Coffee with Koko
INTRODUCTION: Koko's books are for those travellers who do not want to ask for directions and are fond of driving to destinations on their own.
Source: Vijay Times, Life - Pg 3.
Copyright © 2006 Puja Goyal.
THIS is for everyone who thought that Lonely Planet was the only guide to travelling in the Himalayas. Author Koko Singh's travel books, are a result of his extensive travelling in the Himalayas for over 25 years. "As children we used to travel a lot to the Himalayas. When I grew up, I and my wife took off whenever we could. Our friends used to wonder why we would run to the Himalayas at every opportunity. Well, now we have a reason... we converted all those years of travelling into books that everyone can use as a guide." Koko's books are especially for travellers, who do not want to ask for directions, and are fond of driving to destinations on their own. As a guide they are completely exhaustive.
His books are like a travel plan, with detailed itineraries, driving maps for all sectors, discount coupons for meals at leading hotels and restaurants, and are an expert guide to trekking. His book also feature recommendations for staying and eating, and caters to individuals of all budgets. Koko has published four travel books on Sikkim, Ladakh, Zanskar, and Uttaranchal, all of which were a result of detailed research and hard work, Koko adds, "I have travelled to more than eighty five percent of the places mentioned in the book. I did not want to write about places that I hear from people before I saw them for myself. What people might go around publicising as beautiful, sometimes turns out to be just another thing."
The shelf life of a travel book can be quite speculative depending on the changes that take place in the holiday destination. For example: changes in roads telephone numbers, and conversion of forest land to resorts, price hikes etc. To combat this Koko has decided to have his own website where travellers can post their views and experiences. "The shelf life of a travel itinerary is speculative, what I am doing this for, is to have a website where travellers post their experiences; so that if there is a change, they will mention it on the website and tell me, 'You know this road mentioned in your book does not exist anymore'," elaborates Koko.
The good thing about a travel guide is that it records the changes in the city, and grows with it. Koko reiterated that he will make periodical visits to the places he writes about so that he can update his books. Besides writing travel books, and travelling for work and pleasure, Koko, volunteers as a consultant to an NGO called Shruti for over 15 years... "It was a lot of fun, and I was involved in a lot of community work where I had to travel a lot to unknown and remote destinations. We would get posted in remote areas, amongst tribal communities and villages, and we did not even have basic facilities. But now I have settled down to a much more stagnant existence and I work from the city. I have much more time on hand to travel to the Himalayas, again."
Koko is not your average nine to five man with an ordinary corporate job; and most people would envy him. The only question that comes to mind is... "Wouldnít it get redundant after a while, to just travel all the time? What would a person like Koko do if he wants to escape normalcy" And Koko is quick to reply, "Well, atleast I know where I should travel too to escape normalcy!:" Rightly said, Koko!
Source: Vijay Times, Life - Pg 3.
Copyright © 2006 Puja Goyal.
THIS is for everyone who thought that Lonely Planet was the only guide to travelling in the Himalayas. Author Koko Singh's travel books, are a result of his extensive travelling in the Himalayas for over 25 years. "As children we used to travel a lot to the Himalayas. When I grew up, I and my wife took off whenever we could. Our friends used to wonder why we would run to the Himalayas at every opportunity. Well, now we have a reason... we converted all those years of travelling into books that everyone can use as a guide." Koko's books are especially for travellers, who do not want to ask for directions, and are fond of driving to destinations on their own. As a guide they are completely exhaustive.
His books are like a travel plan, with detailed itineraries, driving maps for all sectors, discount coupons for meals at leading hotels and restaurants, and are an expert guide to trekking. His book also feature recommendations for staying and eating, and caters to individuals of all budgets. Koko has published four travel books on Sikkim, Ladakh, Zanskar, and Uttaranchal, all of which were a result of detailed research and hard work, Koko adds, "I have travelled to more than eighty five percent of the places mentioned in the book. I did not want to write about places that I hear from people before I saw them for myself. What people might go around publicising as beautiful, sometimes turns out to be just another thing."
The shelf life of a travel book can be quite speculative depending on the changes that take place in the holiday destination. For example: changes in roads telephone numbers, and conversion of forest land to resorts, price hikes etc. To combat this Koko has decided to have his own website where travellers can post their views and experiences. "The shelf life of a travel itinerary is speculative, what I am doing this for, is to have a website where travellers post their experiences; so that if there is a change, they will mention it on the website and tell me, 'You know this road mentioned in your book does not exist anymore'," elaborates Koko.
The good thing about a travel guide is that it records the changes in the city, and grows with it. Koko reiterated that he will make periodical visits to the places he writes about so that he can update his books. Besides writing travel books, and travelling for work and pleasure, Koko, volunteers as a consultant to an NGO called Shruti for over 15 years... "It was a lot of fun, and I was involved in a lot of community work where I had to travel a lot to unknown and remote destinations. We would get posted in remote areas, amongst tribal communities and villages, and we did not even have basic facilities. But now I have settled down to a much more stagnant existence and I work from the city. I have much more time on hand to travel to the Himalayas, again."
Koko is not your average nine to five man with an ordinary corporate job; and most people would envy him. The only question that comes to mind is... "Wouldnít it get redundant after a while, to just travel all the time? What would a person like Koko do if he wants to escape normalcy" And Koko is quick to reply, "Well, atleast I know where I should travel too to escape normalcy!:" Rightly said, Koko!
Comments