CHENNAI: Behind 11 acres of land, a campsite where you can enjoy every adventure sport imaginable, and an overnight stay where you might catch a glimpse of jackals, is a retired army commando who used his life savings to establish Adventure Zone. Not once, but twice — from scratch.
Meet Major S R Roy. Born and brought up in Kolkata, served in Kashmir, and then in Arunachal Pradesh as a commando instructor. He pursued several courses including mountain warfare, jungle warfare, winter warfare, explosives and unarmed warfare and finally, took a premature retirement and decided to set up a campsite.
“In 1998, I did some market research and decided to establish it in Chennai. The first two years there was no campsite. We conducted activities in different places. In 1999, we tied up with a resort and put up a six-acre site at the beach. In 2004, the tsunami wiped out everything. In 2006, I bought this 11-acre land, developed the site and in 2008, it was inaugurated. Today, it is the only company in India to have been running for 17 years and is ISO certified,” narrates Roy.
The zone is not only a site for families and friends to have fun, but also serves as a training programme for corporate companies, offers training in communication, time management and teamwork, through adventure. “You can come here, chill and party with your friends and family while trying a sport or two, or undergo a strict schedule of activities,” says Roy.
Being an army officer, expecting punctuality from everyone must have been a disappointment (This reporter arrived 15 minutes late herself). “No, I don’t expect anything from anyone. Back in the army, you interact and instruct differently, but out here, it’s different. But some army traits that I’ve retained are punctuality, physical fitness, etiquette and commitment,” he points out. For details, visit www.adventurezone.8k.com.