Lost in wilderness

One wonders what made Mytri Indukuru, a NALSAR graduate, who was doing quite well in a private law firm turn towards the ‘wild’? Her pictures reveal an intense love affair with photography that also became her inspiration to start an international travel company specialising in wildlife holidays

Perhaps Mytri Indukuru never thought in her wildest dream that she would be starting an international travel company that specialises in tailor-made wildlife holidays for all those wander-lust people spread across the world!

Having criss-crossed the globe with ‘wheels on her feet’, Mytri says nothing can give her a better high than being lost in the wilderness and indulging in nature as she reveals her miracles. Having experienced the ‘raw magic’ of the wild she started unconsciously harbouring a desire to reach out to all those like her. Thus was born Plant Wildlife- which according to Mytri is not just a routine ‘manicured’ tour plan that takes people to places and gives a shallow experience but makes them merge with the place. Mytri says traveller is the one who goes to a place not just for a change of mind or unwind himself, but actually starts off a relationship with the new place resulting in a beautiful long- lasting communion. Every such trip had nourished her into a creative and transformed person.

Tell us about the birth of Planet Wildlife?

I was always passionate about photography and somehow love for nature follows it. After studying a NALSAR, I worked with a law firm and had reached a certain level of comfort in the field I was associated with for few years but I realised that wasn’t my calling. Landscapes enticed me more than law and logic, and here I am! I used to see my friends debate for long hours, hunting for good family vacation spots and settle down with a mediocre package. That was when I decided to create a combo pack of travel and adventure holiday that satiates the wanderlusts along with giving them a ‘wholesome’ holiday.

Why do you think wildlife tourism is picking up in India in a big way?

We have to accept that the elite today aspire for a holiday with élan. It’s not just a run-of-the-mill vacation that includes site-seeing, good food and relaxation, but a complete unwinding that thrills as well. After a lot of thought I decided to combine the two- and give a truly enriching experience through our tours. This is how our well-researched tour plans and packages evolved, step-by-step. Each of these customised packages cater to those ardent holiday-lovers who seek a dash of adventure, unwinding in pristine jungles and understanding cultures in depth. In short they look for an ‘experiential education’ programme!

Pre-departure packages seem to be your USP?

Our pre-departure (PDP) packages educate and acclimatise our clients with the terrain they are about to visit. Besides giving out these handouts we also have an orientation session for them at our office which makes their transition smooth. Our Cambodia PDP particularly talks about what fun it is to travel with children to such places as most parents feel their kids must get exposed to the realities of life and sensitise them on social issues too. Likewise we advice those travelling to places like Africa to take extra care about the possible chance of contracting diseases like malaria.

Is it important to have local tour guides?

Of course! When you are going on an unchartered terrain you have to have someone who knows it. I can never forget my experience in the Nilgiri hills when we came face to face with an elephant and saved ourselves only with the timely advice of our local guide. Had he not asked us to drop everything and lie down flat on the ground, I wouldn’t be talking to you today! Guides know how to navigate, the nitigrities of the topography, dos and don’ts etc.

What’s your most memorable trip so far?

It’s a tough thing to point out one destination but I should say KwaZulu Natal, South Africa which I visited two years ago was breath-taking! The landscape of KZN was strikingly different from that of the Western Cape. In some ways the landscape was typically African – vast expanses of land, untamed meadows and the gently rolling hills but it had its own unique edge with the sugarcane fields and the eucalyptus forests on both sides of the road. The sea beckons you to snorkel and its nature at its best!