Custom holidays by India’s travel startups for seniors, girls, the disabled

World on wheels @ Embarq

Sujal Patwardhan and Medha Joseph went on a self-drive expedition from India to Morocco a decade in the past. The duo lined 23,000 kilometres throughout 15 nations in 57 days. They returned and began Embarq to organise comparable highway journeys.

“We were smitten by self-drive travel… the sheer pleasure of experiencing a place while driving through a country, the local culture that one encounters, the various things one experiences and how you discover yourself during this journey,” says Sujal, a former funding banking skilled.

Medha, a former finance professional, says their journeys are designed for a variety of individuals together with households, solo travellers, younger adventurers, and ladies. The latter, she says, comes beneath The Bold Route collection, a current initiative of Embarq, kickstarted to cater to the rising tribe of ladies travellers. Upcoming journeys in the collection embody Hornbill Festival in Nagaland in December, and a drive from Kutch to Kibithoo in Arunachal Pradesh in early 2026.

Taking us via the means of curating a visit, Sujal says analysis entails curating offbeat experiences, highway circumstances and connectivity, logistics of arranging self-drive vehicles, amongst different components. “Once the destination is finalised we thoroughly recce the route which includes evaluating stays, pit stops, experiences and other requirements before we announce the trip,” she says, including that they’ve carried out roughly 20 journeys in India to date, and over 75 internationally.

At the second, Zanskar, Northeast India, Mongolia, Scotland and Peru are excessive on the recognition charts, says Medha. “We recently completed our first edition of the All Women K2K 2025 expedition, where a convoy of 25 Skoda cars and 50 women across India drove from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in 10 days,” she says. Upcoming worldwide journeys at Embarq embody Kyrgyzstan, Peru, Patagonia, New Zealand, and Russia.

Luxury self-drive expeditions in India start at 1.5 lakh per individual, and worldwide expeditions start at 2.5 lakh. Details on embarq.in

Travel for all @ Planet Abled 

“I never went for a holiday as a child,” says Neha Arora, “Both my  parents, now in their 70s and 80s, are persons with disabilities, and even they had not gone on a holiday until a few years ago.” 

Neha shares that when she began working at an IT firm in 2007, she saved cash, and went for her first household vacation to Tamil Nadu and Kerala. “Only to realise that there was poor physical infrastructure, inaccessible communication channels, zero digital accessibility, and societal stigma. No one expects disabled people to travel assuming they don’t work or they don’t have money. After a series of such unpleasant experiences, my parents refused to travel again but I started looking for solutions.” Prompted by her private journey, Neha began Planet Abled in 2016 to make sure individuals with disabilities can travel sans restrictions with non-disabled people. 

For analysis, Neha discovered herself spending nights at a number of airports to rely the variety of travellers with disabilities. While she discovered travel corporations that had been single disability-focussed, Neha needed to create an inclusive platform. “If your disability decides who you travel with, when you travel and where, it is discrimination. Why shouldn’t a person with one or more disabilities have the freedom of choice when it comes to travelling?” asks Neha, who has catered to travellers with mobility impairments; visible impairments; cognitive, psychosocial, mental and hidden disabilities; people who find themselves neurodivergent or individuals with dementia, amongst others. The organisation additionally supplies coaching and consulting to tourism trade stakeholders to change into accessible by design for all kinds of disabilities.

Top locations in India embody Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Rajasthan, Srinagar, Punjab, amongst others, and worldwide favourites embody Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Europe, and China. 

Neha explains how, as a society, we’re both too sympathetic in direction of disabled individuals or apathetic. “Non-disabled have their internalised biases and prejudices and of course there is little awareness in our society about the appropriate body language and verbal language. Being in an inclusive group makes them realise that communicating with them in a dignified and empathetic manner is what matters to make everyone feel included,” she says, including how a number of non-disabled travellers have come again to Planet Abled to make their places of work accessible and rent individuals with disabilities.

