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TRAVEL & TOURISM NOVEMBER 13, 2026 | The Indian Eye 47

British Couple Ships Indian Six Indian Tourists

Rescued After
Auto-Rickshaw To UK After Heavy Snowfall

Road Trip Across India Strands Them in
Nepal

A ix Indian tourists, including two
British couple’s love for India
women, were rescued by heli-
has taken an unusual turn, with
Helen and Mick shipping their
stranded in heavy snowfall in Nepal’s
beloved auto-rickshaw back to the Scopter on Monday after being
United Kingdom after travelling 4,218 Shey-Phoksundo National Park area.
kilometres across the country. The The tourists, who had been out of
couple, who spent 75 days exploring In- contact since November 1, were air-
dia in the three-wheeler, decided they lifted to safety and are currently un-
could not leave their travel compan- dergoing treatment at a government
ion behind when their holiday ended. hospital in Dunai, Dolpa district. Po-
Affectionately named ‘Timmy the lice officials confirmed that all six are
Tin Can’, the red-and-black Bajaj au- out of danger.
to-rickshaw became an important part According to Binaya Singh, Po-
of their Indian adventure. Registered lice Inspector and spokesperson for
in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, the vehicle the District Police Office in Dolpa,
accompanied them through several end, the three-wheeler had become three-wheeler from Indian roads to the rescue was carried out using a pri-
cities, states and popular tourist des- more than just a mode of transport. British shores. vate helicopter on Monday morning.
tinations, including Agra and the Taj Rather than leaving it behind, Helen However, the couple’s celebra- The tourists had travelled to the Dho
Mahal. and Mick decided to arrange for its tions may have to wait a little longer area in Ward No. 8 of Shey Phoksun-
What made Timmy stand out transportation to Britain. before Timmy can hit British roads. do Rural Municipality, approximate-
was its customised appearance. The Getting Timmy to the UK was not They still need to complete the neces- ly 300 km northwest of Kathmandu.
auto-rickshaw featured cartoon eyes an overnight process. After waiting sary paperwork and ensure the vehicle The group became stranded at
and a cheerful smile painted on its for six months, the couple finally wel- complies with UK regulations before the Numla and Wagla passes while
front, giving it a distinctive personality. comed their beloved auto-rickshaw at driving it legally. returning from Shey Phoksundo
During their 75-day journey, the cou- London Gateway Port on October 23, For Helen and Mick, what began Lake after heavy snowfall hit the
ple relied on the vehicle to travel across 2026. as a 75-day road trip has turned into region on Saturday. The area was
different parts of India, covering thou- Industrialist Harsh Goenka also a memorable international journey, covered in thick snow, making move-
sands of kilometres along the way. shared their unusual story on X, high- with an Indian auto-rickshaw becom- ment and rescue operations difficult.
By the time their trip came to an lighting the journey of the Indian ing an extraordinary holiday souvenir. An army helicopter had attempt-
ed to reach the stranded tourists on
Sunday but was unable to land due to
Diwali 2026 sees Indians spend more on adverse weather conditions, forcing
officials to suspend the operation. A
subsequent attempt using a private
travel, with group holidays gaining popularity helicopter successfully brought the
group to safety.
Local authorities had earlier
ndians are increasingly choosing 60% rise in two years. Bengaluru and Jaipur registered in- warned tourists against visiting the
holidays over traditional home- The trend is also reflected in creases of 189% and 174%, respec- region due to heavy snowfall and un-
Ibound trips during Diwali, with destination preferences. Udaipur tively. Flight bookings to Agatti in safe travel conditions. According to
travel spending rising as families and emerged as the most-searched do- Lakshadweep also rose by 130%. the District Administration Office,
groups of friends use the festive break mestic destination for the November Younger travellers are contrib- the Indian tourists had also travelled
to explore new destinations. The shift 6-14 travel period, followed by Goa uting to the growing demand, with to Upper Dolpa without obtaining
reflects changing holiday preferences, and Jaipur, according to Booking. Cleartrip reporting a 60% increase in the mandatory administrative per-
with group travel, shared experiences com. Varanasi, Puri and Rishikesh flight bookings among those aged 15- mits, as reported by local media.
and leisure trips emerging as import- also featured among the popular 24. Budget accommodation has also Shey Phoksundo Lake, located
ant parts of festive celebrations. choices, indicating continued interest gained popularity, recording a 201% at an altitude of around 3,600 metres,
According to WanderOn’s Great in spiritual and cultural destinations. rise in bookings, ahead of luxury and is Nepal’s deepest lake, with an esti-
Indian Diwali Festive Travel Report Internationally, Bangkok, Dubai and mid-range properties. mated depth of 145 metres. The in-
2026, community-led trips accounted Tokyo topped the search rankings, fol- However, traditional homecom- cident once again highlights the risks
for 65% of its bookings in October lowed by Singapore and Phuket. ings continue to remain important of trekking in Nepal’s high-altitude
this year, compared with 48% during Travel platforms are also report- during the festival. Bus bookings from Himalayan regions during extreme
October-November 2024 and 57% in ing a significant rise in bookings be- Delhi, Pune and Nagpur have also in- weather conditions. Authorities have
the corresponding period last year. yond traditional tourist destinations. creased, showing that while Indians advised travellers to follow weather
The average booking value also in- Cleartrip recorded a 135% increase in are exploring new holiday experiences, advisories and obtain necessary per-
creased from Rs 35,000 in 2024 to Rs leisure hotel bookings for Diwali, with travelling home to celebrate with fam- mits before undertaking journeys in
56,000 in October 2026, marking a Udaipur witnessing a 316% jump. ily remains an integral part of Diwali. restricted mountain areas.

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