An Interview With Ambica Gulati.
A solivagant Traveler who loves EXPLORING the globe.
Tell us something about yourself.
Answer: I have always loved writing. So it inevitably became a profession. I have been a journalist and editor for the last 23 years. The blog is an extension of this passion. And I hope to become a children’s books author soon.
What is your blog and YouTube channel about?
Answer: The blog is about travel, food, lifestyle, culture, environment and all things that make us happy. The YouTube is fairly nascent and I have to work a lot on my videos.
Are you a backpacker/long term traveler/business traveler/live and work abroad?
Answer: I would say I am a business traveler, as I travel for stories. I have been writing on travel for 12 years now.
How do you fund your travel (savings/work whilst travelling/other)?
Answer: A lot of it related to work, so it’s taken care of by the media houses which send me for work. Rest, I save and plan.
What inspired you to become travel and lifestyle blogger?
Answer: After working for Air India’s inflight magazine, Swagat, it just became a natural subject. And that’s how atravellerswishlist.com was born.
What is the first trip you remember taking and how old were you?
Answer: I traveled alone by train from Ludhiana to Delhi. I was 18! Ludhiana is an industrial town in the state of Punjab in India. Delhi is the capital. And I am a Dehi-bred girl. It was so exciting to break out of family holds. I just couldn’t control the excitement. But the train has all the food and amenities, so it was a fun journey.
Can you share with us some interesting moments and stories from any of your journeys?
Answer: Plenty! So, we went on a media trip to Sharjah in 2018. We were a group of 10. And one day, we were playing Bollywood music And the driver, who was an Egyptian, also started dancing while driving. It was so funny, with hands and neck shaking. We had to remind him that it was the UAE and traffic laws are strict.
Do you prefer traveling in group or traveling alone?
Answer: Alone, any day. It gives more room to explore and enjoy the destination. You also get more stories.
What are the important things a traveler should make a note of before he/she set off on a journey?
Answer: They should do their research well. If you are traveling alone, safety is of prime importance. So it’s essential to carry all the first aid and share your itinerary with family and friends. Your contact numbers should be easily available. You should also carry enough cash, credit cards and emergency funds and some contacts of acquaintances in the region.
Travelers are nature lovers. How would you describe your love for the Mother Nature?
Answer: If there was no Mother Earth, there would be no us—we exist because she nurtures us.
Besides travel, we found various topics on your blog. For instance; beauty, fashion, cuisine etc. How would you rate these topics considering your interest?
Answer: So, when people travel, they need these things. We need our creams, soaps, bags, clothing, shoes, food. So, the blog features these, as eventually travel is about going through life in a pleasurable manner.
Which of the visited hotels/resorts you would rate five stars? And what’s so special about them?
Answer: I have mostly visited high-end hotels. But the ones I like most are Narendra Bhawan in Bikaner, Suryagarh in Jaisalmer and the hotel in Disneyland. Hong Kong. The service and hospitality is the deciding factor for the stay.
What is your favorite cuisine?
Answer: Dosas. They are a staple diet in South India. I live in the north but I love them.
Can you describe a moment in a journey that turned out to be a joke and filled you with laughter?
Answer: Any stay at Narendra Bhawan is about laughter as the vice president there, Siddharth Yadav, is a fun person.
Did you encounter personalities with negative attitudes in a journey? And what made you angry with them?
Answer: Well, most of the people are nice on a journey. Sometimes, you do get the odd one who is too nosy or unhappy.
You have contributed three articles on India-Korea relations for the supplement brought out by The Times of India. Can you give us a brief about it?
Answer: I was invited by the Journalists Association of Korea to South Korea in 2015. The country holds an annual conference on peace between the two Koreas. Luckily, I went in April 2015 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was supposed to visit South Korea in May 2015. So the Korean cultural centre in Delhi assigned me these articles as I had just come back from the country.
In 2020, due to the pandemic, this conference was held over 3 days via Zoom, and I was also a part of it. I hope I get a chance to write on it soon.
You have quoted on safety of women solo travelers on India Today’s blog. What measures do you think are must-have for a solo woman traveler?
Answer: 1. Wear decent clothes if you are traveling in India.
2. Always carry an extra phone and batteries.
3. Share your contact details with family and friends and keep them in the loop.
4. Keep your social media updated as then you are publicly visible.
5. Don’t talk to too many men and reveal your plans.
6. Eat and drink with friends or people you know.
7. Always have faith in yourself and keep all emergency numbers in your diary.
What are your views on women empowerment in India?
Answer: A lot could be done. Women are so strong but need more expressive outlets. Women in villages tend to follow the men, and men need to be educated on treating them as partners.
What is your strength as a blogger?
Answer: My ability to adapt to the need of the hour.
