A walk in the wild

It was a visit to the serene islands of Thurthi in Kasargod that inspired Pranav and Shreyas to start ‘Madventures’. The two, who were classmates in an engineering college, started the travel venture early last year after discovering their mutual love for travel, trekking and exploration.

Apart from visiting the quiet Kudremukh, scenic Kodachadri, rocky Kotebetta and tough Tadiandamol, ‘Madventures’ has trailed across many places in South India, Western Ghats and even up North, into the Himalayas. They also conducted an array of team-building activities like long estate walks, coffee picking, rafting and fishing with the locals. 

Though every trip holds a special place in their heart, Shreyas fondly recalls the trek to Edakumari, especially the time they were waiting for the day to break.

 “The deafening silence of the forest, the blinding darkness, the first rays of the sun and the chirping birds were some of the things I will never forget. In fact, one of our clients hugged us and thanked us for this experience,” he says.

Apart from their monthly treks, the group also conducts a variety of experiential and adventure tours. To prevent last minute cancellations, ‘Madventures’ has laid some strict guidelines regarding advance payment and also has a refund policy so that its trips can go as per plan, even if people back out at the last minute.

They are highly popular among college students and corporates and one can contact them via email or social media. Since a lot of planning is involved in organising these trips, the young entrepreneurs go on various exploratory tours to understand the place.

   They also assess the various terrains and the requirements and gather the support of the locals. “There have been times when we have just packed our bags and left without a destination in our mind,” says Pranav. They also carry the necessary first-aid requirements and have at least two seasoned trekkers on every trip to ensure safety. 

 For Shreyas and Pranav, travelling is equivalent to understanding life itself. “When we travel, we observe and understand local cultures, lifestyles and also the unique point of the place and how different it is from the others. The joy of interacting with the locals, savouring the scenic beauty of quaint little towns, experiencing the wonderful non-commercial home-stays and also enjoying the luxury of simple, homecooked food is something that can come only with travelling,” they add.

“It’s a journey into the self and we constantly strive to provide and recreate experiences that are unique to each place,” they wrap up.    
Anushka Sivakumar