Offbeat experiences edge out the run-of-the-mill in new travel itineraries

The new-age traveler is no longer into ticking a checklist of must-see spots on his holiday. He is ready to pay a premium to experience culture, crafts and culinary delights of the local populace

Imagine going all the way to Agra and skipping the Taj Mahal. Unthinkable? Not really. A friend who did just that said she'd seen the monument half a dozen times, and on this trip she attended a marble inlay workshop run by local artisans instead, and took interactive cooking lessons on Mughlai cuisine from a local family.

Many travelers like my friend are no longer interested in undertaking tours and covering the typical must-see places. Doing a 15-day tour covering as many places is passé, says Peshwa Acharya, a Chennai-based senior marketing executive who shares his own example of how