HUBBALLI: Caravan and camper trips are apparently becoming popular in the state, going by the response a Bengaluru-based company getting for such service.The camper, based in Bengaluru, has already started operating in major tourist destinations in Karnataka and Kerala. The company has tied up with tourist properties, resorts and home stays in Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan and Uttara Kannada district.
The air-conditoned camper can accommodate five persons and has all basic facilities, including toilet, shower tub, burner, oven, television and fridge. It has camping chairs, indoor games, movies, fishing rods, barbecue grills, tents and many more. The camper is attached to the main vehicle and a group of five may have to spend `10,000 for a two-day (including one night) package. The price during weekdays is `8,000 for five people.
Chandrakanth R, founder of Camper Trails, said the company wanted to give tourists a camping experience. “At present, we have one camper attached to a vehicle. We have fixed routes and packages. The demand has picked up since October,” he said.Dimple Wohra, who travelled in the camper last month, said it was an amazing experience. “Me and my college friends from 84th batch of JNC in Bengaluru travelled upto Sakaleshpur in the camper. The vehicle is well-maintained and we faced no problems throughout our trip,” she said.
According to Chandrakanth, camper and caravans are a new concept in India, especially in Karnataka. “There are campers in Kerala, but they are stationary. Here, we are allowing tourists to have camping experience when they are on the move. There is a walkie-talkie communication system between main vehicle and camper. As safety of passengers and camper is utmost important, we have entered into tie up with noted resorts in different tourism destinations of the state,” he said. The current packages include making use of facilities such as water sports and other activities in resorts. Tourists can cook food on their own or order from the resorts they stay.
Another traveller Pramila Rao said holidaying in a camper is all new experience for travellers. “We had a wonderful experience, travelling in the caravan for the first time,” she said.Driving a camper is not easy on Indian roads. Along with the main SUV, the length of both vehicles becomes 27 feet and hence, routes were fixed after travelling. The 1.5 tonne camper currently does not require any permission from the RTO, but during registration of prime vehicle (SUV), it has to be endorsed as attached camper,” he said. The drivers of the camper have been trained to handle two unit vehicles on Indian roads.
New packages in the offing
In the coming days, the company has plans to introduce new packages and heritage trails (covering Shravanabelagola, Belur and Halebid), plantation trail (visit to coffee estates in Kodadu and Chikkama galuru), adventure trail (trekking and aqua sports at Sakaleshpur), beach trail (covering coastal destinations like Kannur, Managaluru and Gokarna) and wine trails are some of the offers.
Women entrepreneur duo launch caravans
Two women entrepreneurs from Bengaluru —Vatsala C R and Sanjana Hangal — have started a caravan service, first of its kind in the state. The duo, who founded a company ‘Trippy Wheels’, are currently on state tour to popularise their caravan. They were in Hubballi on Wednesday. Sanjana told Express that there is huge demand for caravan tours in India and there could be more operators in the coming days. Currently, Trippy Wheels have three driver-driven caravans.