Rajasthan Roadtrip 2023: All those things that helped

 I had just finished my exam and already was facing severe withdrawal symptoms! Tejas luckily had not so tight work schedule (he was still working on the go). Kids unschooling had the flexibility to plan their days. We thought this would be just the right time for a roadtrip! 

At this point, we all reflected- what does each one of us seek from this adventure? It varied from fun to seeing new places, change, being together, etc. And like always we worked as a team rather than child vs. parents, to help meet everyone's needs.

Where to? Rajasthan, a state none of us had explored earlier. We had already heard a lot of good things about the state from friends and family. And decided- "We will explore Rajasthan". 

How: Yes, we did explore other modes of travel like train and flight, but then choosing these meant losing the flexibility we would get in our own vehicle. At the same time, car travel that far would translate to a longer duration as well. For us the pros of a roadtrip clearly outweighed the cons and our car got a green signal. Roughly made a route plan, and the roadtrip would take us close to a month. "This would be the first time we would be out for so long! That too without any hotel reservations!" Challenge accepted by all four! And as I reflect, it is immeasurable, how much we all learned in this entire journey!

Car: Kia Seltos 

As we first sighted sand..

Passengers: Kids Vibha, Viaan (8 yrs), grown ups (Tejas, Prachi)

Route for Our Rajasthan Roadtrip (RRR) where you can read more about the travel experiences and place recos

RRR 1: Blr - Ichalkaranji - Mumbai - Statue of Unity 

RRR2: Udaipur 

RRR3: Jodhpur 

RRR4: Jaiselmer 

RRR5: Longewala 

RRR6: Sand dunes 

RRR7: Bikaner, Mandhawa 

RRR8: Jaipur 

RRR9: Chittorgarh, Ratlam 

RRR10: Tuljapur, Vijaypura 

RRR11: Hampi 

5 Key Learnings:

1. Long road journey need not always be boring.

2. You can comfortably live with limited belongings. What is a must is an open mind.

3. Food should be your last thing to worry especially when traveling in India.

4. Even the best of the kingdoms ultimately fall, the reasons differ.

5. Fun travel and explorations need not be expensive

Compiling below a list of tools/ products that helped us execute and enjoy the entire journey. This includes tips we got from fellow roadshoolers, friends, and family. Includes a few things based on our research and experience, and a few based on our liking and preferences. (This compilation does not involve any commercial motive/ benefit whatsoever)

Let's bucket these into five categories: Stay, Food, Personal Hygiene, Gadgets, and Entertainment

Where we stayed @Jaiselmer

A) Stay: We did not pre-book any place as our plan was very fluid. Also considering the off-season we were sure we would not have to struggle for basic accommodation at any place. We also carried our Decathlon tent, two lightweight blankets to take care of stay if needed. Our stay over the trip ranged from sleeping under the open sky, tent, temples to luxury hotels, homestays. 

The place we chose based on how our office work was planned, what
time we reached, our energy levels etc.

B) Food and water: From trying all the local delicacies to having 'Ghar ka khana' and some fancy buffets, we tried to balance it out. We as a family mainly consume plant-based food and had no issues filling our tummies. Fruits, Shikanji, sugarcane juice stalls, and local Dhabas were plenty. What we carried with us:

• portable stove 

  

  @Jaipur b.fast in making

  
  
• 2 ltr cooker
• Snacks (Nuts, khakras, chikkis, murukku, puffed rice, laddus etc)
• Khichadi mix (Mix of rice, moong dal, and spice mix)
• Vegan chocolate milk mix (Roasted ragi flour, jaggery powder, cocoa powder, cardamom powder. Simply mix in hot water, mix and enjoy)
• Cold brew and green tea sachets 
• 4 bottles 1 ltr each (1 per person) and a thermos. We did not buy a single plastic water bottle! Refilled water at petrol bunks/ restaurants/ parks etc.
• Cutlery Pouch stacked with spoons, forks, knife.
• Reusable bamboo tissues 

  

  Multitasking: Cooking, eating working, drying clothes

  
  

C) Personal Hygiene: Includes daily needs and contingencies 

• Four in one tooth brush
• Laundry soap sheets : I had OCD for laundry.. haha! Everyone washed their own clothes including kids. Sun was generous during the day and we faced no major problems managing clothes. Rather next time, we plan to reduce the number of clothes we carry!
• Handwash soap sheets 
• Menstrual cups: Been a cupper for years now, I had 0 stress even when I was menstruating in the sand dunes. Zero waste, no-nonsense periods even on a trip- thanks to the cup. 
• Tissues and sanitizers
• Few bottles of tap water
• Compostable garbage bags
• Stand and pee
• Travel loo 

D) Gadgets: This is a vast area, and I will eliminate the mention of the obvious chargers and alike

• Car laptop charger
• Car mobile holder
• Dikki organiser 
• Puncture Repair Kit 
• Booser seats

E) Entertainment: "What do the kids do during travel?" Frankly never really did we feel a dull moment! Kids love to read and before the travel, they spent a good amount of time organizing their seats, stacked with books, journals, electronic notepads. Few things that kept us entertained:

• 
  Songs (English, Hindi, kannada, Marathi, Spanish- different genres based on individual likings. We also follow taking turns so everyone gets to play their songs)
• Valmiki Ramayan by 21 Notes: This was our all-time favorite this roadtrip. Simple language with reasonings, easy to understand. Would highly recommend this for people who are new to it or even agnostic/ critics :)
• Anne Frank diary: Wish we had learned history this way when we were young. No wonder I no nothing :P Considering the age when she wrote it, we decided to keep it as a family reading, where we could monitor and filter out as necessary. 
• Listening to stories by Vinay Varanasi 
• 50 activities book lent by a dear friend 
  
• Puzzles, stories, debates, and chit chat

And about Rajasthan- Excellent roads, beautiful landscapes, helpful people, and a place where you would want to come back again <3