3 min readPuneUpdated: Jun 30, 2026 02:52 PM IST
In Italy, you can book a gondola ride through the age-old canals of Venice and savour wines in Tuscany – but it is a rare traveller to these parts of Italy who can also enjoy a farewell dinner with the Ferragamo family, famous names behind the Italian luxury fashion house, or stay at one of their hotels.
But ‘Travel with Karen’, started by Pune-based food connoisseur and author Karen Anand, is not the usual kind of holiday experience. Anand delves into a lifetime’s expertise of cuisines of the world, wine and spirits, art, culture, fashion, lifestyle and design to curate trips for discerning groups who enjoy discovering flavours and experiences that lie beneath the surface of foreign and Indian destinations. Her travel groups are made up of people who enjoy meeting local influencers and intellectuals, historical and cultural experts, and come away “ignited and delighted”.
Rendezvous with local influencers
Instagram and websites are flooded with images and details of almost every destination but rarely plumb the depth. Anand talks eagerly about creating an experience in Fez, Morocco, where her travel group met an apothecary who told them about the original Aleppo soap that he makes. Another time, a group interacted with a woman in Fergana, Uzbekistan, who was reviving Uzbek ikat, which is different from the ikat found in India. Equally interesting are the evenings at nightclubs in Marrakech and the meals that underline her itineraries.
How it all started
‘Travel with Karen’ has its roots in a venture that Anand had undertaken with a Kolkata-based friend in 2017, where they would tailor-make interesting itineraries for groups, whose size grew from 10 to 30. When her friend could not continue as she was busy with an NGO, Anand continued to do it by herself. She conducts extensive recces – from the British countryside to the boat rides in Rabat to the lanes of Amritsar, Patiala and Ludhiana – and plans journeys so that very little goes wrong.
“Firstly, I have to be excited about the place. Secondly, I try to bring in interesting elements, the ‘hidden-ness’ that is difficult for people to find on a first or second visit without knowing somebody,” she says. With this food buff, of course, vegetarians are indulged as well, which is very challenging in many countries.
“We are very keen on local cuisines and restaurants. Keeping dietary types in mind, I could also organise a Spanish meal one night, an Italian lunch another day, a Lebanese dinner. This allows people to appreciate a variety of cuisines, which is very important,” she says.
How the trips are made exciting
Her calendar has several exciting trips, from Japan in autumn where the country is transformed by “fiery maple leaves, serene temple gardens and seasonal rituals”. In October, Anand plans a journey through Morocco, where “timeless heritage meets refined elegance”.
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A visit to Amritsar will include not only a trip to the Golden Temple and the Wagah border but also a cooking demonstration with celebrity chef and culinary innovator Kunal Kapur. “I am looking at doing a South America trip next year. People who have travelled with me tell other friends. I also have got a lot of repeats now,” she says.