Team-BHP - Delhi to Darjeeling/Sikkim : Route Queries

Well, I have been from Bombay to Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Sikkhim and Bhutan by 100 cc bike, and can guide you from Calcutta onwards.

My trip wa in 1994, and I took the bike to Calcutta from Bombay by train and stared from there.

Places covered in 12 days were:
Calcutta-Malda-Siliguri-Darjeeling-Teesta-Kalimpong-Gangtok-Tsango-Rumtek-Mangan-Geyship-Pemayangse-Kechopari-Yakshum-Jorethang-Birpara-Jaigarh-Phuntsoling-Thimpu-Paro-Phuntsoling-Siliguri-Malda-Calcutta-Kharagpur-Keonjhar-Sambalpur-Raipur-Nagpur-Akola-Jalgaon-Dhule-Nashik-Bombay, totally 5,000 kms in 12 days.

From Delhi, you have the choice of taking NH2 all tthe way to Calcuta and then taking tthe road north via Malda to Siliguri. Shorter alternative is to turn off NH2 after Durgapur and come via Siuri to Moregaon and proceed via Raiganj to Siligur. But the shortest route may be to come via Patna, Begusarai and Purnea to Dalkola and Siliguri (the last route is the worst).

I have no idea about the present condition of NH31 north bihar side (kumar ji's last route)
The best route would be:
Take GQ from Delhi to DarjeelingMore (20km from Durgapur towards Kolkata). Dont take the Ranigunj - Pandaveshwar route. Although shorter but not in good shape.
Take left from DarjeelingMore (this NH60, Moregram another 150km via Ilambazar - Siuri - Rampurhat - Takipur)
At Moregram take NH34 (well marked), take left towards Dhulian, Farakka.
Farakka - Malda - Gajol - Raigunj - Dalkhola. At Dalkhola, you meet NH31 for Siliguri.

Take care that you donot cross Moregram, Ballalpur, Jangipur, Dhulian stretch in darkness. Dont know about present status but once upon a time this was famous dacoits. Plan to cross Farakka by day light.

Abhi

I have heard they have an excellent highway in Nepal that connects its western end to its eastern end. Wondering if Delhi to Darjeeling is possible via Nepal. One could enter at Tanakpur (suggestions welcome for alternate entry points) and exit via Kakerbhitta. The same route could be taken for return. But this is all hypothesis until now in my mind. Is it possible? Has anyone tried this route?

On the other hand, on the Indian front, is it advisable to avoid the highway in Bihar, as some seem to suggest here? Wouldn't going all the way to Malda, or even Durgapur, turn out to be a much longer route and in turn take more time to cover? How would it be to turn off from Varanasi, seemingly the half-way point in this trip?

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkdelhi (Post 1324338)

I have heard they have an excellent highway in Nepal that connects its western end to its eastern end.

I think some bridge got washed out in this route last year after the Koshi floods. Please check that out. But this would also be a needless detour, unless you want to use the Nepal road just for the heck of it.

The most sensible route would be Delhi>Benares>Panagarh> Moregram>Siliguri . The north Bihar route would have been shortest but for the terrible surface and law and order problem, as suggested by HVK - he did it just a few weeks ago.

However, a Bullet might attract less attention in Bihar than a Scorpio as HVK's recent experience was.

But please don't do this trip during monsoon. The hills are already in bad shape, particularly after Aila. Mitch is holed up in Peling right now.

PS: Panagarh is shown in most road maps as "Kanksa".

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sudipto-S-Team (Post 1324354)

...The most sensible route would be Delhi>Benares>Panagarh> Moregram>Siliguri...

So, what would be the ideal night-stopover on this entire trip?

Quote:

But please don't do this trip during monsoon. The hills are already in bad shape, particularly after Aila. Mitch is holed up in Peling right now.

How about the plains upto Siliguri? Would it be tough to drive through the rains? Anyone tried it during monsoons?

