These Guys Managed To Travel Across India With Less Than 100 Bucks!

The desire to travel and see the world is almost universal, yet most of us end up spending all or even most of our lives in the same city, same state or the same country. Of course, it is the safety, security and familial life that ties us down but for those who truly yearn for the foreign soil, money can be a major roadblock in their dreams as well.

Meet The MOVE Guys

The duo, Anuj Khurana and Ishant Kumar Jadaun who garnered fame as MOVE, managed to not only overcome the financial roadblock involved in travelling but were able to inspire and ignite the passion for travelling in hundreds along the way.

MOVE - The Journey

MOVE started their journey in July 2015, when 25-year-old Anuj Khurana and 22-year-old Ishant Kumar set out on a 105-day hitchhiking trip with no budget. They warmed up for their trip with a short journey from Gurgaon to Jaipur with nothing more than INR 100 in their pockets and a third friend for company. They were emboldened by the experience to take on their bigger challenge. Soon after, MOVE moved to Mumbai and commenced their journey of travel without money. Their facebook page MOVE was regularly updated with their escapades, and their travel stories garnered not only followers but some very generous friends as well.

Did They Succeed?

Bolstered by their successful albeit challenging travels during the year, MOVE was neither shy nor foolish to decline kind gestures from their friends who supported their travel goals. They borrowed bikes from a friend they encountered in Ladakh, gorged on free icecream at Zee studios, had free home lunch and free dance classes, as they came along. By the end of the year, their story was making rounds in a national newspaper, and they had successfully covered travelled across seven states, including cities of Mumbai, Pune, Goa, Aurangabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Udaipur, Aligarh and Nainital.

Was It Easy? Absolutely Not

It would be wrong to paint a picture with just the happy highlights of their travels, and it should be remembered that they were shaped not only by the kindness of the world but also the absurdity of it – other than days of no shower, no sleep, no rest and even no food, Anuj and Ishant have also had near-rape experience and spent over 18 hours in police custody a day before Yakub Menon’s execution because the police suspected them to be Pakistanis. Besides how the world has treated them, Anuj and Ishant have also braced themselves against a deluge of people, including their families, calling them names for having chosen this lifestyle.

The MOVE Way of Travel

MOVE may have ceased their facebook updates with the end of their 105 days’ agenda, but their travel stories continue to inspire and tickle the souls of travellers across the country. In case this inspires you to take on a journey like the MOVE boys, you will have to accept the tramp lifestyle completely and to give up the idea of travel as a luxurious and comfortable break from the monotony of your everyday life. 

While the MOVE way of travelling is highly subjective, here are some objective tips for your travel:
 
1. Evaluate your situation – the tramp life may not require any monetary investment, but your existing life will. Check if you can afford to take off and if you can, plan your rent, family expenses, etc. beforehand. 

2. Travel with minimum or no luggage – One grave mistake for tramps is to have belongings beyond what’s on the person.
Pro tips – If it doesn’t fit in your backpack, leave it at home (this includes overly optimistic expectations from the trip). Do not forget a sturdy pair of shoes, a solid jacket (ideally something that can double down as a rain jacket) and a power bank.

3. Prioritise your health and your physical security – A food poisoning incident or an injury would be a speed breaker. So, while accepting food and help along the way, be mindful of its effect on your health and well being.

4. Be humble and grateful – As you embark on your travel and begin to rely on others for every need of your day, make sure you are humble and grateful towards everyone who comes your way. For those that don’t help you, your behaviour would help the next tramp who might stumble across the same path.

The money you save or rather don’t have to spend to surf the roads of any country using this mode of travel translates into being at the mercy of the goodwill and kind hearts of the people you will meet on the way – the old lady who might feed you, the exhausted truck driver who may let you ride with him or the Dhaba-owner who might let you crash on his premise. This way of travelling is definitely not everybody’s cup of tea, but for those who have the heart and the passion for it, it can open up the whole world for your exploring.

Update – The latest initiative of the MOVE boys was their recent trip to Odisha, which garnered major attention for Anuj’s 30 days ‘coconut-water-only’ fast as he lost 14 kgs and all his clothes for all his photoshoots during the stay. Check out their Instagram page - sirfnariyal. 

What do you think about the MOVE boys? Are you inspired to give it all to travel to your heart's content? Let us know your opinions and experiences in the comments below!