[Vitalstatistiks]

Originally Posted by humyum

But the idea that we cannot stay for 10-12 days at a stretch in Jaisalmer is also true.

So which other city in Rajasthan should we explore for say 5 days and then move to Jaisalmer?

That is correct. Jaisalemer and nearby places can be fully explored in 4-5 days. Do identify the plan for the rest of 10 days. I'd suggest adding Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Jodhpur and possibly even Ajmer (+Pushkar) to your itinerary. These four cities are fairly close to each other, and all on the route between Bombay and Jaisalmer. So you can pick and choose to visit one or two on the way to Jaisalmer, and one or two on the way back. Breaks the journey and good places to go to. Have fun !

p.s. I haven't suggested Mount Abu because i suspect you would have been there a fair few times. For the 'rustic cities', visit the the old city area of any of these cities, it will charm you like nothing else.

[Dieseltuned]

Dear Humyum,

If you have set your mind on Jaisalmer, then may I please suggest to include Bikaner and Jodhpur in the plan.
The Bikaner palace and havelis are really worth seeing and reflect the opulence of the community. And then there is Mehrangarh and palace in Jodhpur will bring any history buff to their knees with their sheer size and magnificence.

Drives from Bikaner to Jaisalmer can be done and also passes through Pokhran

Regards
Diesel

[SnS_12]

I see in your earlier posts that you were quite keen on heading down south and especially exploring Kerala.

Since I am from Kerala and have driven to Kerala only once, which was way back in 2008. It was our first proper road trip in our first (new) car a Petrol Tata Indica.

Now, the reason I ask If you’re really keen on going to Kerala is that how much time are you planning to spend on the road (driving) compared to staying exploring the place you’re visiting? Mumbai to Kerala will easily take two days of driving considering you will be the only one driving and won’t be driving in the night. Back in 2008 our first halt for the night was in Hubli and started the next day at 5:30 am and reached my uncle’s house in Thrissur at 2:30 am (21 hrs of driving). Back then we had no google maps and were relying only on map books and stopping and asking localities for direction. Also, lot of road construction work towards and in Bangalore back then which ate up a lot of time. But the biggest issue is when you enter Kerala as the NH can suddenly turn into two lane roads and hamper your average travel time badly.

Hence, keeping this in mind are you ready to spend close to 40% of your holiday just driving around is what you need to ask yourself? Otherwise Kerala is a good option and lot of places to explore and this time will be the perfect weather to explore Kerala with less heat and rains. Otherwise Rajasthan seems the best option in my mind like other members have suggested.

[MadTitan47]

As a Mumbaiker myself, and a road trip enthusiast, I must insist that you take the trip down south. I have been planning a trip to Kanyakumari and Kerala but could not execute it due to lack of time.

Other destinations like Rajastha, Gujrat, Madhya Pradesh can be covered from Mumbai in a week or less. But Kerala or Tamil Nadu needs at least two weeks time for proper exploration. As you want to take a two weeks vacation, a southern road trip would be perfect. It would not be hectic and there are plenty of thins to see.

I had prepared an itinerary, please go through it and modify as per your preference.

Day1: Mumbai to Bengaluru
Day2: Bengaluru to Madurai
Day3: Explore ancient temples
Day4: Madurai to Kanyakumari
Day x: Kovalam, Kerala
Day x:Aappuzha, Kerala
Day x: Munnar, Kerala
Day x: Periyar National Park
Day x: Kochi, Kozhikode, Kannur etc
Day x: Wayanad, Kerala
Day x: Bandipore Tiger Reserve
Day x: Hampi, Karanataka
Dayx: Mumbai

Add halts in various places as per your interest and driving distance in mind. You can also add few more destinations from Tamil Nadu like Rameswaram etc.

[Cessna182]

To be adventurous may I also suggest exploring the Himalayas at this point. The Atal tunnel is a marvel of engineering and just reading about it makes me excited. In case you are going north, and if long drives are an option, visiting the Himalayas could be an option, although it might be hectic.

Personally, I prefer driving as long as possible with the passengers being comfortable. Best I've done is about 1100 km in a day with elderly on board. Take ample toilet and tea breaks. It is not very tough.

[kamilharis]

If you are willing to visit down to Kerala, I would suggest you to check with https://tentgram.com/home ( also https://www.instagram.com/tentgraam )

They are one of the best in the market now and they have multiple locations nearby. All the sites are located at core green areas. Am not sure whether the package they offer might suit your parents' taste, still you can drop them a call and they will reply. You can PM me as well if you need any reference from my side, few of my friends are active holders in that and I am good friend of the founder and his wife.

