Viral Video: Kerala woman drives family caravan to Ladakh, wows social media

On Instagram, a woman from Kerala shared her family’s caravan trip from Kerala to Ladakh. The video has gone viral with nearly 54 million views.

The caravan, like a small home on wheels, has bunk beds, a kitchen, cupboards and a fridge. Social media users have filled the comments with love. Some of them are also asking how much such a cosy caravan costs.

The vehicle looks like a custom-built caravan based on a BharatBenz or Mercedes-Benz bus chassis. It features customised bodywork with premium headlights.

Watch the viral video on Instagram. Check out their YouTube video.

One user called it a “dream travel”.

“Watching Your video From 6 months without understanding Language,” wrote one user.

“One day I will see you in person. It is a good feeling to watch your video. It is like my people who left me,” came from another.

“Best of all. Plz come Himachal Pradesh (Palampur)my home town,” invited one user.

One Instagram user commented, “My wish will come true like this someday.”

Puthettu Travel Vlog is a YouTube channel run by Jelaja and Ratheesh, a couple from Ettumanoor in Kottayam district in Kerala. The YouTube channel has 5.63 lakh subscribers. On Instagram, they have more than 6.5 lakh followers.

They are truck drivers who document their journeys across India and nearby countries, sharing their experiences of truck life, cooking, and sleeping in their vehicle.

Their channel started around 2018 and gained popularity after a notable Kashmir trip. They often take loads to places like Nepal, Hyderabad, Pune and Meghalaya. They transport goods such as plywood, onions, rubber and pineapples.

Who’s the woman behind the wheel?

Jalaja, a homemaker for 19 years, surprised her truck-driver husband Ratheesh on their wedding anniversary. She told him that she wanted to travel across India with him, especially to Kashmir.

He agreed, but only if she drove the truck. Though she had a heavy vehicle licence since 2018, she had never driven before.

Inspired, she took the wheel. Ten days later, they reached Kashmir. That first trip changed their lives, according to Logistics Insider.

Since February 2022, Jalaja has driven across 22 Indian states, union territories like Ladakh, and even countries like Nepal and Bhutan, per the publication.

Her journey inspired her sister-in-law Soorya and daughter Devika to become truck drivers too. Their family business, Puthettu Travels, now runs 27 trucks.

Jalaja and Ratheesh drive in shifts and cook on a portable stove. One of her favourite journeys was to Nepal, inspired by Mohanlal’s 1992 Malayalam movie Yoddha.