expatriate Indians have come along as well.

Senapaty believes that the WOW business model has been a success because it’s not a travel agency. It’s a travel platform for women and a social network: “When WOW travellers become good friends — it happens on every trip — it touches my heart. They realise they’ve been missing out on ‘girl time’ — the time to share strengths with and provide support to other women. Travel teaches us to rejuvenate ourselves.”

A die-hard gang of adventurous girls who have taken 12 trips with WOW in the 
last four years has made Senapaty mull over the idea of making it a membership-based social club for those who want to do more than just travel.

She knows the pulse of her clientele: women who know how to have a blast when their menfolk are not around.

“A WOW trip is like a college pyjama party,” she says, as she packs her bags for the next big adventure.

(For more details, log on to 
www.wowsumitra.com)

wknd@khaleejtimes.com