STAFF

GUIDES

Our guides are all from humble backgrounds and are keen and fun to interact with

Before doing any tour, they have extensive training. They also all speak excellent English

Unlike other tour operators, they work for and are employed by us only, which ensures that the quality of the tours is maintained

Ganesh Tikonkar

Ganesh is originally from Mangalore, but grew up in Colaba. He moved to the suburb of NallaSopara last year with his parents, wife and two kids, and now travels almost 5 hours daily to come and give the tours.

Ganesh has worked with Reality Tours for almost three years. He really likes to show people the positive side of the slums and how the people live there, and likes to feel as though he's giving back to to that community.

Ganesh speaks Hindi, Marathi, English, Kannada and Tullu. Whenever he walks around Dharavi, people call out their greetings: he is almost famous in the area.

“I don't know everyone, but everyone knows me” he says proudly, adding that people are surprised to see him walking alone without a group of tourists following. Ganesh sees himself staying with Reality Tours, and maybe moving up in the company eventually.

Jeetesh Kotian

Jeetesh moved from Mangalore with his family to Mumbai when he was 1 year old. Working as a Reality Tours guide has been his first job, but Jeetesh also studies part time. He first heard about Reality Gives from an uncle who knew Krishna.

Jeetesh lives in Chembur and commutes to either Churchgate or Mahim, depending on the tours he's giving that day. Because Jeetesh lives in a slum as well, he liked the idea of a job where he could show slum area to others.

Jeetesh is ambitious, and hopes to get a great percentage in his commerce course which would allow him to try for an MBA. He loves non-veg food, spicy snacks and playing cricket.

Akshay Bansode

Akshay is from Mumbai, and lives in Kandivali with his parents and adopted sister.

Before becoming a guide, Akshay worked several different jobs. He has been an accountant in a glass company, a server in Baskin and Robbins icecream shop, and finally a salesman in a wallpaper shop. Apart from working, Akshay likes to read. He’s been with Reality Tours since November 2010, and does a number of tours including Dharavi, sightseeing and bicycle.

Akshay Shetty

Akshay is perhaps the busiest of the Reality Tours guides: he is studying for two separate degrees and working for Reality Tours. He initially heard about Reality Tours through a newspaper called "Karnataka Malla", and has been working as a guide for 6 months.

Akshay used to work in hotel management and also did promotional work. He splits his earnings at Reality Tours between his studies, his personal life and his family. Akshay has an uncle who is settled in the US, and hopes to go there one day and work in IT as a software engineer.

In his rare moments of spare time, Akshay likes to hang out with his friends and listen to English music. His favourite all-time artist is the late Michael Jackson.

Santosh Shetty

Santosh is with his second stint with Reality Tours. Like most of the guides, he's a busy person, juggling his job with his studies in Commerce. He is from Karkala in Mangalore, and his family lives there while he stays in a hostel in Kurla- he's been in Mumbai for 3 years.

Previously he used to work as a technician for an international windmill fan manufacturer, but is now enjoys his job with Reality as it has helped him improve his communication skills and general knowledge.

His ambitions are humble- to be a good human being and family man

Dinesh Karkera

[Dinesh Karkera] Dinesh lives near the Dhobi Ghat (open air laundry) in Mahalaxmi, and stays there with parents and sister. His family is orginally from Mangalore.

Dinesh used to do folk dancing in 5 star hotels but gave that up to work at Reality- he enjoys spending time with people from abroad as well as working for an organisation doing social work. In the future he would like to set up an organisation which also helps the community.

He plans to get married after he's 25, and while waiting for that to happen, enjoys listening to music

Chetan Pawar

Chetan was born in Goregaon, Mumbai and now lives in Wadala with his family including 2 brothers

Another busy man, Chetan is in his final year studying Management Studies, as in the future he wants to be a businessman. He would love to combine business with his passion for sports, his favourites being squash, cricket and pool.

