Slow Travel in Gujarat with Soar Excursions | There are many tour operators within India who can show you the sights and take you places, but there are many fewer ones who will do so while practising sustainable and responsible tourism principles that empower the local communities themselves. Determined to create meaningful and responsible travel experiences that connect travellers with Gujarat's rich cultural, natural and historical heritage, Aditya Roy, along with Niyati Kukadia and Pavan Patel, started tour outfitter Soar Excursions in 2014.
Roy is a qualified wildlife biologist who has been working in the conservation space since 2000. When he’s not leading research projects on vultures, flamingoes and Asiatic wild ass or being published in national and international journals, he conducts tours on Gujarat’s avian species and their ecology in his capacity as the director of Soar Excursions.
The focus on slow travel has been baked into every aspect of Soar Excursions’ DNA since its inception. “Our aim was to go beyond conventional tourism, fostering sustainable livelihoods for local, pastoralist, nomadic and indigenous communities while showcasing the state's diversity,” Roy said in an interview with Outlook Traveller. “Over the years, we've grown into a team of five and partnered with like-minded organisations to host 150–200 travellers annually. We are about more than travel—it’s about meaningful connections and lasting positive impact.”
What can one expect from a trip with Soar Excursions? On the table are unique experiences like cycling through the Rann of Kutch; taking nature walks in diverse landscapes; exploring Gujarat’s modernist architecture and ancient sites; attending hands-on workshops with artisan communities that delve into the history, techniques and traditions of crafts like textile weaving and hand-block printing; and opportunities to walk alongside nomadic communities to learn about their way of life and build meaningful connections.
In the Little Rann of Kutch, the Soar Excursions team collaborates with the Mir community, supporting them through craft-based livelihood initiatives like skill-building, product development and marketing. In the Dang region, they work closely with the Kotwalia tribe, integrating their rich cultural traditions into tourism and workshop-based learning opportunities.
Additionally, the company’s projects have extended to communities like the Pardhi, Mochi and Siddis, promoting cultural preservation and sustainable livelihoods and fostering connections through responsible tourism. While there is no set cost for the tours, which are customised based on the client’s requirements, they remain affordable for single travellers.
One of the first lessons that Roy and his co-founders had to learn early on was that simply bringing tourists to communities wouldn’t automatically generate positive outcomes for the latter. “Initially, some communities viewed us with scepticism, and some tourist interactions led to feelings of being treated as curiosities rather than as respected artisans or locals. We quickly learnt that without trust and clear communication, even well-intentioned efforts can be misinterpreted or be unintentionally exploitative,” he says.
Another misstep that yielded fruitful lessons involved promoting community-based products without considering their impact on quality or self-esteem. For example, when the organisation first helped the Mir women in Dasada sell their beadwork to tourists, many items were purchased out of pity rather than genuine appreciation, which diminished the women’s pride in their craft. This led to a drop in the quality of their work and affected their self-esteem.
Furthermore, Roy discovered that tourists themselves might not always be ready for an immersive experience. The stark cultural and socio-economic differences between the communities and tourists sometimes left guests feeling overwhelmed. “To address this, we started orienting travellers ahead of time, preparing them for these differences. This helped reduce the initial shock and created smoother, more meaningful interactions between tourists and community members,” he says.
These experiences taught Roy the importance of building strong, trusting relationships with their communities and basing all interactions on mutual respect and understanding. The lessons have since shaped his approach to responsible tourism and helped refine their strategies for creating more sustainable travel experiences.
While Roy is heartened by the rising number of individuals and organisations prioritising eco-conscious practices, community-based tourism and cultural preservation, he knows there is a long way to go in spreading awareness and making sustainable tourism more accessible.
To that end, his team is working to establish a facility in the Little Rann of Kutch that will help the Mir community hone their skills while securing their rights to housing, water and electricity. After months of work, Soar Excursions has opened a homestay in the Dang district that will provide employment for the Kotwalia community.
It’s a vision that Roy keeps working toward, bridging tourism with community development and ensuring that he leaves a lasting positive impact on both travellers and the communities he works with.
