Out of the many trips I have taken over years, road trips have always been the most memorable ones. Navigating through the beautiful landscapes with a gleeful company of friends can make the travel experiences even more beautiful. Taking stops on the highway to sip a ginger tea or savour Parathas, road trips create so many memories. Of course, there’s music & games to keeps the mood light.
During my road trips with friends, I am one of the assigned drivers. I don’t mind driving and navigating the serpentine roads or scurrying through farm fields. However, upon reaching the destination, I get tired after 5 – 6 hours of driving. They say that the journey is more important than the destination. But, does this hold true if you can’t enjoy the destination at all because you are so tired from the journey? I guess not!
I don’t own a car as there is no daily need. But I do prefer a road trip to a destination as compared to bus or train. Recently, my family was visiting me in Bangalore, and I decided to take them to Sakhleshpur. I was the only one who could drive and hence it might have been too hectic for me as the trip was only 2 days long. Imagine driving for 5-6 hours one way and then back again. Would I have been able to enjoy my time with my family in Sakhleshpur? I don’t think so.
Hence, I concluded that it would be perfect if we hired a car with a driver. The driver can help us reach the destination and then he can relax. While we can relax in the car and enjoy more at Sakhlespur. I went ahead and booked a Savaari rental. They have many options and the pricing was very similar to self drive cars. In fact, some options were cheaper than the self drive cars. I booked a sedan with a driver and guess what? The driver came at a cheaper price! Had I hired a self drive rental, I would have to drive myself and pay more as well. In addition, the booking process was also hassle-free and there were lesser steps to book as there is no need to upload documents. Also, there is no need to pay the rent in advance. Just download the app or visit their website and you can book a Savaari in a hassle-free way.
On the first day of the trip, I didn’t have to wait for the alarm to go off. The driver was on time and called me to inform that he was standing near my house. He was my wake-up call. There was no extra cost for home pickup and drop which is again an added benefit. The self-drive cars charge Rs 300 – 500 to bring the car to your place and take it back after the booking is over. The driver waited patiently for us to start the trip. I guess he must have built patience after realizing that road trips seldom start on time.
Anyway, we started the trip and the driver was very cooperative whenever we asked to stop him. We took breaks for breakfast, tea and even coconut water. After all, we were on a vacation! It took us 8 hours to reach Sakhleshpur, but the driver was very patient. We were surely tired, but this would soon disappear after a quick hot shower and evening tea with hot pakoras. The tiredness that comes after driving for 8 hours doesn’t disappear that quickly.
The next day, we went for some local sightseeing. Some stretches in Sakhlespur lead to beautiful viewpoints, but the roads aren’t that great. In fact, for one viewpoint, there was no road at all! Just some rocks and dust which had eventually turned into something like a road. It’s okay because I believe that the more difficult it is to reach a place, the higher admiration you have for its beauty. However, those roads might not have been a Disneyland trip for the car. But the good thing with Savaari is the customer is not liable to any damages which occurs to the car. Of course, I can’t walk up to the driver and ask him to help me push the car in a valley. But if a rock bounces off the car and leaves the dent, we will not be liable for it. These days, a lot of users preferring self-drive have faced charges attributed to damages. But in case of Savaari, that is completely out of equation.
After spending 3 days in Sakhleshpur, we left for Bangalore. While returning, we had a last look at the lush green valleys passing by as the driver focused on the road. We reached Mysore soon and the Sunday evening returning traffic had formed unending queues. I am not a patient driver. I can’t be stuck in traffic and hum melodies. It was such a relief that I didn’t have to navigate through the crazy traffic. Before entering Bangalore, we again were stuck in traffic and I let a sigh of relief as the driver kept looking all around to find out how many inches were left between our car and the surrounding vehicles.
Our Resort in Sakhleshpur
I had also hired a car for outstation with a reliable driver for my Spiti trip. The rough terrains could have caused immense fatigue but thank god we had the driver to navigate through the ups and downs of Spiti roads.
All in all, it was a lovely trip with family. I created many memories and will cherish them for lifetime. Renting a car with Savaari helped me enjoy this trip even more. Savaari rental not only comes with a driver, but also hassle-free booking, zero liabilities, freedom from traffic navigation and many additional hours to be with your family or friends which might have been spent on driving. The last one is a priceless perk that Savaari offers.
Here’s a short video about Savaari. Check it out!
So next time when you are planning for a road trip, do consider booking a Savaari. Happy Travels!