What are your future plans regarding your blog?
Answer: Scale it, scale it to lakhs of subscribers.
What type of networking do you think helps your blog?
Answer: You have to be friends with like-minded people. The most important thing is to be quick response person. So many opportunities are lost if you sit for long on anything.
What are your three most favorite posts from your blog?
Answer: https://atravellerswishlist.com/2020/11/30/how-a-vipassana-retreat-at-sohna-changed-my-life/
https://atravellerswishlist.com/2018/01/14/suryagarh-jaisalmer-cupids-playground/
https://atravellerswishlist.com/2017/04/16/narendra-bhawan-bikaner-the-royal-dream-unfolds/
Do you think Page rank plays a vital role in a blog’s life? Why?
Answer: It does make your day, but good quality content is the most important thing.
What would you prioritize? Content? SEO? Traffic? Readers?
Answer: All are important at different stages.
For beginners: Content
For taking off: SEO, Traffic
When up: Readers
What is more important to you, money or success?
Answer: Success, money will follow.
What is that one thing you have never done but want to do?
Answer: Backpack across Europe.
If you could plan a perfect holiday, what would it be?
Answer: A month-long trip to Scotland.
How many books do you read in a month - roughly?
Answer: 4-5
Favorite book character or film character crush. Yes you can pick 2 :)
Answer: Enid Blyton’s Noddy. I love him and his car. I feel the same when I drive.
A character you love to hate in what book/TV show or movie.
Answer: Hate is very strong, more like skeptical. I find the witch of the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel really ugly.
Name some of the favorite travel celebrities you look up to?
Answer: None!
What is a movie or TV show that you watched recently and really enjoyed?
Answer: Emily in Paris.
Coffee or tea?
Answer: Coffee.
Vanilla or chocolate ice cream?
Answer: Chocolate
Life is a joke? Or life is a mystery?
Answer: Life is a roller coaster ride.
Which life is better? Living in the city or living by the beach?
Answer: Living in the city.
If you found Aladdin's lamp, what three wishes you would ask Genie?
Answer: 1. Give me sanity
2. Give me health
3. Give me enough wealth so that I shouldn’t beg for anything in life.
What would be a few things you would suggest to new travel bloggers?
Answer: Always share the truth. Appreciate your host and appreciate the blessing of being able to see other lands and cultures.
Favorite quote you live by is...?
Answer: Live and let live.
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/ambicagulati/featured
Blog: atravellerswishlist.com
Answer: I have always loved writing. So it inevitably became a profession. I have been a journalist and editor for the last 23 years. The blog is an extension of this passion. And I hope to become a children’s books author soon.
What is your blog and YouTube channel about?
Answer: The blog is about travel, food, lifestyle, culture, environment and all things that make us happy. The YouTube is fairly nascent and I have to work a lot on my videos.
Are you a backpacker/long term traveler/business traveler/live and work abroad?
Answer: I would say I am a business traveler, as I travel for stories. I have been writing on travel for 12 years now.
How do you fund your travel (savings/work whilst travelling/other)?
Answer: A lot of it related to work, so it’s taken care of by the media houses which send me for work. Rest, I save and plan.
What inspired you to become travel and lifestyle blogger?
Answer: After working for Air India’s inflight magazine, Swagat, it just became a natural subject. And that’s how atravellerswishlist.com was born.
What is the first trip you remember taking and how old were you?
Answer: I traveled alone by train from Ludhiana to Delhi. I was 18! Ludhiana is an industrial town in the state of Punjab in India. Delhi is the capital. And I am a Dehi-bred girl. It was so exciting to break out of family holds. I just couldn’t control the excitement. But the train has all the food and amenities, so it was a fun journey.
Can you share with us some interesting moments and stories from any of your journeys?
Answer: Plenty! So, we went on a media trip to Sharjah in 2018. We were a group of 10. And one day, we were playing Bollywood music And the driver, who was an Egyptian, also started dancing while driving. It was so funny, with hands and neck shaking. We had to remind him that it was the UAE and traffic laws are strict.
Do you prefer traveling in group or traveling alone?
Answer: Alone, any day. It gives more room to explore and enjoy the destination. You also get more stories.
What are the important things a traveler should make a note of before he/she set off on a journey?
Answer: They should do their research well. If you are traveling alone, safety is of prime importance. So it’s essential to carry all the first aid and share your itinerary with family and friends. Your contact numbers should be easily available. You should also carry enough cash, credit cards and emergency funds and some contacts of acquaintances in the region.
Travelers are nature lovers. How would you describe your love for the Mother Nature?
Answer: If there was no Mother Earth, there would be no us—we exist because she nurtures us.
Besides travel, we found various topics on your blog. For instance; beauty, fashion, cuisine etc. How would you rate these topics considering your interest?
