Travel Blog of Medhavi Davda (from India)
Adventure Travel ~ Experiential Travel ~ Solo Travel ~ Responsible Travel
Adventure Travel ~ Experiential Travel ~ Solo Travel ~ Responsible Travel
Namaste! I'm Medhavi Davda.
I travel to EVOLVE..
In NATURE, I confide..
I find my calling in the Himalayas..
In the Oceans, I meditate..
Ex-Techie, with 9.5 years of experience in Software Industry, I had started my career as a software engineer at TCS, eventually also working with Infosys and IBM. Throughout my school days and along my corporate career, I constantly worked on taking my passions to next level to quench my hunger to explore. Sports, Dancing, Trekking, Backpacking, Scuba Diving, Paragliding have already been ticked off my infinite list of priorities. I’ve been carrying passion for sports and adventure since my early years; been a national level Badminton player and held on to the title of Corporate Badminton Champion of Pune for 5 years. I started my journey with dance with diploma in Kathhak and then got myself trained in various dance forms like Hip-Hop, Jive, Swing, Salsa, Waltz, Jazz, Cha Cha Cha, Tango, Bachata, Kizomba over the years
I had my first encounter with Himalayas at the age of 16, during a high-altitude trek and since then “I left my heart in the Himalayas”. I found my “Nirvana Moments” in the mountains. I always found reasons to run away to the Himalayas, even if it was to catch a glimpse of snow-clad mountains on a weekend. The more I trekked through these beautiful, snow-clad, tough mountains, the more I got away from modern materialism. I no longer have the desire to own a fleet of cars, and I'm detached with the idea of stocking exclusive brands in my wardrobe. Trekking changed my attitude towards life and I learnt that happiness comes from doing things that you love, and not from owning things. Now, I religiously follow this learning. I have made it a point to give away things that I don’t need. I have stopped buying things I don't need. I’m far from become eco-friendly but I'm making strides in that direction. I started scaling heights with each successive adventure and I conquered myself with each of my climbs:
While traveling, I also discovered my AQUADDICTION. I discovered Scuba Diving during my first island travel to Lakshadweep and eventually got my self certified as an Advanced Open Water Diver. I feel myself to be extremely privileged to know about an entirely different world that remains hidden from the rest of the world. I've explored the under waters of:
After Mountains and Oceans, I also got a chance to touch the Skies through my adventures. Paragliding, which initially seemed like a scary adventure to me, now keeps me motivated to take off from bigger heights. Relearning physics through adventures is the best thing that has happened to me. I'm in the process of getting certified as a Club Pilot after going through:
In 2015, I was working irregular hours, spending maddening hours on calls resolving technical issues, and ordering unhealthy food. My healthy lifestyle which has been a corner stone of my existence since ever took a massive beating. Something inside me clicked and I utilized all of my pending leaves to celebrate my Birthday in the Andaman Islands, dived with sharks, returned to my desk and submitted my resignation. I then went on a backpacking and SCUBA diving trip to South-East Asia (Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia) for 5 weeks.
On my return, I gave away most of the things I owned in Pune, packed only the basics in my car and drove all the way to Himachal Pradesh. My only possessions are - my car, my trekking and snorkelling gears, my badminton kit, basic electronics, few clothes and toiletries. I am living minimalistic and it feels liberating to me. I lived in Himachal Pradesh for 1.5 years learning the basic way of life in various remote places - Bir, Spiti, Kinnaur and Tirthan Valley.
Travel has fascinated me since childhood. I have traveled extensively in India before exploring international destinations. My idea of travel is backpacking in some remote location, away from the cities and crowd, be disconnected from the internet and mobile devices and live the way the locals do. Or go trekking and diving to experience the pure and pristine beauty of our planet.
I'm in a quest to make a living out of my passions, lead a healthy lifestyle, not settle anywhere, and experience life in different places across the globe.
