The adventures of Kamiya Jani
From being the daughter of an auto-rickshaw driver to India’s leading travel content creator, Kamiya Jani’s life has been nothing short of an amazing adventure! Turning her love of travel, delicious food and heartfelt conversations into a passionate venture, Jani has been cruising through life with her favourite playlists and a bagful of travel dreams.
Presently associated with premium brands like Starbucks, Cox & Kings, JW Marriott, Japan Tourism and Royal Orchid, Kamiya’s digital travel channel Curly Tales is among the top 10 Facebook video pages in India, with monthly views of over 45.4 million. This travel platform has over three million monthly visitors.
In 2022, Kamiya was honoured with The Best Food Influencer of The Year award by Exhibit Magazine. She was awarded Best Travel Creator for Curly Tales by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024. “I’m a visual storyteller. All stories interest me; but travel stories haunt me till I don’t share them on social media!” smiles Kamiya.
Discovering her true calling
When she switched to Curly Tales, Kamiya was already a mother of a three-year-old daughter Zaina. However, unlike many Indian women who lock their personal dreams in a suitcase once they become moms, Kamiya used her maternity leave to discover her true calling—travelling!
“My pregnancy was a difficult time physically and emotionally. But it taught me something —that I could not stay confined at home!” I decided on taking a sabbatical, to explore the world!” reveals Kamiya.
She pursued her travel dreams with a simple thought—if not now, then when? So, it was while juggling her job as an anchor, part-time mommy and her passion to travel the world, that she got an idea to start Curly Tales!
Passion for globetrotting
Rather than travelling solo, she ideated on sharing her globetrotting experiences through engaging videos. After quitting her full-time job as an anchor with a business news channel in 2017, Kamiya poured her passion for travelling into her personal blog, Curly Tales.
“Ever since childhood, I’ve had this strong desire to see this beautiful world. By 18, I had seen quite a few places in India in a limited budget. So, after having worked as a producer and news anchor in with ET NOW, Bloomberg TV and CNBC TV18 for 10 years, I felt that I should pursue my passion to travel the world,” recalls Kamiya. During Covid, when we all were confined to our homes, she introduced the pathbreaking concept of armchair travel. “While sitting in the safety of their houses, we made people explore new places virtually,” she quips.
While Curly Tales takes viewers on a journey through offbeat locations, Kamiya’s popular show Sunday Brunch With Kamiya Jani hosts celeb interviews, wherein, Kamiya invites renowned personalities for a brunch. In free-flowing conversations, they discuss their journey, their passion for travel and their food experiences.
The road ahead
And today, Curly Tales is undoubtedly on of India’s top food and travel content platforms. Amidst her astounding success, however, Kamiya gives the girl-next-door vibe, calling herself a local wanderer in the city of dreams!
Navigating her way through inspired storytelling, Kamiya has till date travelled 40 countries and 153 cities. Next in her wish-bucket is her desire to conduct a content creation guide for aspiring travel bloggers. She’s also launching her video series India in Motion— a pioneering exploration of India’s elevated travel infrastructure.
Success mantra
Envious of Kamiya’s job? Want to make moolah while chilling out and exploring the world? Well, follow into Kamiya Jani’s footsteps, with these on-the-go tips!
Have a Plan B: Making a strong Plan B before taking the plunge is the smart thing to do.
Discipline is the key: On my work trips, I start my day at 6 am and end it at 11 pm! Following a routine really helps taking things forward.
Take the plunge: Don’t wait for the big moment. Just to go out there with your mobile phone and a selfie tripod and create content.
Embrace your shortcomings: The most important rule is to remind yourself constantly that you cannot have everything all the time and that’s absolutely okay.
Weigh the risks involved: Assess the situation completely before setting out to pursuing your passion. Creative vision must be bolstered with an ability to see things as they stand.
