[Tgo]

Hello to all the travellers and wanders on the forum. I am proud of the community we have online where a diverse group of people share a common interest for not just automobiles, but travel, history, culture, wildlife, and what not. I seek your help and guidance for planning "THE" road-trip my parents been contemplating for the past two years.

After retirement, Dad was busy with the construction of his retirement home. My mom is also winding up her small business by the end of this year. With these two things sorted and more importantly, while their age still allows, they have taken up this journey as their next project.

At Jaswant Thada, Jodhpur. The last big family outing. | January 2020

I should begin with introducing the traveling preferences of my parents.

• Like scenic routes rather than congested expressways
• Love the outdoors but need a comfy bed to sleep in
• Both are very sociable
• Non tech savvy people
• Very experienced road travellers
• Dad's Interests: Wildlife, Trail Walks, Scenic Drives, Meticulous Planning - Loves a variety in food and has iron guts
• Mom's Interests: History, Archeology, Art, Crafts and Culture - has a weak stomach and keeps safe

With this premise, We did some basic groundwork for the trip recently. This is the way we went about planning the route till now. Workable Spreadsheet.

1. Connect the route between two state capitals targeting 3-5 hrs of road travel per day
2. If the route is > 8hrs plan a stop in between based on Places of Interest (POI) and placement of friends and family
3. If travel exceeds 5 hrs, stop for two days at the destination
4. Cover the POIs along the way during the day's travel

POIs based on the traveller's interests:

• Iconic landmarks of each state capital
• Natural features (River crossings, Cliffs, Canyons, Waterfalls and Lakes)
• Historic monuments, markets, museums, bazaars
• National Parks, Forests, country-side with vibrant bird-life
• Ancient Temples (only the really old ones)
• Unique museums
• Places serving local cuisine

So the idea here is that you click the link. Review the basic travel plan for that leg of the journey. Suggest alternatives which will help them travel sensibly while covering the mentioned POIs. Suggest POIs that we have missed out on, additionally, anything from road conditions to recommendations for stay are welcome. To capture inputs from the well (tra)versed members belonging to that region of the country, I have broken up the journey into 11 parts indexed below.

1. West - RJ-MP-GJ-DN-MH
2. South West - GA-KA-KL
3. South East - PY-TN-TS-AP
4. East - OD-CG-JH-WB-SK
5. North East-1 - AS-AR
6. North East-2 - NL-MN-MZ-TR
7. North East-3 - ML
8. Central - BR-UP
9. North-1 - UK-HP
10. Notrh-2 - LA-JK-PB
11. Due home - CH-DL-HR

• Breakdown and Emergency preparedness
• Logging the trip

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West

Jaipur - Bhopal - Gandhinagar - Rajpipla - Aurangabad - Mumbai

It is planned to depart from Jaipur in the winter months. Preferably January. We Think it would be better to travel down south first and be able to cover the hot southern part of the country in 15-20 days, while the winter will be at full swing. Here is the route outline for this leg of the journey.

Inputs needed for:

1. Suitable stop to break the journey between Bhopal-Ahmedabad
2. Route condition for Aurangabad-Igatpuri-Mumbai
3. Iconic landmark for a photo-op @ Bhopal, Gandhinagar, Daman/Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli
4. They've visited Diu. Does it make sense to cover Daman and Dadra & Nagar Haveli to tick off the UTs from the list?
5. Is the Ro-Ro Ferry still running?
6. Lastly, pour in your suggestions for places worth visiting along the way.

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South West

Mumbai - Belgaum - Goa - Hampi - Bangalore - Ooty - Trivandrum - Kanyakumari

This part of the trip covers the west coast. Coastal routes are avoided since they will impede travel and more importantly they have travelled along the coast in Karnataka and parts of Kerala, but haven't been to Hampi, Ooty and Periyar NP.

inputs needed for:

1. A better place to stop in between Mumbai-Goa (currently considering Belgaum)
2. A place for a small break between Hampi-Bangalore
3. Exact shorter route Ooty-Udumalpet-Periyar and its feasibility.
4. A comfortable and outdoorsy place to stay near Periyal NP.
5. Iconic landmarks for a photo-op @ Panaji, Bangalore and Trivandrum
6. Lastly, pour in your suggestions for places worth visiting along the way.

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South East

Kanyakumari - Rameshvaram - Madurai - Pondicherry - Chennai - Gandikota - Srisailam - Hyderabad - Amaravathi - Visakhapatnam

Starting from Kanyakumari, they want to stop at Rameshvaram and visit the Jyotoirling Temple there. I've seen travelogues covering the beautiful historic houses in this region. They would then head to Madurai and stay there for a night. Give a night's halt at Pondicherry, just to break the journey from Madurai to Chennai. From Chennai the next stop would be Gandikota to check out the canyon and also to break the the long stretch to Hyderabad. From Gandikota to Hyderabad would have been the next drive but a visit to the Jyotorling Temple at Srisailam is a must. After Hyderabad they head to Amaravathi and lastly Visakhapatnam which is the end of this leg. With this done they would have done 30 ± 5 days on the road since their departure from Jaipur.

