Meet Sudha Mahalingam, the 70-Yr-Old Solo Traveler That Has Visited 65 Countries

Sudha Mahalingam has visited 16 cities only in India, and has been on road trips ever since the lockdown has eased.

Sudha Mahalingam, former journalist turned energy consultant.

(Photo Courtesy: Footloose India

There are always people out there who defy the norms of age, gender, and just about everything else to achieve things that are unfathomable to most of us. Such is the story of Sudha Mahalingam, a 70-year-old traveler who has gone viral for her life story and experiences.

Having traveled about 65 countries, there is no stopping her and her adventures. Right from Finland and Berlin to places closer to home like Goa, there is barely a spot she hasn't been to. A former journalist turned energy consultant, Mahalingam also runs a blog called "Footloose Indian" where she shares her story.

In an interview with travel magazine Conde Nast Traveller, she said, "I am not conscious of my gender and nobody has made me feel conscious of my gender during my travels."

However, the journey isn't always easy, and she has had her fair share of obstacles.

"I have landed in Prague without a valid visa, got locked in a minaret in Iran and got stranded in Kashmir valley in the height of insurgency," she recalled.

She said that she possessed a hankering for travel ever since her childhood, but could never fully realise the dream. She took her first solo trip in 2003 and went to Kyrgyzstan. Ever since then, she has travelled to multiple destinations, and done various adventure activities too. Right from skydiving in Australia to trekking in Borneo and visiting as many as 16 cities only in India, her life is truly an inspiration; and she does not intend on slowing down. Ever since the lockdown has eased from last December, she has embarked upon several road trips.

"I don’t get scared of anything," she says boldly. "I don’t imagine or anticipate bad things. I’m a bit too foolish in that sense."