[Holyghost]

I am planning a drive to North East this October/November. To start off with the plan, I need some additional information and advice. I tried searching the available threads, the information was great, but I am unable to connect the dots. It would be great if any of you can answer my questions.

Travel Window is 20-21 days and I'll be driving my Safari from Bangalore.
Mandatory Visits: Patna, Bhutan & Shillong
Desired visits: Sikkim.

Now the questions:
Is November first week a good time to start with?
Can I do all these in 21 days?
Which other places around Shillong do you suggest me to visit? (Ofcourse if the time permits)

Based on your inputs, I will put up my route, places to visit, itenerary and you can help me tweak it to perfection.

[hvkumar]

Maybe I would postpone by a couple of weeks to let the North East MOnsoon abate.

You can read my Travelogue of drive to Sikkhim & Bhutan here:
https://sites.google.com/site/hvkumar/kumar'snortheastdrivingholiday

Your route plan could be as follows:

D1: Bangalore-Tirupati-Nellore-Vijaywada-Rajahmundry
D2: Rajahmundry-Vizag-Bhubaneswar
D3: Bhubaneswar-Kharagpur-Calcutta-Bardhaman-Darjeeling More-Siuri-MOregram-Farakka-Malda
D4: Malda-Raiganj-Dalkola-Kishanganj-Siliguri-Gangtok
D5: Gangtok
D6: Gangtok-Nathu la-Gangtok
D7: Gangtok-Birpara-Phuntsoling
D8: Phuntsoling-THimphu
D9: Thimphu
D10: THimphu-Paro
D11: Paro-Punakha-TRongsa-Jakar
D12: Jakar-Mongar-Trashigang
D13: Trashigang-Samdrup Jhonkar-Guwahati-Shillong
D14: Shillong
D15: Shillong-Guwahati-Goalpara-Gauripur-Cooch behar-Siliguri
D16: Siliguri-Dalkola-Malda-Siuri-Calcutta
D17: Calcutta-Kharagpur-Bhubaneswar-Bhalugaon-Berhampur
D18: Berhampur-Vizag-Rajahmundry-Vijaywada
D19: Vijaywada-Nellore-Tirupati-Bangalore

You can check out log book of my own trip from Bombay in the link I gave above.

You can check out the attached link where I have advised a friend drive from Coimbatore to Bhutan:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/spre...I1aVE&hl=en_GB

Here is another link where you can fill in teh balnks fro Sikkhim & Shillong:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/spre...V2WGc&hl=en_GB

[Sutripta]

^^^
Hi,
OP says Patna mandatory.

Regards
Sutripta

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

^^^
Hi,
OP says Patna mandatory.

Regards
Sutripta

Thanks, Sutripta, for pointing out the omission of Patna from the drive plan I suggested.

Assuming that the route via Calcutta is best - from point of view of good and safe roads - I would change the route plan as follows:

D3: Bhubaneswar-Kharagpur-Calcutta-Bardhaman-Darjeeling More-Govindpur-Barhi-Dobhi-Bodh gaya-Patna
D4: Patna
D5:Patna-Begusarai-Purnea-Dalkola-Kishanganj-Siliguri-Gangtok

[ravi_23]

I would suggest a different route which should cover all the places that you want to visit and a lot more.

D1: Bangalore - Hyderabad
D2: Hyderabad - Nagpur
D3: Nagpur - Reva( Madhya Pradesh) ... there is a fort in reva, which you have see while moving out of reva.
D4: Reva - Patna
D5: Stay in patna
D6: Patna - Gangtok
D7: Gangtok
D8: Gangtok - Thimphu(Bhutan)
D9: Thimphu
D10: Thimphu - Guwahati
D11: Guwahati
D12: Guwahati-Shillong + Cherrapunji
D13: Shillong - Kaziranga (Famous wildlife sanctuary in world for rhinos)
D14: Kaziranga (after morning safari) - Tawang( Beautiful hill station in arunachal pradesh, I personally find it more beautiful that shillong)
D15: Tawang
D16: Tawang - Guwahati
D17: Guwahati - Siliguri
D18: Siliguri - Kolkata
D19: Kolkata - Behrampur
D20: Behrampur - Vijayawada
D21 : Vijayawada - Bangalore


You will enjoy your stay in guwahati, the gateway to north east india and largest city of N.E. You will have lot of things to see and enjoy in guwahati. I have also included tawang as you wont make frequent trips to NE, and when you do so...you must see all the beautiful parts that N.E. has to offer, it has many more beautiful hill stations apart from shillong and tawang is one of them


Have a happy journey, travelling in nov will be ideal. But if you want to see some snowfall in tawang then december is the time to go. This will be one hell of a road trip if you follow this route and you will cover almost half of the country.

[Holyghost]

@hvkumar & ravi_23: I dont know how to thank you guys. You guys have already chalked out the plan for me!!!! What will I do for next 4 months?

The dates are not a concern, I am happy to push it further but I have to be back before X-mas. With that in mind and hvkumar's advice on monsoon, I will push it to November last week. I am also excited about the snowfall which I missed during my Ladakh trip. Am I still gonna miss the snowfall at Tawang?

