Indian food outside the country is very amusingly put up: Rishi Piparaiya

Rishi Piparaiya came aboard Aviva in early 2009 and was responsible for leading the Bancassurance vertical in Sales and forging new alliances. He is also responsible for Aviva's marketing strategy including Brand Marketing, Communications, Channel marketing, Aviva's Digital and Online strategy, Analytics and Product propositions of the company.

Apart from being a zealous working personality Pipariya is an ardent traveller too. He loves going back to Spain anytime because of the lovely food, charming people, gorgeous landscape, inspiring culture and the Sangria rocks. Exotic cultures, new sights and room service are things that make him an avid traveler!    

Fox Traveller Diaries caught up with Rishi Piparaiya, Director – Marketing & Bancassurance Business Partnerships to learn how he unwinds in non-in-office time.

Rishi Piparaiya (RP): Spain it has to be! The food is lovely, people are charming, prices are relatively reasonable, landscape is gorgeous, culture is inspiring and the Sangria rocks!

FTD: Tell us three good things about travelling.

RP: Exotic cultures, new sights and room service!

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

RP: A photo ID, mobile phone, charger, credit card and analgesic tablets. Most problems can be tackled through a judicious permutation combination of the above five items.

FTD: When and where did your best holiday happen?

RP: I would consider pretty much all my holiday’s pre-2000, before Blackberry was launched.

FTD: As a traveller, what’s your tip for the others?

RP: Not just one, I have 216 pages of tips for fellow travellers! Please pick up a copy of my book, ‘Aisle Be Damned’, and you are guaranteed to acquire a new perspective on travel.

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

RP: Would love to visit sub-Saharan Africa with my boss, preferably with him on a one-way ticket!

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

RP: The taste as well as description of Indian food outside India always amazes me, “Crisp, lightly tossed crepes with an aromatic and savoury potato filling”…Dude, it’s just a masala dosa!

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

RP: The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. The vendors rip you off like people usually would in any street market around the world. But they do it with such courtesy that you want to hug them tight, “Thank you brother, for making me such a respectable idiot.”

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

RP: Prague in 2012. A Jennifer Lopez concert, a stadium filled with 25,000 fans, 24,800 of them were Czech women, 198 were Czech guys, and 2 of us, Indian tourists! 






RP: By keeping an open mind and assuming that some things will invariably go wrong. And they do!

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



RP: Ordering and consuming exotic food in strange lands and then googling it later at night, in horror, to discover what I ate.

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

RP: Boarding flights with hangovers. The only thing worse is missing flights with hangovers.

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

RP: Fridge magnets. Cheap, light, and they stick beautifully to all metallic surfaces.

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