'Travel light' advises Garnier India's Rupika Raman

Rupika Raman joined L'Oréal in year 2008 as Marketing Manager after spending 8 years in an FMCG company where she worked across functions in sales, market research, brand management and marketing. Presently General Manager at Garnier, L’Oreal since September 2013 her days are far from routine given the dynamic and diverse retail scenario she is in.

For Raman travelling has been her passion and she considers it to be the best part of her life as it has provided opportunities to explore new things and places and left her with cherished memories.

In this edition of Fox Traveller Diaries, Rupika Raman, General Manager, Garnier at L’Oreal India, shares with us her travelling experiences which according to her breaks the monotony of her corporate lifestyle and allows her to spend quality time with her family. Following are the excerpts of the conversation:

Rupika Raman (RR): Tarkarli, along the Konkan coast. Beautiful beaches, still unspoilt, and relatively secluded. And the next one would be Paris, where fortunately my work keeps taking me!

FTD: Tell us three good things about travelling.

RR: A break from the routine, a chance to spend time with my family and of course a chance to discover – new places, new food and new people.

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

RR: Besides the obvious like a passport & money; a good camera, and   a comfortable pair of shoes.

FTD: When and where did your best holiday happen?

RR: A trip I took last year to London and the Lake District with my husband and son, where we discovered that our then two year old already had a love for journeys and new places.

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

RR: Travel light! This is especially tough to do when you are travelling with a toddler, but it’s helpful to remember that people all over the world do have kids (!), and essentials can be bought wherever you go...

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

RR: My husband is from the same industry as me, and so a default choice!

RR:  Not so far....

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

RR: That would have to be Cairns, Australia. We went snorkelling , and the sight of the reef underwater was literally (almost !) breath taking – my husband tried to open his mouth to say ‘wow’ underwater and surfaced spluttering !

FTD: Tell us how you have managed to make a journey fun.

RR: I love journeys – whether scenic or not, so for me, they are fun by default.  Now, our three year old son adds adequate ‘entertainment’ to any long trip we take.

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

RR: None so far... although asking for ketchup to go with pizza in Italy comes close, judging by the looks I got.

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

RR: We had a Rome – Mumbai flight, and were offloaded because we hadn’t anticipated a visa for a flight change at London – we had to take a train back to Paris and fly out the next day.

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

RR: I don’t travel to shop, so my favourite holiday souvenirs are almost always photographs.

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