Help for Ajanta Ellora Trip

[manaa45]

hi friends

i am planning a trip to Ajanta/Ellora. can you please guide me about the decent places of accomodatiom. my criteria would be a decent ac room and some place where i can get vegetarian meals.

also if you could help me with nearby places to visit.

Help would be highly appreciated.

Thanks

Mansi

[vinodv001]

I visited Ajantha/ Ellora 2 years back. Stayed at Aurangabad and visited the places from there. Dont remember the hotel name, It was near bus stand and there are decent Veg hotels around.

[hvkumar]

Ideal circuit would be Aurangabad-Daulatabad-Ellora-Grishneshwar-Aurangabad-Ajanta-Aurangabad.

From Bombay, you have 2 routes: the first is via Nashik, Niphad, Kopargaon to Aurangabad. The second (preferred if you leave early by, say, 5 am) is via Pune Expressway till Talegaon, Chakan, Ranjangaon, Ahmedanagar and Aurangabad.

Either route, it should take you 6-8 hours without counting time for stops.

Both roads are good although the second route may be faster, and you do not have teh tension of driving on teh high-traffic Bombay-Nashik road. Plus, since you live in New Bombay, it is easier for you to get onto Pune Expressway than come all the way to Thane to join NH3 to Nashik.

I would prefer to stay at Aurangabad (100 kms from Ajanta) because you have a wider choice of accomodation. My favourite is MTDC which is very close to the railway station. I think there is another MTDC at Ajanta also. Allow for 1 day trip to Ajanta and back/. You can cover Daulatabad, Ellora and Grishneshwar in 1 day, plus you will still have time to spare to look around Aurangabad (Bibi ka Maqbool).

In case you have one more day to spare, or prefer to stay at Ajanta, you could drive to Lonar Lake (largest meteorite lake in India, and world's biggest on basalt rock) which is closer to Ajanta via Buldhana (you can return to Aurangabad via Sindkhed Raja and Jalna). There is also another MTDC at Lonar Lake which is an excellent place to stay.

[Samurai]

At Aurangabad, please avoid Hotel President Park. That is the worst hotel I ever stayed at, their service was worse than the facilities and food.

[manaa45]

hi all , this time we have finalised our trip for ganapati pule and so can i please get your help to plan to route. which is the best route to take. what would be the approximate time to travel from mumbai to ganapatipule and how r the road conditions.

your help would be appreciated . btw we are leaving on march 7th. so i need to prepare the route beforehand.

Thanks

Mansi

P.s Mods can you pls change the title of the thread.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by manaa45

hi all , this time we have finalised our trip for ganapati pule and so can i please get your help to plan to route. which is the best route to take. what would be the approximate time to travel from mumbai to ganapatipule and how r the road conditions.

.

Mansi,

From New Bombay, take the road to Panvel and turn off into the Goa road (NH17) and go via Pen, Vadgal Phata, Kolad, Managaon, Mahad, Khed, Chiplun.

It is 308 kms from Kalamboli (where the Pune expressway begins) to Nevali, where you have to turn off NH17, this spot is 79 kms after Chiplun, and 4 kms before Hathkamba, turn right (there are sign boards at this point). From Nevali, Ganapatipule is 31 kms. Please remember to turn off left on this road at Chafe which is 20 kms from Nevali.

Road conditions are excellent, facilities good. Assuming that you are able to cruise consistently at 100 kmph, you should reach 6-7 hours, add time for halts. If you leave Bombat by 6 am, you should be there by tea time after 1 hour break for lunch. Chiplun is an ideal place to stop for lunch.