Journey fans, canine dad and mom and hosts, Tanveer Taj and Priyanka Jena set out on an epic escapade of a lifetime within the present — Life Off The Leash. By Ayushi Sharma
Travelling to twenty states throughout the periphery of India in 120 days, journey junkies and canine dad and mom, Tanveer Taj and Priyanka Jena set out on an epic escapade of a lifetime — with Frodo, a Golden Retriever and Cruise, a Labrador — within the forthcoming present Life Off The Leash. They cowl the epic 4 month-long journey in a self-shot journey journal. Excerpts:
How did the concept of travelling with pets come about?
Tanveer: I’m from Muscat. I got here to India in 2009. After which I began working right here in an promoting company. I’ve at all times needed a canine as a child, so I lastly obtained one after coming to India. Additionally across the similar time, my curiosity in travelling and motorcycling was step by step rising. So after turning into a mum or dad of a canine, I realised that I’ve an enormous accountability in direction of him. I began taking Frodo (my canine) together with me to close by locations and realised it’s not as troublesome as it could appear.
Later, I moved to Mumbai and met Priyanka, she was into travelling and journey house as nicely. Each of us have been travelling for fairly a while now, and other than that, each of us are animal lovers. Just a few months after we met, she additionally obtained a canine (Cruise), after which there was no wanting again. We began taking journeys collectively. Each Cruise and Frodo had been maintaining and began having nice enjoyable outdoor. We began documenting and posting our adventures on our private social media handles. After which each Frodo and Cruise grew to become fairly widespread in our circle. Plenty of questions began flooding about how we had been travelling with canines.
This gave us an concept that we should always give ourselves an identification on-line. All the things simply saved occurring organically from there. We realised that we had been breaking our personal limits by way of how far we are able to go along with them. We began with a visit round Maharashtra, it grew to become a visit to Goa after which we headed to Karnataka. We saved increasing our attain. I can nonetheless recollect it was in 2018 when each of us made a bucket checklist of travelling to all of the locations within the nation with our canines. It has been a tremendous journey since then.
What sort of planning and analysis went behind planning 120 days of journey?
Priyanka: If we discuss our personalities, I’m extra of an organised traveller, whereas Tanveer could be very spontaneous. Nicely, I can count on him to be that as a result of he’s a rider. He approaches day by day with a fearless angle. He’s tremendous fast together with his choice of the place and the way he desires to journey. Nevertheless, I’m simply the other of that. I actually love planning every little thing from the beginning.
However we each knew that this journey was going to require quite a lot of preparations, particularly as a result of it was not simply us, human beings, travelling. We knew that not all locations on such an extended journey could be pet-friendly and it is perhaps troublesome for us in some States. As we began planning this journey, it took us a few 12 months and a half, as there have been quite a lot of various factors we needed to look into. By way of our work, we needed to modify our enterprise, reminiscent of end the initiatives that we had been engaged on and be free for 4 months straight. We additionally needed to prepare the funds and do budgeting, so we labored backward by way of how a lot pet food we’ll want, price of petrol, gear, keep and way more. Additionally, there weren’t many references for such travels in India as a result of we had been mainly the primary. If we discuss in regards to the places, we had a want checklist in place however we needed to map our route in line with the pet-friendly areas.
Discovering locations to remain alongside our route took us quite a lot of time. So after we left for the journey, we had deliberate till Odisha, which was about two and a half months of planning. We had booked with tentative dates until then. Fortunately, all of the locations that we had booked knew that we had been on this loopy escapade and had been very excited to host us. One other main factor was packing as a result of we mainly needed to have a mini home within the automobile, together with medical kits for everybody, every kind of garments for various terrains and gear. So it took a very long time, however lastly, I’m proud that we did it. I’d say 90 per cent of the journey was deliberate.
I bear in mind simply the day earlier than we left, I mentioned, “This preparation half appears to be unending. When are we going to get into the automobile and go away?” And it occurred. Planning actually helped. I’d say that being ready is healthier than working into one thing that you simply don’t know easy methods to take care of.
Should you needed to slender it right down to the highest 5 locations to go to with pets, which might these be?
Priyanka: High 5 locations could be — Cherrapunji in Meghalaya, Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu, Palakkad in Kerala, Manali in Himachal Pradesh and Goa. All of them are fairly pet-friendly.