Inputs needed:

1. Is it advisable to do Chennai-Gandikota-Srisailam in one day?
2. Route condition between Madurai-Pondicherry.
3. Places to visit near Hyderabad and Amaravathi.
4. Iconic landmarks for a photo-op @ Pondicherry, Chennai, Hyderabad and Amaravathi
5. Places worth visiting or worth taking a mid-way break along the way.

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East

Visakhapatnam - Puri - Bhubaneshwar - Tikarpada - Raipur - Raigarh - Ranchi - Kolkata - Farakka - Darjeeeling - Gangtok

This is a long section in which I am guessing the altitude gained would be the highest. They want to give Puri 2 days since they plan to visit the Chilka lake for birding. Bhubaneshwar would be touch and go. They intend to reach Raipur from puri but the longish journey needs to be broken somewhere so thought of Tikarpada Wildlife Sanctuary. From there to Ranchi would be doable in one day. There is a dearth of information on the internet about places to visit in Chattisgarh and Jharkhand, so thought of breaking the journey at Raigarh where there are supposed to be some prehistoric caves worth visiting. So from there to Ranchi would be a day's work. Have heard that the road from Ranchi to Kolkata is quite scenic so skipping any local sight seeing in and around Ranchi. Kolkata will be a two night halt to rejuvenate fully before heading to Darjeeling and Gangtok. They have covered north Sikkim earlier so are more interested in the Neora valley NP and Singalila NP which should be within reach from Darjeeling/Gangtok.

Inputs needed for:

1. Place to stay at Tikarpada with some nature trails nearby.
2. Route condition Raipur-Raigarh-Ranchi (not marked in the map above)
3. Route condition and travel time from Darjeeling-Singalila NP
4. Places to stay at Neora Valley NP
5. Iconic landmarks for a photo-op @ Raipur, Ranchi, Kolkata and Gangtok
6. Places worth visiting or worth taking a mid-way break along the way.
7. Cuisine worth trying in North Bengal

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North East-1

Gangtok - Neora Valley NP - Manas NP - Dispur - Kaziranga NP - Itanagar - Ziro - Daporijo - Aalo - Dibrugarh

As per my assumption, Gangtok to Dispur should be straightforward. Where I have no clue or purpose is in the route from Itnagar-Ziro-Daporijo-Aalo-Dibrugarh. The travel times shown for the distance seem very high and it might be that the roads are in a bad shape. I don't know whether it is a route worth taking. The only reason I have put it down is for the purpose of making a circuit over the route less travelled rather than travelling back to the populated areas and sticking to the trunk road across Assam.

Inputs needed for:

1. Route Condition and travel time from Gangtok-Neora Valley NP (via Tamang-Rorthang-Pedong)
2. Place to give a mid-way break in between Neora Valley NP to Manas NP
3. Whether to do Tawang or Ziro-Aalo within Arunachal Pradesh.
4. Route conditions and travel time for Itanagar to Tawang
5. route condition and travel time for Itanagar-Zero-Daporijo-Aalo-Dibrugarh
6. Vegetarian cuisine to in the region.
7. Requirement of permits in Arunachal Pradesh
8. Iconic landmarks for a photo-op @ Dispur and Itanagar
9. Suggestion on alternate routes and places to visit along the way.

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North East-2

Dibrugarh - Kohima - Churachandpur - Imphal - Pawlrang - Aizwal - Mamit - Kumarghat - Agartala

This is another section I am totally clueless about. My dad has been in this region as a kid as grand dad was posted in Churachandpur for some time. The unknown section is Imphal and onwards to Agartala. The journey seems long enough to be broken in two places for which Kumarghat and Mamit have been included in between.

Input needed for:

1. Place to break the journey mid-way between Dibrugarh-Kohima
2. Road condition for the alternate route avoiding Jorhat for Dibrugarh-Kohima stretch
3. Place to stop overnight between Churachandpur-Aizwal
4. Alternate to Mamit and Kumarghat to break the journey between Aizwal-Agartala
5. Iconic landmarks for a photo-op @ Kohima, Aizwal and Agartala
6. Vegetarian cuisine to expect in this region
7. Most Importantly - Requirement of permits to drive through this region

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North East-3

Agartala - Silchar - Dawki - Mawsynram - Shillong - Goalpara - Jalpaiguri

This leg of the journey will be winding up the 7-sister states. Agartala to Silchar should be a highway which they intend to cover in one day. 3 days in Meghalaya would be enough. I have copied and pasted the places to visit in Meghalaya from BlackPearl's thread. Looking for suggestions of whether route from Shillong-Shallang-Goalpara is feasible. It has not been marked in the map here.

