For traveller and creator Larissa Dsa, travelling is more than just her job, it’s her fuel for life. In a recent Q&A, she shared with HOLR some of her experiences, tips for capturing captivating photography as well as some life lessons she has learned along the way.

1. What experience first sparked your passion for travelling? 

Travelling was a part of my family ritual. Every year, my dad planned 2 trips to parts of India. So I’ve loved to travel since I was little, but it actually hit off when I travelled with my friends in 2017 after I quit my job. The liberation I felt then, made me feel like I needed to drug myself with travel every now and then. I’m so addicted to travelling now, that I cannot stay at my base for more than 15 days.

2. How did you get into photography? 

When you take up being your own producer, creative director, editor, script-writer, for your content, your vision takes a different leap. The realness of something is what attracts me; be it emotions, the tenderness in the mannerisms of animals, or anything that is caught in the moment. When I was little, my mother took a lot of film photos. She also wrote the date behind each processed photo, so we would never forget where each photo was from. Later in life, I realized, I inherited the forgetfulness from her. So I started to take photos when I travelled, to keep my memories safe, and to only realize how my vision was about only the character of the photo taken. The elements in all my photos are motion, emotions, and a story that leaves a lingering curiosity to the viewer.
Each photo I take, drives the viewer eager, to know more about what’s behind each capture.

3. How important is Instagram to your business now?

Instagram serves as a platform to exhibit all my genres of work. It’s like a store you’d walk by and pick your favourite things. I serve content that’s super diverse, so my clients usually come across my work on Instagram. That being said, Instagram is my primary way of earning the monies at the moment.

4. What tips do you have for packing efficiently for a trip? 

I am all about packing aptly for the destination – fashion-wise. Of course, I do pack according to the weather, but for me, blending into the destination I’m travelling to, is very important. Apart from the outfits, efficiency for me is when you use everything that’s in your suitcase, or don’t feel the need to buy more. Unfortunately, I’ve never felt that way, haha. But writing down outfits and requirements before packing, can definitely help to not forget your items.

5. Do you have any tips or tricks for capturing a captivating landscape photo? 

My landscape photos usually have a foreground. I think that adds so much element to any photo: be it landscape or portraits.

6. What is one of the most memorable places that you’ve been to? 

A trip for me is a success when it teaches me life lessons, and gives me culture shocks. My trips to Varanasi and Scotland have been my favourites at the moment. Nagaland gave me a serious culture shock too.
I also loved the Maldives for its blue horizons and underwater life. Would love to visit it every year.

7. How do you decide where to go, eat etc. when you get to a new destination?

I read a lot of blogs before I travel. I make a list of the things I must visit and eat at. I’m not that big a foodie, but I make sure I taste the local foods. I do not miss my Indian food on my trips at all. As I said, I like to blend in the culture and food is a part of travel.

8. What’s the most off the beaten path spot you’ve been to?

 Every place I travel to, even a touristy spot like Paris, I would want to seep deep into the culture and local stuff, rather than doing anything close to touristy. So most of my trips only consist of taking the road less travelled.
The best spot I can think of is when I went caving in Alberta, Canada. It was something I had never even heard of, and people still don’t know about when I tell them. It’s just like mountain climbing and repelling, just that it’s all inside a CAVE, and you see nothing around you except moist surfaces and cave squeezes. You slide your way through cave cracks and rappel down 60 feet too. It’s scary, but can be the best way to explore the unexpected.

9. What’s a valuable lesson you’ve learned through your travels? 

Everything is temporary: your problems, your worries, even happiness for that matter, and also the people. It sounds wrong, but I perceive it in the most positive way. It’s taught me that travel can give you the experience nothing else can. It teaches you to be patient, yet feel fulfilled. It tells you that people: no matter how important, can be replaced if lost. It makes you find joy in the smallest of things and lets you believe that everything happens for a reason. It helps you stay grounded, and yet not let the world and it’s people put you down. Travel has evolved me into an open-minded, positive, free spirit, and there’s nothing in this world that could do that. No books, no movies, and no person can do what travel does to you.

Location-Specific Travel Tips: 

What’s one of your favourite cities that you’ve been to? 

I am not a city girl at all. I love my trees, beaches, and mountains. But London, has my heart. I have lived there for a total of 4-5 months with each travel, and I would love to even move there someday 🙂

If someone had 24- hours in it what would you recommend they do? 

What area would you stay in? Around Kings Cross

Where would you eat lunch? Mercato Metropolitano

What’s a must-see off-the-beaten-path spot there? Sunset at Primrose Hill with a can of Pink gin and stroll at Regent’s park instead of Hyde Park.

What’s the best place to grab a drink? Mercato Metropolitano

What’s the best place to have a coffee? Pret for the local style, Peggy porchen for the luxe traveller

What activity would you choose to do for fun? Axe throwing at Vauxhall

Where’s the coolest spots to take a photo? The Tower Bridge, Winter Wonderland during Winters, the London Tube, St. Paul’s Cathedral.

What museum or art gallery would you go to?  Tate Modern, White cube gallery.

Make sure to check out more by Larissa on Instagram @larissa_wlc