For us like many including Antara, to travel is to live. For Antara travel is also one of her biggest passions and biggest source of inspiration. She quips, “Since I am such a visual person, everything about a new destination heightens my senses—the colours, the culture, the accents, the food, the design, the fashion and the people of course!” She likes cities that are not linear, and have dimension—geographically as much as in any other sense. Her kind of favourite includes a place that has an eclectic mix of things: beaches, mountains, good food, culture and vibe. What makes it extra special is the warmth and friendliness of the local people in that destination. And what really tips the scales for Antara is her love for safaris in the wild.
Ask her how travel has changed her life and she explains, “I feel it has broadened my horizons and widened my vision so much. When you travel you speak new languages, you make new friends, you create the best memories and stories that you can keep retelling, and you come back feeling like your soul is full and rejuvenated.” The fashion stylist goes on to admit that she never follows trends, and instead, likes to make her own, as well as in travel. She believes travel is so personal, one should choose and curate their holiday for their individual needs and idiosyncracies. She also admits that she is a very paranoid and anxious traveller, but packs like a dream, “my friends always admire my ability to pack multiple options and still fit it all in my suitcase so well, and so, I do pride myself on being a smart packer.” From the destinations she’s been to to the ones she’s hoping to explore, Antara divulges all things travel to inspire your next jet set….
All time favourites…
1. Cape Town! It is one of my most favourite places in the world and it has all the dimensions you need: beach, mountains, great food, amazing people, vibe and culture. It is laid back and every place you see looks like a post card. Additionally, it is close to all the best private safaris, a short flight away to some of the finest national parks there are.
2. Another one is Seoul, where we recently visited and adored. Language was not an issue as the people were so helpful and lovely. The street culture was abundant, whether it was about the fashion, food or even the bars. It is a big city, so I would recommend breaking it up and staying in different parts so you can enjoy and immerse in it in entirety.
3.Tel Aviv is another fabulous destination. It is all-encompassing with beaches and city life, it has everything. I think me and my husband lost our heart to Israeli food. We truly treasured going to Jerusalem, only a two-hour drive away from Tel Aviv, and complete with so much history—literally three religions birthed their roots here.
4. Tulum, Mexico—because even though it has been overly-instagrammed, it still leaves you in complete awe. It has got something so pure and beautiful about it, the environment resonates it.
Destinations for every kind of traveller…
1. For the adventurous: Lapland, Oslo, New
Zealand, Wales, Iceland.
2. For the romantic: Maldives, South of Italy, driving around the vineyards of Tuscany, the beaches of Mexico and the spas at Baden-Baden.
3. For history hawks: Berlin, Jerusalem,
Saint Petersberg and Moscow, Marseilles and Rome.
4. For foodies and shopping enthusiasts: Seoul, Tokyo, Dubai, Bangkok, Amsterdam,
Stockholm, London, Los Angeles.
5. For safari lovers: India, Kenya, South Africa,
Sri Lanka
6. For party animals: Seoul, Tokyo, New York,
Lebanon, Miami
Favourite fashion destination in the world…
Without a doubt, Paris! I love vintage stores and Paris has such gems. Even at the Parisian flea markets you can discover such rare fashionable pieces in hats, jewellery and clothing. I also love Los Angeles for its fashion, Melrose and Venice Beach, especially for their vintage shopping haunts.
Best destination to travel to for food…
Israeli food has probably become one of our most favourite cuisines in the world, and Japan and Korea would come close too.
Home stay or posh hotel?
I love home stays, while my husband has a penchant for posh hotels—and so we try and experience both—the best of both worlds as well as exotic villas when we are island hopping.
Souvenirs from your travels include…
It’s really quite silly but we love collecting magnets for our fridge—little souvenirs of the places we’ve been, to remind us what we loved and what else is left. We also love bringing back a little artwork for the house too.
Next on your travel agenda…
A trip to NYC and Los Angeles in the summer.
Destinations on the 2020 wishlist…
1. Cuba is on the top of my list, for its vintage cars on the street, hot salsa sessions and so much more!
2. South America—from Brazil to Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia, Columbia and more. It’s a lot of countries but that is something I am craving to experience. I think it is still so unexplored by Indians due to the distance and not everyone considers it safe. However, to travel is to live, right?