Young Malayalam actress Namitha Pramod is a keen traveller, and has explored several destinations both within the state and outside.
"I really like to travel. But I just do not like to travel by flight. But since there is not much choice, I hop on to the plane," Namitha said.
Namitha Pramod, who has been able to garner much attention in a short span of time, talks to Onmanorama about her travels and plans for post-COVID times.
Not keen on solo travelling
Namitha said that she was not keen on travelling alone, though she liked to be by herself and away from the maddening rush at times .
"Only if there is someone with you, does it add some meaning and beauty to the trip," she opined.
"I always like to be surrounded by people. I cannot even imagine travelling alone to places," she added
The actress also cherishes family trips.
"More than travelling with friends, I have mostly gone for family trips. Most of the time, we travel together with my friends' families and my family. Then we, girls, get-together in a room and have a blast," she added.
Love for Manali
The young actress said that she had always wanted to visit Manali, right from her childhood days.
“When we start planning trips, everyone suggests foreign countries. But then I would like to visit the many beautiful destinations in our country. Some of these travel destinations are better than even those aboard. Manali is one such place. First, we travelled to Delhi and from there we took a traveller to Manali,” she recounted.
And Namitha has a reason for travelling by road to Manali.
“There are more opportunities for sight-seeing when travelling via road. You get to take in the beauty of the hill ranges and green fields, and interact with the people of that land. We can also stop en route to eat the local food. Actually, the road trip is the best. It gives you an unforgettable experience.
“Manali is one of the most beautiful places I have seen. Mostly people say Kullu-Manali. I really liked Manali. The snow-capped hills, the green terrain and the people, all made up for a mesmerising experience,” she added.
‘Do not plan trips’
The actress is not into making elaborate plans for the trips.
"We do not make travel plans months in advance. Only if we are travelling abroad, we make prior plans. All other travel plans are random. I have a gang of friends. They are fun to be with. We just make impromptu travels.
"We decide we will go next week and we are off. Most of our plans are like that. This year also we had made several plans. But all that got ruined due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But we are not disheartened because of this. Hopefully, next year we will be able to travel to those places we missed out on this year,” the actress added.
Namitha said that everyone at her home preferred to go to hill stations. “And as I have already said, we make no prior lengthy planning for the trips,” she quipped.
Flavour of Kozhikode
Thanks to her cinema profession, Namitha also gets to be various locales for shooting.
“Not just outside India, I have had to travel to various places within our state as part of my shooting schedule. I really enjoy such trips. I have been to most of the places in Kerala. And among those trips, the one place that won me over with its beautiful sights and lip-smacking food was Kozhikode. I just love everything from the traditional snacks to biriyani,” she explained.
“And in Wayanad, I got the rare opportunity to stay on a tree hut,” she reminisced.
“Also, I had been to Athirapally-Vazhachal waterfalls the other day. The pristine forests, spectacular waterfalls... You just cannot describe the experience. I mostly try to pick such places for my travels,” she added.
And Namitha’s dream destination is…
Namitha said that her biggest dream was to explore Europe. Her list of places to visit in Europe includes Santorini and Glasgow.
"Not just these places, I want to visit more destinations. I also like beaches. I plan to go next year, depending on my schedule. The only hassle for me are these flight journeys of 12 to 13 hours.
“Apart from that, I fully enjoy my trips. I mostly sleep off the moment I get seated on the flights. Even if it is just a two-hour flight journey. I only get up to have food and then continue sleeping. This has been my routine. I doze off till I reach the destination," she explained.
But Namitha was quick to add that she was not opposed to travel due to this.
She reiterated that she liked to travel to new destinations, enjoy the local food and interact with the people of that land. And that she enjoys all trips in their entirety.