Get into the car
We’ll be the passenger
We’ll ride through the city tonight
See the city’s ripped backsides
We’ll see the bright and hollow sky
We’ll see the stars that shine so bright
The sky was made for us tonight…
Goes the song “The Passenger” by Iggy Pop…
Now imagine this scenario, you are all set for a weekend getaway by road to Sakleshpur, bags are packed and the caravan has been loaded. You hop into the front passenger seat, and as you go along the roads, all you see are tall trees and clear blue skies beyond them. Even though it is only 220 km, the drive will take 5-6 hours atleast, more if you make stops and take detours.
The joy of road-trips is the journey, the drive, the ability to do your own thing as you travel by a vehicle that is all yours. Basically, having the freedom to stop wherever you choose to, stretch your legs or just to capture a few images of the scenes around. Tripping in a caravan is such a thrill; it is like having your own home on the go. Oh and when in these parts of Karnataka, it’s always good to take short breaks, sometimes the drive can get tiring. Maybe grab a cup of chai from the roadside tea shop along with a plate of piping hot pakodas. And if you are a small group, then playing board/card games in the back of the caravan is an added fun element.
Travelling by road with an experienced driver handling the caravan is the best possible holiday ever. You sit back, sing along to the music from the player, or play a game of antakshari and enjoy the drive. When you do halt, I am sure you will have other travellers come with curiosity in their eyes, asking you a million questions about the caravan. It is fun to meet such people, and you just might make some new friends there. Who knows, maybe they’re even headed to the same destination as you. As you drive towards Sakleshpur, make a small detour towards Shettihalli to see the ruins of the Shettihalli Rosary Church. It’s magical and you will want to park the caravan, step out and wander the space for a few minutes. Take some shots of the church ruins, experiment with your camera, take pictures of the place with the caravan in the background and some more.
From there you can make your way towards the nearby stream or the dam. It doesn’t matter, you can keep going for as long as you wish before deciding on where you wish to park for the night. That is the beauty of travelling in a caravan; road trips are endless and exciting.
With the caravan, you don’t need to worry about loading and unloading your bags. Simply park the vehicle at the camp and snuggle up in the caravan or set up a tent nearby for the night. The cozy warmth of the caravan, the long drive is enough to have you drifting off to sleep in no time. As the morning dawns, you get to rise at a time of your choice and head out for a drive to nearby places or just go park at a viewpoint and enjoy the sights around. The freedom of doing your own thing is so liberating, you don’t have to wait for anyone’s permission or stick to an agenda. Sometimes, it is good to let go and just hit the road.
Next time you are planning a road trip, remember to put your phone away, unless you want to click some photographs and enjoy the sights and sounds around you. It will be fun to share those stories and experiences when you are back home, showing off the photos to those around you. Even though the places are all the same, your experience is what sets it apart and makes it enticing for others to want to do a roadtrip to this destination. Get going, book a caravan from Trippy Wheels and change the way you travel!
