[Ravveendrra]

Hi,

I received a call from Downsouth this afternoon to tell me that he found some accomodation in Shillong and it was confirmed! Thanks to hyd_traveller and his friends in the NE who went out of their way to help find us accomodation ins Shillong. It finally worked out.

That now leaves Kolkata and perhaps Rajahmundry as we are veering towards a long drive on that leg to reach Rajahmundry instead of Vizag for a night halt (last one before we reach home).

Request: I have a request. I would like members here to recommend a nice hotel near the airport in Kolkata. There seem to be a few on VIP road but no reviews are available, nor are the rates etc. We are looking for a decent, clean, safe place with three double rooms for the night of 2nd January 2010.

Cheers and thanks in advance,

[MileCruncher]

@ Gang: Good to know that your accomodation details have fallen in place.

Not to sound omnious here but I would suggest to have a Plan B for each destination.

Secondly what are you doing to prep your cars for the drive.

For starters I would suggest atleast 6mm of tread depth on tyres.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

For starters I would suggest atleast 6mm of tread depth on tyres.

Most important!
Change your tyres before the trip, not after. The best tyres for the worst terrain.

[akroy]

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

Request: I have a request. I would like members here to recommend a nice hotel near the airport in Kolkata. There seem to be a few on VIP road but no reviews are available, nor are the rates etc. We are looking for a decent, clean, safe place with three double rooms for the night of 2nd January 2010.

Cheers and thanks in advance,

Why do u want to enter Kolkata city? you can stop by at highway hotel on NH2 / Nh5 itself isnt it, same place where the GQ gang halted. Pls PM planet_rocker for all these info.

Abhi

[hvkumar]

Entirely agree with Abhi.

Motel Midway, Dhulagori, on the NH6 (Kon EXpressway), immediately on crossing the Dhulagori Logistics. It is on the LHS towards Kharagpur. The hotel location is exactly 9 kms from the point where the road coming from Vidyasagar Setu joins NH6.

The rooms were good, the food great and parking ample (and protected). No hassle of getting into the city. We paid Rs 1995 for a large room with 5 beds.

In case you plan to take the Siuri route to Siliguri, no need to leave the Kon-Durgapur expressway and enter Kolkata City.

[Ravveendrra]

Thanks MC, we will put together a plan B once plan A is in place! Plan C = sleeping bags in the car. We shall carry a list of all accomodation en-route to cater to unforseen circumstances.

Cars get a thorough going over. Servicing, oil change, air filter replacement, coolant replacement, brake disc check, brake pad replacement, clutch check, wheel balancing, wheel alignment etc. plus whatever is required from HVK's check list on the Ladakh thread. Not much is required as one car has 27k km on the clock and has new tyres, brake pads and clutch. The other has only 5k km on the clock.

Thanks Chief - tyres are new on both cars (might need replacement after).

Originally Posted by akroy

Why do u want to enter Kolkata city? you can stop by at highway hotel on NH2 / Nh5 itself isnt it, same place where the GQ gang halted. Pls PM planet_rocker for all these info.

Abhi

Hi Abhi & Chief,

Our original plan was to skip Kolkata altogether, drive past on the GQ and stop at Siuri on the way out and Kharagpur on the way back. However, on the way back we have to drop two of the team off at the airport on Sunday morning so that they can report for work on Monday. Hence the N/S in Kolkata on Sat night.

Thanks for the tip, I will PM planet_rocker for hotels in CCU.

The info given by chief is giving me another idea - stay at the Hotel Midway, Dhulagori, on the highway, thereby avoiding CCU traffic in the evening, one car goes in the morning to drop the air-travellers and returns while the rest of us just chill. This will probably be the most effective. Thanks Chief.

Cheers,

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Most important!
Change your tyres before the trip, not after. The best tyres for the worst terrain.

I think Chief will agree with me on this, Another thing that you need to be in 100% condition would be the air filters an dfuel filters. Diesel cars should make sure that there is no water in the fuel filter

[hyd_traveller]

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

we will put together a plan B once plan A is in place!
However, on the way back we have to drop two of the team off at the airport on Sunday morning so that they can report for work on Monday.

Please keep "FOG" margin, especially those who intend to fly.

Hope to meet you personally before you take off for this trip.

Maybe Hyderabad Chapter could have one GTG in the Nov-Dec series timed just before your trip. Are Mobike008 and Traveloholic listening?

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by hyd_traveller

Maybe Hyderabad Chapter could have one GTG in the Nov-Dec series timed just before your trip. Are Mobike008 and Traveloholic listening?

Bajaj ji, that goes without saying. In any case, we have 2-3 meets a month.

We can dedicate one to Ravvs and gang and other to yours truly

[pulsar56]

Originally Posted by hyd_traveller

Please keep "FOG" margin, especially those who intend to fly.

The flyers have to be at work on 4th Morning and even if FOG plays spoilsport on 3rd morning, there is not much to worry.

Originally Posted by hyd_traveller

Hope to meet you personally before you take off for this trip.

Originally Posted by mobike008

Bajaj ji, that goes without saying. In any case, we have 2-3 meets a month.

We can dedicate one to Ravvs and gang and other to yours truly

As said by Avi, we might have 2-3 meets before the journey. Also, The Deccan Quarter Mile Drag is happening one week before our departure on 12th & 13th December.



(Mods, the above statement about the drag does not refer to speeding or racing on public roads. It's a legal event conducted by APMSC.)

[Ravveendrra]

Originally Posted by hyd_traveller

Please keep "FOG" margin, especially those who intend to fly.