[sumeethaldankar]

You can look up Vengurla, it's a small town has it's own light house, a port and also has a beach ( Ubha danda). Panjim (Goa) is around 70 kns from Vengurla though the inner road is narrow to drive on. Incidentally Vengurla is also my native and is 540 kms from Mumbai door to door.

[earthian]

Originally Posted by humyum

Also guys, just need some more suggestions, what if we tried Uttarakhand or Himachal? Can anyone who has visited these places give me a rough place to place of where we could go?

We just returned 2 weeks back from a 21 day trip to Himachal Pradesh. It's a lovely place and i drove from A'Bad. Since we are of the same age as your parents , i don't think you would have any issue, though be advised that it would be cold in places. We did Uttarakhand ( Kumaon side) last year. Recommend any of the two, though if you can stretch it to 3 weeks you would have a great relaxed time.

You can read about the places we went here: (A drive to the Valley of the Gods - Kullu and Kangra in Himachal Pradesh) and here: (Uttarakhand: Abode of the Gods)

edit: If you have only 2 weeks and want to avoid long drives (why?) they Madhya Pradesh is a lovely state to go to. We have been there 3 times and i don't mind going back for more.

[GeeTee TSI]

If you are inclined towards a tour of heritage sites, the following circuit comes to mind (which I have done via road from Mumbai but over two seperate trips)

Badami, Pattadakal, Aihole of the Chalukya dynasty
Hampi of the Vijayanagara empire
Belur, Halebeedu of the Hoysala empire
Temple town of Udupi
Coastal sights of Murudeshwar and Gokarna


Feel free to check out the route and logistics in case there are more places enroute, as well as the access to these places during current times

[click]

Few years ago I was travelling solo in Rajasthan. Most places I stayed in forgetful airbnb’s, but then at Jaisalmer I stayed at a decent hotel for few days. The hotel is very comfortable and considering senior citizens along with you, they will find it relaxing. The owner is a enthusiastic photographer himself and we went for a few early morning photography excursions. If you are interested, please dm me and I will share his personal details.

[francisvellara]

Originally Posted by humyum

I had thought of Pondicherry and then Kerala came to mind but there is a brain freeze after that.

You could definitely try out Kerala if you've never driven to this part before. If you're looking at a leisurely, laid back holiday, you can try out Kerala's beaches or hill stations. Kerala Tourism is promoting visits right now, so you should be able to get good deals and stay at places that aren't crowded.

However, I believe that you can only stay a maximum of 7 days in Kerala before you need to quarantine yourself here. So if you are looking at a 15 day holiday, it may be best to explore the neighbouring states (KA/TN) as well during your trip.

[i74js]

Originally Posted by Vishal.R

Few more suggestion,

Coastal Maharashtra (Konkan coast with Ratnagiri as base)

Coastal Maharashtra has very poor internet connectivity. Even for pure play telephone usage, one has to depend upon BSNL. Gujarat & Rajasthan should be good.

[humyum]

So guys, after a lot of deliberation, we finally decided to head to Goa and reached last night. The roads after Nippani to Goa are in Tatters, would not recommend anyone take that.

We booked an amazing 2 bhk Airbnb in Vagator. My parents are super happy that they have got out of the house and have started enjoying their food. My dad ordered his first non veg dish yesterday after months and the happiness on his face was unreal.

We have 7 days to explore here and then let's see where we head.

One condition is necessary wherever we go from here is that roads should be amazing, if not, we will not head there. The Nippani road really killed our backbone.

I will reply to all of your suggestions as I get better internet connection as we are setting everything up today with the Airbnb host.

Thank you all for taking your time out to reply and suggest.

[silverado]

Originally Posted by humyum

So guys, after a lot of deliberation, we finally decided to head to Goa and reached last night. T
.

Since you are already in Goa, Amboli would be a perfect destination for you.
It is higher up and weather should be definitely cooler now.

Amboli ghat is a treat to drive and you should be able to find a good resort there as well.

[humyum]

Originally Posted by Vitalstatistiks

That is correct. Jaisalemer and nearby places can be fully explored in 4-5 days. Do identify the plan for the rest of 10 days. I'd suggest adding Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Jodhpur and possibly even Ajmer (+Pushkar) to your itinerary. These four cities are fairly close to each other, and all on the route between Bombay and Jaisalmer. So you can pick and choose to visit one or two on the way to Jaisalmer, and one or two on the way back. Breaks the journey and good places to go to. Have fun !

p.s. I haven't suggested Mount Abu because i suspect you would have been there a fair few times. For the 'rustic cities', visit the the old city area of any of these cities, it will charm you like nothing else.

