Neha Dixit

OT: Have you been adventurous since your childhood?
Neha Dixit: I’ve been lucky to grow up in an environment where, as a child, my imagination was allowed to soar… being thrown in the backseat of the car with my siblings and my parents taking off in the middle of the night with no fixed travel plan and no destination to head to, was a norm — I spent a part of my childhood by the Red Sea, collecting corals that waves brought to make evil enemies of them and fighting back or pretending that my little brother is drowning and I’m the superhero to his rescue were our usual games so, yes, I guess I had been adventurous in my head for sure.

OT: Any memories of your first adventure trip?
Neha Dixit: As a child there were plenty but you knew that folks were around, as an adult it was the usual trip to Rishikesh that most teenagers from Delhi do… rafting in the Ganges! But I got lucky when I switched from NDTV 24×7 to NDTV Good Times and I got to anchor Free Fall an adventure travel series – almost 50 adventure sports in less than a year, I couldn’t have asked for more.

OT: The most adventurous activity you’ve done so far?
Neha Dixit: Skydiving, numerous bungees, scuba diving, I’ve been super lucky, name it and I’ve done it…But the most enjoyable sports are scuba diving and paragliding – clear winners hands down, no fuel, no fume, no damage to the environment and you are one with nature.

OT: When you’re not travelling for work… Do you take a break and travel for leisure?
Neha Dixit: All the time (when I can get off). I don’t think I will ever stop living out of a suitcase. Work, no work, doesn’t matter.

OT: What do you prefer… holidaying in India or abroad?
Neha Dixit: Both, though I travel a lot more within India, that way one can do longer holidays and it’s cheaper. I head to the hills (Uttarakhand) if I get a weekend off but the last long holiday was three weeks in Meghalaya, the living root bridges in Sohra… I could spend my life there.

OT: What do you bring back from your trips?
Neha Dixit: Stones and leaves. A lot of my friends and family say I collect rubbish but I bring back a lot of tiny souvenirs from various countries, I love miniature collectibles. Anything that is quirky or a little mad.

OT: Have you experienced any travel disasters?
Neha Dixit: Oh plenty! But you can either get bogged down by that or find the humour in the situation, giggle and move on.

OT: You’ve travelled extensively across the globe…Which is your favourite cuisine?
Neha Dixit: I loooveee food, I love to experiment but as clichéd as it sounds I love home food. Though there’s something about good quality fresh produce so whether it’s a nice steak or salad when in Europe or fresh spices and burst of flavours from Asia… it’s the variety of textures and distinctive flavours that make my world go round. Curries from the south of India, pork dishes from Nagaland, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Thai…oh my god I’m too greedy to pick one.

OT: What does China have for an adventure junkie?
Neha Dixit: Honestly, I did not really get an opportunity to try any adventure sports but I have a lot on my list to do – from diving in Zhejiang to exploring a dormant city to skiing in Hebei, from surfing and kite boarding to some fabulous hikes in natural reserves. I have it all listed out for my next trip.

OT: Which is the next destination on your wish list that you want to strike off?
Neha Dixit: I don’t really travel to strike off places but I do want to go back to the Czech Republic and travel around Slovenia, Poland, and Slovakia… even a quick stop in Liechtenstein.

OT: Five important must-carry things for a trip?
Neha Dixit: It changes with the kind of holiday/ destination/ time of the year and duration of the holiday but some of the following remain constants – a pouch that you can keep close to your body for documents and money, basic research of the place before you leave can help you decide what’s critical for that place, in a new country a basic language guide book is a blessing, correct shoes for the destination, correctly packed luggage and a great sense of adventure, an open mind and determination to have fun.

Twenty four hours, one location and a chance to explore the great land of China! Explore the ancient civilisation with Neha Dixit on her new show Check-out China on NDTV Good Times, every Saturday at 8:00pm.