Hi,
we plan to drive from Mumbai to Shillong around the 10th of June, in a three year old Scorpio.
We have about two months. So we are not really in a tearing hurry to get there. The idea is to be safe (since we are two women and a dog), enjoy the road, see a bit of the country on the way - and finally make it to Shillong.
I have been reading up on the threads here and looking at the Eicher road maps of India. and this is how i see our journey, thanks to all the learnings from the posts here!
Would really like to know some answers and advice.
thanks.
DAY 1
Mumbai – Pune - expressway
Pune – Solapur – NH 9 (245 kms)
So if we reach Pune by 9am, we should be in Solapur for lunch.
Questions:
- Is the bypass from Pune well marked? Or does anyone have any idea where national highway 9 starts from Pune?
- Accommodation in Solapur. Since we have a dog, it needs to be safe and well, accepting of friendly well-mannered pets. So any ideas?
- Do we need to enter Solapur for accommodation or is there anything that’s just outside the town. In case we have to enter, does anyone know how much time/distance we should account for there?
DAY 2
Solapur – Hyderabad – NH 9 ( 301 kms)
Questions:
- All accounts read on team BHP tell me this road is pretty decent. Any watch outs?
DAY 3
Hyderabad – Suriapet – NH 9 (127 kms)
From Suriapet bypass to Khammam – Kallur – Dammapeta – Ashwaraopet – Zangareddigudem – Koyyalagudem – Gopalapuram – Kovvur – Rajahmundry (259 Kms)
Rajamundry – NH 5 (GQ) – tuni (96 kms)
Total: 482 kms
Questions:
- Read on Team BHP. And this seemed to come up over and over again that following NH 9 and getting into Vijaywada is a pain thanks to crazy traffic. Lots of folks seem to suggest the Suriapet bypass to avoid Vijaywada. Any idea on the road? Do we expect kaccha roads or do we expect to do decent time?
- Also is it desolate, but since we are covering this in the morning not so worried about that.
- Is Tuni a better option to stay or Annavaram? Read somewhere that Annavaram is a temple town, which means it should have more places to stay. But really if anyone has any idea and can even suggest a few places, would be great.
DAY 4
Tuni – vishakapatnam - NH 5 (GQ) (95 kms)
Questions:
- Accommodation ideas anyone? Preferably on the beach!
DAY 5
Vishakatanam – Gopalpur on sea – NH 5 (GQ) (283 kms)
DAY 6
Gopalpur on sea – Cilka – NH 5 (GQ) (61 kms)
DAY 7
Chilka – Bhubaneshwar – Cuttack – Bhadrak – Baleshwar (GQ now becomes NH 60 ) – Kharagpur
(411 Kms)
Questions:[list][*]Tried to check on the NHAI site on the road from Bhadrak to Baleshwar to Kharagpur. Not much help. Have been reading accounts that the road isn’t too good. Does anyone have any idea on the road? And approximately how much time will it take us to get from Chilka to Kharagpur? Read somewhere that Bhubaneshwar to Bhadrak should be 3 hours and then Bhadrak to Kharagpur should be another 3 hours. Is that right?[*]Also once again, accommodation suggestions for Kharagpur...please.
DAY 8
Kharagpur (GQ becomes NH 6) – Kolkatta (117 kms)
DAY 9
Kolkatta – NH 2 (GQ) – Barddhaman – Kaksa – (get off NH 2 here) – Iilam bazaar – cross Shantiniketan – Siuri (221 kms)
Questions:
- Any information on how good is the road? And again how much time will it take to there? Took this road because I read that NH 34 from Kolkata is very crowded.
- Accommodation in Siuri?
DAY 10
Siuri – Muhammad bazaar – Fatehpur – Rampur Haat – Takipur – Morgram (back on NH 34 here) – cross Farakka - Ingraj bazaar - Maldah - – Raiganj – Dalkola ( get on NH 31 GQ) – Kishanganj - Baghdogra – Siliguri (437 kms)
Questions:
- Till about Takipur we seem to be pretty close to the Jharkhand border. Need to know how good is this road. Any safety watch outs as well?
- Also this whole stretch seems a longish stretch to me. Since I don’t know road conditions. So in case it gets too much, might stop at Maldah. Any idea if it just seems long or is it manageable.
- Any places we could stay at Siliguri?
Some days in Darjeeling and Gangtok...and then...
DAY 1 to Shillong
Siliguri to Alipur Duar NH 31C (158 kms)
DAY 2 to Shillong
Alipur Duar to Shillong NH 31C NH 40 ( 350 kms)
Questions:
- Again the roads. I hear from someone who lives in Darjeeling that the Siliguri – Guwahati – Shillong stretch is pretty good. But again, any watch outs.
- Plan to stop at Alipur Duar because I feel the drive to Guwahati might be too long. Any ideas for accommodation?
- Also any watch outs with safety etc.