Sep 7th-8th is Climbing-101 at CampL inger in the Devarayanadurga Hills, 90km from Bangalore.
We’re partnering with the folks at Urban Climbers who are organizing Bouldering training sessions – both theory and practical – on real rocks and boulders! A pro trainer, the right equipment and a great location guaranteed 🙂
The Weekend 7th-8th September, 2013:
7th Sept – Arrive. Breakfast at 9am, followed by an initiation into climbing basics at a beginners’ rock. Some theory classes will follow. Lunch, maybe a splash in the tank, followed with a short walk to some boulders and trying out stuff you learned.
Campfire and tuck-in by 11 – there’s an early start on day 2.
8th Sept morning – early tea and snacks, and then a trek up a hill behind the campsite. The trainers will identify a good rock or two to try out some of the techniques you’ve learned so far.
Back for a heavy brunch, time in the pool, tea and off we go.
Who : Anyone 8 and above
Gear : All equipment needed will be provided. Be in comfortable sports clothing – Track & T’s. Avoid denim.
Cost : 12 and Above : Rs.4213/- inclusive svc taxes, all food, activities, everything. Kids 9-12 – 1150/- inclusive of all.
To book your slots, stay@linger.in or call: +91-95900-50001.
If you’re travelling as a family, it’s ok if a couple of people sign up to do this and others just spend the weekend camping (our usual rates apply). Of course, we encourage everyone to give this a shot!
We’re always looking for local stories and fun things to do around our places. On our last trip to Gokarna a few days ago, look what we found!
Yep, there’s a surfing school in the neighbourhood. And Sandeep of Cocopelli is a passionate young man who’s been living around there for a decade teaching a bunch of local kids what he loves most – surfing!
They also do sessions for those willing to go learn surfing – starting with “Try It” sessions. you’d typically need a course of 3-4 sessions of a couple of hours each over a weekend to get somewhere. Kids 9 and above are allowed, and they do not merely rent surfboards unless you’re a regular, experienced surfer. Prices for a session start at approx 1000/- with all the kit (board, an upper-body rash protection suit, etc) and training. Sandeep is confident that he can guarantee anyone will learn to surf in the duration of the course.
It’s doable even in this season, when the water’s a little rough. They’ll advise you on when it’s safe.
Even getting to his place in the monsoon was an awesome experience – check this out 🙂 (Yup, that water that you see is the path)
So the next time you wanna come Linger, do check out this option. Let us know, we’ll connect you with Sandeep and you’ll return with a tan, fun memories and a lot more!
Linger has been a very niche, and amongst-the-community brand, and many of our guests are friends now. We have grown slow, and avoided the usual travel agent route thus far. We did try working with a couple of travel agencies a few times, but except one, have not had a good experience yet.
In our view, Travel Agents need to solve something concrete for us. Online, offline, experiential, whatever.
Somewhere in the Nilgiris – soon!
Problems?
We are primarily a weekend business, and run empty on most weekdays despite significant costs for the same. Some weekends just before and after popular long weekends also see a lull. These can be solved.
There are so many folks who would love the idea of Lingering that we’re unable to reach out to quickly enough through our existing
connects. Travel Agents can play an important role for us here, and one has, for a specific niche.
If we’re able to run at better volumes, we can pay folks better (like we always keep trying to), become sustainable financially for all stakeholders, ecologically and socially for the community around, and grow.
We also ran into issues like the wrong price being communicated to our guests, and our properties themselves being mis-sold as something
they were not. We’d rather run vacant than have wrong expectations set, and eventually hurt our brand. There also have been stories inthe media about unethical practices on the part of OTAs that seek to merely maximize the commission they make, and has little to do with representing a property and making a guests’ experience the best aligned with their interests.
If Travel Agents help us crack these problems, we’re more than happy to share with them. Doing it only for holiday seasons and long weekends when happy guests themselves refer enough folks seems pointless and is a little unfair on the part of the travel agent industry.
We’re sure they provide a valuable service and a nominal service charge added transparently to their clients’ bills will be accepted as a fair charge.
Who We’d Love To Work With. And How.
