Watch Out For Indian Travel Blogger Parnashree Devi

Parnashree is a Photo Editor by profession, but started her blog, My Travel Diary, a few years ago to share her travel stories. Considered to be one of the top travel blogs in India, Parnashree’s passion lies in motivating people to get outside of their comfort zone and explore our world. Discover all about Parnashree’s Indian adventures, her love for experiencing different cultures, and her tips on where to head next in our interview.

Parnashree with the locals of Arunachl Pradesh

You are a Photo Editor by profession, when and how did you make the transition into travel blogging? Being a photo editor, I traveled the whole world visually. One photograph I took of a cottage on a hilltop in the Himalayas inspired me to come out of the visual world and take the road less traveled. That trip to the beautiful hilltops in Uttarakhand, India changed it all for me, and there was no looking back after that. I decided to share my travel stories with the world and inspire millions of people to get out of their comfort zone and experience this incredibly beautiful planet. What message do you wish to convey through your blog? Why do you think it is one of importance? Through my stories, I hope to inspire people to travel. I believe this is important as travel not only allows you to see and experience destinations, but it makes you a better person. Have there been any particular influences which have inspired you? Traveling to far off corners, meeting new people, trying local cuisines, and exploring different cultures and lifestyles is my passion. I believe that every place has its unique, mystical character and some awesome stories which are mostly unexplored and unheard of. This is what inspires me to write.

You must have a collection of rich and very different experiences from around the world. What has been your favourite or most memorable? My most memorable is definitely the road trip I took around western India for a month. Henry Miller wrote 11 work schedule commandments in his book, Henry Miller on Writing. Number 7 is ‘Keep human! See people, go places, drink if you feel like it’. Do you have a particular way of working which helps you to create? I would say that when you travel you should try to connect with local people, spend some quality time in the area, be a part of their lifestyle for few days, observe the surroundings, and enjoy their local culture and their food. Where would you advise culture lovers lovers to go in India? India is known for it’s rich cultural heritage, it is a land where multiculturalism is celebrated widely. So anywhere you travel in India, you can experience an inspiring mosaic of cultures.

Where would you advise food lovers to go in India? I would advise North India for foodies visiting India. What advice would you give to a budding travel blogger? I would like to tell budding travel bloggers to go places, meet people, be a responsible traveler, and share a real story about the destination and its people. Be true to what you are doing. If you could take a culinary tour across one country, where would it be and what would you eat? If I could take a culinary tour, I would love to travel to Italy and I’d love to eat pizza, pasta and all the authentic Italian cuisines. How do you decide on your next travel destination? Do you have a bucket list of places you’d like to visit? Offbeat places around the world attract me a lot. I do tend to do a lot of research before I visit anywhere. At the moment, my bucket list includes places like Kerala, Sikkikm, Bhutan, Italy, Spain, Paris, Bali, and more!

Parnashree is one of the winners of The Culture Trip’s India Local Favorite 2015 Award. The Local Favorite badge is awarded to our favorite local towns, restaurants, artists, galleries, and everything in between. We are passionate about showcasing popular local talents on a global scale, so we have cultivated a carefully selected, but growing community.
Interview by Isabelle Pitman