Inputs needed for:

1. Places to visit around Silchar.
2. Route condition for Shillong-Shallang-Goalpara, and whether it is advisable to take this route?
3. Places worth a quick visit along Agartala-Silchar and Gillong-Shallang-Goalpara
4. Iconic landmarks for a photo-op @ Shillong

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Central

Jalpaiguri - Purnia - Deoghar - Gaya - Patna - Ayodhya - Lucknow - Katarniyaghat - Dudhwa/Pilibhit

This section begins from Jalpaiguri to reach Dog-ear(JH) for a visit to Baidyanath Jyotirling Temple. From there head on to Gaya and Patna. Journey to Lucknow needs to br broken at Ayodhya and from there on they follow the Terai region bordering Nepal to Pilibhit. The Allahbad-Kanpur-Agra route is avoided since they have travelled trough this area before and with the purpose of taking a new rout through UP.

Inputs needed for:

1. Places to visit near Purnia
2. Whether Sasaram is a worthy de-tour on the way from Gaya-Patna
3. The might skip one of the three (Katarniyaghat/Dudhwa/Pilibhit) depending on the park visiting season
4. Iconic landmarks for a photo-op @ Patna and Lucknow.

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North-1

Pilibhit - Ranikhet - Karnprayag - Nanda Devi NP - Rudraprayag - Dehradun - Shimla - Manali - Keylong - Sarchu

This section also runs through a part of the country we have heard very little about. As a result, I have tried to keep the runs short with plenty of breaks in between. It'll also help them acclimatise for the next leg which will be covering Ladakh. Nanda Devi National Park is a must visit destination on the list. All other places along the route have lots of hidden treasures like Chain, Kufri, Mashobra which we would like to hear about so that they can be included.

Inputs needed for:

1. Road condition from Ranikhet-Nanda Devi NP. Whether doable in one day? Any alternate route avoiding Rudraprayag?
2. Whether to break the journey at Keylong or carry on to Sarchu on the same day?
3. Biodiversity hotspots along the way? Places which do not require a formal entry but are accessible.
4. Suitable stay options which have a private estate or trails for long walks.
5. Iconic landmarks for a photo-op @ Dehradun, Shimla and Manali

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North-2

Sarchu - Meroo - Leh - Kargil - Sonamarg - Srinagar - Patnitop - Jammu - Pathankot

This being the norther-most section of the trip is a special one for them. Though they have been to Let earlier, they have never visited J&K. So they plant to do this section at a leisurely pace. They have decided to stay at Pathankot for 4 days to rejuvenate before heading into the plains again.

Inputs needed for:

1. A place to break the journey between Sarchu and Leh.
2. Requirement of permits for any part of this journey.
3. Iconic landmarks for a photo-op @ Leh, Kargil, Srinagar and Jammu

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Due Home

Pathnkot - Chandigarh - Delhi/Gurgaon - Jaipur

This would be the home stretch. All routes would be well equipped to do 400+kms in one day.

Inputs needed for:

1. Iconic landmarks for a photo-op @ Chandigarh

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Breakdown and Emergency preparedness

Let's talk about the safety and recovery gear required for the vehicle which needs to be put in place before starting from Jaipur. Some of the stuff which we already have has been ticked off. Feel free to add to the list. We won't need any camping gear since camping is not in the plan.

1. First Aid Kit with OTC medicines
2. RSA package for the vehicle - √
3. Reserve stock of drinking water - 20 Ltr
4. Ready to eat food packets
5. Puncture Repair Kit - √
6. Tyre Inflator - √
7. A small torch + batteries - √
8. Wheel spanner and a set of spare lug bolts - √
9. Spare bulbs - 2 each - √
10. Spare fuses - 2 each type
11. A bottle of Engine oil, Coolant, Brake/Clutch Fluid, Wiper Wash fluid
12. Tow strap and D-shackles - √
13. Fresh set of tyres including the spare
14. Jack (the standard scissor one would do?) - √
15. Car wash, cleaning and sanitisation liquids - √
16. A trash can for the car
17. Vacuum cleaner for a quick clean
18. DC-AC inverter for charging and running the phones, cameras, laptop
19. A dashcam - √
20. Sun blinds (removable) for the car
21. Foldable chairs
22. Rain coats and umbrellas - √
23. A Jerry can for fuel - 10Ltr

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Logging the trip

I also want you to share creative ideas for logging the trip. I don't mean the number crunching stuff, but logging the memories. The ubiquitous camera phones, dash cam and a dedicated superzoom / DSLR for pictures and video will be there. They'll also maintain an app based or manual trip log book. What I am looking for are some interesting ideas. A few that crossed my mind are:

• Facebook group

  Thinking of creating a private group of family and friends for daily updates. Something interesting can just be posted quickly. They can go live to post video logs if they feel like.

• Postcards / Inland letters

  Was thinking of buying them in bulk before they begin. They can jot down a summary of their day, mark it to the home address and drop it in any post box. When they get back hoe, they would have a bunch of letters which can be compiled into a book. Just need to know whether postcards of various places can be bought beforehand and whether the postal dept. still provide inland letter service?

• Instax Photos

  An instant photo is still quite nostalgic. The colours captured in print do add some drama to the pictures. The important pictures can be backed up with an Instax copy clicked there itself.

Do let me know if anyone has other ideas which would be convenient enough to put in practice for logging and sharing the memories from the trip.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!