Maj. S K Yadav

At the age of 18, Maj. S K Yadav was the youngest to scale Mt. Kamet. The young Armored Corps ex-Army Officer rose to be the the ADC to the then Army Chief. The adventure enthusiast in him materialised later, after he launched the Wanderlust Travels Pvt. Ltd., one of the top five IATA approved travel agencies in India.Wanderlust - the name, he informs, was picked from a book by the same name written by Daniel Steele.

Heading the 31-crore turn-over company and 16 affiliated offices, Maj. Yadav adds emphatically, "Wanderlust is not a travel agency but a pioneer in offbeat adventure, special and cultural tourism and has developed many a firsts in India.We were the first in the country to introduce hot-air ballooning and bungee jumping in India."

Wanderlust has also gained immense popularity with its unique Waterbanks Island resort, 40 kilometers from Delhi besides the trek expeditions, river rafting expeditions and the stay facilities at its other resorts.

INTERVIEW:

Has the Army been the breeding ground of an adventure sport entrepreneur?
My basic exposure to the sport was during my tenure with the forces. I scaled the Mt. Kamet and was involved with a lot of treks, river rafting expeditions and other events for a long time.

Why was the change to full-time adventure ?
I wanted to pursue a full-time career in this field. My liking for the sport was more than a career in anything else so I quit the forces in 1988 to start this company.

What has been the reason for the immense popularity of your company in the adventure circle?
Wanderlust is all about innovation. We are the ones who have been able to combine the pleasures of visiting the Taj at Agra or the Desert Safari in a hot air balloon. We have organized gourmet tours, cultural tours, eco friendly tours and camps.

What is it that you have conceived in terms of eco-tourism?
I have personally written India's first Eco guide detailing tips on eco and environment, now adopted by the Government of India as the official guideline. In all of our camps that are organised at the Ganga Banks riverside beach camp and resort or the treks that we undertake, the basic emphasis is on preserving the ecological fabric of the place. It has been my effort to have all motor boats banned in the Ganga Banks area as it attracts a lot of migratory birds and other rare species. We have also introduced corporate programmes for conferences and HRD training in the natural settings of our camps.

Who all are your clients?
They range from small companies planning a holiday for their executives to companies like NIIT, Bausch and Laumb, Oriflame, OTIS, Sony India, World Wildlife Fund, and embassies and High Commissions like the Canadian and American. Foreigners constitute a fair amount of our customers. They come in from US, and Europe basically. But Indians have also shown a remarkable interest in adventure.

Tell us about the popular bungee jumping?
We were the first ones to introduce it in India. Today we are the ones to have a portable bungee jumping unit. We have organised it in places like Chandigarh and many different locales.

What has been the response?
Amazingly good! Even my 12 year old son, my wife and even myself are keen bungee jumpers. Foreigners usually opt for the long treks and most of the resort bookings are domestic. There is no age hassle and people are slowly overcoming their hesitation with this sport.

What next is on the anvil?
We are in the process of establishing eco-lodges in the hill stations to promote eco-tourism.

If adventure is your profession, what are your interests otherwise?
It still remains camping at my resorts or river rafting. Along with my wife I go for a daily workout to the gym. We also love going to Corbett and the Ranthambore in the holidays.

Any comment about the so-called recession in the tourism industry? Though we do handle tours but our offbeat concepts have given us the mileage.There are seasonal variations and other fluctuations with the the tourism sector but I'm sure it is good enough.

Already heading the city's most happening adventure company, Wanderlust certainly has a long way to go!

-Saurabh Sharma