About me

Hello! I am Shubham (Shoebum) Mansingka. I’ve been a full time traveller for 5+ years now and work professionally as a travel writer and consultant. I hope my offbeat stories from lesser known places excite you to experience travel differently. I want to inspire you to make a difference through sustainable and responsible tourism. No hindrance should be too big when you think about travel.

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My Journey

I was born in Rajasthan and topped my way across schools to study Commerce & Economics in Symbiosis, Pune. After that I lived in Bombay for three years while completing a MBA from Welingkar in Finance. My parents were avid travellers (considering a traditional marwari household) and nothing made my mom happier than being on a carefree road-trip in the Himalayas. My friends had already started telling me on various weekend trips that I was meant to be a wanderer.

After my education, I went back home to the family business. In seven years that I worked there, our factories in a small village did fabulously well and the turnover quadrupled. The industries were awash with dust and I began having allergic troubles within a year of starting work. The doctors duly announced I had chronic asthma and that it wasn’t going away. Experiential and luxurious family vacations happened during this period, but I kept yearning for more.

In the meanwhile, I had my first solo trip to Ladakh within a year of joining the family business. It made me realise that I didn’t care for worldly materialistic possessions and had a natural flair for travel. I was enamoured by the simplicity and kindness of the mountain people. Next year, on a random trip I made my way around Kinnaur and Spiti for a month, happy to fill my lungs with clean mountain air. It was in Spiti that I realised that I am wired to life a life of a full time traveller.

On these trips, I noticed that people’s stories and experiences fascinated me. I was hooked to the myriad cultural and historical pleasures travel had to offer. Heritage walks, food explorations and local festivals held a special interest for me. A Nikon DSLR was bought on a whim in Singapore and I started experimenting with photography.

Back in the factories powerful chronic medication was prescribed and I had two brain scans due to asthma attacks in that torrid period. My asthma got unbearable by the seventh year. One fine day, I was shocked to google and find out that ‘medicines meant for fatal patients’ were the latest in my list of prescriptions.

I had never felt weaker in my entire life. I was 28 and was a slave to medicines every day, the side effects of which had caused havoc. My days passed in a trance due to the headlessness and breathlessness caused by asthma. I told myself, there are better ways of dying and took a decision that changed my life.

On 8th January, 2014 in a conservative Indian household, without telling anyone and armed with some sixteen thousand rupees I boarded a train to Delhi. I managed to travel for almost two months in that meagre amount recuperating in Rishikesh and then backpacking across the snowy Himalayas. I knew I would survive. I called my parents and told them I wasn’t coming home. 

I have been on the road ever since. I have slow travelled my way across 24+ states in India and 4+ countries and endeavour to keep exploring this wonderful world in the years to come.

My Travel Style

I travel solo on a strict budget and prefer keeping my carbon footprint low by walking/using local transport/hitchhiking, to the extent possible. I prefer staying in homestays located in the midst of nature that enable me to live as a local. I try to use as much local help as possible, ‘the goodness of strangers’ as I like to call it. Fixed itineraries don’t appeal to me and I normally keep travel plans flexible. I travel responsibly; avoid drinking bottled water and carry all the disposable waste with me on my travels.

Among my memorable experiences (good & bad) are : Two grand winter trips to Ladakh; Slow travelling in Garhwal when I had a morbid experience and barely escaped alive (go ahead and read the blog entry if you want to know more). I have traipsed around Kumaon for over two months. It was a joy to experience the bountiful monsoons of Goa and parts of Karnataka. Himachal Pradesh (my favourite state!) has been my temporary residence numerous times while I have explored and worked from various places. A highlight of my travel life is the solo trek from Lahaul to Zanskar.

 I am currently based in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Connect with me on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter.

116 thoughts on “About me”

  1. wisemonkeysabroad

    Good luck with your wish 🙂 We hope you travel all over India and the world! Happy travels and happy blogging! PS – we too love seeing the goodness in people because it is out there!

    Reply
  2. dhiranshah

    Hi,
    My name is Dhiran Shah and am from Bangalore. I develop Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurial opportunities for the 99%, currently working on a group travel platform with a team of crowdsourced tech guys, seeking travelers and bloggers to cowork with me on this project, hence contacting you here. If it is of interest to you, then do connect and we can have a detailed discussion. Looking forward in hearing from you.

    Regards
    Dhiran Shah

    Reply
  3. dhiranshah

    Hi,
    My name is Dhiran Shah and am from Bangalore. I develop Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurial opportunities for the 99%, currently working on a group travel platform with a team of crowdsourced tech guys, seeking travelers and bloggers to cowork with me on this project for mutual benefit. Hence I am contacting you here as I found the link via Twitter search…. If it may interest you, then let’s discuss further. Looking forward in hearing from you.
    Regards
    Dhiran Shah
    0 9900105179

    Reply
  4. Fashion Pristine

    Hi!
    Greetings from Team Fashion Pristine. We are one of India’s most prominent Fashion Forecasting portals. We operate out of our own portal and interact daily from our social media platforms.

