Letscampout brought out our adventurous side in more ways than one.
Organized by Letscampout, camping was a large part of SulaFest 2017 – the multi-genre music festival that went down last weekend. From enthusiastic entertainers to activity zones; Letscampout had a lot to offer to festival goers who chose the special campsite package. In spite of a range of ups and downs, the camp definitely provided an unforgettable experience for both season travellers and first-time campers.
With all the activity and energy surrounding the camp, The Sherp breaks down the entire camping experience just for you. Take a look..
Arrival And Walk
We arrived at 11:30 am at the booking office for our check-in. Once we got our entrance bands, we headed to the campsite which was an 8 to 10 minute leisure walk from the entrance of SulaFest. Although, if you’re the adventurous type, we’re sure this would be a cake walk for you, right? As for all you guys who need to exercise, but are too lazy to get up and do it, Letscampout definitely brings out the adventurous side in you!
Tents
Basic Tent
The basic 2-man 7*7 dome tents were large enough to fit two mattresses and even had some place at the side to store your luggage and personal items. Equipped with a blanket, pillow and mattress; the tent had a nice-cozy little set-up, giving campers a place to relax, loll around and rest throughout the day.
Each tent even came with a special Letscampout welcome kit containing basic toiletries. What’s great was that if you arrive early, you get assigned the tents closest to the campfire and entrance; making life a little easier for you!
Deluxe Tents
Equipped with a queen-sized air bed, this 10*10 6 feet high dome tent even came with one of Sula’s oldest and finest red wines, Dindori Reserve! These tents were located just a short distance from the entrance, making travelling between the festival and the tent way easier. With more room, these tents provided a whole lot more breathing space and even featured elite toilets.
Glamping
The 13*13 Glamping tents came with a bottle of Rasa, a premium Sula wine, as well as plush pillows and duvets. Although these were the most expensive and luxurious tents of the lot. The only drawback was that these campers had to walk a little extra to the campsite as their tents were situated right at the back. The Basic and Deluxe campers, on the other hand, had the convenience of being located the closest to the entrance.
Location and View
The weather on the first day was rather hot, but as night drew, the cool breeze started to take over the Tent City, allowing campers to relax and chill in their camp, while the sky turned dark and the stars came out to play. To our good fortune, the second day saw a change in the day time temperature, providing a cozy environment to listen to some music, read a book or catch an afternoon siesta as we waited for the music acts at Sula to commence.
In the night, the entire walk from the festival, the stairway and the campsite area too, were lit up with soft yellow rice lights, creating a gorgeous scenic view that set a beautiful ambient, romantic and festive tone to Tent City.
What was great about the location of the campsite was the fact that people could sit and eat their breakfast as they enjoy the morning sunshine over the pond where the beautiful white ducks swam around. Hell, even goats and cows made their way to the campsite!
Organized Activities and Activity Zone
What really struck out for us was that the camp organizers did everything it took to ensure that the campers kept fit throughout! From yoga sessions in the morning to Trampoline jumping; campers had multiple options to keep healthy as well as kick start their adrenaline to a whole new level. For those of you who thought trampoline jumping was just a fun sport, well after you try it at Letscampout, you’ll definitely change your mind about the intensity of the cardio workout it gives you!
Through these innovative ways of physical exercise, campers were constantly surrounded by an array of activities to choose from.
Be it football or volleyball, whatever your fancy, the activity zone gave campers plenty of ways to get their adrenaline pumping. What’s great, these activities also provided a neat way for campers to bond and interact with each other in a fun and friendly way.
Bringing focus back to an ancient Indian practice, the campsite gave campers a chance to try their hand at kite flying. The mornings saw some fun kite fights between campers as they each tried to outdo the other. For those new to kite flying, the organizers were quick to teach them how to do it the right way.
If improving hand-eye co-ordination and arm strength was more your thing, then Poi was the activity for you. Generating much interest from the campers, Poi is a performing art of New Zealand that works your arm muscles and ensures that your hand-eye coordination is top notch. This activity saw quite a few campers attempt this practice with enthusiasm, excitement and interest and also created a fun space to interact and learn about each other, be it the organizers or fellow campers.
Body Massage
After all the fun and games or perhaps the tiredness of walking around the festival grounds for hours, your feet tend to give way. But we didn’t fret! Letscampout had a special body massage tent offering campers both body and foot massages, giving them a chance to ship those tired vibes away!
Vibe
As the days went on, the vibe of the camp changed over time, owing to the large crowds that checked in on Saturday and Sunday. The atmosphere, interactions between campers as well as connection between organizers and campers seemed to grow more and more; creating a vibrant feeling that added to the charm of Tent City.
Camaraderie and Crowd
The camp didn’t fall short when it came to promoting camaraderie. Be it the bond created between campers from different parts of the world or the connection with the organizers, everybody came together. Thanks to the range of activities provided by the camp organizers, campers had multiple opportunities to do just that.
The crowd included both local people from all over India as well as campers from all over the world. No matter where you came from, everybody chilled together. It was a pleasant sight to see people from all walks of life and cultures sit together, share music, drinks and food as well as create new bonds of friendship that can only happen at a campsite.
Cinema Paridise
Although, the organizers aren’t to blame for the huge gushes of wind that brought the huge screen of Cinema Paridiso to the ground; it sure would have been nice to catch a movie under the stars, especially after a long day at the festival. But we give them full credit for trying.
Decor
Bringing the theme of the festival into focus, the campsite and camp fire were surrounded by wine bottle decor, adding a unique touch to the place and amplifying the vibe of the vineyards.
Washrooms and Showers
Although, one can’t expect much from portaloos, the campsite did have a rather short amount of loos in comparison to the sheer amount of people at the campsite. With a large amount of basic tents in the area, just four portaloos for the 2-man tents fell a bit short. Each loo came with toilet rolls, liquid soap and a wash basin. However, the showers were in decent condition, giving campers a chance to wash up in a clean space.
The good thing was, for those people unable to manage in a portaloo, The SulaFest washrooms weren’t far off.
Camp fire and Performers
With interactive sing-song sessions, drum circles and live performers; the camp fire created a cool space for everybody to come together as one unit as well as relax. And with the temperature in the nights dropping way down, irrespective of whether you like to sing or not, you’d be running to the fire for some oh-so-precious warmth!
Food
As part of the package, the included breakfast buffet had everything from jam and butter sandwiches, dosas and poha to jalebee and toasted bread. The meal was both satisfactory and delicious and left the campers happy. The coffee and tea were okay too.
The rest of the meals could be purchased at additional costs. As expected, the costs for each item were raised due to the lack of other options available. From Chicken Kheema to Bhurji pav, the food and drinks at the campsite, supplied by Wannabe Foodies, served as the ideal kind of meals for the cold nights. However, it would be great if the camp had more than just one food stall.
What we did miss, the barbecue that was promised at additional cost and was a major attraction of the camp experience, did not take place.
Chilling Zone and Charging Stations
The main chilling zone, near the entrance, as well as the individual chilling zones in each camp area, came equipped with charging zones. The main chilling area even came with its own fans, allowing campers to relax in the shade with some cool breeze blowing their way. However, the charging stations were deactivated on several occasions, leaving campers in a fix.
Another advantage about staying at the campsite is the fact that it was close to the festival grounds, allowing you to go back and forth, if need be, multiple times in the day. It also saves you from having to wait long hours for a cab or a long journey back to your hotel. In conclusion, Letscampout was an unforgettable experience that was worth it all the way.
All image courtesy: Letscampout