Have you ever heard about the #vanlife movement? It started trending on social media and soon spread like wildfire in the West. Though you may not see such an extreme van-dwelling lifestyle in India, you can get a taste of it from the caravans in India! For the past few years, the government has encouraged private players to enter the game and boost caravan tourism.
If everything you read till now has bounced off your head, let us simplify it for you. A caravan is a fully furnished and well-equipped vehicle that you can drive and park in scenic locations. Several caravan rental companies in India let you do this, they have tie-ups with popular camping spots and resorts to make your experience better. Ready to explore India from the comfort of your home on wheels? Here are the best caravans in India:
6 Best Caravans In India
- Luxe Camper
- Wacation On Wheels
- Trippy Wheels
- Motorhome Adventures
- Green Dot Expeditions
- MTDC Campervan
1. Luxe Camper
This Bengaluru-based caravan startup company offers great adventures on the road and has tied up with popular campsites in Karnataka. Luxe Camper is India’s first fully approved motorhome. The camper mixes luxury and flexibility and brings you a new way to see the world from your comfort zone. The luxury camper comes with fully furnished seating spaces, a kitchenette, and a music system. It can accommodate 4 people along with 2 crew members, now that sounds spacious!
The best part about this caravan is that it’s eco-friendly; there are solar panels fitted on the roof which generate energy for the caravan. The caravan is designed in a way that allows daylight and ventilation inside the caravan. Traveling in this caravan gives you the feel of a resort because it has both hot and cold shower facilities, a lounging space that doubles as a queen bed, and two televisions powered with Amazon Fire Sticks!
Networks are always an issue when you’re traveling, but not in this caravan because it’s equipped with 4G WiFi. That means you can keep your social media updated about your caravan trip! The adventure freak in you will be excited when you know that the caravan has a bicycle rack to carry your bikes. You can even satiate your cravings for barbecue since the caravan has an outdoor BBQ facility.
If you’re wondering about safety, then let us tell you that there’s an electronic safe, a fire extinguisher, emergency exits, and a 360° CCTV camera in the caravan! Privacy isn’t a problem too since both the driver and the tour leader have their cabins. As night falls, you can convert the seats into cozy beds and crash into comfort. The camper caravan takes you wherever your heart lies, you can witness the wildlife of Bandipur, the heritage of Hampi, or the serenity of Sakleshpur. No wonder why this is one of the best caravans in India!
Price:
- Bangalore to Hampi 4-day Round Trip: INR 70,000
- Bangalore to Sakleshpur 2-day Round Trip: INR 25,000
- Bangalore to Bheemeshwari 2-day Round Trip: INR 30,000
- Bangalore to Kabini 2-day Round Trip: INR 30,000
- Bangalore to Bandipur 3-day Round Trip: INR 50,000
2. Wacation On Wheels
People from Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Bhopal, and Indore have a reason to step out of your home for the road trip of your dreams. Wacation On Wheels has tied up with 30 campsites across India that offer travelers some grand views right from their beds. What we love about this caravan is the space it provides. Go for the smaller caravan if you need room for 4 people and the larger caravan if you’re going with a larger group of 9 people.
The caravan has facilities for hot and cold water, air conditioning, and entertainment! Yes, you can either binge-watch some Netflix on its LCD TV or dance to road trip songs on its music system. The caravan is perfect if you’re planning a vacation with your friends because of the capacity of people it carries. You can just fold up the berths when you’re done and explore the sights outside the caravan. It will just make you go WOW!
Speaking of sights, the caravan’s campsites are no less than an adventure. You can travel anywhere you want across Central, Western, and Northern India. Visit the snow-clad mountains of Leh, the palaces of Rajasthan, the deserts of Gujarat, the wildlife sanctuaries of Madhya Pradesh, or the beaches of Goa, no stopping! When the day ends, ask your tour leader to light a bonfire outside the caravan and sit back on the camper chairs while you breathe in some fresh air!
If you want to show off your cooking skills to your friends, you can make the caravan’s kitchenette your workspace. Park your caravan by a river, catch some local fish, and roast it on the BBQ grill, travel like a true explorer! The caravans travel approximately 250 km per day, rental charges will depend on the number of days you book the caravan for.
