Four friends, who’ve seen the ways of city life finally figured they were better off to where they belonged, back to nature and the woods. Their website states, “Understanding the ethos of the place in its entirety and go back humbled.” Their travels and journeys laid the foundation of Chalohoppo. It made them realise that they can always be happy, content, share and show others from all around the world the serene wilderness, culture and lives of Northeast India. Changing the cliched perceptions of the region, focusing primarily on promoting cultural exchanges, that is how Chalohoppo started: to provide never-experienced trips and journeys to the Northeast of India.
With an aim to provide hassle-free travel experiences, they have since then gained a quarter short of 1000 happy travelers with 240 plus tents erected, living life 401 days in the wild with 1698 cups of chai sipped among travelers in joy. This was accompanied by the strangest of things consumed – stink bugs in Pasighat, spiders in Nongriat, dog in Arunachal Pradesh and hornet’s larvae in Ziro. So much for adventure!
It was Chetan who realized that maybe it was time to solve the rhetoric and the next time somebody said “I want to visit your hometown!”, hand them a map with an itinerary and ask them about the dates that they are free to come by! He took the leap of faith and quit his job (working with Coupon Dunia at the time) to jump full-time into building this idea of bringing people to Northeast India .
A few calls from Guwahati to Mumbai and within a week two like-minded guys, one from Tripura and one from Kerala were on board because they connected to the underlying vision of “bridging the gap between mainland India and the exotic northeast.” The first meeting happened in a small OYO room in Delhi where a fourth and final ChaloHoppo man joined the team, over Skype. As far as branding was concerned, it was to take shape in the months to come by and Nishant would be leading the same. But the underlying vision was what was agreed upon unanimously.
What kind of trips does ChaloHoppo provide?
Pre-scheduled: where a ChaloHoppoGuy accompanies a group of 8 to 12 travelers, and at every place is joined by a local guide or expert, who along with the ChaloHoppo guy ensures that the guests have a great time.
Customised: where travelers are given a travel plan, provided with a car or numbers of local taxis if they want something cheaper, and ChaloHoppo assists them over phone, giving them local sim cards and manage the trip remotely. In such trips, handpicked home-stays with their warm hosts and the chosen local guides represent ChaloHoppo to make an experience of a lifetime.
A large number of local stakeholders in the form of Sumo drivers, guides and homestay owners form a crucial part of the ChaloHoppo’s universe. They are all are the backbone for the company.
Everybody is welcome to travel along with Chalohoppo as long as they have the right spirit. Chalohoppo doesn’t prefer to cater to groups sizes more than 8 to 12 people, unless it is a camping trip where they accommodate anywhere between 50 to 100 people. When traveling with a large group (camping) they have a doctor on board and otherwise always carry first aid kit and check for the nearest dispensary. The security so far has been through the relationship they build with the locals and don’t go into territories that they know have been in news for mishappenings.
Catering to all Adventure, Backpacking, Camping, Trails, Festivals, Nature, Short Escapes and Wildlife, they have taken people from all walks of life to Mechuka, Tawang, Ziro, Dambuk, Tirbin, Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh; all across Khasi hills, Amlarem in Jowai; Majuli, Jorhat, Kaziranga and Manas in Assam; Mon, Mockokchung, Kohima, Dzukou in Nagaland; Neermahal, Unakoti, Agartala in Tripura. They haven’t yet entered Mizoram and Manipur, but are looking to explore the states before end-2017. Their personal favourite is Arunachal’s mountain range that fascinates them, and they are very excited to visit the Easternmost tip of the Indian subcontinent (Dong village) and start taking enthusiastic travelers there.
Putting up 75 people comfortably in a campsite was the coming of age for Chalohoppo as an experiential travel company in 2016 at the biggest outdoor music festival in India, Ziro festival of Music. This year too they plan to cater to travelers from 27th September to 2nd October 2017 with friendly budget package deals.
So pack your backpacks and hop along with Chalohoppo to discover more of Northeast India!
Nocy Rangsa Marak
A survivor soul with the niche for all things creative. Graphic designer by profession and heart, evident in her love for colours, shapes and stationary visible through her attire or things she owns. Love for writing, a creative expression form she also enjoys. New places, food, culture, music always intrigues her travel soul that she is discovering one element at a time. Living life mostly through experiences, writing, journals, doodles, art and design, and discovering.
