You will not find anywhere in world some of the wonderful routes such as in India. Some very famous routes are drive from Mumbai to Goa which is mesmeric, full of scenic beauty, with Western Ghats from end to end and it is a top choice among Mumbaikars. There are two routes and both have ample delicious gastronomic options along the way to stay satiated. Similarly Manali to Leh is a breathtaking road trip. Vishakhapatnam to Araku Valley, Guwahati to Tawang, Chennai to Pondicherry, Shimla to Manali via Mandi, Ahmedabad to Kutch, and Darjeeling to Pelling are few more road trips one should go for. Whether you drive or hire a driver, you must carry these items with you:

Compass and map: These are two parts of the same tool. A good map provides the lay of the land while a compass works to orient an individual within that map. For example, although a map can show that a certain river is south of a major peak, it does not clearly depict where one is in relation to those landmarks. A proper map is oriented towards true north and a reliable compass can line a person up with true north, thus providing direction within the map. An adventure is fruitful only when you reach the right place. The fact is Google maps and GPS do not work in deep interiors where your Smartphone does not catch network. Such times, a map helps you to explore your destination with more poise.

Just last month when we were driving from Madgaon to Mollem a deep interior of at the foot of Anmod ghat we lost our way roaming around the place curelessly because the GPS and mobile networks were not working, luckily we had a map which gave directions and we reached the destination – an ancient Shiva temple in a village named Tambdi Surla, the gates   were about to be closed. We somehow could make it. Tambdi Surla is a 12th-century Shiva temple built in Hemadpanthi style. The Jain style construction has led to debates about the origins of the temple, since the Kadamba Dynasty ruled Goa between the tenth and fourteenth centuries.

Mobile charger: Do not forget to carry your mobile charger, your mobile phone goes with you everywhere, its important is to carry a charger or travel adapter so that mobile phone never runs out of battery.

Bottled water: Do not ruin a good trip by getting sick; contaminated drinking water is one of the leading sources of health problems for travellers, and can cause anything from mild gastrointestinal distress to serious bacterial diseases. The most common cause of water-borne illness is bacteria. Many times, travellers become ill simply because the pathogens in the water are foreign to their immune systems, while locals have adapted to the water supply and can drink it without problems. The best way to protect yourself is to avoid local tap water and instead seek out bottled water.

Most of India’s tap water is unhealthy for consumption. Restaurants will offer treated drinking water, but it’s advisable for visitors to always drink bottled water. Bottled water in India comes in two types: packaged drinking water, and pure mineral water such as the Himalayan or Bisleri brand. There is a difference between them. Packaged drinking water is water that has been treated and made healthy for drinking, while mineral water has been obtained naturally at its underground source and hygienically bottled. Both are safe to drink, although mineral water is better as its chemical free, plus the quality of treated drinking water varies.

Camera: No matter whether you are going to mountains or beaches, you are sure to have so many memories associated with the trip. Carrying a camera allows you to capture those beautiful moments. You may also take selfies if you have a good front camera in your smartphone.

First aid kit: Make sure that your car is stocked with necessary medicines and first aid kit. Prescription medicines such as antipyretics, antacids and travel sickness tablets will help you in your journey. In addition, a first aid kit having adhesive bandages, dressings, antiseptic cream, haemostatic agents etc. should be kept handy.

Food: Pack your car with plenty of healthy stuff to eat. Carry eatables such as canned fruits, dry snacks, biscuits, dried fruits, pretzels, nuts etc. for the times when you feel running out of energy. If possible, you can also carry lunch and dinner for the first day after you start driving. Carrying healthy food will prevent the possibility of an upset stomach and will encourage you to avoid the temptation of fast food that may be unhygienic.

Toilets: Unfortunately one of India’s major problems is its severe lack of public toilets, which is blamed for the common sight of men relieving themselves on the side of the street. In addition, the public toilets that are provided are usually dirty and not well maintained, and many of them are the “squat” variety. If you do need to go to the toilet, it’s best to head to a restaurant or hotel and use the facilities there.

Sanitation is a vital part of daily human life. Our body needs to flush out waste and toxins as a matter of routine, physiological process. Urine and feces are the end products of our metabolism. It is, however, also very important to properly dispose-off this bodily waste, for both aesthetic and health reasons. Properly disposed off feces and urine ensure a clean, odorless environment, as well as prevent diseases due to microbes. Improperly disposed off waste, on the other hand, will cause a poisonous odor and be a breeding ground for diseases. Therefore, it is important to have proper sanitation facilities and toilet for everyone.

