“All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press upon your destination.”

-Earl NightingaleAnd what better than a destination that leads you to your people, YOUR FAMILY. A lot of us have a perception that wanderlusters are not ‘family oriented’. And that family and travel can’t stay in the same spot in one’s priority list. Well, for me, this perception is much like a misconception. Yes, it’s tough. Yet, not impossible. Even Bunny (YJHD), a hardcore Gallivanter, found his way back when called by those who mattered.

Some people travel alone. Some, with friends. And some, in the company of their family, which is like a ‘Home in motion’.  However, what would you do if you had a hair raising trip planned in your head but it clashed with one of the most important day of your sibling’s life? For this, we have a story of someone who experienced just that and came out with a mind boggling solution.

So, the protagonist of our story is Akhil Nair, who works in an Event management company and is crazy about traveling. He bought a KTM DUKE 390 from his hard earned money and just like every bike owner, he had a dream of setting that engine on fire and escaping into their dream destinations. But destiny had some other plans for him. His sister was getting married just around that time period. So what does he do? Fulfill his dream and break her heart, or do the opposite? Interestingly, he found a third way out. To quote Akhil himself:

“Just like people dream of going to Ladakh, I had different plans. I wanted to explore south before north. Whenever someone questioned me after having a glance at my bullet “Aur Ladakh ka plan hai ki nahi?”(Have you planned a trip to Ladakh?), I used to reply “Pehle Kerala, fir Ladakh.”( First Kerala, then Ladakh). Soon after, I sold my bullet, bought a KTM DUKE  390, and started planning my dream trip. And then my sister’s wedding just happened coincidentally. A li’l bit of shift in dates and there you go…… a well planned trip.”

So, he combined his dream and destiny into a MASTERPLAN. He started his journey with one of his mates (Jitin Johnson) and off they went towards their destination on their bikes, thinking about all the places to visit in Kerala. The journey was a total of 3156.7 kms, which they covered in 9 days. And the route they took was Thane-Hampi-Ooty-Munnar-Cochin-Wayanad-Coorg-Colva-Thane. An amazing experience of riding through farms, mountains, valleys, forests, beaches and what not.

Speaking of Places to visit in Kerala, here are some:

• Periyar National Park
• Fort Kochi
• Chembra Peak
• Bekal Fort

However, there are some things to plan for such long rides. Where are you going to spend the night, what safety gears to carry and few other necessities. To give you a heads up on the cost of the trip, it would be around 15.5 k ( including food and stay). And for the sake of your safety,  you should carry a ‘few good things’ like helmets with double visor, jackets, intercoms, knee pads, reflector vests, tool kits, auxiliary lights, extra tubes and clutch/ brake cables to name a few. And of course, first aid kit, water, and dry fruits.

So, if you are stuck in a dilemma just like this one, mix both of them up and create your own magic potion.  And have fun.

Happy Travelling!