Written by Roopa Palanivel
October 2026 · 7 minutes
42 years after her father first took her to Srinagar, Puneeta Sandhu returned with her parents and found the same houseboat. She says her mother remembered every little detail. “The Dal Lake was just like what you would see in the movie Kashmir ki Kali, beautiful and blue. The views of Pir Panjal were out of this world!” she reminisces.
Puneeta with her mother at Srinagar. Photograph courtesy Puneeta Sandhu
Her love for travelling in India started quite young. Every summer break, she would visit hill stations like Nainital, Shimla, Mussoorie. But it was trekking that took her beyond the usual holiday destinations, to some of the more remote parts of the country. There’s a sparkle in her eye and excitement in her voice every time she speaks about her early years of trekking.
She went on her first trek to Hemkund Sahib and the Valley of Flowers in sixth standard with her parents. “During those days there was no electricity in the Gurudwara. They used to have candles and were so excited to see visitors."
Trekking became an important part of her childhood. Both her parents were teachers at Punjab Public School in Nabha, India’s first sainik school, where students were encouraged to trek every year. She received the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award in 1989, which required her to participate in a 10-day trek from Lawrence School to Lovedale.
After leaving school, Puneeta stopped trekking for several years. She got married and earned her B.Ed., something her father had wanted her to do all along. Trekking came back into her life once she joined Yadavindra Public School (YPS). As the only female teacher with trekking experience, she was asked to lead a group of senior schoolgirls on annual treks. At YPS, Puneeta led about ten treks, including the challenging Indrahar Pass.
After completing the Pench trek with Indiahikes. Photograph courtesy Puneeta Sandhu
In 2013, she crossed paths with Indiahikes. The organisation’s safety standards convinced her to sign up for the Buran Ghati trek. “There was no looking back. I was going on treks with Indiahikes almost every alternate year.”
In between all the trekking, she made time to travel with her children, including trips to Singapore and Ladakh. Today, her children encourage her to see more of the country by herself. But packing her bags and heading out hasn't always been easy. Her husband worked in the merchant navy and was away from home a lot. Her mother-in-law and sister-in-law were both unwell. So, she decided to take a voluntary retirement from teaching just before COVID. Two years ago, her father passed away, and her 90-year-old mother came to live with them. “I can’t just take off whenever I want. But I still make time to travel at least once a year. My son lives in Australia, so I visit him for three weeks every year too.”
Travelling with family. Photograph courtesy Puneeta Sandhu
When asked about travelling in Australia and India, she laughs. “To be very frank, I love the chaos in India! But what I noticed was the big difference in rail connectivity. As Indians, we criticise our railways, but the amount of traffic we are able to manage is amazing!”
Even though her husband doesn't like to travel much, Puneeta still sets off with friends or sometimes travels alone. Her journey through the Northeast includes Ziro Valley, Shillong, Cherrapunji, Mawlynnong and Kaziranga. Over the years, she has seen how infrastructure development has changed the landscape.
“When I went to Mawlynnong, hardly anyone knew about it. Today it’s completely different. Cherrapunji is not what it was 10 years ago. It was a beautiful small little hamlet, with little walking trails, but now there are so many hotels coming up and the views are being blocked by those buildings. This makes me quite sad.”
Outside the Northeast, Rajasthan is another part of India that keeps drawing her back. She visits the state roughly every two years, but says the crowds can be off-putting. “That’s why I opt for programs from Unexplored India, so I can explore places that are a little quieter and not so touristy.”
With her mother and father in Srinagar Photograph courtesy Puneeta Sandhu
Her trips are usually planned for the off-season, away from the school summer holidays. When it comes to stays, she prefers unique experiential properties to five-star or luxury resorts. Puneeta remembers visiting the KTDC Lake Palace in Periyar National Park, one of her favourite destinations. Located deep within the core tiger reserve, it has only six rooms and was the former summer palace of the Maharaja of Travancore. Surrounded by the Periyar Lake on three sides, with dense forest right behind the hotel, it offers complete privacy. “When I stayed there with my children, the manager showed us CCTV footage of a leopard that had been around the area a few days back. That’s what gives me a kick, something different and exciting!”
Puneeta has already completed Unexplored Kullu Valley and Unexplored Konkan with Unexplored India, a travel division of Indiahikes. Despite having travelled extensively, she found that the programs showed her a different side of the country. Growing up in Chandigarh, meant spending many summer holidays in Kullu-Manali. She’s seen the region change over the last 20 years and avoids it because of the crowds. “When I heard about the Unexplored India program, I wasn’t really expecting much. I thought who'd want to go to Kullu Manali!”.
Being welcomed by the locals during the Unexplored Kullu Manali program. Photograph courtesy Puneeta Sandhu
But Puneeta says every experience during Unexplored Kullu Valley was unique. “Even though I’ve been there so many times, I still found something new and different in every experience. The small villages and the Kaisdhar hike, where we were the only people”.
According to her, Unexplored India is perfect for travelers who want to avoid crowds and touristy places. These are places that aren't easy to find on Google Maps. “The Kullu villages were off the highway, a little more interior, where there are no commercial hotels,” she adds.
As someone who cares about sustainable travel, Puneeta also appreciates Unexplored India's Green Trails philosophy and sensitivity towards the environment. Unexplored Nilgiris is next on the list. Having visited Ooty many times, she’s convinced that the program will show her a different side of the hill station.
Completing the Unexplored Kullu Manali program. Photography courtesy Puneeta Sandhu
There’s a lot more Puneeta wants to see and do. Unexplored India has helped her tick off one item on her bucket list - the Konkan Railway. She hopes to explore more of India including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. In addition to historic places like Nalanda University, Rajgir and Bodhgaya, Puneeta would like to take her mother to Patna Sahib, an important Sikh pilgrimage site. And while she’s been to Khajuraho and Panna National Park, her sights are set on going deeper into Madhya Pradesh.
Trekking may be less frequent now, but her sense of adventure and curiosity is still very much alive. At 56, after retirement and so many family responsibilities, travel could easily have taken a back seat. Instead, Puneeta keeps seeking out new places or a different side to places she’s already visited. Arunachal Pradesh is next on the cards. “Tum ghar pe hi nahin baithi, that’s what a lot of people tell me”, she says with a laugh.
Puneeta Sandhu is a 56-year-old retired teacher and an avid traveler from Chandigarh. She has already completed Unexplored Konkan and Unexplored Kullu Valley. Puneeta loves travelling in India and wants to explore the country deeper.
Roopa Palanivel
Roopa is a writer and yoga teacher based in Coorg. Before becoming a yoga teacher, she was the copywriting head at HCL Technologies and a senior communications consultant for a marketing services firm, working on content across industries. Originally from Chennai, she moved to Coorg to live a quieter, slower life. She enjoys trekking, running and travelling with her husband and dog.
