In these days of travelling as a profession, Bengaluru-based traveller couple Goutham Rajan and Thara Nandikkara, who go as Clueless Compass on social media, do it differently. As much as they are passionate about travelling, it is not their full time job and they make a strong case for travelling wisely, without ripping one’s pocket or losing a job.
“If you are willing to let go of the comfort of travelling with an agent and have a sense of adventure, then you can travel to any place. One needs to spend time on research,” says Goutham, an R&D engineer. His father’s job with the Indian Railways ensured that he got to travel across the country, but it became a full-blown passion when he began travelling with Thara, his wife, in 2015. Since then they have travelled to 17 countries and to 20 States in the country. What sets this couple apart is that they make time to travel despite having jobs. They started documenting their trips only last year, in January 2018. Since then they have gathered many followers, especially their Instagram handle.
“If it is a trip in India, we spend 10 days and if it’s overseas it’ll be around two weeks.” More days than that, he jokes, they feel homesick. The couple travels on a budget and their list of tips starts with planning leave to booking to transport and food. Despite the planning the unexpected contingency adds fun to the experience. Like what happened to them in Athens when they missed the connecting flight to Istanbul.
“We got in touch with other travellers, locals on traveller’s forums who gave helpful inputs. We found that there was an overnight bus, much like our ‘Samjhauta Express’ train, that connects Athens and Istanbul. The bus was spacious, the journey good and we got to interact with locals.”
Goutham underlines the advantage of being part of online, traveller forums. These sources point in the right direction when it comes to alternate options be it accommodation, modes of transport or even the sights to catch.
Like, for instance, when the couple travelled to China their online, Chinese friends offered tips beforehand about transport, accommodation and such. “You can’t use Google or Facebook in China...so we had to find our own way. And of course the contacts we made, over the forums, came in handy.”
Planning a trip is a confidence booster, which spikes with each successful trip, Goutham says. “Travelling with an agent has its constraints— you travel the same route, the same sights. When you are on your own you see more, experience different things.”
When Thara and he travelled to Italy they gave the Leaning Tower of Pisa a miss. Instead, they went to a lesser known town Cinque Terre. “We passed through the Pisa railway station, but didn’t get down. It was a decision out of the usual tourist routine, but we didn’t regret it as Cinque Terre was an amazing experience!”
Each of their trips has been chronicled elaborately, with helpful/interesting insights. Thara, a journalist, handles the writing and Goutham is the photographer. Based on their experiences they offer casual consultations on how to plan a trip, they have plans to do it in a more organised manner.
Of travelling as a couple, Goutham says, “The best part is that we are together. Obvious as it sounds, it is crucial when it comes to building a relationship. Nowadays a couple spends quality time together mostly when they meet after work, not ideal to building a relationship. When we travel, both of us are together as part of the adventure and novelty of experience. This has made our bond stronger, which is why we identify ourselves as a ‘travel couple’ because both those words are meaningful.”
Clueless Compass tips
1.Take extreme care while booking flight tickets, usually this will be 50% of your expense usually.
2. Wait for the deals, subscribe for airline alerts and check for prices from alternate airports near you also.
3. Use backpacker hostels or dormitories wherever possible. These are cheaper than hotel rooms.
4. Use less of taxis, these cost five times more than public transport.
5. Shop from lesser known markets. Famous markets get more crowds and hence the items are almost always overpriced.
6. Shop for food from supermarkets, restaurants could be expensive. Sandwiches, muffins, cookies and such are available at reasonable prices in supermarkets.