How would you describe the expertise for the canines? Has any journey gone dangerous?
Tanveer: It was one hell of a vacation for them. They only needed to get into the automobile, benefit from the trip. They had been getting fed, had been experiencing new terrains, assembly new individuals, seeing new locations day by day.
Because the journey went forward, they grew to become fairly sturdy by way of travelling. Everytime you put a bag down for greater than 10-Quarter-hour, they knew that this was house for the night time. They had been adjusting to the approach to life rather well. Nevertheless, Cruise obtained actually unwell in Cherrapunji. He harm himself whereas getting down the steps within the mountains. That was a little bit of a scare; we needed to rush him to a vet. So that nearly put us 10 days behind our schedule. Additionally, within the mountains, we needed to guarantee that we get the canines on the leash to maintain them protected from the mountain canines, that are extraordinarily territorial and big in dimension. In Mussoorie, Dehradun, we confronted some bother with one of many mountain canines. He attacked Frodo and it was fairly a messy scene. Apart from that, it was easy crusing.
What had been among the main obstacles whereas travelling with canines?
Tanveer: Sure, as Priyanka talked about, it was a bit troublesome to search out pet-friendly locations in cities reminiscent of Lucknow and Chennai. So whereas crossing these places, it was a nightmare to determine a spot, which is ideal for all 4 of us. At instances, we virtually thought that we must sleep within the automobile in a single day… However due to social media, we requested on-line what to do and fairly a couple of instances individuals opened their doorways, permitting us to stick with them. That was fairly heart-warming to see. Aside from that, we had a tremendous time.
Are you able to share fundamental suggestions that one ought to observe, however are inclined to neglect whereas travelling with pets?
Priyanka: It’s actually necessary to have a great medical equipment. It’s best to have medicines and gear for every little thing; from cuts and bruises to an upset tummy. Hold all of it useful as a result of it’s not straightforward to discover a good vet all over the place. So it’s finest to be ready. Take fundamental coaching from your personal veterinarian in order that you realize what to do in a scenario of misery. Aside from that, at all times pack additional leashes and bowls, they have a tendency to at all times get misplaced someplace, someway. One other factor, I’d say that hold your canines in your sight always, for those who’re leaving them off-leash. They’re similar to youngsters. Additionally, at all times do a fast scan whenever you attain a brand new place, whether or not the place is protected to depart your pet or not.
There have been many journey reveals. How do you assume this one is completely different?
Tanveer: I believe the appeal of all the present is that it’s 4 people on an journey throughout India. It’s fully self-shot. It’s uncooked and candid. There was not any manufacturing workforce travelling with us. It’s not scripted at any stage. All of the drama that you will notice on this sequence is actual. Additionally, that is the one journey present in India that options canines in it. It’s the first of its type.
Priyanka: I’d say that we’ve captured India in all its quirkiness. We have now lined completely different cultures and people, from cities to rural villages, to even the indigenous tribes of India. We have now tried to seize the nation in all its glory.
Did you at any level really feel like giving up and returning house?
Priyanka: No, not likely. What saved us going was the enjoyment of day by day being completely different. There have been no two days that had been the identical. It was very addictive; you get up in a brand new place, what you expertise, whether or not it’s good, dangerous, boring or thrilling, it’s completely different day by day. We had been very unhappy that the journey was coming to an finish. We didn’t need to return. Nevertheless, we had already prolonged our journey by 20 days. Initially, we had been supposed to complete it in 100 days however we took 120 days. Regardless that we needed to increase it badly, we had been working out of funds and needed to get again to our work commitments.
What change would you wish to see in India to make issues higher for individuals travelling with pets?
Tanveer: I believe the change has already began occurring. Much more individuals are going out with their pets and experiencing extremes. Many individuals have opened pet-friendly resorts and homestays are, in fact, an ideal concept. Nevertheless, if we needed to change one factor, I’d ask individuals to be extra comfy with pets being round. The extra individuals journey with their pets, the extra companies and the hospitality business will accommodate us. I’m not boasting however lots of people have been impressed by our journey and lots of people hold updating us each day that they’ve began travelling with their pets, particularly canines. Slowly and steadily, we’ll make India a pet-friendly nation.
(The present will premiere on Might 31 on Sony BBC Earth at 10 pm.)