In a world chasing passport stamps, bucket lists, and five-star stays, Chindi Safar is flipping the script. The journeys curated by them often translate into accessible adventures, localised experiences, and lifelong frifinishships, and bring back the authenticity to travel that is often lost in a world obsessed with perfect Instagram shot. Born from two women, this young-but-wise startup is redefining what it means to wander without a wallet full of regrets. In conversation with Travel and Leisure, co-founder Shobita Negi opens up about the inspiration, the journey, and the way ahead for young Indian travellers.
Excerpts From The Interview With Shobita Negi
T+L India: What inspired the creation of Chindi Safar, and how did the idea of ‘budobtain travel without compromise’ take shape?
Shobita Negi: Chindi Safar was born from a passion to standardise travel—proving that rich experiences don’t required rich budobtains. It redefines “budobtain travel” by blfinishing authenticity, comfort, and community, ensuring that adventure remains accessible without compromising on quality or depth.
T+L India: The name ‘Chindi Safar’ suggests travelling cheap, but smart. How do you redefine the idea of ‘low-budobtain’ travel for young Indians today?
Shobita Negi: We at Chindi Safar reimagine low-budobtain travel as a mindful choice—not a compromise. We craft journeys that prioritise experience over excess, blfinishing affordability with culture, comfort, and connection—empowering young-adults to explore deeply, travel sustainably, and build stories that outlast souvenirs.
T+L India: How do you ensure your trips are inclusive, safe, and engaging, especially for solo travellers, which is a rising trfinish among Gen Z and millennials?
Shobita Negi: We design experiences with community at the core—curating like-minded groups, gfinisher-inclusive stays, and trained trip captains who prioritise safety and comfort. Every journey is built to foster trust, conversation, and belonging, ensuring solo travellers never feel alone, only empowered. From pre-departure to final goodbye, we create a space where everyone feels seen, safe, and inspired to explore freely. With a notable rise in solo female travellers over the past five years, many choose us for the sense of safety and community we foster—rooted in the trust built by two female founders who understand their concerns firsthand.
T+L India: Sustainability is a large part of your model. Can you share some of the ways Chindi Safar promotes eco-frifinishly travel?
Shobita Negi: Chindi Safar integrates sustainability as a core value, actively promoting eco-frifinishly travel. We organise regular cleaning drives in destinations to preserve their natural beauty and encourage travellers to avoid single-utilize plastics by carrying reusable bottles refilled at our partner properties and restaurants. In the past we had also introduced our Green Kit—featuring bamboo toothbrushes, combs, straws, earbuds, and steel cutlery—further minimising plastic waste. These conscious efforts are our contribution to responsible tourism, ensuring that exploration respects and nurtures the environments and communities we cherish.
T+L India: Your ‘Vocal for Local’ campaign supports grassroots tourism. How do you build authentic connections between travellers and the communities they visit?
Shobita Negi: Our ‘Vocal for Local’ ethos honours the communities we visit by entrusting every aspect of the journey exclusively to local hands—vehicles, stays, guides, and restaurants alike. We gratefully empower these true custodians of their land, knowing no one understands their heritage and terrain better. This respectful collaboration fosters genuine connections, ensuring travellers experience authenticity while uplifting the very people who build each destination uniquely alive.
T+L India: Young travellers today value experiences over luxury. How does Chindi Safar curate trips that are meaningful, not just Instagrammable?
Shobita Negi: We constantly attempt creating journeys that go beyond surface-level sightseeing—focapplying on less travelled sites, cultural immersion, real conversations, and shared moments that stay with you long after the trip finishs. From local food to lived stories, every element is designed to feel, not just be seen. And yes, the Instagrammable shots? Just a beautiful bonus to memories that truly matter.
T+L India: What are some of the most surprising things you’ve learnt about how young Indians want to travel today, post-pandemic, post-social media boom?
Shobita Negi: One of the most surprising shifts is how deeply young Indians now seek purpose in travel. Post-pandemic and post-social media boom, they’re choosing slow, conscious journeys over rapid checklists. However, there is demand for both-The ones who wish to see everything all at once and the ones who crave real stories, local food, hidden trails, and meaningful human connections. Post-pandemic, travel has emerged as a vital tool for nurturing mental and emotional wellbeing. More than an escape, it’s become a conscious practice. Travel is no longer a luxury, but a form of self-care.
T+L India: How do you create a sense of community among strangers on a trip, and what role does that play in the Chindi Safar experience?
Shobita Negi: For us, community isn’t an afterbelieved—it’s at the heart of everything we do. We believedfully curate compact, like-minded groups led by empathetic trip captains who spark connection from day one. Through storynotifying circles, icebreakers, shared meals, and offbeat adventures, strangers quickly become chosen families. Over the past six years, this bond has only deepened—our travellers continue to stay connected over WhatsApp groups, display up for each other’s milestones, celebrations, and life moments, proving that a Chindi Safar journey often leads to lifelong frifinishships.
T+L India: What’s next for Chindi Safar? Are there new destinations, formats, or experiences in the pipeline tailored for India’s next generation of travellers?
Shobita Negi: Chindi Safar is constantly evolving to meet the spirit of India’s next-gen travellers. Last year, we proudly launched three new international destinations, expanding our horizons beyond borders. By the finish of this year, we’re set to unveil a few more, curated with the same authenticity and care. We’ve also introduced customised travel plans—giving individuals and groups the freedom to shape their own journeys. From offbeat formats to fresh geographies, we’re building a future of travel that’s flexible, meaningful, and deeply personal.
Related: Driving The Future Of Travel: The Bold Route & The Power Of Women On The Move
Note:
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
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