Originally Posted by Dieseltuned

Dear Humyum,

If you have set your mind on Jaisalmer, then may I please suggest to include Bikaner and Jodhpur in the plan.
The Bikaner palace and havelis are really worth seeing and reflect the opulence of the community. And then there is Mehrangarh and palace in Jodhpur will bring any history buff to their knees with their sheer size and magnificence.

Drives from Bikaner to Jaisalmer can be done and also passes through Pokhran

Regards
Diesel

I will definitely try Rajasthan the next time, probably be married by then, we ended up booking a stay in Goa till 22nd and want to try Waynad from here.

Originally Posted by SnS_12

I see in your earlier posts that you were quite keen on heading down south and especially exploring Kerala.

Since I am from Kerala and have driven to Kerala only once, which was way back in 2008. It was our first proper road trip in our first (new) car a Petrol Tata Indica.

Now, the reason I ask If you’re really keen on going to Kerala is that how much time are you planning to spend on the road (driving) compared to staying exploring the place you’re visiting? Mumbai to Kerala will easily take two days of driving considering you will be the only one driving and won’t be driving in the night. Back in 2008 our first halt for the night was in Hubli and started the next day at 5:30 am and reached my uncle’s house in Thrissur at 2:30 am (21 hrs of driving). Back then we had no google maps and were relying only on map books and stopping and asking localities for direction. Also, lot of road construction work towards and in Bangalore back then which ate up a lot of time. But the biggest issue is when you enter Kerala as the NH can suddenly turn into two lane roads and hamper your average travel time badly.

Hence, keeping this in mind are you ready to spend close to 40% of your holiday just driving around is what you need to ask yourself? Otherwise Kerala is a good option and lot of places to explore and this time will be the perfect weather to explore Kerala with less heat and rains. Otherwise Rajasthan seems the best option in my mind like other members have suggested.

Originally Posted by MadTitan47

As a Mumbaiker myself, and a road trip enthusiast, I must insist that you take the trip down south. I have been planning a trip to Kanyakumari and Kerala but could not execute it due to lack of time.

Other destinations like Rajastha, Gujrat, Madhya Pradesh can be covered from Mumbai in a week or less. But Kerala or Tamil Nadu needs at least two weeks time for proper exploration. As you want to take a two weeks vacation, a southern road trip would be perfect. It would not be hectic and there are plenty of thins to see.

I had prepared an itinerary, please go through it and modify as per your preference.

Day1: Mumbai to Bengaluru
Day2: Bengaluru to Madurai
Day3: Explore ancient temples
Day4: Madurai to Kanyakumari
Day x: Kovalam, Kerala
Day x:Aappuzha, Kerala
Day x: Munnar, Kerala
Day x: Periyar National Park
Day x: Kochi, Kozhikode, Kannur etc
Day x: Wayanad, Kerala
Day x: Bandipore Tiger Reserve
Day x: Hampi, Karanataka
Dayx: Mumbai

Add halts in various places as per your interest and driving distance in mind. You can also add few more destinations from Tamil Nadu like Rameswaram etc.

Thank you guys for such many suggestions. So Kerala and specifically Wayanad came to our mind because of two reasons, because I had heard a lot about it over the years and secondly it is a lot more in the news these days because of Raga winning his election from there and me seeing all the beauty of it through whatever they are posting on their Youtube, insta feeds. Researched on it a bit more, my parents too seem very keen on spending a couple of days there. I googled Airbnb's and all of them seem wonderful, I am just not able to decide on which part of Wayanad we should stay in for a safe but still in nature kind of experience. We will be driving from Sunday morning to reach Wayanad by late evening.

Google is showing me two roads one via Karvar - Gokarna - Murudeshwar -Shivmoga - Hassan - Wayanad

and second via

Mangalore - Kasargod - Payyanur - Wayanad

For us the atmost important thing is amazing roads, bad roads are a deal breaker and we can look for some other place down south if the roads to Wayanad are bad. Can you guys suggest some amazing roads to get there?

Originally Posted by i74js

Coastal Maharashtra has very poor internet connectivity. Even for pure play telephone usage, one has to depend upon BSNL. Gujarat & Rajasthan should be good.

Originally Posted by francisvellara

You could definitely try out Kerala if you've never driven to this part before. If you're looking at a leisurely, laid back holiday, you can try out Kerala's beaches or hill stations. Kerala Tourism is promoting visits right now, so you should be able to get good deals and stay at places that aren't crowded.

