Caravan is an inexpensive, and most sustainable way of travelling

Rajkumari Sharma Tankha

It all started when three friends- Himanshu Jangid, Yogesh Kumar, Pranav Sharma and Jugyasu Joshi – returned from a road trip to Uttarakhand and were looking to buy a car together for their future road trips, and came across Caravans. The initial thought was to make a caravan for their personal use. But they soon realised that there were very few caravan service providers in India and those that existed were expensive. The foursome then started researching about the costs that go into making a Caravan, and how it could be made an affordable option for everyone. Hence was born Carvaa Travelers (in October 2020). “Travelling in a caravan is the most sustainable way of travelling, and it doesn’t even have to be exorbitantly priced,” says Joshi, as he tells us more:

How has been the response to your effort thus far?
With the travel landscape changing post the Covid19 pandemic, travelers have started taking road trips. Due to this change, the culture of caravanning in India has also started to catch on. We have received an overwhelming response so far for our Caravans. Not just in terms of renting but also manufacturing. We have recently started modification of caravans as an extension to our services to cater to travelers who are interested in owning their own personal caravans.
We started our venture in October 2020 just when there was a decrease in the travel restrictions. As per an analysis we did in terms of market demand for Caravans before the pandemic and once the Unlock phase started, we witnessed a good increase in the number of people wanting to rent a Caravan for their next trip.

The two caravan (left) and the interiors of a caravan showing the working space

What age bracket hires a vehicle and for how long has been the longest one till date?
It is suited for anybody and everybody who wants to travel with a certain sense of adventure. We had a traveler with us who booked the caravan for almost a month.

What is the number of vehicles you have and what all facilities do you offer?
Conventionally, we’re currently operating with two Caravans, called ‘Fine’ and ‘Rare’. Both the caravans have been thoughtfully designed by us. We have engineered them keeping in mind the comfort of travelers within the limited space inside the vans.
With a capacity to accommodate five people, caravan ‘Fine’ is equipped with most of the essentials one might need during a trip. There is a well-stocked Kitchenette, Utensils, Drinking Water, 180 litres of water for other purposes, washroom, camping tents, a portable music speaker, pillows, and quilts, among other things. While we choose to call it ‘Fine’, the travelers can call it by any name they feel sounds best for it. As for the sleeping space, the camper van has a master bed, two sofa-cum-beds and 2 berths. Beautiful LEDs on the ceiling make for a perfect ambience at night. The van also has a washroom with a shower. The shower can be fitted outside the van as well for taking bath in the open. There is enough storage space inside the camper van that can fit all your stuff. The modular kitchen has a five-kg LPG cylinder and all the utensils for cooking your meals.

Fine Caravan

With a capacity to accommodate 3 people, caravan ‘Rare’ is an apt choice for the adventure seekers. The van promises comfort and utility even on rugged routes. The caravan is equipped with almost all the essentials you might need during a trip. It comes with a well-stocked Kitchenette, Utensils, Drinking Water, 130 litres of water for other purposes, washroom, camping tents, a portable music speaker, pillows, and quilts, among other things. The modular kitchen has a five-kg LPG cylinder and all the utensils for cooking your meals. Apart from a sofa-cum-bed for sleeping, the roof of the van opens revealing a cozy bunk bed covered from all sides. There is enough storage space inside the camper van to fit all your stuff. While we choose to call it ‘Rare’, the travelers can call the Caravan by any name they feel sounds best for it.

Rare Caravan

How do you reach out to prospective customers?
Since the inception, social media especially Instagram has been a blessing for us to reach out to our potential customers. Through visual content and sharing experiences of the travelers who have onboarded with us surely helps in attracting more attention and queries

What about the competition?
In order to counter the competition, we have kept our rates most affordable in the market. At our prices, we provide services like the kitchenette, washroom and all the camping amenities. This helps us in maintaining an edge over other service providers. Moreover, besides renting Caravans we now also modify caravans for B2B and B2C purposes.

What sort of future do you see of caravan tourism in India?
We started working on launching Carvaa Travelers back in 2019. It has been two years and when we see the overall current tourism market, there is a significant increase amongst travelers looking for road trips options. The pandemic has further fueled the trend to minimise human contact and ensure safety and hygiene conditions. With road trips, people have now started to experiment with their travels and that is where caravanning comes in. We have encounter numerous travelers who either want to rent the Caravan for their next trip or buy one for themselves.
Also, with some state governments supporting the caravan tourism with better policies and regulations, we believe that future of caravans is bright in India in the coming years.