Price:
- 4-person caravan: INR 2,500 per person per night
- 9-person caravan: INR 25,000 per night
3. Trippy Wheels
If you’re looking for a caravan in Karnataka, this can be your best choice. The Trippy Wheels caravans are designed for convenience and the largest caravan can accommodate up to 9 people! The caravans are spray painted by artists which gives a creative and fun vibe to your trip. A highlight of this caravan is its compact size which allows you to explore the offbeat places of Karnataka, Goa, and Andhra Pradesh.
Park your caravan wherever you like, besides a beach, amidst a forest, or on the foothills of mighty mountains! Then pitch your tents and fall asleep dreaming about stars, constellations, and galaxies. Nights in this caravan are beautiful with fairy lights and warm inviting beds. Wake up to calls of birds and some hot breakfast made on the makeshift kitchenette inside the caravan. Coming to its amenities, the caravan is fully air-conditioned, has a music system, tents to camp out, outdoor BBQ facilities, and several charging points for all your devices.
The compact size of this caravan doesn’t allow it to have a washroom on board but keep your concerns aside since the driver will take you to the hotels Trippy Wheels has partnered with. Once you freshen up, you can hit the road again!
Also, did we tell you that the caravan is as beautiful inside as its exterior? Yes, the insides of the caravan give you a bohemian vibe with peppy colors, printed linen and pillow covers, lovely wall art, and flowy curtains. Look closely and you can see that this caravan travels along with the stories and experiences of the destinations it drives to. For example, the intricate patchwork on the ceiling is a product of the skills of Gujarati craftsmen fitted when the caravan visited Hampi. Such are the tales this caravan carries.
Leave aside your worries about booking a mode of transport and accommodation because this caravan is all in one. You don’t even have to plan an itinerary since the driver knows the route to the best locations like the back of his hand. You can explore Hirekolale Lake, Dubare Forest Camp, Kundapura, Bhadra Sanctuary, Sakrebayalu, Hampi, Dandeli, and so on!
Price:
- INR 3,000 per person for one night
4. Motorhome Adventures
Motorhome Adventures, based out of Delhi, offers you some of the best caravans in India. You can book their caravans from Delhi, Bangalore, and some cities in Madhya Pradesh. The reason why this caravan makes it to this list is its flexibility! Yes, you have many options to book from and make your trip entirely customizable, from the caravan’s size and amenities to your travel itinerary! Best part? You can change your customization even at the last minute!
The smallest caravan can accommodate 2 people while the largest one can accommodate 12, something that sounds perfect for a large group of friends or a big Indian family! The caravan is equipped with all the modern luxuries you can ask for like a lounge area, kitchen space, and shower facilities! All this helps you go deeper into the offbeat places of India without leaving your comfortable urban life behind.
Motorhome Adventures is also the only company in India that keeps coming up with new technology and innovatively designed caravans, camper vans, and luxury motorhomes. You can choose a caravan depending on your vacation, like a camper van for a hardcore camping experience, or a luxury motor home to explore India in style. When you hit the road, safety is always a concern, but not with this caravan. All caravans are equipped with safety lockers, fire extinguishers, and first aid kits. There’s no end to the places you can travel to with this caravan, Himachal, Rajasthan, Ladakh, Uttarakhand…you name it! The satisfaction of exploring your favorite destination from the safety and comfort of this caravan will have you booking a trip with them over and over again!
Price:
Prices vary depending on the type of caravan, number of people, and customization of your trip. To give a brief idea, it costs INR 14,000 per night to rent a four-berth caravan.
5. Green Dot Expeditions
The mighty overland truck named ‘Taurus’ blurs the line between caravan tourism and camping. The spacious truck offers the modern amenities of a caravan and the primitive experiences of camping. Loaded with camping gear, hammocks, barbecue, and camping chairs, this truck will take you to the rarest destinations in India. The tents atop the campervan and the ones hanging on its side invite you to make them your cozy corners.
If your group of friends is a mix of introverts and extroverts, this campervan is a best friend for all. You can read a book under the warm lights inside the camper van or soak in some sun on the camp chairs. The campervan is your answer to eco-friendly traveling since there are solar panels to charge your devices and power the campervan. This overland truck is made for crazy mountain roads, rocky riversides, and curvy ghats, whatever the terrain, your journey is smooth.
