Fox Traveller Diary | Love to taste local cuisine: HDFC's Sanjay Tripathy

Sanjay Tripathy is Sr. EVP - Marketing, Product, Digital and E-Commerce and member of the Executive management Committee at HDFC Life. His core responsibilities are managing E-commerce, Marketing and Product Strategy, Brand Planning, Advertising, Communication & Media, Customer Insights, Online and Digital Strategy, Customer Analytics, & Corporate communication.

Being an avid traveler, he loves going back to the beaches of Goa anything. Meeting different people, trying out different cuisines, learning new culture and tradition is what makes his journey fun.

Fox Traveller Diaries (FTD):  If there is one place you can keep going back to for a holiday, where would it be?

Sanjay Tripathy (ST): Beaches of Goa

FTD: Tell us three good things about travelling.

ST: Meeting different people, Trying out different cuisines, Learning new culture and tradition and lastly, it lets you unwind

FTD: When you travel, what is a must carry for you?

ST: Camera, mobile, and iPad are the must companions for me during travelling. Secondly, depending on the location, I may carry warm clothes or sunscreen etc

FTD: When and where did your best holiday happen?

ST: Every holiday is best for me. But my trip to Switzerland with my young daughter in 2011 is a memorable one as it was first overseas trip for her. She really enjoyed playing with snow in the Alps.

ST: Do not make a tight plan, keep enough buffer time to enjoy local culture. I believe in travelling like a local.

FTD: A colleague/co-worker from your industry with whom you would like to go on a holiday.

ST: Over the time, your colleagues and co-workers become your friends. I don’t mind travelling with anyone of them.

FTD: Have you ever been surprised by the taste of food, outside India? Where?

ST: I am experimental with food and always try to taste local cuisine. In Brazil, I tried
their local dish Feijoada, a black bean stew with smoked meats that take a full day to prepare. It tasted really good. It can straight away fit into an Indian cuisine.

FTD: What and where has been your best bazaar bargain so far?

ST: I really enjoyed shopping in the Green Point, one of the largest Flea Market in Cape Town.  I love artefacts and this market gives you a great deal on traditional African arts, crafts, curios, and clothing, etc.

FTD: Which has been the most unique destination that you ever visited. When and why?

ST: It’s Ilhabela, the 350-sq-km island on Sau Paulo, which earns its name from its volcanic peaks, beautiful beaches, dense tropical jungle and some 360 waterfalls. Almost 85% of the island has been turned into a park and Unesco-protected biosphere, which shelters a remarkable profusion of plant and animal life, including toucans and capuchin monkeys. A haunt of pirates in the 16th and 17th centuries, its waters are scattered with shipwrecks, many of which make for excellent diving.

ST: I never make a tight plan and always have good company. I keep enough time to visit offbeat locations, which locals prefer. I love walking around the streets, visit local markets, be it vegetables, antics etc. In a nutshell, I love to enjoy every destination by spending quality time with the locals wherever possible.

FTD: A gourmet gaffe that you would like to share.

ST: Refusing to eat the most popular insect eaten in Brazil is the queen ant, which is dipped in chocolate. The wings are removed and the ant is served fried or dipped in chocolate.

FTD: What has been your worst travel moment? Why?

ST: Once in Scotland, both me and my wife left our bag in a shop, which had our passport and money. To our surprise, the shop owner gave the bag to another driver of the same travel agency, who handed it over the next day with everything intact. We were really worried the whole night, but it was so kind of the shop owner to make such an effort.

FTD: What is the best souvenir you ever bought for anyone?

ST: Boomerangs from Australia for our friends and relatives.

Disclaimer: The views expressed are purely in the personal capacity of Sanjay Tripathy as a travel buff and has no bearing and/or correlation with his official role; Images, courtesy: Sanjay Tripathy