Let me read about all those places you have mentioned. Also I'll decide between the route via Nagpur and via Kolkata-Patna.

[amitoj]

You are quite a wanderer Holyghost! Putting the safari to good use! First Laddakh and now NE!

I have one question though. Can Tawang - Guwahati be done in one day?

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by amitoj

You are quite a wanderer Holyghost! Putting the safari to good use! First Laddakh and now NE!

I have one question though. Can Tawang - Guwahati be done in one day?

Guwahati-Tawang cannot be done in a day, it is best done if your day starts at either Tezpur or Bhalukhpong. Drive is very slow from the AN border town of Bhalukhpong. Allow for a full day drive from Bhalukhpong to Tawang via BOmdila.

[amitoj]

^^ i thought so too when i read ravi's suggested route.
HolyGhost, now there's something for you to plan about! Also i think you will need to get some clearance papers in Guwahati to go to Tawang.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Also i think you will need to get some clearance papers in Guwahati to go to Tawang.

You can obtain the permits at the AN Govt offices at either Guwahati or Tezpur. No entry int the State without permits, you will be stopped at the border at Bhalukhpng. You can also obtain the permits in advance at the AN govt offices at Calcutta & Delhi.

[Sheel]

An update for Purnea to Patna route -

After Barauni/Begusarai, when you take a left towards Patna (if going from Purnea) you will come across Mokama bridge.

That particular bridge is under going construction (for past few months) and there is a huge jam, almost always.

You should take the Hajipur route. That is NH 28 which shall take you to Barauni and join NH 31. The distance increases by approx 40 kilometers, but worth it.

I shall up date on this route once you so desire and would happy to help/assist if the need arises.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Sheel

An update for Purnea to Patna route -

After Barauni/Begusarai, when you take a left towards Patna (if going from Purnea) you will come across Mokama bridge.

That particular bridge is under going construction (for past few months) and there is a huge jam, almost always.

You should take the Hajipur route. That is NH 28 which shall take you to Barauni and join NH 31. The distance increases by approx 40 kilometers, but worth it.

I shall up date on this route once you so desire and would happy to help/assist if the need arises.

That was very useful info, Sheel.
How is the road from Begusarai to Purnea?

And what is the update on the 4-laning via Forbesganj to Darbhanga? (East-West Corridor)

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

How is the road from Begusarai to Purnea?

As of now doable in 4 hours, but depreciating fast.

We take a detour 20kms from Purnea until Kursela to avoid a bad section.

And what is the update on the 4-laning via Forbesganj to Darbhanga? (East-West Corridor)

Work was going on, but has come to a stand-still because of the monsoon fury.

It shall take at-least a year to complete. If not more.

The route to Darbhanga is still via Barauni/Begusarai.

[ravi_23]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Guwahati-Tawang cannot be done in a day

I would disagree to that, I have done Tawang-Guwhati in a single day way back in 2002 in a sumo. So, it can be done...though it will be a bit tiring, but wont be a prob if you are not the lone driver driving the car. Thing is, it will be difficult to do ghy-tawang in a single day as you will have to drive through the hills at night time then, which is not favourable. But while returning if someone starts early at around 6-7 from tawang then he can easily make it to tezpur by 6pm, from there its just 4-5 hrs drive through the plains and NH to ghy. I have done it that way, started from tawang early in the morning and reached tezpur at around 5pm, and reached home(ghy) by 10 pm. Also to do this one must ensure that a hotel has been booked in ghy, as you wont want to look for hotels at late night

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by ravi_23

I would disagree to that, I have done Tawang-Guwhati in a single day way back in 2002 in a sumo. So, it can be done...though it will be a bit tiring, but wont be a prob if you are not the lone driver driving the car. Thing is, it will be difficult to do ghy-tawang in a single day as you will have to drive through the hills at night time then, which is not favourable. But while returning if someone starts early at around 6-7 from tawang then he can easily make it to tezpur by 6pm, from there its just 4-5 hrs drive through the plains and NH to ghy. I have done it that way, started from tawang early in the morning and reached tezpur at around 5pm, and reached home(ghy) by 10 pm. Also to do this one must ensure that a hotel has been booked in ghy, as you wont want to look for hotels at late night

I also do Bombay-Delhi (1500 kms) in a day, although many are aghast.
Theoretically, driving Guwahati-Tawang is possible in a day, but for a first-timer, definitely not that way.
There are many photo opportunities on the way.
Roads can be terrible at some times of the year and reaching Bomdila from Bhalukhong itself can be an ordeal.
Se la Pass is no push-over either.
And definitely I would like to arrive in Tawang before it is dark if I am not familiar with the roads.

I have myself driven Tezpur-Tawang from 3 am to 3 pm, and the previous day, I had driven in from Guwahati in 3 hours, so definitely it could be done.
But the high altitude driving to Tawang also take sits toll and it is best that one starts fresh from either Tezpur or Bhalukhpng.

Therefore, let me rephrase my statement earlier - Guwahati-Tawang on the same day is possible, but is it desirable for a tourist?