    Team Fashion Pristine has been monitoring your posts and we were absolutely smitten by your work! Hence,we would like to collaborate with you for posts and articles. It will get you the advantage of cross-publicity and will immediately increase your viewership.
    We would be happy to hear your views on this. Feel free to contact us for any queries. Also, to provide you with better knowledge, we will be happy to send a presentation to you.

    Regards
    Team Fashion Pristine

    Reply
  5. hackernewbie

    Slow travel is the best thing I hear, have been ‘seeing’ the same and dream to embark on a similar journey someday, soon.

    Thumbs up to you!

    –
    Cheers,
    Rajiv

    Reply
  6. akhterjaved23

    Hi Shubham ,

    I am trying to contact you regarding a business proposal wherein I can help you financially, if you can upload our form/banner on your blogspot.

    By just placing our form you will help you users to get connected with best suited travel agents beside earning extra income.

    Please reply on this to start further.

    Thanks
    javed

    Reply
  7. ravi

    Just met subham and hats Off to share his experience! enjoyed the travel with chit chat! I am lucky to read your blogs! Keep it up amd be in touch

    Reply
  8. Eishaan

    Totally loved your blog! Some of the photographs are almost as breathtaking as the stories behind them!

    I’m running this blog/site called http://www.lifebehindthescenes.com that features photo stories. Our endeavour is to tell the story behind every photograph, straight from the photographers themselves.
    I randomly came across your blog on Twitter and wondered if you would like to contribute a photo story.
    Like I said, this message is a truly random spur of the moment msg.. This is not a sales pitch, and there’s no strings attached to any of it. The rights to your photo are always yours; we just want to tell the story.
    If you can spare a minute some time, please do go through the site (and our Twitter profile @lifeBTscenes and my own Twitter feed @ekbdangel just so you know that I’m not a bot!) and have a look: we have a few stories published from people ranging from professional photographers to absolutely amateur phoneographers.. The only thing in common is that they all had a story to tell.

    Reply
  11. Kartik balwan

    hi Shubham,
    i read this, i also love to travel solo, i did j&k, ladakh, spiti, in himalaya.
    i m also living in Jaipur,
    let’s have a cup of tea,
    call me any time i m always free to meet u.

    9261615151

    Reply
  14. fokarkargil

    You have an inspiring tale to tell. I had started this blog on wordpress which is the free one. I want to have a website or a blog which have some good features like yours one. How to get the domain, and how much I have to pay for getting that? I shall be thankful to you.

    Reply
  16. theextraaamile

    Maybe some day, I’d be proud enough to say I’ve traveled around the country…so far, just a handful of places 🙂 Traveling is in my blood 🙂

    Reply
  17. Pushpendra Singh Jhala

    Started Twitter few days ago. After retirement from Tea gardens(35)yrs started Homestay in Jaipur Civil Lines at my home. Following you. Happy to see you are travelling with lot of guts and determination. You write well and your photos are nice too. Drop by if in jaipur. My plan is also to see my country as much as I can. I enjoy travelling abroad every year. This is a Bug. I already hv a golf Bug !! Ha ha !! All the best. Do take care of your Asthama. Nature cures but there is a threshold. God Bless !!

    Reply
  19. Kalyani Kamat

    I’m sitting in Bombay, sweat trembling down my face and just reading about your journey through the Himalayas makes me feel so refreshed!
    You’ve inspired me (a mountain virgin) to take on a solo backpacking trip through the Himalayas and I’m leaving tomorrow. Thanks a lot! And may you achieve a lot more success.
    P.S. Any ideas as to where I should go for a week or so?

    Reply
  21. Vicki p

    Hi shubham , khamma khanni , firstly i lovd readi ng all ur blogs n cant describe how beautiful most pictures and clicks are . Well i too share the same ho by like urs but i prefer n travel more of uttarakhand and do it on my bull ..(bullet machismo) . Im based in mumbai but ensure i visit dev bhoomi every alternate month as its somewhat my second home n so relaxing enchanting n intoxicating for me . Im just too much in love with it . Well i have my experiences but am not so good in publishing it like you do but yes i also have some good clicks …id love to meet you sometime n we can may b hitch hike or backpack sometime somewhere and ahare our experiences n joys … all the best n god bless you .

    Reply
  22. vikenblog

    Hi Shubham! People like you terribly inspire me. I have always had one question to which I’m still seeking an answer. How does one manage his finances to survive fulfilling such aspirations? How did you do that?

    Reply

  23. Pingback: Experimenting with Luxury at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore – A boy who travels

  25. Jen

    Wonderful story! I love mountains and hiking, too. Just recently moved to the Austrian Alps. I experienced the Himalayas while I was in Rishikesh. It was a stunning experience. I am looking forward to your next posts.

    Reply
    1. shubhammansingka

      Thanks! I currently use an iPhone and D7000 for my photographs. Thanks for your insight, lets see how it goes. I’ve been thinking of buying a new lens for some experiments. 🙂

      Reply
  28. zubair sarin laskar

    Being an asthma patient myself I can feel the pain and hardship you went through during those days and nights. A breath of fresh air in the mountains free from all those noise and pollution makes you feel like this is it.
    carry on with your wonderful journey and do share the experiences. #Keep well #Breath well #stay happy.

