‘Why Wait For Someone, Go Solo’: Ex-Banker is Taking Indian Women on Trips Across The World
Zinal Doshi’s travel startup, ‘The Flapper Life’, empowers women to embrace solo travel, fostering camaraderie and personal growth while challenging societal norms and promoting mental well-being.
In December 2022, trekkers scaling the tranquil Dzuko Valley set amidst the highlands of Nagaland were treated to a fascinating sight. A group of girls could be seen cheering one among them as she trudged on. Closer inspection would reveal that their encouragement was directed towards a woman with an injured knee.
The virgin landscape boasts a challenging steep climb and Meenakshi Singh was unsure whether her knee could bear the brunt of the terrain. When she was inclined to back out, the girls wouldn’t hear of it; amping her positivity with every step she took.
Articulating this “once-in-a-lifetime” experience, Meenakshi says the girls in her group never gave up on her. “They almost pulled me half-way! One of them was carrying my bag, another giving me water at every few stops, and eventually, we made it to the finish point,” she shares.
As the group gathered around their hero, it was evident that this was a collective win. Cold water was relished at the top and biscuits were passed around.
That day, the hills of Dzuko witnessed friendship at its best. And no one looking on would be able to tell that just a few days back, these girls had been strangers to each other.
“That’s what travel does to you,” says Zinal Doshi, leader of this iconic trek and founder of ‘The Flapper Life’. The experiential travel platform is making solo travel possible for Indian women, arguably a tough feat to accomplish, according to Zinal.
Helping women like Meenakshi realise their mettle is exactly what the Mumbai girl set out to do when she quit her 14-year-long banking career to launch a travel startup in 2016.
Being at the helm of a venture that is breaking social constructs of solo travel, changing the status quo that once required women to have “company to feel safe” and helping women not be so dismissive of themselves, is tough. But Zinal says there is fun in the challenge.
Conversations with friends and personal experience had led her to conclude that women were always “waiting for someone’s okay” when it came to travel. “Sometimes for their family’s approval and sometimes for their friend’s plans to sync,” she adds. “I realised women do not get to travel when they want to.”
In fact, her own travel history too resembled this.
Is the place safe? What about transport? What about logistical details? Questions like these would plague her mind before every trip. And so, driven by a desire to make travel a safe and enjoyable experience, Zinal started ‘The Flapper Life’ that is by women and for women; one that puts the map in women’s hands with the freedom to choose the next stop.
Handing women back their agency
Nagaland was one of the many trips that Meenakshi has been on. The others include Meghalaya, Satpura, and Tadoba. What these trips did aside from introducing her to new cultures and landscapes, is that they unveiled a new side of her. From perceiving fun as something “alien” to finding joy in her own company, Meenakshi was amused by how travel can be just the antidote you need. As for her tryst with scaling the valley with an injured knee and bonding with her peers, she says, the trip “made us believe in the goodness of friendship and connections that you can forge within a few days”.
Zinal concedes. “There is a certain power in women coming together. On these trips, we see a lot of sharing happen, and often these women return more powerful. They bond over similar issues that they are experiencing and take strength from this.”
She adds, “From a mental health perspective, these trips are a major boost.”
Recalling one of the trips to Ladakh in 2018 where she spoke at length to one of the women joining, she says, the latter was going through an ordeal in her personal life. “I was zapped and numb for a few hours to think that someone was dealing with so much.”
A few months later, Zinal heard that not only had this woman taken matters into her own hands and moved jobs, but she’d also addressed her mental health, and was in a much better space. “Travel can sometimes help you see clearly,” Zinal affirms.
Sharing another heartwarming story that backs this thought, Zinal speaks about a woman who joined them on one of their trips. A housewife at the time, she shared the woes of funding a trip by oneself. Since she wanted to make travel a part of her lifestyle, and do trips like this frequently, she shared her plans of getting back to work. “She resolved to get a job that would allow her to balance professional and personal life and earn to pay for her trips,” Zinal notes.
And she did just that. Travel can be an eye-opener.
Inspiration at every turn
While The Flapper Life has excelled at building a community of women who have each other’s backs, Zinal can’t deny it has come with its set of challenges.
“It was extremely difficult,” she notes referring to the initial years of establishing the venture. “In the early days, you have to play every role — that of a CEO, an accounts manager, a courier person, and this is easier said than done.”
Being a woman attempting to start something for women is no piece of cake, she deduced. “But you’ve just got to be strong enough to make sure that you are taken seriously by becoming persistent in what you want.”
While The Flapper Life has seen its share of wins and losses, “For the first few years, it was tough getting customers as women do not trust a new startup easily. Add to that competitors who are in a very senior league; it does take time to establish credibility.” Zinal hasn’t lost sight of the goal.
From two ‘flappers’ to now 10 who are an integral part of the team, the journey has been telling.
Every trip is unique and women who have travelled with Zinal say the highlight of the trip is that it lets you break out of the confines of everyday. Adventure is the theme of the day and the idea is to let your hair down as you explore the place.
That’s where the name borrows from, emphasises Zinal. “A flapper is someone who just wants to go out and have fun. It’s a woman who wants to get out of her comfort zone and say yes to the life she has always wanted to create.”
When she sees women of the previous generations, Zinal says a lack of support and opportunity were the factors that held them back from new experiences. “So today, I am thrilled when women come on board and decide to join us. Because it has a ripple effect of other women who want to follow suit.”
With 200 trips conducted so far across destinations like Bhutan, Meghalaya, Ladakh, Rajasthan, Chennai, Bali, Singapore, and Vietnam among others, the bucket list is only growing wider. During COVID-19 the platform also started one-day trips and experiences for women who couldn’t make time for longer getaways. “The one-day experiences are a perfect way for them to unwind,” she remarks.
Zinal is living the dream through her venture. “Initially, when you are in a corporate job, you’re hustling, but there is always a lingering dream at the back of your mind of all the destinations you want to travel to.” To this end, she says fulfilling her own dream was one part of the story. “Creating a platform that lets women live their dreams judgement-free is the other.” If you found our stories insightful, informative, or even just enjoyable, we invite you to consider making a voluntary payment to support the work we do at The Better India. Your contribution helps us continue producing quality content that educates, inspires, and drives positive change. Choose one of the payment options below for your contribution- By paying for the stories you value, you directly contribute to sustaining our efforts focused on making a difference in the world. Together, let’s ensure that impactful stories continue to be told and shared, enriching lives and communities alike. Thank you for your support. Here are some frequently asked questions you might find helpful to know why you are contributing?
Edited by Pranita Bhat
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