Safari Dicor VTT-TMT 2-yr Grand OT[Interior Chhattisgarh/Orissa-Tribals,Falls&Forest]

[adc]

Safari Dicor VTT-TMT 2-yr Grand Ownership Travelogue [Interior Chhattisgarh/Orissa-Tribals,Falls&Forest]


It was on October 15, 2007 when the Tata Safari 2.2 VTT LX was bought, within a day of its release, and it thus became the first VTT on Team-bhp.

This 2.2 has had a flawless performance, confidence in it has grown by leaps and bounds -- The way it safely brought us back each and every time from some of the most hostile lands. And contrary to all the premonitions from the false prophets of doom, the 2.2 VTT has and still continues to keep the cynics at bay!!

In all this 2 years, the VTT has seen some fantastic journeys, from the very next day North Bengal Forest and Hill tour, to the unknown interior Orissa jungles [Kuldiha & Satkosia], to the rural badlands and wastelands of Purulia and West Midnapur districts of West Bengal, to the 1-year ownership fantastic travel to Kinnaur, Spiti and Lahaul and going to some places were few tourists venture to, and then the amazing overnight journey across the absolute desolate NH6 towards one of most remote and part Maoist affected forest of Orissa [Sunabeda] and the unbriddled joy of finding a hidden waterfall with blue waters and a white sandy beach in the middle of the forest, and lastly till this tour to the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary in Jharkhand for some 2 days of zero population and absolute tranquility and then also the 1.5-year ownership was celebrated with the Grand Extreme-Exclusive North Sikkim to the Mandarmoni sea Beach Tour.

0-year - [October 16, 2007]


http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...-sunabeda.html


http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ti-lahaul.html (Safari Dicor 2.2 VTT-TMT Grand One-Year Ownership Travelogue [Kinnaur-Spiti-Lahaul])


http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ni-tajpur.html (Safari Dicor2.2 VTT-TMT 1.5year Grand OT[Extreme-Exclusive N Sikkim&Mandarmoni/Tajpur)




Naysayers Nemesis - Safari Dicor VTT-TMT



Now we [wife, me and son] wanted to celebrate this 2nd year completion with a Ladakh tour, but the financial situation took a worse turn, more so for a freelancer, and the cost involved on a such tour made it impossible. Of course, the explosion of travel stories on Ladakh on tbhp had made me get over the missed feeling!

As such my search started, since no booking can be done beforehand due to the nature of my job, we found out that all known places were booked to brim due to the Puja and Diwali holidays.

As I searched for some interesting unknown place, one news item suddenly caught my mind - around half a lakh foreign tourists visit a place near Ankadeli, a tribal village beyond Jeypore, Orissa, - more so as a tri-state place where the borders of Orissa, Chhattigarh, and Andhra Pradesh meet.

And more we came to know about this tribal land and its people and desolate roads and caves, the more we were fascinated. Here is a place where we Indians dont know about and yet when I ask for a hotel room, I find out that all hotel rooms in the good hotel are booked all Thursdays till mid 2010 by foreigners. Why? As we encountered that Thursday, we were fascinated by the people, whom we call the most primitive tribe other than the Jarwas till now and yet one can but be enchanted by their simple life, market scenes, and their way of living.

Now any place such as this evokes a immediate concern - Maoist presence and soon I find that there are more than enough out there. All the nearby police stations have been blasted as recent as July. So reasoned like, if a foreigner could come up and visit out here, so could we. With that also grouped the Chitrakote falls, India's Niagara, which is magnificient to watch during the monsoons but since late rainfall happened this year, it was still in magnificent flow.

All in all we had a fantastic journey, not a glamourous one like a Ladakh or a Goa tour would be, but a journey to kind of discovery, of tribals, or roads very tourists go to, and to see the waterfall also known as the Niagara of India!

[Ravveendrra]

Hmm, I see a great story ahead. Keep it coming. This may not be as glamourous as some other destinations but sounds heavenly and romantic - no, not the boy + girl, trees + dancing type but the other one - about forgotten / undiscovered lands, brave explorers setting forth and braving unkown hazards, discovering fascinating and colourful lands and people .........

Bring it on (Ravveendrra settles down in a comfortable seat in the corner and reaches for the pop-corn)

[sudev]

Wow ADC hooked to the great adventure about to start....dont tease too much and get on with the story

[phamilyman]

Now enough patting on the back - let's get on with the story!

[anekho]

Nice intro, looking forward to the rest!