However, I believe that you can only stay a maximum of 7 days in Kerala before you need to quarantine yourself here. So if you are looking at a 15 day holiday, it may be best to explore the neighbouring states (KA/TN) as well during your trip.

Yes, If Wayanad works out, we will be there for 4 days and then drive back to Mumbai. What road should we take for this? Google maps is telling me its a 1095 kilometers drive back to Mumbai.

Originally Posted by click

Few years ago I was travelling solo in Rajasthan. Most places I stayed in forgetful airbnb’s, but then at Jaisalmer I stayed at a decent hotel for few days. The hotel is very comfortable and considering senior citizens along with you, they will find it relaxing. The owner is a enthusiastic photographer himself and we went for a few early morning photography excursions. If you are interested, please dm me and I will share his personal details.

Originally Posted by GeeTee TSI

If you are inclined towards a tour of heritage sites, the following circuit comes to mind (which I have done via road from Mumbai but over two seperate trips)

Badami, Pattadakal, Aihole of the Chalukya dynasty
Hampi of the Vijayanagara empire
Belur, Halebeedu of the Hoysala empire
Temple town of Udupi
Coastal sights of Murudeshwar and Gokarna
Attachment 2080643

Feel free to check out the route and logistics in case there are more places enroute, as well as the access to these places during current times

Thank you, I would definitely take this up on the next road trip.

Originally Posted by earthian

We just returned 2 weeks back from a 21 day trip to Himachal Pradesh. It's a lovely place and i drove from A'Bad. Since we are of the same age as your parents , i don't think you would have any issue, though be advised that it would be cold in places. We did Uttarakhand ( Kumaon side) last year. Recommend any of the two, though if you can stretch it to 3 weeks you would have a great relaxed time.

You can read about the places we went here: (A drive to the Valley of the Gods - Kullu and Kangra in Himachal Pradesh) and here: (Uttarakhand: Abode of the Gods)

edit: If you have only 2 weeks and want to avoid long drives (why?) they Madhya Pradesh is a lovely state to go to. We have been there 3 times and i don't mind going back for more.

Will definitely check your travelogue out. I have realized on this roadtrip that my parents are more comfortable going to a place and chilling there for a few days and then going to the next place. The zest they had in our earlier roadtrips is slowly fading away, I guess, comes with age and that is why this road trip is totally dedicated to everything they want to do. Its my golden years with them and I want them to have as much fun in whatever they like and want to do, I can always do adventurous ones with my friends or a better half when she does come into my life. I mean, we are Goa since 3 days and we are eating amazing food, watching movies in our flat, having our chit chats and fun and having a life other than what we have in our daily routine at home.

Originally Posted by kamilharis

If you are willing to visit down to Kerala, I would suggest you to check with https://tentgram.com/home ( also https://www.instagram.com/tentgraam )


They are one of the best in the market now and they have multiple locations nearby. All the sites are located at core green areas. Am not sure whether the package they offer might suit your parents' taste, still you can drop them a call and they will reply. You can PM me as well if you need any reference from my side, few of my friends are active holders in that and I am good friend of the founder and his wife.

I checked their instagram and the link you gave. Let me go through it in the night at ease and I will PM you. The internet is sketchy here.

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

You can look up Vengurla, it's a small town has it's own light house, a port and also has a beach ( Ubha danda). Panjim (Goa) is around 70 kns from Vengurla though the inner road is narrow to drive on. Incidentally Vengurla is also my native and is 540 kms from Mumbai door to door.

Definitely on my to visit list the next time.

Originally Posted by Cessna182

To be adventurous may I also suggest exploring the Himalayas at this point. The Atal tunnel is a marvel of engineering and just reading about it makes me excited. In case you are going north, and if long drives are an option, visiting the Himalayas could be an option, although it might be hectic.

Personally, I prefer driving as long as possible with the passengers being comfortable. Best I've done is about 1100 km in a day with elderly on board. Take ample toilet and tea breaks. It is not very tough.

True, we did a Mumbai-Bangalore and Mumbai Junagadh last year in one stretch and they were all fine, this time, they got a tired after we reached Goa.

Originally Posted by silverado

Since you are already in Goa, Amboli would be a perfect destination for you.
It is higher up and weather should be definitely cooler now.

Amboli ghat is a treat to drive and you should be able to find a good resort there as well.

True, I saw some airbnb's for the dates when we were booking goa, all were full, next time I will book in much more advance

Thanks to all of you, I have to plan so many roadtrips now.