Answer: So, when people travel, they need these things. We need our creams, soaps, bags, clothing, shoes, food. So, the blog features these, as eventually travel is about going through life in a pleasurable manner.
Which of the visited hotels/resorts you would rate five stars? And what’s so special about them?
Answer: I have mostly visited high-end hotels. But the ones I like most are Narendra Bhawan in Bikaner, Suryagarh in Jaisalmer and the hotel in Disneyland. Hong Kong. The service and hospitality is the deciding factor for the stay.
What is your favorite cuisine?
Answer: Dosas. They are a staple diet in South India. I live in the north but I love them.
Can you describe a moment in a journey that turned out to be a joke and filled you with laughter?
Answer: Any stay at Narendra Bhawan is about laughter as the vice president there, Siddharth Yadav, is a fun person.
Did you encounter personalities with negative attitudes in a journey? And what made you angry with them?
Answer: Well, most of the people are nice on a journey. Sometimes, you do get the odd one who is too nosy or unhappy.
You have contributed three articles on India-Korea relations for the supplement brought out by The Times of India. Can you give us a brief about it?
Answer: I was invited by the Journalists Association of Korea to South Korea in 2015. The country holds an annual conference on peace between the two Koreas. Luckily, I went in April 2015 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was supposed to visit South Korea in May 2015. So the Korean cultural centre in Delhi assigned me these articles as I had just come back from the country.
In 2020, due to the pandemic, this conference was held over 3 days via Zoom, and I was also a part of it. I hope I get a chance to write on it soon.
You have quoted on safety of women solo travelers on India Today’s blog. What measures do you think are must-have for a solo woman traveler?
Answer: 1. Wear decent clothes if you are traveling in India.
2. Always carry an extra phone and batteries.
3. Share your contact details with family and friends and keep them in the loop.
4. Keep your social media updated as then you are publicly visible.
5. Don’t talk to too many men and reveal your plans.
6. Eat and drink with friends or people you know.
7. Always have faith in yourself and keep all emergency numbers in your diary.
What are your views on women empowerment in India?
Answer: A lot could be done. Women are so strong but need more expressive outlets. Women in villages tend to follow the men, and men need to be educated on treating them as partners.
What is your strength as a blogger?
Answer: My ability to adapt to the need of the hour.
What are your future plans regarding your blog?
Answer: Scale it, scale it to lakhs of subscribers.
What type of networking do you think helps your blog?
Answer: You have to be friends with like-minded people. The most important thing is to be quick response person. So many opportunities are lost if you sit for long on anything.
What are your three most favorite posts from your blog?
Answer: https://atravellerswishlist.com/2020/11/30/how-a-vipassana-retreat-at-sohna-changed-my-life/
https://atravellerswishlist.com/2018/01/14/suryagarh-jaisalmer-cupids-playground/
https://atravellerswishlist.com/2017/04/16/narendra-bhawan-bikaner-the-royal-dream-unfolds/
Do you think Page rank plays a vital role in a blog’s life? Why?
Answer: It does make your day, but good quality content is the most important thing.
What would you prioritize? Content? SEO? Traffic? Readers?
Answer: All are important at different stages.
For beginners: Content
For taking off: SEO, Traffic
When up: Readers
What is more important to you, money or success?
Answer: Success, money will follow.
What is that one thing you have never done but want to do?
Answer: Backpack across Europe.
If you could plan a perfect holiday, what would it be?
Answer: A month-long trip to Scotland.
How many books do you read in a month - roughly?
Answer: 4-5
Favorite book character or film character crush. Yes you can pick 2 :)
Answer: Enid Blyton’s Noddy. I love him and his car. I feel the same when I drive.
A character you love to hate in what book/TV show or movie.
Answer: Hate is very strong, more like skeptical. I find the witch of the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel really ugly.
Name some of the favorite travel celebrities you look up to?
Answer: None!
What is a movie or TV show that you watched recently and really enjoyed?
Answer: Emily in Paris.
Coffee or tea?
Answer: Coffee.
Vanilla or chocolate ice cream?
Answer: Chocolate
Life is a joke? Or life is a mystery?
Answer: Life is a roller coaster ride.
Which life is better? Living in the city or living by the beach?
Answer: Living in the city.
If you found Aladdin's lamp, what three wishes you would ask Genie?
Answer: 1. Give me sanity
2. Give me health
3. Give me enough wealth so that I shouldn’t beg for anything in life.
What would be a few things you would suggest to new travel bloggers?
Answer: Always share the truth. Appreciate your host and appreciate the blessing of being able to see other lands and cultures.
Favorite quote you live by is...?
Answer: Live and let live.
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/ambicagulati/featured
Blog: atravellerswishlist.com