Shikha is a writer based in Uttarakhand, India. Specialising in stories woven around nature and the outdoors, sustainable living, and those with a cultural insight from the remote mountains of India, Nepal and Bhutan.
Her travel stories appear in a wide variety of publications such as the National Geographic Traveller, Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveller, Lonely Planet, and more.
Her environmental and social interest stories have appeared in newspapers such as The Hindu, The New Indian Express, and on platforms such as Nature InFocus and RoundGlass Sustain.
Born and brought up in the mountains, she is a qualified mountaineer who has participated in expeditions in the Himalayas. Her mountaineering stories have appeared in The Outdoor Journal and online on the Red Bull forum.
Shikha is the recipient of a Commonwealth Writers fellowship for her stories on Himalayan ecology, and has also authored an award-winning children's book on Northeast India's first female Everester, Tine Mena, for a literacy NGO, Pratham.
Most recently, she authored a series of Lonely Planet pocket guide books on Nepal.
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Show notes
Who is Shikha
Growing up in the mountains in India
Her love of exploration
Deciding to become a professional writer
Being curious about the world
Quitting her job to backpack across the Indian Continent in 2008
Her love of writing and not wanting to be confined to an office cubicle
Being drawn to the mountains and wanting to spend more time there
Her year of self discovery
Her childhood and early years
Going into higher education
Making the decision to quit her job and go on a gap year
Planning her year out and travelling on a shoe string budget
Wanting to get off the regular tourist circuit
Heading to the North East of India
Spending time in Nepal and Bhutan
Building her career as a freelance writer
Travelling solo in remote places
Advice and tips for solo travel
Why planning a little ahead can make things a lot easier
Advice for travel writing
Why you need to find your niche
Finding your writing voice
Telling the same story but in a different way
Learning mountaineering skills
Encouraging more women to gain skills in the outdoors
Challenging times in the mountains
Walking on unmarked trails
Being underprepared on the mountains and the lessons learned
Dealing with challenging situations and her process for handling it
Staying positive and having a back up plan
How to connect with Shikha
Putting together her website
Writing her award-winning children's book on Northeast India's first female Everester, Tine Mena.
Wanting to inspire young girls
Advice for women and girls to spend more time in the mountains
Future dreams and goals
Social Media
Instagram: @shikha_trip
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