The Deccan Voyage – Van Life in India
It
was during our initial research phase that we had spotted their venture “ProjectOneLife” on
YouTube. They were one of the first groups to promote VanLife on YouTube in
India.
Also, the cause of their travel really moved us. Coined “Hopes in a Caravan”, the
first season of their caravan travel
was a phenomenal success. Travelled around 10,000 km across 16 states, they
visited orphanages and old-age homes. No doubt the duo has passion for travelling. Moreover, they found a way
to bring about a change in others lives all through their journey.
Obviously, it took no time for us to decide that we should invite them to take a trip in our caravan and discover the hidden beauties of Karnataka. The voyage was planned meticulously and perfect arrangements were made within days and the wanderers came down to Bangalore for Deccan Voyage – a 15-day exploration.
We welcomed them with open arms into the Trippy Wheels family. It was their first time in Karnataka and we wanted them to get an authentic experience of the unseen beauty and unique culture of this landscape.
The fruitful collaboration
For this mission, Trippy Wheels collaborated with ProjectOneLife and Share A Book India Association (SABIA) to travel across Karnataka volunteering to do a book collection drive throughout our journey.
The roadmap
We all were travel enthusiasts. We all had our own checklist of places to visit and explore. We had to comb through the lengths and breadths of the Karnataka map to accommodate everybody’s requests but then finally alternative routes were chosen and we were ascertained that we would have a great time!
Two days in Tamil Nadu
A team of 5 set out on a trip to Denkanikottai and Yelagiri in Tamil Nadu and visited schools and gathered so much energy and enthusiasm from the kids to do the book collection drive. We spent two days playing, painting, eating and laughing with over 300 kids. They filled us to the brim with so much love and happiness and inspired us to take the long journey with energy and compassion.
Ayudha Puja: A special day to thank the tools that shape up our lives.
We decided to unwind and enjoy Ayudha Puja and continue our journey the next day. On the day of the puja, we had our colleagues, friends and family members accompany us and offered our prayers to God to keep negative energy at bay and fill our caravans with positivity and auspicious aura. We offered to God a pumpkin, a few coconuts and many lemons. We then savoured delicious sweets to end the day with smiles and luck. Our caravans seemed to be renewed. And more importantly, we were.
Through the Ghats & the Hearts
It was finally time to set out on
our epic journey to explore and experience Karnataka. Summer of Love, our
caravan, being one of my favourites, I was looking forward to the drive through
the expansive roads and challenging yet exciting terrains of this beautiful
land. We got ready in the early morning, fuelled up and began the mission.
Deepanshu (The Thinker), Abhimanyu (The Charmer), Sagar (The Boss) and myself
(The Pillar) – a team of 4 was to reach Sakleshpur basecamp by the end of the
day. And yes, we decided to name ourselves.
VanLife addicts that we are, it was quite natural to deviate from our plan and
take a little detour. We ended up driving to Shettihalli Church near Hassan.
The church was submerged in water and the view from the bridge was simply
breath-taking. As cameras were basking in the beauty of the place, I drove
around to offer them better angles and perfect shots.
The drive to Sakleshpur from ShettiHalli Church via a new route was exciting. Our friend Abhi spotted and recognized Summer of Love, gave a warm hug and wished us. Kamal, our local guide in Sakleshpur was eagerly waiting to welcome us. Sipped our first cup of Malnad coffee and did a bit of shopping for dinner that night and headed for our basecamp. Completely off-road and nestled in the middle of nowhere on a hill-top, this was my second home. Also, driving being one of my passions, challenging terrain and weather conditions were a blessing in disguise.
Driving up the muddy roads in Summer of Love with the headlights eating into the pitch darkness was an unforgettable experience. When we reached our basecamp, I felt accomplished having reached there without tumbling down like Jack & Jill.
We set up our kitchen and cooked some tender chicken curry and rice. Gobbled down a bottle of Old Monk that perfectly complemented the chilly winds on the hilltop. Soothing music and super-duper location made this first camping night of ours a perfect one. We shared with one another interesting stories, danced together and broke the ice under the open sky!
The next day we visited some beautiful places around our basecamp. Took a dip in a freshwater pond and ate hot masala Maggi before heading to our next destination – Mangalore. Mangalore was serious business. We had our first book collection drive event the next day and arrangements were already made at The Good Galette Cafe. We spent the night in this beach facing holiday home of a friend. The place is called The Sanctum, brought to life by Dr Akhtar, it looked like a piece of art that has taken the shape of an abode. A dentist by profession and a true artist by blood, you could feel the vibes of his creativity here. The attention to little details across his house was ever inspiring! This magnificent house was sitting quietly by one of the most serene beaches that I have seen in India.
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Caravan 