Atul Rama Warrier, has redefined going “the extra mile” when it comes to planning a motorcycle journey - he quit his Bengaluru job two months ago and has even sold his various properties to fund his travel.
Now, the 37-year-old from Thrissur is all geared up for a world tour on his bike that is expected to take two-and–a-half years.The lone trip will begin on May 30 and his 2002 Royal Enfield Thunderbird will take him across 40 countries in five continents. His journey will start from Kanyakumari and lead him through parts of Southeast Asia, Australia, Middle East, Europe and Africa.
“Travel is very personal. No two travelers will have the same thoughts and experiences, due to which it is nearly impossible for two travelers to be in sync all the time. On the other hand, travelling alone gives one the freedom to stop anywhere one wants to,” Atul told The News Minute.The trip is expected to cost him approximately Rs 55 lakh. Atul will be leading a very basic life without luxuries.
One of the goals of the trip is to also spread word and raise funds for an NGO that works for street kids, called Make A Difference (MAD).To do all this, he has set up a Facebook page “Warrier’s Trails” to document his journey and update his friends and followers. An official website is also expected to start functioning by the end of the month.“The idea is also to convert the entries on the page into a travelogue later on,” he said.
Atul, who is part of multiple biker organisations, has been on several motorcycle trips over the last 20 years.However, he set out on his first lone trip in 2010, and two years later undertook a month-long trip covering the whole of South India.
“Travelling alone is important because I travel to explore- both the places and my own self,” he said.In terms of destinations Atul is keen to visit Australia where he has never been.“Another destination I am looking forward to is Vietnam and Cambodia, mainly because of the rich history they hold,” he said.It took Atul nearly two years to put the plan together and convince his family about his decision.
“Since nobody in our close quarters has undertaken such a trip before, my family still has some reservations about it. But they are getting comfortable with the idea,” he said.While acknowledging the natural insecurities of his family, Atul also said that such instances are not completely unheard of and that a lot of international travelers undertake such trips.
Nevertheless, returning from the trip most likely penniless looms over his head all the time, but it does not weigh him down.“That’s the point of the whole thing. Through the trip, I will be able to explore myself, and later after returning, re-building everything from the scratch is what excites me,” Atul said.