The Campervan Has A Small Kitchenette As Well
There’s a kitchenette in the campervan that allows you to cook up a quick snack. But if you’re on a laidback vacay, the crew is right there to prepare delicious meals, ask them for local cuisines and they’ll happily oblige. There’s so much to do around this campervan with Green Dot Expeditions that your trip will fall short; go ahead and talk to the tour leader, Captain Suresh Sharma, as he has a lot of travel anecdotes to share.
Hop in the campervan and leave the rest of your journey to the tour leader. You can escape to Himachal, Ladakh, Rajasthan, or Punjab, and be assured that he’ll find you the right spot to camp on. That’s the interesting part about traveling in a caravan in India, you can park right where the waves touch the land and right where the forest ends, at locations no hotels can reach.
Price:
- Approximately INR 7,000 to INR 10,000 per person for one night
6. MTDC Campervan
Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has come together with Motohom to encourage this kind of outdoor tourism. The forests, valleys, waterfalls, caves, and temples of Maharashtra are best explored in this caravan. There are two options to choose from: a luxury caravan and a campervan. The luxury caravan gives you living space, a bedroom, a full-fledged kitchen, and even a rooftop terrace! The luxury caravan comes with a driver and an attendant who’ll be there for all your needs.
If you’re a small group who wants to explore on your terms, there’s the self-driven campervan. You can drive it far and wide to the destinations you like and hit a pit stop anywhere along your road trip. The cute little campervan can accommodate 4 people and is equipped with a mini-fridge, kitchenette, picnic chairs, and a rooftop tent. The campervan is perfect if you want to escape the urban chaos and hit the road with your buddies. Play your favorite road trip tracks on the campervan’s music system and vibe to the views outside your window.
Both the luxury caravan and the campervan are air-conditioned, but we suggest you roll down the glasses and let the fresh air work its magic. MTDC encourages you to go explore the great outdoors and all the wilderness it has to offer. Head over to the forts of Maharashtra, the beaches on the Konkan belt, or the valleys of the Sahyadris for unseen sights!
Price:
- Self-driven Campervan: INR 4,500 per day
- Luxury Caravan: INR 21,000 per day
Summing Up
If this concept of caravan tourism is new to you, wait till you hear about the nightclub on wheels or the ‘Party Bus’ launched by Delhi-based company Motorhomes. There’s also an ‘office on wheels’ launched by Pune-based company Pinnacle Speciality Vehicles. Who knew tourism, partying, and work were possible on wheels? Go ahead and ping your friends to go tripping in a luxury caravan and soak in some gorgeous views from your caravan’s window the moment you wake up!
FAQs
Can I Drive My Own Caravan?
No, you cannot drive your own caravan as it requires an HPMY category driving license to drive a caravan in India. All caravan rental companies provide you with a driver so you needn’t worry! You can drive small campervans though if you have a four-wheeler license.
How To Book A Caravan In India?
Research the caravan rental companies in India, decide on a place you want to visit, and shortlist the type and size of caravan you’ll require. Then book it directly from the website of that company. You can even go over physically to the office of a caravan rental company to book.
Which Type Of Caravan To Book?
This depends on the number of people you’re traveling with and the amenities you’ll require. If it’s a large group, you can go for a 9-seater or a 12-seater caravan. If it’s a smaller group of 4 people, you can book a campervan.
What Are Campsites For Caravans?
Campsites for caravans are parking spaces with amenities for caravans to park during the night. Such campsites offer restroom facilities, buffet meals, and adventure sports for tourists arriving at the campsite in caravans.
Which Vehicle Is Best For A Caravan In India?
In India, people consider the Bolero the best for a caravan.
How Many Can Travel In A Caravan?
A Caravan can accommodate a small group of 5 to 10 people.
How Much Will A Caravan Cost In India?
The cost of a ride in a Caravan varies from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 75,000 for 2 people depending on the places you want to travel.
Does The Caravan Have A Toilet?
Yes, the majority of the caravans have inbuilt toilets so this makes it a convenient ride for the tourist.