I had my first encounter with Himalayas at the age of 16, during a high-altitude trek and since then “I left my heart in the Himalayas”. I found my “Nirvana Moments” in the mountains. I always found reasons to run away to the Himalayas, even if it was to catch a glimpse of snow-clad mountains on a weekend. The more I trekked through these beautiful, snow-clad, tough mountains, the more I got away from modern materialism. I no longer have the desire to own a fleet of cars, and I'm detached with the idea of stocking exclusive brands in my wardrobe. Trekking changed my attitude towards life and I learnt that happiness comes from doing things that you love, and not from owning things. Now, I religiously follow this learning. I have made it a point to give away things that I don’t need. I have stopped buying things I don't need. I’m far from become eco-friendly but I'm making strides in that direction. I started scaling heights with each successive adventure and I conquered myself with each of my climbs:
- Roopkund Trek, Uttarakhand, India - 4800m
- Chadar Trek - Frozen River Trek, Ladakh, India - 4200m
- Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, Kashmir, India - 4200m
- Markha Valley Trek, Ladakh, India - 5200m
- Stok Kangri Summit, Ladakh, India - 6110m
- Mount Rinjani, Lombok, Indonesia - 3726m (2nd highest active volcano of Indonesia)
- Auden's Col & Mayali Pass Expedition, Uttarakhand, India - 5490m (most dangerous pass in the Garhwal Himalayas)
- Kalindi Khal Expedition, Uttarakhand, India - 6000m
- Garuda Peak, Uttarakhand, India - a technical peak at 6000m
- Everest Base Camp & Kala Patthar Trek, Nepal - 5555m
- Great Himalayan National Park, Himachal Pradesh, India - 4300m
- Mera Peak Summit, Nepal - 6461m
- Kilimanjaro Summit, Tanzania, Africa - 5895m (highest peak of Africa, seven summits)
- Annapurna Base Camp, Nepal - 4130m
While traveling, I also discovered my AQUADDICTION. I discovered Scuba Diving during my first island travel to Lakshadweep and eventually got my self certified as an Advanced Open Water Diver. I feel myself to be extremely privileged to know about an entirely different world that remains hidden from the rest of the world. I've explored the under waters of:
- Kalpeni/Kavaratti/Minicoy Islands, Lakshadweep, India - Discover Scuba Diving
- Gili Islands, Indonesia - SSI Open Water Diver course
- Havelock Island, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India - PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course
- Nha Trang, Vietnam
- Koh Rong, Sihanoukville, Cambodia
- Neil Island, Andaman & Nicobar Island, India
- Phuket, Thailand
- Nusa Lembongan, Indonesia
- Sharm El Sheikh, Red Sea, Egypt - PADI Specialty course - Enriched Air Diver
- Laamu Atoll, Maldives
- Zanzibar, Tanzania
- Maldives - PADI Specialty courses - Deep Diver, Digital Underwater Photographer, Night Diver, Peak Performance Buoyancy
After Mountains and Oceans, I also got a chance to touch the Skies through my adventures. Paragliding, which initially seemed like a scary adventure to me, now keeps me motivated to take off from bigger heights. Relearning physics through adventures is the best thing that has happened to me. I'm in the process of getting certified as a Club Pilot after going through:
- Elementary Pilot Course - Nirvana Paragliding, Kamshet, Maharashtra, India (2-3 mins solo flights from 45 meters)
- Intermediate Pilot Course - Nirvana Paragliding, Kamshet, Maharashtra, India (10-15 mins solo flights from 250 meters)
In 2015, I was working irregular hours, spending maddening hours on calls resolving technical issues, and ordering unhealthy food. My healthy lifestyle which has been a corner stone of my existence since ever took a massive beating. Something inside me clicked and I utilized all of my pending leaves to celebrate my Birthday in the Andaman Islands, dived with sharks, returned to my desk and submitted my resignation. I then went on a backpacking and SCUBA diving trip to South-East Asia (Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia) for 5 weeks.
On my return, I gave away most of the things I owned in Pune, packed only the basics in my car and drove all the way to Himachal Pradesh. My only possessions are - my car, my trekking and snorkelling gears, my badminton kit, basic electronics, few clothes and toiletries. I am living minimalistic and it feels liberating to me. I lived in Himachal Pradesh for 1.5 years learning the basic way of life in various remote places - Bir, Spiti, Kinnaur and Tirthan Valley.
Travel has fascinated me since childhood. I have traveled extensively in India before exploring international destinations. My idea of travel is backpacking in some remote location, away from the cities and crowd, be disconnected from the internet and mobile devices and live the way the locals do. Or go trekking and diving to experience the pure and pristine beauty of our planet.
I'm in a quest to make a living out of my passions, lead a healthy lifestyle, not settle anywhere, and experience life in different places across the globe.
My travelogue on Kashmir published as a chapter for class7 in NCERT syllabus
Humbled to be listed amongst the greatest authors of all times. Extremely happy to be a small part of this huge change in our education system!
Features
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Outlook Traveller MagazineMy inputs on women power as a trekker, diver & travel blogger. January 2019 issue of OutlookTraveller.
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Bombay Times, Times of IndiaMy inputs on dancing as a fitness routine - Bachata as my latest passion.
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My talk with RJ Sheetal on getting out of the comfort zone for travels.
