<p class="title">Fancy a road trip to a nature resort in a house that moves? Introducing a unique 'caravan tourism' to this part of the world, a Bengaluru-based startup has opened up an all-new industry segment. Take a shower, steal a nap or heat up a meal in an oven onboard, as the caravan goes places.</p>.<p class="bodytext">After a soft launch in January 2018, the startup — Camper Trails — went commercial in May last year. Tying up with resorts and homestays across Karnataka, doing multiple recce runs, the caravan had to cultivate a customer base for an experience totally new down South.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Air-conditioned and big enough to let five people sleep in comfort, the camper/caravan is equipped with a toilet, shower tub, and kitchenette with a microwave, mini fridge, television and a stove hob. To get mobile, the camper gets attached to a main vehicle. "If you have an SUV and a tow-bar, the camper is all set to go," explains Camper Trails founder, R Chandrakanth.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Packed with camping chairs, fishing rods, barbecue grills, tents and indoor games, the caravan has everything to get a camp party started. But when there are no designated caravan parks around, the only workaround would be to tie up with resorts and homestays.</p>.<p class="bodytext">And that is exactly what Chandrakanth did. Till date, he has inked deals with three resorts each in Chikmagalur, Sakleshpur and Kodagu, two each in Mangaluru and Bandipur and one each in Gokarna, Doodhsagar and Kannur.</p>.<p class="bodytext">So, how does this work? "Once a booking is done, we provide a driver and assistant to tow the caravan with the tourists to a chosen resort. The guests sleep in the caravan parked for the night within the resort. The resort serves food at its restaurant and provides additional rooms, if needed," the founder elaborates.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Experiential travel was what beckoned the crowds to the caravan. Over the past one year, Camper Trails has gone on 150 trips, informs Chandrakanth. This has also helped the drivers perfect the tricky task of manoeuvring a 1.5-tonne caravan attached to a tow vehicle on challenging roads.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Arguably, the first of its kind in South India, the experience of Camper Trails could boost the nascent caravan tourism industry. In the North, a retired army officer had modified a truck to offer the caravan experience for tourists to Leh, Ladakh and Rajasthan. The industry now awaits a big caravan policy push.</p>.<p class="bodytext">For more on Camper Trails, check out www.campertrails.in</p>
<p class="title">Fancy a road trip to a nature resort in a house that moves? Introducing a unique 'caravan tourism' to this part of the world, a Bengaluru-based startup has opened up an all-new industry segment. Take a shower, steal a nap or heat up a meal in an oven onboard, as the caravan goes places.</p>.<p class="bodytext">After a soft launch in January 2018, the startup — Camper Trails — went commercial in May last year. Tying up with resorts and homestays across Karnataka, doing multiple recce runs, the caravan had to cultivate a customer base for an experience totally new down South.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Air-conditioned and big enough to let five people sleep in comfort, the camper/caravan is equipped with a toilet, shower tub, and kitchenette with a microwave, mini fridge, television and a stove hob. To get mobile, the camper gets attached to a main vehicle. "If you have an SUV and a tow-bar, the camper is all set to go," explains Camper Trails founder, R Chandrakanth.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Packed with camping chairs, fishing rods, barbecue grills, tents and indoor games, the caravan has everything to get a camp party started. But when there are no designated caravan parks around, the only workaround would be to tie up with resorts and homestays.</p>.<p class="bodytext">And that is exactly what Chandrakanth did. Till date, he has inked deals with three resorts each in Chikmagalur, Sakleshpur and Kodagu, two each in Mangaluru and Bandipur and one each in Gokarna, Doodhsagar and Kannur.</p>.<p class="bodytext">So, how does this work? "Once a booking is done, we provide a driver and assistant to tow the caravan with the tourists to a chosen resort. The guests sleep in the caravan parked for the night within the resort. The resort serves food at its restaurant and provides additional rooms, if needed," the founder elaborates.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Experiential travel was what beckoned the crowds to the caravan. Over the past one year, Camper Trails has gone on 150 trips, informs Chandrakanth. This has also helped the drivers perfect the tricky task of manoeuvring a 1.5-tonne caravan attached to a tow vehicle on challenging roads.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Arguably, the first of its kind in South India, the experience of Camper Trails could boost the nascent caravan tourism industry. In the North, a retired army officer had modified a truck to offer the caravan experience for tourists to Leh, Ladakh and Rajasthan. The industry now awaits a big caravan policy push.</p>.<p class="bodytext">For more on Camper Trails, check out www.campertrails.in</p>