    Reply
  29. Arjun Ray

    Just bumped into your Twitter handle and your blog, I loved your introduction and your story telling method on how you got hooked on to travelling. Lot like how I would, rather did in my early 20s. Now at 40, I’m going back to Himachal on a solo trip. I have a one way ticket for October. Though I have a wife and kid in Kolkata, I simply enjoy my solo travels (hope this one after 20 yrs is not doom’s day!!📿), which I’m gonna embark upon soon. Keep travelling and inspiring!!

    Reply
  30. priyaflorence

    What an inspiring story, Shubham! I am very curious to know about that “morbid experience” you mentioned. Some of the best travel tales are about things that went wrong during our journeys. Keep blogging. You have a great blog and some very interesting experiences.

    Reply
  31. stuthi

    What an amazing blog, filled with unexpected discoveries at every turn… Almost makes me wish i was on social media to follow you :). Would love to get some ideas on a place to spend a month or two in the mountains this july. Is this something I can bother you about?

    Reply
  34. Anuj Agarwal

    Hi Shubham,

    My name is Anuj Agarwal. I’m the Founder of Feedspot.

    I would like to personally congratulate you as your blog A boy who travels has been selected by our panelist as one of the Top 20 Solo Male Travel blogs on the web.

    https://blog.feedspot.com/solo_male_travel_blogs/

    I personally give you a high-five and want to thank you for your contribution to this world. This is the most comprehensive list of Top 20 Solo Male Travel blogs on the internet and I’m honored to have you as part of this!

    We’d be grateful if you can help us spread the word by briefly mentioning about the Top 20 Solo Male Travel blogs list in any of your upcoming post.

    Please let me know.

    Best,

    Anuj

    Reply
  35. Akshat

    Amazing story man! That was wonderful.
    I too have just started extensively. Working in the south however I have limited access to Himalayas , but to make up for it i have started exploring the western and the eastern ghats here haha.
    it was an inspirational story and i wish all thevery best 🙂

    Reply
    1. Akshat

      i am planning Chopta-tungnath-chandrashila trek this may end and your entry on that is a big help in reasearching and knowing things. thanks again for the detailed entry. God bless you 🙂

      Reply
  36. Kaushik suthar

    Hey man you doing the great adventure keep it up… It’s not only that you travel.!!By means of The travel you are reaching higher and higher of your spiritual level.I believe at last you will be the person you can never imagined… Best of Luck…!!!
    I hope that I can also travel like you for at least few times…

    Reply
  37. Ajeesh Chandran

    Amazing story man! That was wonderful.
    I have started new blog on blogger which is the free one.
    I want to have a website or a blog which have some good features like yours one. where to buy the domain and webhosting, and how much I have to pay for getting that?. Could you please explain in details.
    mail iD: ajeeshchandran@gmail.com

    Reply
  39. Sanjay Desai

    Not all who travel are lost. And you, Shubham, make us proud. I too am rehabbing from a knee operation -result of many treks- that threatens to cut my trekking sojourns short. I needed info (names & numbers) on the home stay possibilities in Grahan village (your Kasol trek). We – me & my wife – plan to go there around Diwali. As she is with me – I have to be cautious. Do oblige.

    Reply
  40. Amitava Dasgupta

    Hi Subham, I am also a travelaholic as well have asthma. So I limit my travels to places where a vehicle can go.Though I have completed Vaishno Devi ascent without any trouble.Any tips how I can complete mild hikes ?

    Reply
    1. shubhammansingka

      Hello Amitava ji … I think you can try and take it slow and hike in the medium altitude forests and see how it goes.. and then scale it up from there… Would love to know how it went !! Best wishes.

      Reply
  41. Christine Witton

    Happy to have come across your blog and learn about you and your life. We have travelled a few times to Jaipur.

    Reply
  46. Chitra

    Amidst the planning and jotting down the itinerary for my Ladakh trip, I came across your blog. Quite beguiled by it. Hopefully, my this very first trip to the mountain ends up turning me into a gallivanter as it did in your case 🙂

    Reply
  48. Yuvraj

    Hi Shubham,
    We are a group of 4 travelling after Holi to Kheerganga for the first time. What can we expect in terms of climate and the difficulty of the trek.
    We have a 8 day trip (including 2 days of travel), so can you please suggest how can we plan out our itinerary and what all places can we visit.

    Reply
  49. Kaushik Bhatnagar

    It was an accidental entry to you blog. A compendium of personal experiences and well narrated exchange of knowledge. Sequential order of the pictures displays common mans life on every page. Keep it up. Prayers for your prosperity.

    Reply
  50. Virender

    I am from Himachal and currently staying in Noida. The line touched me alot “Himachal Pradesh (my favourite state!) has been my temporary residence” Thanks for sharing your experience. Keep Exploring!!!

    Reply

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