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Listed in Top Blogs Led by Solo Woman Travelers
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Listed in Top Solo Female Travellers - 2018
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Listed as the right person to inspire you to achieve the impossible
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Listed as best Solo Woman Travel Blogger from India
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Listed in 13 most badass female travelers from India on International Women's Day 2016
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Listed in 13 most badass female travelers from India on International Women's Day 2016
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My story on me moving to the Himalayas after quitting my corporate job in Pune
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Listed as an inspirational Solo Woman Travel Blogger from India
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Listed as an inspirational Solo Female Traveler from India
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Insights from the seasoned travellers who have quit their jobs to follow their passion
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Listed as a top travel blogger from India
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Interviews
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My interview on switching my career from a software engineer (for a job) to a scuba diver (for my passion) gets published in Mumbai Mirror, Bangalore Mirror & Ahmedabad Mirror (Times of India group)
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Entire sky in her eyes - Medhavi Davda
A candid interview on my life revolving around my passions - travel blogging, badminton, trekking, scuba diving, dancing, paragliding.. in the leading Gujarati magazine - Chitralekha
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My interview on travel, blogging & life as a globetrotter in RITZ magazine - an UBER lifestyle magazine
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The newest venture of The Times Group published my story on how i got addicted to scuba diving.
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A candid interview with YourStory on me following my dreams in to adventure travel. (My responses were in English, thanks to the team for translation in Hindi)
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My story on quitting my job as a Software Engineer to follow my dreams into travel and adventure
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My story on how solo traveling is empowering to me
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My interview on my passion for Trekking
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A candid interview with Holidify on quitting my job and taking up my passion to travel and live in the Himalayas
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Coffee with Stayzilla: A conversation with Medhavi Davda
Interview on my travel experiences
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My interview as an Inspirational Woman Traveler
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Interview on my stories from the Himalayas + Tips on juggling corporate lifestyle with the life of a free traveler!
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Tête-à-tête on travel and blogging
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Published Stories
Times Passion Trails: My story on Culture & Heritage Trail in Madhya Pradesh- Experiential heritage trail in Madhya Pradesh
tourradar: My views on traveling to Northern India - Choosing Between Northern India vs Southern India
The Itch List: My story on a misadventure during travel - Itchy Tales : Adventures you didn't plan on Having!
GoMowgli: My blog on Romancing with Monsoon in Wayanad - What Bloggers are saying about Indian Destinations
The Travellist: Sharing my favorite memory of travel with friends - Tougher times made closer friends by Medhavi Davda
Mighty Goods: My inputs on packing for Everest Base Camp Trek - 16 Himalaya Hikers Share How They Pack for the Everest Basecamp Hike
tourradar: My views on traveling to Northern India - Choosing Between Northern India vs Southern India
The Itch List: My story on a misadventure during travel - Itchy Tales : Adventures you didn't plan on Having!
GoMowgli: My blog on Romancing with Monsoon in Wayanad - What Bloggers are saying about Indian Destinations
The Travellist: Sharing my favorite memory of travel with friends - Tougher times made closer friends by Medhavi Davda
Mighty Goods: My inputs on packing for Everest Base Camp Trek - 16 Himalaya Hikers Share How They Pack for the Everest Basecamp Hike
Tourism Boards I have worked with
Goa Tourism Development Corporation
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Gujarat Tourism |
Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation
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Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board
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Kerala Tourism |
Nepal Tourism Board
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Tourism Authority of Thailand
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Motivational speaker at various events
What stops you from living your dream
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Itchy Tales
Tales about my trekking expeditions Venue: The HIVE, Bandra, Mumbai |
Online session : Travel Blogging Unplugged
How to be an ace travel blogger Venue: ILEAD, Kolkatta |
India Cycling Festival
Adventure and Safety - Women's Perspective Venue: Nehru Stadium, Worli, Mumbai |
Villa Theresa High School-Annual Sports Day
Chief Guest Venue: University Sports Pavillion, Marine Lines, Mumbai |
Important Blogging Events I've attended on invitation
International Travel Bloggers and Media Conference at Nepal
in June 2017 |
Highest Blogger Meet at Khardung La, Ladakh
in July 2017 |
Clients I have worked with for travel writing/blogging and social media campaigns
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Blog Statistics & Reach
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Monthly Page Views : 22000 (as per Data from March 2017)
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Monthly Unique Visitors: 12000 (as per Data from March 2017)
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Social Media Influencer Reach / Klout score
The average Klout Score is 40. Users with a score of 63 are in the top 5% of all users