[vijaythacker]

ADC, another milestone of your ownership and another facinating travelogue coming from your end, keep it coming.Teaser is good to be going.

[MileCruncher]

I have been a fan of all your travelogues and intend to them one day.

Good start but please don't stop.

Waiting for more

[v&v]

Adc
chitrkote is in my radar too. Looking forward to it. Keep the post flowing.

[fatboyslim]

Hi adc,

Fantastic start!

You are right about Chattisgarh-not many of us know about the beauty and the history of this beautiful state. I am currently based out of Raipur and I have been to a few places around Raipur and Jagdalpur/Dantewada circle is definitely on my list. Have been postponing the trip on account of 'Perceived danger' from Maoists et al. But as you rightly mentioned if foreigners could summon up courage to go to Dantewada-so should I? What say?

Moreover, good excuse to drive on beautiful and scenic NH43 one the 10 best roads in India to drive on-till Jagdalpur-which I planto make my base.

Any other places of interest in the same itinerary in CG? Don't want to spoil the suspense. Will wait for your itinerary.

Best!
Projjal

[HappyWheels]

ADC,

So, it begins!

Go on mate!

[SS-Traveller]

ADC, why're you working so hard on a Saturday? 24 hours and counting, and no more updates?

[akroy]

ADC da, chaliye jao. thamle keno?

Eager to see your MP adventure.

Abhi

[biswajit]

Anirban .
Waiting for detailed story. As always you keep discovering places and I keep adding those as my would be destinations.
start flowing.

[adc]

First of all my apologies for not continuing it soon enough.

With work and some commitments haggling up this weekend and looks like all this will be through the weekdays also, will do this more as a photoblog.

Of course thanks much to all for the encouragement and would post from Monday night all the details and the rest of travel story.

[adc]

As I started to make out arough plan for the tour, to Jeypore/Koraput and Chitrakote/Jagdalpur, I came across a ID out here, sam_boy, which showed location as "Koraput".

Immediately getting my PM regarding my queries regarding that place, and soon I find out that sam_boy [Samarpan Das] is from Jeypore itself and his parents and his residence is out there. Phone calls and mails followed and we cannot stress and thank enough the support that we have got from Samarpan and his parents. The hospitality and the warmth that we got at his residence at Jeypore [remember sam_boy is still at Bangalore] was absolutely overwhelming. Thanks again samarpan and it was great to visit your house and interact with your parents and your cousin brothers.

At Samarpan's house - Parents and cousin brothers



Travel Route:

Calcutta to Jeypore[2 days] -- 1050 km -- 17 hours
[NH6-NH5-SH35-SH37-NH43]



Jeypore to Jagdalpur/Chitrakote [3 days] - 120 km
[NH43-NH16] - plus quite a few off route journeys to Tirathgarh, Kanger, Danteshwari temple and Kirandul.


Chitrakote - Rayagada [1 day] - 250 km
[NH16-NH43-SH4]


Rayagada - Calcutta via Taptapani - 1150 km -- 20 hours
[SH6-SH4-SH17-NH217-NH5-NH6]


Left at 10:30 pm reached at 3:30 pm at Jeypore - fantastic road till before Balasore - amazing to see a the Cal-Puri Volvo going at 115 kph as we overtook it. A bus doing 115 kph! After that it is a hell road with averages coming down till we get on to the double roads after berhampur and then on the State Highways of Andhra Pradesh, again slow but the roads are good, single laned.


Jeypore to Jagdalpur/chitrakote around 120 km. We based ourselves 1 day at Jagdalpur and 2 days at Chitrakote Resort, just near the Falls - fantastic location. From Jagdalpur covered the Tirathgarh falls beyond Kanger, Danteshwari Temple at Dantewada, and Kirandul/Bailadala mines. At Chitrakote just relaxed for 2 days.


From there Chitrakote we moved to Rayagada, Orissa. Followed this route as wanted to see the interior desolate roads. Amazing views, total emptiness, narrow roads for a halt at Rayagada.


After a night halt at Rayagada, we started at around 10 am again followed the state highway to the NH5 at Berhampur/Ganjam. Again a journey through the eastern ghats among near empty roads till we come near to Berhampur. Reached Kolkata the next day at around 6 am. Had a puncture near Panskura on NH6, it sure takes the gut out to change a Safari 16 inch tyre after some 16 hours of driving. Eagerly awaiting tubeless tyres after another 5k on these.

In all Orissa state highways and national highways are deteriorating and both are in condition of disrepair. Road infrastructure of Chhattisgarh and AP, what we encountered, is much improved.