Today, Neha operates the firm from places of work in India and Austria, and provides travel-related providers together with designing journeys, lodge bookings, storytellers and guides, transport providers, and skilled service buddies “to assist travellers with their routine activities”. “We take into account accessibility needs of each individual and design the trip accordingly. Destination development includes auditing the destination for accessibility status of diverse accessibility needs, training the staff, guides, drivers and stakeholders at all touch points of a traveller’s journey,” says Neha, who has additionally catered to organisations similar to Cricket Australia, Human Rights Watch, and Indian Paralympic Association.

Travelling in India with a incapacity may be very a lot potential, however is certainly very costly, she shares. “You need to stay at four or five star hotels because only they have wheelchair accessible rooms, and you can book a private disabled-friendly vehicle, and also have trained staff available.” The Colosseum in Rome, and The Acropolis in Greece are wheelchair accessible, however “our Taj Mahal is still not. The tourism industry does not need separate travel companies for disabled people. We will have to mainstream accessibility so that people with disabilities have the freedom of choice,” concludes Neha, who has upcoming journeys deliberate to Ranthambhore, Kerala, Bali, and South Africa.

planetabled.com

Senior spree @ WalkAbout

If you’re a senior citizen, or know somebody who’s, this digital social studying platform organises rather more than holidays. Launched in 2019, WalkAbout, beforehand generally known as GetSetUp, was launched in 2019. “We help older adults use technology in ways that enhance daily life and open new possibilities,” says co-founder Deval Delivala, who began curating holidays in 2023.

In India, Deval says, they concentrate on locations that provide a mixture of heritage, Nature, and wellness. “Internationally, we prioritise locations welcoming to older travellers, factoring in direct flights, senior-friendly accommodations, and well-paced itineraries,” she provides. “Dubai stood out for our community; sightseeing spots across the city had wheelchair access, well-maintained restrooms, and smooth transportation options, making it easy for older adult travellers to move around comfortably. Our upcoming trip to Japan in 2026 has been curated to prioritise a similar experience.”

Given the lack of ample infrastructure in India for such teams, how does the crew navigate these challenges? “Our trip curation process begins with comprehensive research into each destination, identifying potential accessibility barriers in accommodations, sightseeing spots, and local transportation. Hotels with senior-friendly amenities are chosen, and the itineraries are well-paced with ample rest periods.” For instance, their vacation to Bhandardara, Maharashtra, to see the fireflies was tweaked for seniors. “Typically, this experience is designed for younger travellers who stay overnight in tents. We ensured our travellers had accommodation off-site with proper restrooms.”

The travel trade has slowly begun recognising that at this time’s 60-plus travellers are essentially completely different from earlier generations, she says. “Many destinations and service providers now offer age-friendly amenities such as wheelchair-accessible facilities and specialised medical support. However, to truly serve this demographic, tour operators and hospitality businesses must move beyond generic offerings and create curated travel experiences that are aligned with the evolving expectations of this generation,” says Deval, who’s now planning journeys to the Andamans (October 10-15) and Tadoba (November 15-17).

Unlike different teams, such journeys are extra than simply holidays for seniors. “At a stage in life when many feel increasingly isolated, our trips offer a chance to belong, explore, find new connections, and embrace new possibilities,” provides Deval, recalling their all-women’s journey to Sikkim in 2023. “A guest joined us after losing her husband in 2019, having spent months in isolation. On this journey, she connected with several women who had experienced similar losses. What began as a trip transformed into a healing experience of rediscovering joy, companionship, and shared strength,” she says.

India journeys begin at ₹25,000 for three-day experiences, whereas worldwide journeys are priced upwards of ₹1,00,000-plus for week-long adventures. Details on mywalkabout.in

Women first @ The Soluna Experience 

It was throughout the lockdown years that Mathai George Tharakan — who had not too long ago moved to Goa — began internet hosting exercise classes for family and friends. A former advertising skilled, Mathai and his spouse Ruth D’Roza discovered these classes as “a way for us to connect with others and beat the cabin fever we all experienced during the lockdown.” Through phrase of mouth this motion shortly grew into Mathai professionally teaching individuals. “Talks about future travel plans were a frequent subject of discussion with clients, especially women who wanted to travel solo,” says Mathai, including that busy schedules, security considerations posed challenges for them. 