I might just end up taking this trip due to an emergency.

NH2 through Bihar is safe by day. But NH31 - the route which I took recently - is avoidable for safety reasons, although as Sudipto said, a mobike may not attract attention.

Ideal stop over - in car, I would have driven from Delhi to Varanasi, and then to Silguri/Gangtok the next day, but by bike, maybe I would stop over at either Kanpur or Allahabad on Day 1, and Malda on Day 2, reaching Darjeeling/Gangtok on Day 3.

Plains upto Siliguri is quite OK. I have not heard of the Nh34 closing down due to rains - or the Panagarh-Siuri-Morgram road for that matter.

Quote:

kkdelhi: I have heard they have an excellent highway in Nepal that connects its western end to its eastern end. Wondering if Delhi to Darjeeling is possible via Nepal. One could enter at Tanakpur (suggestions welcome for alternate entry points) and exit via Kakerbhitta. The same route could be taken for return. But this is all hypothesis until now in my mind. Is it possible? Has anyone tried this route?

I'll love to drive in my car from New Delhi to Sikkim, sometime in Future, if i'll be able to procure lots of Holidays from my job and the important thing is the intended route would be to enter Nepal as soon as possible and traverse it west to east, exiting Nepal for East India, no need to go through U.P ,Bihar, WB. Someone in Nepal, told me this is the best way , for anyone not willing to go through the ordeal of passing U.P,Bihar and that the west-east highway of Nepal is very good.

About the road, truly said - it's known as Raj Marg 1, has been built (if I can remember correctly) by our very own BRO, I've travelled that road multiple times as I've been to Nepal around 7 times. Is a breeze to drive long straight streches where you can literally see straight ahead for the next 2-2.5 kms BUT in Nepal you have to follow a TSD format, where in you have a card made (like the school report card or medical dispensary card) and there are specific time limits to exit/ enter cities/villages(police check posts) along the highway, in my experience it translates to 55 kms/hr as the prescribed speed limit on the NH there. And secondly by night, the cops and armed forces patrolling the roads are literally robbers, on multiple trips I've had to pay these chaps for only one reason - driving at night in a desolate place and they are there to protect me, hence I owe them something and that too in INR (Rs 500 INR being the favourite).. I'd suggest NOT to drive in Nepal highways after 7 pm unless you have a local along or know the language (nepali) fluently.!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ritedhawan (Post 2707597)

The East-west highway is indeed very good and a lot of Indian heavy trucks from the north east wanting to go to Delhi side use this route quite regularly from Kakarbhitta. But at the present moment road closures are too frequent. just last week there was a general strike for 2 days, and same story 2 weeks ago. I too was planning to do a bike ride from Kakarbhitta to kathmandu but now have shelved that plan. Though the east west highway is in fair condition, good accommodation and amenities along the highway are too few and too far between, so if one were to get stuck in th4e middle you could have to do a forced camp out on the side of the road ;).

One option to minimise the chance of "bandha" or stike is to travel during a religious holiday. I dont think any political party will want to call a general strike on a religious holiday.

P.S I live in outer siliguri 22 kms from Kakarbhitta

The best place to break your journey would be Varanasi.

Day 1 : Take NH31 Darjeeling-Siliguri-Dalkhola-Purnia-Begusarai-Patna-Varanasi - approx. 800KM.
Day 2 : Take NH2 all the way from Varanasi-Allahabad-Kanpur-Agra - approx. 600KM.

Sheel from Purnia would be the best person to update about the road condition of NH31.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand (Post 3273227)

Reviving an old thread.

Any pointers on the Darjeeling-Agra route?
We want to do it in two days starting on 24th from Darjeeling till Agra.
15-18hrs drive a day is fine.
What's the best route and where's the best place to break the journey at?

Thanks in advance guys

I believe best to use the East - West highway which intersects NH2 just after Kanpur.

NB: No personal experience of the road. I think HVK has a log.

Regards
Sutripta