Leisure learning

A 'learning holiday' offers an intimate glimpse into a region and its culture along with an opportunity to get creative

A holiday in focus

Roopa Venkatkrishnan was keen on combining her love for wildlife and travel with a penchant for picking up new skills but didn't know how to go about it - until she came across a mention of Toehold Travel & Photography in a magazine. "My husband had a passion for photography and he got interested in the concept of having experienced photographers assist and guide one during a holiday," says the 48-year-old Mumbai-based entrepreneur who has been on five photography trips with Toehold in the past three years.

Toehold, which has offices in Pune and Bengaluru, has been clubbing travel with photography for the last five years. The team designs trips that generate several photo opportunities and allow you to explore the place with a professional photographer. "We help our guests extract the photographic potential of the place," says Jayanth Sharma, co-founder and director, Toehold. The dates of the trips are usually published on the website. "For instance, we will be doing a Big Cat Week in Masai Mara and Samburu, Kenya, in December this year," Sharma says. One can opt for group tours or personalised vacations. Sharma usually gets a lot of enquiries from families for such tours, especially those with teenage children. The company conducts 70-80 trips a year.

"The photographers who accompany you guide you at every step - from how to handle the equipment to composing a picture and the kind of lighting needed," says Venkatkrishnan.

For trip calendar, visit www.toehold.in

Drawing from nature

Why not pick up the nuances of painting nature while on a holiday in Kerala? Meenakshi Subramaniam, an artist based in Thekkady, encourages her guests to not just soak in the beauty of the wilderness around the Periyar Tiger Reserve but also learn how to express it on canvas. "I used to run a homestay till a year ago. When the guests would find out that I am an artist, they would want to learn from me," says Subramaniam who mostly works with watercolours and acrylics. She is now starting art workshops and nature camps where people can embark on long nature walks with her, observe the rich flora and fauna of the region and learn how to paint it.

"The idea is that people should open their eyes and ears to the many forms of nature - the butterfly host plants, the wild orchids, the drongos - and not just the bigger mammals. You don't need to replicate what you see. Just bring nature within yourself," says Subramaniam. She feels her classes are especially helpful for children with special needs and their parents, as also for those going through a troubled phase. For the elderly and the physically challenged, who find it hard to traverse the wild paths of the forest, there are rare ferns and plants like the maidenhair fern, bird's nest fern and native orchids in her garden that can be sketched. Subramaniam takes only 10 guests at a time and encourages one- to three-week art classes.

Art classes for seven hours a day cost Rs 2,000

Craft a vacation

Located on the outskirts of Pune, overlooking the picturesque Khamboli Dam, is the Avanti Kalagram. The village was established as a design development and training centre for traditional craftsmen, but then it started attracting tourists who wanted to see how handicraft were made. "Five years ago, realising the tourism potential of the Kalagram, we started offering accommodation," says Deepak Bachal, an architect and founder of Kalagram. The traditional arts and craft village now offers tourists an opportunity to learn local handicraft - making bamboo furniture, jewellery and papier-mâche products - from master craftsmen. Or else, they can learn the art of whipping up a delicious Maharashtrian meal.

The crafts village has four double-bedded rooms and a family hall that can accommodate 10 to 12 people. Children can camp close to their parents' room.

Tourists usually stay for three days, on an average.

For packages, visit www.avantikalagram.com

SKILLS AND THRILLS

• Snowkiting: This adventure-based, unconventional activity involves travelling across the snow in a large kite at the speed of up to 50 miles per hour.

Where: Central Utah, US

• Cooking in the spice coast: Head to the local fish market to pick up fresh produce and then come back to this 350-year-old picturesque Portuguese manor to learn the nuances of Goan cuisine from chefs Jane and Lourdes. Baffado chicken, Goan pork vindaloo, Goan-style aubergines,  kurle ambat, Crab Xec Xec — these are some of the dishes you can learn to prepare.

Where: Siolim House, Goa

• Surf on: Learn to ride the waves at the Kallialay Surf School in Puducherry. “In three days, with double sessions, you can learn to take the green wave,” says Juan Reboul who runs the school along with his brother, Samay.

Where: Puducherry

• Language tourism: “With the growing trend of learning a foreign language, people prefer to go to a native educator,” says Shibani Phadkar, senior vice-president and head (leisure travel outbound, products, contracting, operations & tour management), Thomas Cook (India).

Where: Germany, Spain, France