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About Us
Timeline
2012
Catalyzed by the Nirbhaya tragedy, F5 Escapes starts off, dedicated to a simple yet powerful idea: putting more women on Indian roads.

2013
First test trip to Sikkim in March. Officially set up as a sole proprietorship, followed by the first official F5 trip to Shivanasamudra in June.

2014
Akanksha and Malini meet each other at our first office - a table in a cafe. Akanksha joins in and starts setting up the foundations of F5 operations process.
2015
F5 goes permanently remote much before the pandemic, thanks to our lean model and self-motivated team.
2016
F5 becomes a private limited company, incorporated as Zingara Solutions Private Limited. Our first actual office gets set up, just for clients to meet us :)
2017
We expand our group tours and customized offerings to cover more Indian states in depth. Organic media love and recommendations continue pushing our bootstrapped growth story forward.

2019
F5 Escapes wins big in at the World Tourism Forum awards in the community category!
2020
Covid hits, F5 operations cease. Beaten, but not broken!
2022
We restart operations with a renewed vigor, to showcase India to women from around the world.

2023
Women tours continue. Family vacations, FITs and inbound tours continue to grow
2025
Rebranded F5 - same loved brand but much more vibrant, fun and colorful! We introduce our new tagline - ‘Don’t just visit, belong’.
2026
The growth story continues with 600 + tours, 5000+ customers, 12+ years and countless memories!
Our Core Team
Malini Gowrishankar
Malini Gowrishankar
Founder & CEO
When someone asks me ‘mountains or beaches?’, I get confused. Why choose? Nature, in every form, inspires me. New people, places and perspectives are my fuel. I love envisioning and organising things into systems. I keep searching for flights and trains to random, obscure places, whether I plan to travel or not! When not working, I am in the company of music, books, mic, friends & family.
Akanksha Bumb
Akanksha Bumb
Cofounder & COO
Powered by maps, excel sheets, and endless curiosity, I turn chaos into curation. My planning notebook looks like an evidence board. When I am not obsessing over a destination, I write, run around trees, and try to pet any dog that comes my way. I find people everywhere and stories in everything and I then weave them neatly into journeys that feel effortless and full of heart.
Devanshi Batra
Devanshi Batra
Manager - Operations
What began with being a customer of F5 Escapes eventually led to becoming a part of the team. You’ll find me busy curating itineraries & spending wholesome time with my nephew. Despite living with chronic pain, I've persevered and continued to push my boundaries. Seeing people smile, helping them travel fear-free and independently makes me feel truly content
Kalyani Mirajkar
Kalyani Mirajkar
Manager - Content and Marketing
A traveller at heart, I’m pulled towards the less-travelled path and a life of gentle experiments, often guided by forests, birdsong, and the presence of the wild. The unknown feels like home, the unplanned becomes the story, and I’m becoming who I am one offbeat choice at a time.
Sohini Banerjee
Sohini Banerjee
Manager - Process Excellence
I am amazed by all things around me. Mountains, lakes, seas, deserts, people, cultures, cities - everything brings out the curious child in me. I can admire without attachment, feel gratitude, and give generously without hesitation. A free-spirited traveler, chai lover, and fashionable ambivert, I love details, clarity, and simplicity.
Our extended team of tour leads
Shwetha Nayak
Shwetha Nayak
Hodophile, Foodie, Meticulous, Dreamer
Shweta Nayak the lead had awesome energy and her attention to detail was thoroughly appreciated , for my 6:30 am departure from hotel she organised a packed breakfast !
Ramya Giri
Ramya Giri
Wanderer, adventurous, friendly, free spirited traveller
Ramya ensured that we are most comfortable, enjoying every bit and her photography skills are something one must not miss out on :)
Chaitra Mukund
Chaitra Mukund
Seeker, Collector, fun hodophile!
Chaitra took care of us very well . She was very friendly, lively and made everyone feel included.
Monica Iyer
Monica Iyer
IT consultant by profession, traveller by choice, sports enthusiast.
The trip leader Monica was very diligent and made us feel at home. She was warm and friendly and made the trip comfortable.
Shamli Chapalge
Shamli Chapalge
Explorer, creative thinker, board game enthusiast, potter, communications professional
Our team lead was very approachable...
Neena Natrajan
Neena Natrajan
Nomad, planner , loves old architecture and IT professional.
...
Smita Shanbag
Smita Shanbag
Trailblazer, story weaver, mindful mover, travel blogger
Our team leader Smita Shanbhag ensured our schedule was adhered to meticulously, coordinating our sightseeing, street food forays and shopping very well.
Aarti Shyamsunder
Aarti Shyamsunder
Extraverted Introvert; Feminist; Mindful Explorer
Our tour lead, Ms. Aarti Shyamsunder, truly went above and beyond. She was not just organized and efficient—she was deeply caring.
Divya Sethia
Divya Sethia
Hodophile, Spontaneous, a Yogini and affable
...
Likith Thimmaiah
Likith Thimmaiah
Curious, Adventurous, Patient, loves dogs.
The most endearing quality, I admired in Likith was her genuine concern towards the team to make all of us comfortable and ensuring everything mentioned in the Itinerary is completed.
Gayan Chinappa
Gayan Chinappa
Vibe - Driven, Calm - core, Empathy - coded
Our 25-year-old trip representative, Gayan did a commendable job leading a 50+ age group—not an easy task—and she handled it with sincerity and effort.
Friends of F5
Kalinga Centre for Rainforest Ecology
Conservation of biodiversity in the western ghats. “Stay-Learn-Conserve” is their philosophy. KCRE is among the few research sites that welcome people to engage in direct conservation.
Last Wilderness Foundation
Last Wilderness Foundation engages with urban and rural communities as well as the Forest Department in various capacities in a bid to understand and implement effective wildlife conservation measures.
Unexplored Bastar
Unexplored Bastar is a social travel startup based in Bastar, Chattisgarh. Since 2016, their sustainable, community-based tours have been taking travellers to the most offbeat destinations, ensuring they connect with the true soul of Bastar.
Linger Leisure
Linger Leisure has been a friend of F5 since day 1 of our business! They run a chain of responsibly run local stays and emphasize on 'do nothing' vacations. Great food, beautiful nature stays, walks, hikes, birding - you get the drift.
Yellow Bag Foundation
Their mission is to bring positive, planet friendly change through their strong and sturdy cotton bags, all the while helping women gain financial independence through dignified work opportunities.
Uravu
Uravu has been promoting eco-friendly community-based tourism since 2007 and helped to set up the homestays in Thrikkaipetta – The Uravu Bamboo Village. Uravu contributed to framing of community tourism concepts in the village.
Our Offerings
Women Group Tours
Have a question or need support joining our tours? We’re here, reach out anytime!
Explore Group Tours
Women Group Tours
Customized Travel Planning
Want to travel in India with friends, family or take off solo? We got your back!
Plan your Vacation
Customized Travel Planning
India Showcase to the World
Want to visit India or want a ground expert to handle your India tours? We are listening!
Explore Travel to India
India Showcase to the World