Hope to meet you personally before you take off for this trip.

Maybe Hyderabad Chapter could have one GTG in the Nov-Dec series timed just before your trip. Are Mobike008 and Traveloholic listening?

Thanks for reminding me - it had slipped my mind after I read HVK's suggestion for a hotel. Best to stay close to the airport so we do not have to fight the fog early in the morning. VIP road seemed promising.

Just a word of warning: Knowing Mobike - he is likely to read GTG as Go To Goa!!

Cheers,

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

Just a word of warning: Knowing Mobike - he is likely to read GTG as Go To Goa!! Cheers,

That was spot on. I read exactly as you said.

Then i realized, i am mixing up two different things. I shook my head violently and then it dawned on me, it's get together.

Seriously, these abbreviations sometimes drive me up the wall

[anurag_p80]

Seriously, these abbreviations sometimes drive me up the wall

One tough wall, that one....hehe.
Good to see that the plans are coming along well.

[Ravveendrra]

Hi, this thread has been inactive for a while as we were busy tying up tickets, accomodation and watching Absynthguzzler kick the butt off the Dengue virus. It is now time for an update. Our programmme is as follows:

20.12.2009 5.00 am Depart Hyderabad – Suryapet – Kodad – Vijayawada – Eluru – Rajahmundry – Visakhapatnam – Srikakulam – Berhampur – Rambha. Night halt OTDC’s Panthanivas Hotel, Rambha.

21.12.2009 06.00 am Depart Rambha – Bhubaneshwar – Cuttak – Bhadrak – BAD ROAD 70 KM – Baleshwar – (Leave NH 5 onto NH 60) – Join NH 6 – CCU bypass – Join NH 2 – Singur - Barddhaman – Panagarh – turn right at Darjeeling Morh – Siuri (on NH 60). Night halt at Sharada Lodge Siuri.

22.12.2009 07.00 am Depart Siuri – Rampurhat – (join NH 34) - Maldah – Uttar Dinajpur – Dalkhola – Join NH 31 – Siliguri. Night Halt at Hotel Central Plaza, Siliguri.

23.12.2009 06.00 am Depart Siliguri – Mal – Koch Bihar – Donkinamari – Pathsala – Nalbari – Rangia – Darrang – Tezpur. Night Halt Hotel JK, Tezpur.

24.12.2009 06.00 am Depart Tezpur – Bhalukpong – Bomdila – Dirang. Night halt at Dirang.

25.12.2009 06.00 am Depart Dirang – arr Tawang

26.12.2009 Tawang

27.12.2009 Tawang: Drive to the Tsos and Bum La pass (just short of the China border),

28.12.2009 6.00 am Leave Tawang and drive to Dirang or Bomdila for a night halt or if the road is good proceed to Tezpur

29.12.2009 6.00 am Leave Dirang / Bomdila and drive to Tezpur. Night halt at Hotel JK. (If we have a day extra due to reaching Tezpur on 28.12 let us take a call on what to do then.)

30.12.2009 6.00 am Leave Tezpur and drive to Gauhati airport to pick up HRH-RR (eta 11.00 hrs, So HRH, you might have to cool your heels in the airport for a bit while your land transport is on its way). We move to Shillong and check into Hotel Alpine Continental, Shillong.

31.12.2009 ring out 2009 and bring in 2010 with a bang in Shillong (By all accounts, this is something we should not miss)

1.1.2010 6.00 am Leave Shillong and drive to Siliguri. Night halt at Hotel Central Plaza, Siliguri.

2.1.2010 6.00 am Leave Siliguri and drive to Kolkata. Night halt at Hotel O2, near the Airport.

3.1.2010 4.30 am Leave Hotel drop off air-passengers at CCU airport (HRH-RR's flight is at 06.30 hrs. and Mrs. Downsouth's is at 06.50 hrs which means she can have an extra cup of coffee at the airport).

3.1.2010 5.00 am Leave airport and drive to Rajahmundry (1069 km). Night halt at Hotel River Bay, Rajahmundry.

4.1.2010 6.00 am Leave Rajahmundry and drive to Hyderabad.

No. of vehicles is two. A Laura (Cappuchino Beige) and a Linea FIRE (Red). The minimum number of drivers on any leg is four. Now I am getting evil designs and think we should utilise HRH-RR's short presence to the maximum and make him drive all the way from Shillong to CCU.

I thank all members who have contributed to this trip by giving advice on routes, preparations, information on accomodation, road conditions etc. Without your support planning this trip would have been difficult if not impossible. HVKumar, Sudipto S-team, ADC, Planet_rocker, Shuvc, AKRoy, Milindajp, Milecruncher, hyd_traveller, Anurag P80, Arin_12, Johy and RobinMahanta come to mind immediately - thanks a tonne guys. If I have missed out naming anyone please forgive me I am too sleepy now.

Cheers,

[hvkumar]

A few quick comments:

- Day 1 is too aggressive, even if you avoid Vijaywada and take the Khammam route to Rajahmundry

- Day 4, I would suggest you avoid the route via Nalabari and come from Cooch Behar via Boxirhat, Gauripur to North Salamara and then take NH31 via Rangiya to Baihata Chariali and then go on NH52 via Mangaldai and Orang to Tezpur.

On Day 11 also, I suggest you take the same NH52 route (avoiding Dispur and Guwahati city) and come via Mangaldai and Baihati Chariali directly to Jalukhbari to go to Guwahati Airport.

On Day 16, a drive from Calcutta to Rajahmundry, with a 5 am start, is almost impossible.