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Trunk India is a boutique travel service for travellers, not tourists, led by Melbourne musician, Ali Barter. We chat with her about her impressive business.
Tell us about Trunk India.
Trunk is a boutique tour company travelling exclusively to India. Trunk tours are intimate and immersive journeys through the North and South of India. We are small groups of max 10 people, travelling in private mini-coaches and staying in luxury eco-hotels or heritage listed hotels. We see the sights, we do yoga, we eat street food, we visit holy places, we lie by the pool, we shop in the bazars. It’s a group tour holiday for people who want to experience India as a traveller, rather than a tourist. Prefect for couples, friends, siblings and solo travellers – especially women.
What inspired you to start Trunk India?
My mother has run her own tour company in India for the past 20 years. We travelled there together in the late 90s and she has been back at least twice a year since then. I often went with her, as a helper on her tours, and little by little, India has gradually seemed into my soul. My other work is as a touring musician and songwriter. When I’m not touring music, I always find myself back in India to be creative and re-connect with myself. About 4 years ago I began writing itineraries for my own journeys through India and it was then that Trunk was born.
Tell us about your career and background.
Being a touring musician and songwriter, which might sound like a strange co-career with running an Indian tour company, but it actually compliments it incredibly well. I am on the road for about 6 months of the year and so there are chunks of time where I’m off cycle and available to run these specialised journeys. I want to bring a sense of adventure to my tours and also to share the modern, youthful side of a changing India. We ride bikes, we go out to jazz clubs, we shop in the boutiques of up-and-coming designers, but we also (of course) visit the Taj Mahal, wander through bazars and sit quietly in temples. I think my job as a musician brings a unique element to my tours, as I want to inspire travellers by sharing with them the things about India that make me feel alive, astonished and full of wonder.
Describe a typical work day for you.
There really is no typical day in my work but – the day always begins with coffee and catching up on emails. I am working on promoting my Trunk tours at the moment which involves social media, mail-outs and PR interviews. I always find time to be creative during the day too, whether that is dreaming up new tour itineraries, writing music or cooking. These are the things that fulfil me and inspire me to travel, dream and share my passions with other people. I listen to lots of wonderful Indian music during the day too, including morning and night ragas. They get me in the zone. Depending on my focus, it’s a matter or writing a list of what needs to be done and working my way through it. I need to create my own structure, especially if I’m on the road and working/living out of hotels and Airbnbs.
What advice do you have for those wanting to start a business?
I would say it takes time. The first 5 years or so will be slow and expensive. It took two years of planning before I took my first Trunk tour. I had written many itineraries, conducted surveys on my friends about what kind of holiday they wanted, I did extensive market research and spent lots of time in India checking out hotels and working out logistics. I also made sure I had a great website and began building my social media aesthetic. But gradually it’s all come together and having a business that I am truly passionate about is so rewarding and something I look forward to working on every day.
What’s next for you, and Trunk India?
Coming up for Trunk are the two tours planned for this year. I am running a North India tour from Delhi, through Rajasthan to Mumbai in August/September. Then in September I have a South India tour of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. I will also be spending more time in India putting together a train journey tour exploring Kolkata, Varanasi and Lucknow for 2021, as well as planning a yoga and Ayurveda tour in the southern state of Karnataka. On top of that, I’ll be over there playing music in October, which be great for getting to know the local music scenes and festivals in Mumbai, Begaluru, Pune, Delhi and Chennai. This will mean I’ll be able to add more exciting music and cultural performance elements on future tours.
