Feed your travel bug

Episode 88 dives into a traveller’s experiences in Hampi, Karnataka

Since all our travel plans have been scrapped for the foreseeable future, what can we do to feed our travel bug? Well, co-creator of popular podcast The Musafir Stories, Saif Omar believes that listening to travellers' experiences could well be the next best thing. With Musafir Stories, Omar and his wife Faiza Khan, have managed to take listeners through journeys of places in India, from the viewpoints of both travellers and locals, reminiscing their journeys and providing priceless tips, all in an hour's worth of audio content.

Faiza Khan and Saif Omar

What began in 2017 has now crossed 100 episodes with a healthy mix of guests including travellers, bloggers, locals and at times their own listeners. While we found the episodes engaging in terms of the hosts, the guests, the experiences and the imagery, we wished the episodes were shorter [each podcast clocks 45 minutes to an hour], especially if one has a packed daily schedule, and is looking to squeeze this in for a few moments of travel nirvana.

But why use an audio medium for a travel podcast, we ask. "In terms of travel-related content, there's enough videos out there. Audio forces you to visualise the place through the words of the traveller. The mental imagery forms a different kind of experience. It has its own USP," shares the Toronto-based resident. And while he admits to being camera-shy, he provides other compelling reasons as to why audio trumps most forms of content. "The biggest takeaway is that you can multitask. Also, podcasting started with people in basements just talking to each other; it's how the medium grew. There's a level of rawness and intimacy."

Although not full-time travellers themselves, the couple found that India lacked local content in this field, which is what prompted them to fuel the idea. In their latest episode, they speak to Arjun Narayanan, host of another podcast called Madraswallah, who recalls experiences from his hometown in Thrissur, Kerala, and talks of the rich history of the cultural capital of the state. With each episode, a new destination or experience is explored, from beaches to islands, forests, and mountains - it is an absolute treat in learning what incredible beauty India has to offer, right within its borders. So for those who are stockpiling itineraries, how about giving this a go until it's safe to travel?

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