Founder’s Stories – Himanshu Maru of Bout India
We don’t feel tourism as a business machine but a way to spread happiness.
What’s your company name?
Bout India
In what year did you run your first tour?
2014
What did you do before starting Bout India?
I was in the banking sector.
Why did you start Bout India?
I am passionate about photography and travel. While working In banking I realized that I was in a rat race. I could not get enough time for my hobbies in travelling and photography. There I thought to start a travel company where I can provide excellent service to my clients and at the same time, I can fulfill my dreams of travelling and photography.
What makes your trips unique?
Bout India is unique in its perception of tourism. We don’t feel tourism as a business machine but a way to spread happiness. We promote Indian Tourism and we inspire our clients to travel for a change and be a responsible traveller. Design your own itinerary, meet the locals, taste the exotic Indian culinary, choose your kind of hotels, locations and activities. We bet some trips can even be life-changing! We focus on experiences that one can have during the India trip.
Can you tell us about a time one of your trips changed a guest’s life?
I had a chance to meet my client from Australia who wanted to visit India 50 years back when he was 30 years old. Now he is 80 years and wanted to celebrate his 80th birthday in the Himalayas. He was a solo traveller, 80 years old travelling in the Himalayas. I was a bit worried about him so I took a flight to Leh just to meet him there. We spent around a week together there. I felt so great that I was a part of his dream trip. When he left he said to me…..it was his best birthday ever. I was 28 at that time and he was 80 years. It was a great exchange of learning for us.
What’s one thing you recommend a traveller bring with them on one of your tours?
Bring your kids on a culture and food trip to India. I have seen foreign national kids with jaw-dropping experiences in India. For kids who never been to India, it is a totally different world. You see the different sides of life here.
What’s one thing you recommend a traveller NOT bring with them on one of your tours?
Tension for the following things: quality food, drinking water, comfortable hotels, services, nice neat and clean car, money exchange etc.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Madagascar
