Hiring a Car for Trekking and Driving in Forest

Are you a Trekker? Is your alternative passion to cover the difficult mountains through trekking on road or are you a good driver who can take the car for a forest drive? If the latter is true, then you should know a few pointers before you hire a car for trekking. The following are those pointers that will help you be in a safe situation while driving the car in Kerala forests and also avoiding getting unnecessary dents on the car.

Tips For Trekking And Car Driving in Forest

Know The Routes

This is one of the essential keys to driving safely through the forests or hillocks. If you are not sure of the route, then in no time, you will be lost and you may end up in a place where there is nobody who can get you out. One solution is to keep a road map with you or to hire a local person who knows the roads really well. You will need such a person, especially when you are amidst a forest.

main problem of driving in a forest is that all the roads look alike and you don’t know how to get out of that forest. It will soon get dark and you will have even more problems in understanding the route. To avoid this either keep a comprehensive road map with you or hire somebody who can be your tour guide. You can hire a driver cum guide from the car rental company itself. This will save you a lot of effort to know the routes and drive accordingly.

Be Careful While Driving on The Back-Roads

These back-roads can be really bumpy. If you are driving through small hillocks, then you might encounter big boulders and pot-holes on the back-roads. These are something that will never be mentioned on the road map. Therefore, if you don’t have a guide along with you, then you have to be really careful. Especially, if you are driving along with your family, then things can get really worse while you are driving along the back-roads. However, there is no full guarantee that you will always have a bumpy ride. You may have a smooth ride too while driving on the back-roads. However, this completely depends on the natural condition of the roads. Sometimes, your guide may also not know what is in store for you when you are turning towards the back-roads. 

Also Read: Top Hill Stations in Kerala That you must visit

Drive Slowly

Since you will be driving through hilly areas or forests, the best way to be always on the safe side is to drive slowly. This doesn’t mean that you take 4 hours to reach 4-kilometer distance. However, as these roads remain mostly clear of vehicles, the drivers get the overconfidence to drive at breakneck speed. This is not a good way to drive through unknown roads and especially bumpy roads. You never know if the road ahead contains too many boulders, or it is too greasy, or too much snow-clad, etc.

Therefore, it is a wise decision to drive slowly and carefully. You will get to see any impediments on the road clearly if you drive slowly. You will end up keeping the car in the best condition if you drive slowly. A lot of people end up breaking the headlights of the car by driving too fast and bumping into a boulder or such heavy obstructions.

Keep Enough Supply With You

This is the last tip that is provided here. However, this is one of the essential things to keep you and your family safe and sound. If you wish to trek or visit a forest, then one thing you can rest assured of and that is, you will fall short of food and water supply or shops on the road. You may get some while leaving the city area though. If you have small children with you, then this will be the biggest challenge for you. Therefore, fill the backseat or the trunk of your car with an ample amount of snacks and water supply. Forests are known to enhance your appetite. Therefore, it would be a wise decision to keep lots of tins of dry fruits, and dry snacks with you. You and your children may get hungry within two hours of having food. If you bring food that has a lot of gravy in it, then there are chances of spilling and destroying the seats or trunk of the car.

Always remember that you have to send this car back to the owner. So replace such food items with burgers, chips, sandwiches and such items. These food items will curb your hunger and in addition to that will not cause any harm to the interior of the car. Keep lots of packaged drinking water with you. Depending on forest water streams or river water might land you in a hospital with chronic diarrhea. Especially, if you are driving with small kids, then keeping bottles of mineral water with you is a must.