KOCHI: Packing and unpacking are irrevocable aspects of Goutham Rajan and Thara Nandikkara’s life. For them, travel is almost as important as taking the next breath. They are the Clueless Compass. However, only one of them is allowed to be clueless at a time; the other has to point to the right direction like a compass (and not necessarily in that order). Since 2015, the Bengaluru-based couple has covered 20 states of the country and travelled to 17 other countries. Having just returned from Bhutan, they don’t intend to stop. Their blog - with the tagline ‘Because Earth is worth it’ - is popular among travel enthusiasts across and abroad the country.
It all began in 2012. “We met on Facebook. Most of our discussions were about cinema; travel almost never came up. Our first trip together was to Kashmir when we were still dating. After marriage, we went on a honeymoon to Rajasthan. Two months later, we thought we would go abroad for another honeymoon, and it never stopped. After each trip, we would want to see another place and soon travel became a part of our lives. We were not travel crazy before we met each other,” says Thara, a native of Malappuram.
Equipped with the experiences and high-resolution pictures of their journeys for some years, the couple soon began writing for leading Malayalam magazines. “We had been documenting our travels for the sheer pleasure of it, to go back to our journeys and reminisce them when we feel like it. Our stories in the travel magazines became popular and people started appreciating it,” says Goutham, a native of Thrissur.
That’s when he and Thara decided to start a blog to exclusively document their travel. “On the New Year’s Day of 2018, we had just returned from Bali and were unpacking. Considering it was the new year, we wanted to do something novel,” says Thara. Thus born were the travelling couple’s Instagram and Facebook pages, and a little later their own domain- with the eccentric name ‘Clueless Compass’.
Of all these places they have travelled, which is their most favourite place? Without thinking twice, the answer comes: Istanbul. “We were there only for five days, yet it felt like we have been living there for many years. Because we explored the city on foot, we got familiar with the roads and streets. Istanbul is a cultural feast for travellers. The history, architecture, music and culture of this place will leave one wonderstruck. You can see a mix of European and Asian culture in the city. Also, the city has a variety of cuisines that are finger-licking good,” says Thara.
The key to a safe and happy journey, according to them, is a low budget journey with a solid plan. “We fund our travels on our own. We work, save and travel. Our regular private jobs give us just enough money to travel on a low budget. We plan our travels on our own and use public transport to explore places, stay in hostels or cheap hotels and keep a tab on other expenses while we travel,” says Goutham.
Considered as travel influencers of the time, what advice would they give to travel enthusiasts? “To experience a place, a different country and their culture, you must visit their places of worship, listen to their music, use their public transport system, eat their local cuisine, see how people go about their ordinary lives, walk through the streets and feel the vibe of that place. Also, we recommend travelling with a solid plan if you have time and money constraints. Going without plans sounds fancy, but it is not practical,” says Thara. Having travelled extensively for the past five years, they have many cherishable highs for themselves. “Getting to see beautiful places around the world itself is an accomplishment.
Apart from that, we got invited by the Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia to visit Jakarta last year. Also, being selected as the top couple travel influencer by Holidify was one of our achievements,” says Goutham.
Not affected by jet lag, the couple is already planning their next getaway. “We don’t know where to yet,” says Thara. But they have already packed their Nikon D610 camera and other essentials for the journey, just in case they have to head out tomorrow.