Abhay Chopra

Abhay probably just edges fellow tour guide Akshay Shetty as the busiest member of staff. When not working full time at Reality, he works full time as a bartender in a 3 star discotheque. Despite being very busy, he enjoys his job as he learns many things and he likes doing tours with people from abroad.

He's from Uttar Pradesh but has been in Mumbai for 4 years, living alone in Santa Cruz.

In his spare time, he sleeps. In the future, he wants to be a sadhu (a Hindu monk).

Manoj Medwal

Manoj was born in Mumbai, although his family is from Delhi. On the "Where is better- Mumbai or Delhi?" debate, he diplomatically says that they are both great, although Delhi is better in Winter. He goes back there every year.

Manoy enjoys working at Reality because he gets to practise his English, and in the future he wants to be a hairdresser and tattoo designer either in the UK or Switzerland- because in both these places the people are great. He says that with such a job, he would be able to support his mother and father properly in the future. He currently lives in Mahalaxmi with them.

OTHER MEMBERS OF STAFF

Evelyn D'Souza - Secretary

Evelyn comes from a small village outside Mangalore. She likes to listen to music, and collect books and pens

Asim Shaikh - Tour Manager

Asim is our incredible Community Centre manager/ Tour Guide manager/ Computer trainer/ Tour guide. He started at Reality as a part time computer teacher in November 2009 and has taken on more and more responsibility.

He loves his work because he interacts with the kids, it is challenging and he is never bored because there is always something new to do and learn. In the future, he can't see himself working anywhere else. Asim is particular grateful to Lee from Atma (NGO partner) for introducing him to Reality and to Jonny for being his guide and mentor.

Asim was born in Antop Hill in Mumbai, and still lives there with his mother Atiya and father Abid, plus 2 younger brothers

Uday Pujari - Senior Accounts Manager

Uday was born and brought up in Karnataka and has been in Mumbai for 5 years. He loves yoga, cricket, volleyball and swimming.

He enjoys reading up about the various religions and once a year he becomes a swami- when he dresses in black, can't wear footwear and can't talk to nor think about girls.

Mayur Parmar - Caretaker

Mayur is our non-stop caretaker of the Reception Centre, who never seems to spend more than 5 minutes in one place. He is the youngest member of staff, and also the most busiest, with a job description that can be described as 'varied'.

And he doesn't go home and rest after work. He's studying for his 12th Standard exams, as well as Tally (accounts program) and Desktop Application.

When he does have free time, no big surprise he likes to play some cricket, and in the future, he wants to be a software engineer.

He was born in Mumbai and stays in Dharavi with his family, originally from Gujurat.

Krishna Pujari - Founder

Krishna is from a village in Karnataka called Heranjalu. When Krishna was 10, he left the village to live with his uncle in a larger town. There, he attended government school and helped around the house.

When he was 13, he came to Mumbai. He waited on tables in restaurants and took tea up to office buildings as a chaiwala. Krishna's first monthly salary was Rs 275 plus room and board. During these years, Krishna also attended night school and he studied for 3 hours every evening until he pass his final school exams.

Chris Way - Founder

Chris is from the UK. He studied Business and Hispanic Studies at Birmingham University, and is a part-qualified chartered accountant.

Chris first came to India in 2002 to do four months of volunteer work at a school that served children living in a slum. When Chris had previously lived in Rio die Janeiro, Brazil, he had witnessed how tourism was beneficial for local communities. With this understanding, Chris relocated to India in 2004 to start the project that would become Reality Tours and Travel.

Chris does admit to missing the freshly cut grass and Sunday newspapers of Birmingham. He both loves and hates Mumbai's chaos, but insists that he wouldn't trade life here for a comfortable, yet predictable life in the UK. Nearly a local after so many years in Mumbai, Chris's favourite street food is pav bhaji. You can find him every weekend playing ultimate Frisbee in Mumbai's parks.