POST PANDEMIC TRAVEL AND CARAVANS
Traveling across states, smooth roads, captivating sceneries around, be it mountains, through the Gangetic Plains, the hot and bustling areas of Thar Desert, or with sea waves crashing alongside is something each traveler yearns for. At least once in a lifetime, a road trip finds a sweet spot in their itinerary. Road trips are an adventure at a different level garnished with multiple surprises and a level of comfort. I think nothing beats driving your car and vibing on your favorite playlist and surprising views impending as you’re speeding through your journey in pursuit of reaching the destination early. Bidding adieu to the Sun; Image credit: Abhishek Pawar on Unsplash With the outbreak of the pandemic, all such trips on the bucket list have been flushed into strangeness. It has become really hard to predict what crosses ways with our lives next. Travel, like other sectors, has been tarnished to the ground. Its revival is going to be slow and with a lot of effort. With the decline in cases of the coronavirus after the shocking second wave, the community is slowly coming to terms with the new version of travel guidelines and precautions. This time around, getting back to our favorite destinations is also going to be difficult as we have seen even isolated or less-populous areas were grappling with the pandemic, unlike the first wave of infections. Additionally, traveling on a bus, train, or taking a flight to start your vacation is as scarier as ever. Our transit from our towns to the destination is safer in private vehicles till the time all of this mess subsides. Also, road trips in either our coupe or SUVs are better for gaining new experiences and indulging in more insightful traveling by exploring the various dhabas, villages, or towns you pass. Another much safer and convenient option is traveling in a caravan in these distressful times of COVID and the virus scare. What are caravans? Now caravans are nothing new to us, right? At least for all of those who’ve heard Mohan Bhargava (Shah Rukh Khan) vibing with a Fakir on Yun Hi Chala Chal Rahi in Swades as they voyage through India in a big van with all amenities. A caravan is perfect for those who wish to explore new destinations in every leg of their trip and also stay away from the hassle of finding hotels. A caravan is a motor vehicle that also has space for travelers to accommodate for relaxing during their journey. The safety aspect of traveling in COVID times is also intact, minimalizing exposure to the outdoor environment. Caravan, the whole package; Image credit: Darya Py on Unsplash Indian states have recently started giving consent to caravan tourism projects wherein travelers are allowed to hire a fully-equipped vehicle with simple, and modern furniture and fittings. The best part about a caravan is you are not forced into rushing over places within the given time frame. Rather, you can spend as much time as you wish to at any desired location, and behold any view to its maximum beauty. Basically, your travel itinerary is liberated from external factors. There is no worry about taking your time to enjoy any landscape till it fills your heart. All of it, and also, you will save a lot more than a conventional trip. Ordinarily, you will have to go out for dining, look for accommodation charging on a daily basis, and find a commute from point A to B. Another excruciating task is looking for pet-friendly places that let you take your travel buddy with you. Some places often do not allow you to take your pets. So, if you’re traveling with your buddy, it limits the places you go to and you have to hurdle over to just the pet-friendly places, missing out on a lot of cultural and historical monuments. All of the research takes a lot of time and is energy-inefficient. So, as far as a caravan is concerned, you get it all covered. With a caravan, you just need to pack yourself for isolated travel home. Worrying about extra charges, or googling too many queries for your itinerary is avoidable when it comes to traveling in a caravan. Plus, you can take as many people with you too, a circle of college friends, your family, or your partner, and actually get to spend quality time with them over the vacation. For all the unexplored destination in the Himalayas, caravan is the better choice; Image credit: Bhai Rankar on Unsplash What makes Caravans a safer alternative in these times? Earlier, there was not much speculation when it came to zeroing down on the mode of transportation for your desired and well-planned vacation. You used to spend a couple of weeks googling about the desired destination, make a substantial plan for the itinerary, get done with the bookings (both accommodation and commute), pack your essentials, and head out. It seems normal, right? Well, this is not the case right now. If you ask a traveler nowadays, after the pandemic has struck (for twice now), you are going to find a completely different response to how they prepare for a vacation or even a road trip now. If they based their research around economic traveling, ease, and comfort; they will have different concerns this time around. Keeping their health in mind, they would prioritize their physical safety over other filters. A general traveler would go about preparing their itinerary around details that provide legitimate answers to their apprehensions about safety. So, this particular transition has a lot to define what post-COVID traveling is going to be like. Safety: Even if you’re traveling to states or tourist places that have been vulnerable to the virus, you have an edge in terms of personal safety as you won’t be looking for stays, meals, and transportation like in a convention vacation. Hence, your physical distancing aspect is comparatively sorted or you