Biggest fact of our country and world is more people have access to a mobile phone than a toilet. The World Bank estimates that nearly 75% of the world has access to a mobile phone, while only 64% has access to a toilet. Millions of people have to travel long distances away from their homes just to find a place to relieve themselves. Toilets save lives; it’s as simple as that because lack of sanitation spreads disease, like diarrhea and intestinal parasites. A child dies from diarrhea every 86 seconds. A single gram of feces can contain 10 million viruses and 1 million bacteria. The best place for human waste is down the drain and therefore, we should love our toilet, we should care for it! When women and girls have access to sanitation, they are less vulnerable to physical and sexual assault. When women and girls have to travel to find some privacy, they are vulnerable to sexual assault on their journey. That’s because they often relieve themselves late at night or before dawn to avoid being seen, awful men take advantage of this situation.

More than 50 per cent of Indians do not have access to safe and private toilets, some of the latest studies have mentioned. A report titled ‘It’s No Joke – State of the World’s Toilets’ by WaterAid (WaterAid is an international non-profit organization that was set up in 1981 as a response to the UN International Drinking Water & sanitation decade (1981–1990) states that “If all 774 million people in India waiting for household toilets were made to stand in a line, the queue would stretch from Earth to the moon and beyond.” India is second largest country in world, where people are forced to defecate in the open.  Stop for a minute, imagine, if you don’t get to visit the toilet for few hours……how would you feel? How many times do you use the toilet in a given day? Three times; Five times; four times; six times??  One of the first things we do in the morning and the last thing we do before going to bed, using the toile. Urinating and defecating is most essential part of living life. If toilets are removed from our daily life, what are we left with?

Toilet cleanliness is very important for all the human beings. If they are not clean, it is the place from where all the germs and bacteria start their attacks on the human body. That is the reason why the toilets need to be sanitized daily. If toilets at home and workplace or wherever you visit are unclean, it affects the health immediately. Unclean toilets can cause various illnesses. Having a clean toilet is a privilege for many of us.

A news item in Wall Street Journal in 2014 says that India has a mental block against toilets: every second person relieves themselves outdoors; this is Indian’s century old practice that contributes to child malnutrition, economic loss and violence against women. Sanitation experts say that only building more toilets will not solve the problem, first, people need to learn to love using the latrines.

Many Indians regard open defecation as part of a natural, healthy, honest life; a recent study conducted in Bihar, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh found. This mentality is more observed among rural North Indians. Those five northern Indian states account for 45% of the country’s households without a toilet, according to data from the 2011 census. But even in homes where toilets were installed, many people still prefer to go outside.

United Nations (UN) observes World Toilet Day on November 19 each year. According to a study of UN, 2.5 billion people in the world do not have access to proper sanitation.

According to a recent survey, more than 140,000 children younger than five years die each year in India due to diarrhea. Nearly 40 per cent of India’s children are stunted; this will affect both their life chances and the future prosperity of India. India also has high rates of maternal and newborn mortality linked to sepsis. It’s a big issue even for women. Schools and colleges toilets are dirty and unusable. Most girls avoid using the filthy toilets holding back their urge of urinating for hours. And, girls in rural areas and urban slums lack access to clean toilets and sanitation and this is a big cause of dropping out of school, or not going to school at all. It’s the difference between education and independence and being locked into poverty and conquest.

‘Toilet ek premkatha’ is a 2017 Indian Hindi film directed by Shree Narayan Singh, co-produced by Akshay Kumar (actor of the movie) and Neeraj Pandey. The film stars Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar in the lead roles. The film was released on August 11, 2017, is a satirical comedy in support of governmental campaigns to improve the sanitation conditions, with an emphasis on the eradication of open defecation, especially in rural areas. The movie doesn’t come off as preachy, but yet highlights the need for a toilet, especially for women in every household. This movie has now received recognition from the UN Environment Cell.

Bollywood movies have often talked about subjects like sex, HIV, sexual violence and other sensitive topics. Now, filmmakers are addressing issues like sanitation, hygiene and menstrual hygiene. The new movement is seen as a forefront of a new genre of Indian movies that attempts to tackle issues more subtly and sensibly than the current crop of blockbusters. Movies like ‘Toilet ek premkatha’, ‘half girlfriend’, ‘Phullu’ and ‘Padman’ are very perceptively made; they handle the social issues of defecation, menstrual hygiene with sensitivity.