We’d be happy working with travel partners who’re interested in more than the transactional value of their clients – and care about their experience, their vacation, interest as well. We want to work with people who care about the idea of travel itself, and want to further interesting ways to travel, believe in different reasons for which folks travel, and without merely addressing the common (including the easy “luxury” way out too) denominator of the industry – deals, standardization and the comfort zone of the same old. We’d love to connect with folks who are focused on more bang, not just less buck.
We truly believe that reasonable value for all, and healthy symbiotic relationships do much better in the long run.
On our part, we thought the following would be a better, fairer way to share transparently:
Solve Volumes : We offer 1 free room night for every 10 nights booked with us. After 20 room nights, we’ll offer 2 room nights for every 10 room nights booked with us, or 1 after every 6 as desired. Since this involves multiple properties at various times, the value offered free will be the average of the room nights booked with us.
Solve Right-Selling : We also feel we should create Long Term Value for Travel Partners who we work with – so for any guest that comes through a travel partner, we’ll share 4% on ALL subsequent reservations by a returning guest with the partner over the next 3 years after the firs trip, even if the same are made directly by the guest with us. We also pass on a benefit to returning guests – this is on top of that. And those who work with us know we are transparent and ethical about this!
The above will, of course, make sense only if we’re not being mis-sold in terms of the offering or promises made. We like speaking to our guests and being as transparent as possible before they confirm with us, and would like to be able to do that even as we work with travel partners.
Doesn’t this make more sense? We’re taking this stand for now, and perhaps will start working with those travel agents willing to question norms and change the industry to be friendlier, more transparent and ethical.
If you are a travel outfit who shares our ethos, and thinks the above can be explored (or if you know of one), we’d like to connect for sure.
We’re also looking to partner with folks who design & operate travel around specific themes and activities (history tours, coffee tours, cycling, hikes and treks, bouldering – you tell us!) for the same around our locations.
We’re at hey@linger.in OR at +91-95900-50001. Look forward to hearing from you.
There are multiple overnight sleeper buses. They leave from Bangalore between 8 and 10pm, and have pickups at various places across town. And they get you into Gokarna early morning around 7:30am which is a perfect time to get there.
Autos take you to our place for about Rs.120-140/-
Drive : Multiple routes, all of them scenic and its takes about 8-9 hours so start early. total of between 480-530 kms.
NH4 -> NH206 (from Tumkur, towards Shimoga) -> right turns onto NH17 at Honnavara -> Kumta -> Gokarna Cross -> Gokarna. Recently reported to have been repaved so in decent conditioned. Shortest route.
NH4 -> Left towards Sirsi at Haveri (many smaller roads, but scenic) -> Kumta -> Gokarna Cross -> Gokarna
Driving : Its a 710km drive that should take about 9-11 hrs. NH4 -> NH63 at the Hubli Dharwad Cross -> NH17 -> Gokarna Cross -> Gokarna. The roads are good all the way.
From Panaji (Goa) :
Its fairly close from Panaji – just about 166kms.
The above mentioned trains can take you upto Gokrana Cross or Kumta. Doesn’t make sense to catch one upto Karwar since you’re still relatively far away.
Lots of buses. Volvos headed towards Mangalore drop you off at Gokarna Cross.
Its a pretty, easy drive. You can also stopover at the warship museum (INS Chapal) at Karwar on your way/back.
Driving your own vehicle makes sense if you’re not just on a quick weekend break, and would be up to exploring more of the beautiful places in Uttara Kannada – Yana, the numerous waterfalls, Mirjan Fort, maybe even catch a Yakshagana performance or two.
Notes : We’re north of the Gokarna Town/Temple/Beach – away from the usual hotspots of Om Beach, Paradise, or Kudle. Its a secluded, rural beachside with farms, and the last mile is a little tough to find – we’ll send you directions from Gokarna to our place as you start to plan your vacation. Do get in touch at stay@linger.in or at +91-95900-50001.
[ Also, Linger locations are NOT designed as resorts. We’re about local construction, local flavours and retaining the feel of the place. You’ll experience beachside Uttara Kannada as it always has been. ]
