On Christie’s India MD's bucket list: A trip to Brazil, Peru and Machu Picchu

Sonal Singh, MD of Christie’s India, finds unexpected interactions on her solo vacations to be rewarding.

Solo traveller
“I like travelling alone. I also love planes and am very particular about which aircraft I’m on and which seat I’m getting. For me, the excitement of a trip begins right from getting to the airport."


“On a solo vacation, you meet lots of other people and have interesting conversations. There can be a downside to it as well, but I try to keep it light and have fun. You have to be fairly inquisitive to be able to travel alone. There is something to learn from everyone. Everyone’s experiences are different."

“I was by myself one night in Cuba after my friend had left. I went to a restaurant close to my hotel and sat at a table with a girl from New York. We got talking and it turned out that it was her birthday. She suggested we go for a drink to this bar called El Floridita, which Ernest Hemingway used to frequent. These unexpected interactions you have on a solo holiday can be so rewarding.”

“I’ve done a lot of solo trips. I’m quite happy to be by myself on a holiday. I went to Madurai a few years ago to see the temples there. I was supposed to go to Australia as well, but my visa didn’t come through. So while I was waiting, I visited Bali instead."



Friend for life
“I went to Cornwall a few years ago and did a pottery course there. There I met a woman whose visit dates coincided with mine. She was also by herself. So in Cornwall, we ended up having dinner together every night. We became good friends. She lives in London, and since I visit London of ten, we meet frequently. Two years ago, we did a trip to Milan together. You can meet really nice people if you are open and receptive to talking to strangers around you.”

Top 5 destinations
“I love Japan. I love their aesthetic, the food… everything is so organised and people are so polite. I love Australia as well, though it is so far away and is difficult to get to. But in terms of natural beauty, food, people and the culture, it’s an exciting place."

“In India, Chandigarh and Shimla are places associated with my childhood. Chandigarh, especially, is an amazing place. It’s laidback and spacious, something we can’t have in Mumbai."

“I studied in London and my sister lives there now. So it’s like a second home. London is one of those places you keep revisiting. I try to visit a new country every year. This year was the British Virgin Islands. I was in New York in March and went to the islands with a friend. I have never seen water as blue as I did there.”

Bucket list
“I really want to go to South America. Brazil, and Peru, more specifically, and see Machu Picchu.”

Food finds
“For me, luxury is being able to eat wherever I want. The Michelin star restaurants are great, but after a while, everything starts tasting the same. And I always feel like I have eaten too much cream and butter. Some of the smaller, offbeat places can be great finds at such times. Meeting people locally also helps with recommendations.”