“For us, travel has been our biggest teacher. It broadened our minds and gave us perspective on how to be global citizens,” says Ruth, a former HR skilled. The duo kickstarted The Soluna Experience (Sol that means solar, Luna is moon in Latin) in 2023 to fill in the hole for girls travellers. “For years, most group travel organisations catered predominantly to the 50-plus age group. Meanwhile, younger travellers today have embraced the backpacking culture, redefining exploration as an immersive, independent experience,” she says. 

The duo presently provides journeys in Goa and Kenya, and through a current journey to the latter, Mathai recollects one in all the highlights was “a plane that we chartered to fly out of Maasai Mara directly to the coastline of Kenya. It was truly a one-of-a-kind experience.” Over the previous three months, the duo have been curating non-public journeys for solo travellers, {couples}, and households throughout Kenya and Tanzania. “Thus, giving our guests access to one of Nature’s most spectacular phenomena, The Great Migration, from wildebeest river crossings in Maasai Mara to witnessing lion prides on the hunt,” he provides.

Mathai says they’re seeing a rising demand for bespoke holidays. “In July, we hosted a monsoon getaway in Goa, and in October, we return to Kenya with a group of 10 solo women travellers.” With plans to incorporate extra locations over the subsequent few months, Mathai explains how each facet of their curation is personally examined and skilled by the duo. “We spend time staying in the properties we choose, research and vet the restaurants we include, experience the adventure activities, transport partners and fitness or wellness providers we choose to work with,” he says.

While Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka “continue to have a big moment”, Ruth says their focus is to unlock locations similar to Brazil, Japan, and Morocco “that are generally hard to access for solo women travellers”. 

Having stated that, has India’s poor repute when it comes to girls’s security made it more durable for them to persuade travellers? “As women we’re used to looking over our shoulders, double checking the locks on our doors, and reading every review before we make a travel decision irrespective of where we are in the world. At Soluna, we’ve created numerous touchpoints throughout our process — such as personalised group calls prior to the trip — so that travellers know we’re real people.”

The duo has two extra journeys to Kenya (₹3.75 lakh per individual) lined up this 12 months, and about six journeys to Goa (₹70,000 per individual) throughout the monsoon. thesolunaexperience.com/

Kid central @ Heart and Soil 

When Mumbai-based Nehal Shah’s son was two-years-old, she realised how “disconnected urban childhood had become from Nature”. “I wanted him to have the childhood I had; sans gadgets,” says the former media skilled who put out a publish on Facebook in 2016 in search of like-minded dad and mom to organise an outside journey with their youngsters. “Soon, the community grew and I began organising trips in the State, Goa, Gujarat, and neighbouring areas. Our experiences are built around four key pillars: Nature, culture and life-skills, adventure, and wildlife,” says Nehal, whose well-liked journeys embody astronomy and star gazing, hikes, treks, campouts, flamingo safaris, farm excursions amongst others. 

Detailing their quest to curate offbeat journeys, Nehal says their Goa vacation is well-liked even in peak summer time. “The itinerary has no beaches. We get travellers to stay close to a wildlife reserve and all the activities such as hikes, trails, etc. are organised there,” she says. While group excursions at Heart and Soil have had as much as 40 members, hikes are capped at 20 as they want personalised consideration, says Nehal.

This May marked their first worldwide journey to Bhutan. “This wasn’t the usual itinerary where you check off sights from your to-do-list. We included forest hikes, monastery visits, traditional music and dance performances, hands-on cultural activities, and farm stays,” says Nehal, who stop her full-time job final 12 months to dedicate her time to Heart and Soil.

When it involves age, Nehal believes the earlier, the higher. “We’ve had toddlers as young as 1.5 years join our hikes and even a six-month-old camper. This has reinforced our belief that children are highly adaptable, and the real apprehensions often lie with the parents. While some of our experiences have age criteria based on safety and feasibility, the most important factor is the parents’ willingness to embrace the outdoors with their children,” says Nehal, who has upcoming journeys deliberate to Pench (October 2-4), Meghalaya and Kaziranga (October 18-24), and Little Rann of Kutch (November 1-2).

Day journeys begin at ₹2,000; and multi-day immersive journeys are priced upwards of ₹20,000 for a dad or mum and youngster. @heartandsoil.in on Instagram