How Roaming Is Your Dil? 4 Indian Celebrities Share Their Travel Stories

A Bollywood heartthrob, a famous Indian cricketer, the rudest man on Indian Television, and an adrenaline junkie. Four Indian celebrities share how roaming their dil is in a candid interview:

Ranbir Kapoor

 

For all the ladies who love travelling and have this secret dream of taking off to see the world with this Bollywood heartthrob, here’s a reality check! The actor likes to travel ALONE.

BG: What are the top 3 things you look for when booking a hotel?

Ranbir: Warm smiles that give a positive vibe, good room service. (Smiles) Any hotel that serves a delicious burger, good Kaali Dal and mouth-watering butter chicken is a good hotel for me (a big smile on Ranbir’s face follows the food description)

BG: Your favourite hotel in India is…

Ranbir: Taj Lands End, Mumbai.

BG: Top 3 places on your wish list.

Ranbir: Masai Mara, Brazil & Space – people do go to space these days, so why can’t I?

Robin Uthappa

You see him on field and you can’t help but be blown away by his flamboyant cricketing style. You catch him in person and you will be charmed by his down-to-earth (borderline shy) demeanour. That’s Robin Uthappa for you. I bumped in to this just-turned-28 cricketer last week, only to discover that he is absolutely smitten by travelling.

BG: Ever faced issues with food when travelling?

Robin: One difficult experience would have been in Kenya when I visited a restaurant called Carnivore. They serve all kinds of meat available under the sun. Despite being skeptical, I still went with the team. But I didn’t eat anything since I was very disturbed by the fact that they were serving game meat like wildebeest, giraffe, ostrich and even crocodile!

BG: What kind of hotels do you like staying at when travelling?

Robin: Honestly, we are truly spoilt when travelling for work because then it’s definitely a 5-star plus hotel. Personally, I am a stickler for cleanliness. Moreover, I would certainly want a gym in the hotel.

BG: One place you think everyone absolutely must visit?

Robin: I will give you two. South Africa and Kenya! The beauty of these places is untouched and so close to nature. I am amazed by the fact that you can see the wildlife up and close in their natural habitat. It’s truly a sight to see the game reserve officials tending to the animals, some even taking care of the cubs. You even get to hold and play with the Albino lion and tiger cubs. I did. But be careful, they have sharp claws and teeth.

Raghu Ram

Remarkably honest, extremely well-mannered, vastly logical, exceptionally sweet and a tad shy! The ‘Rudest Man On Indian Television’, Raghu Ram, as I discovered, is a man full of contraries. For the first time ever, here’s presenting the other side of the bold and bald guy, who happens to be the brain behind MTV successes like Roadies and Splitsvilla.

BG: You intimidate so many, name one adventure sport that gives you the jitters? 

Raghu: I don’t know why people get scared of me. Frankly, it is me who is afraid of almost anything remotely connected to adventure. The reason I try out the tasks we include in Roadies is not because I enjoy them. I just want to make sure that the tasks are executable, safe and not too difficult. Honestly, adventure sports freak me out. 

BG: Does Raghu like staying in the lap of luxury or is he one who likes camping in the wilderness? 

Raghu: I was always big on camping. But growing older, I need to have little luxuries like having a bathroom. Moreover, a hotel for me is just a place to crash and get some sleep. It’s a blur of hotels for me every time I travel. Not a big deal. 

BG: Have you ever swapped your identity with Rajiv at an airport? 

Raghu: I have quite a few times. Once I was to flying from Mumbai to Delhi and had to escort a friend’s 5-year-old daughter. Now, this little girl was more comfortable with Rajiv since she is friends with his son. So I had to make her believe that I was Rajiv. Firstly – I was very uncomfortable as I was taking the responsibility of a kid. Secondly – at the airport people kept calling me Raghu and I had to tell them that I’m Rajiv. Quite a situation that was!

Gul Panag

With over half a million (and counting!) followers on Twitter, Gul Panag needs no introduction. A former Miss India, actor, adrenaline junkie and serial road tripper, Gul is the one person who truly deserves to be called a #Roameo. 

BG: We know about your affair with bikes! What’s your favourite biking destination?

Gul: Ladakh hands down! It’s a risky yet challenging terrain that gives me an adrenaline rush. I love riding bikes (Royal Enfield especially) and Ladakh gives me the opportunity to stop at dhabas and explore the area’s best chai and food.

BG: Your craziest road trip?

Gul: One summer almost 10 years ago, I went biking to Leh and Ladakh with Rishi, then-boyfriend and now-husband. I just carried one light sweater along not realizing that there would be three treacherous passes with 20 feet of ice lying ahead. The chilly air cut through us but giving up has never been in our dictionary. So, we continued on our journey and reached Rohtang Pass around 8 pm in the freezing cold. By this time, we were hugging the silencer of the bike to feel alive. It was one hell of a trip!

BG: Adventure sports you like?

Gul: Skiing, snow biking, snowboarding! I am madly in love with the cold weather and that's why I love Finland. It offers me all of these.

BG: You are the only woman to feature in Nat Geo’s All Terrain show. How kicked are you about it?

Gul: I’m very, very excited! I will be exploring South India starting from Goa and heading to Karwar via the quaint beach town of Gokarna, and finally soaking in the history of the ruins in Hampi.