Not influencers. Not sponsored travellers. Just 2 sisters from Thrissur who started travelling in their 70’s, proving it’s never too late to begin.
For most of their lives, travel was distant. Valsala, a retired government officer, lost her husband young. Ramani, a widow, spent decades managing home and family.
After Ramani lost her husband, she moved in with her elder sister, Valsala. Together, they began pilgrimages to Kashi, Badrinath, and Dwaraka — small journeys that slowly rebuilt their spirits.
Those temple trips opened doors. Soon came Cambodia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal, and Singapore. Sometimes with family. Sometimes with women-only groups.
Then came Kashmir. Standing before snow-covered valleys, they wondered, “If this is Kashmir, how beautiful must Switzerland be?” A passing thought that quietly became a plan.
Their family made it happen. Grandchildren researched routes. Their daughter coordinated logistics. An ordinary visit to Germany expanded into a month across eight European countries, at 86 and 84.
They rode cable cars over the Swiss Alps, watched the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night, and visited the Berlin Story Bunker, which they had only read about in books.
The journey wasn’t effortless. They walk slowly. One has hearing issues; the other underwent eye surgery. A travel operator even questioned their age. They simply smiled and said, “We’re still young.”
On a previous trip to Kashmir, a taxi was cancelled due to Eid. After hours of searching, they found a rickety local bus and toured anyway. Not once did the sisters complain. Their rule? Enjoy what you get.
When strangers ask, “Why travel at this age?” Ramani answers calmly: “Age is just a number. It is people’s attitude that becomes the obstacle.” Today, they’re redefining retirement for women across India.