[JayKis]

HI all..Am doing a Pune-Bhutan biking trip on Feb 24th. The following is the schedule. Would appreciate any help on the road conditions and accomodation facilites in any of these places. The following is the route.

Day Date Job Distance (in kms)
Planned Route
Day 1 24-Feb Pune to Hyderabad 548
Pune-Kedagoan-Khumbergaon-Indapur-Tembhurni-Solapur-Hyderabad (all NH9)

Day 2 25-Feb Hyderabad to Vizag 604
Hyderabad-Suryapet-Khammam-Rajamundry-Vizag

Day 3 26-Feb Vizag to Kharagpur 742
Vizag - Balam - Rajnagar- Jashipur - Baharagora- Kharagpur

Day 4 27-Feb Kharagpur to Siliguri 657
Kharagpur - Cal(Bypass)-Bardhaman-Darjeeling More-Moregram-Malda-Siliguri

Day 5 28-Feb Siliguri to Psholing 171
Siliguri-Jalpaiguri(bypass)-Dhupguri-Goyerkata-Birpara-Hasimara-Jaigaon

Day 5 28-Feb Also a Buffer day Stay at Jaigaon which is close to PHTG

Day 6 01-Mar Phuentsholing to Paro 110 Halt at Paro.
Need to find a Paro for Devdas

Day 7 02-Mar Paro to Thimpu 60
Thimphu sightseeing +Permits work

Day 8 03-Mar Thimphu to Trongsa 200
Thimphu - Punaka - Wangdue Phodrang - Trongsa

Trongsa to Mongar 200
Trongsa - Bumthang - Mongar

Day 9 04-Mar MNGR to Samdrup Jongkhar 271

Day 10 05-Mar Samdrup Jongkhar to GWH 110

Day 11 06-Mar GWH to Cherrapunji /Mawsynram 200

Day 12 07-Mar Rest Day.

Day 13 08-Mar GWH to Pune Flight. Bike to be send by GATI

A special thx to HVKumar here who has helped in formulating the route.

[hvkumar]

Day 3 26-Feb Vizag to Kharagpur 742
Vizag - Balam - Rajnagar- Jashipur - Baharagora- Kharagpur

Why are you not going on NH5-NH60 from Vizag to Kharagpur via Behrapur, Bhubaneswar, Baleswar and Jaleswar? Lovley 4-laner most of the way.

The Bhutan stretches are tightly paced, definitely doable, but keep one more day's buffer. This will also be useful in the event that there is some sudden bandh in Assam region.

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by JayKis

HI all..Am doing a Pune-Bhutan biking trip on Feb 24th. The following is the schedule. Would appreciate any help on the road conditions and accomodation facilites in any of these places. The following is the route.
.....

Hi,
A really tight schedule. You'll be just blitzing through Bhutan. Since you are transporting your bike for one leg, I think it would have made more sense to do it on the onward journey. You would have been fresh for your main vacation.

Agree with Mr. Kumar about the GQ. NH6 Bahargora to KGP slightly dicey nowadays. (flash rasta rokos at Lodhasuli) etc.

Day 4 is a long drive. Maybe you can shorten it by NH at Raigang or Dalkhola (there is a motel there now). You will not gain anything by arriving at Phuntsoling early. Its a Sunday. And with a bike, I'd suggest NH34 rather than NH2- NH60- NH34.

Would suggest Siliguri - Sevok route. More scenic. For Hashimara, Jalpaiguri route not really shorter.

Would suggest Thimpu first, to get all your permits.

Don't know if there is accommodation at Samdrup. Might have to come down to Rangia.

Happy journey.

Sutripta

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Don't know if there is accommodation at Samdrup. Might have to come down to Rangia.

Samsrup Jhonkar is a border town with hardly any facilities, with unpleasant border police and officials. I did not see any lodges or hotels, although there are supposed to be 1-2 seedy lodges here. There is a petrol pump in Samdrup. Tamulpur is the first Indian town, which looks large and should have some lodges, although I did not see any.

[akas_chauhan]

BTW which bike you will be using for this trip, just curious.
A Bullet?

[StarVegabond]

Good wishes for your trip.
Are you going alone ? or do you have any companions ?
Which bike you would be driving ?

Take care of your safety on trip.

Ensure that your mobile phone is charged everyday evening so that you can use it when needed.

post your experience when ever possible

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by StarVegabond

Ensure that your mobile phone is charged everyday evening so that you can use it when needed.

To add. For NE, get a post paid BSNL connection. Prepaid will not work.

International roaming charges in Bhutan are extremely high. Get a Bhutan card.

BTW, I think your KGP- Panagarh - Siliguri distance is wrong. Top of head, I'd say 780 Km. HVK?

Sutripta

[gaddiwale]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Hi,
Would suggest Siliguri - Sevok route. More scenic. For Hashimara, Jalpaiguri route not really shorter.

True. You can just bypass busy Siliguri taffic and head towards Sevok - Bagrakot - Odlabari - Dam Dim - Mal Bazar - Chalsa - Nagrakata - Goyerkata - Birpara - Hasimara - Jaigaon (NH 31 and 31C).

All the very best for your journey to my native place.

[MX6]

Let me know the time you'd cross Hadapsar. I'd love to see you off if time permits.

[Captdey]

" Day 4 is a long drive. Maybe you can shorten it by NH at Raigang or Dalkhola (there is a motel there now). You will not gain anything by arriving at Phuntsoling early. Its a Sunday. And with a bike, I'd suggest NH34 rather than NH2- NH60- NH34. "

Sutripta ,

Where is the Motel at " Raigunj " or at " Dalkhola " ?
I remember seeing one at " Raigunj " is it the same
you are talking about ?

Cheers

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Captdey

Where is the Motel at " Raigunj " or at " Dalkhola " ?
I remember seeing one at " Raigunj " is it the same
you are talking about ?

Cheers

Motel Dalkola is 2 kms before the Dalkola Flyover (to your left) when you are coming from Siliguri.

[JayKis]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Why are you not going on NH5-NH60 from Vizag to Kharagpur via Behrapur, Bhubaneswar, Baleswar and Jaleswar? Lovley 4-laner most of the way.

The Bhutan stretches are tightly paced, definitely doable, but keep one more day's buffer. This will also be useful in the event that there is some sudden bandh in Assam region.

@HVK..got the route mixed up..It was part of the original sambalpur-kharagpur route...Would be taking the route u mentioned.

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Hi,
A really tight schedule. You'll be just blitzing through Bhutan. Since you are transporting your bike for one leg, I think it would have made more sense to do it on the onward journey. You would have been fresh for your main vacation.

Agree with Mr. Kumar about the GQ. NH6 Bahargora to KGP slightly dicey nowadays. (flash rasta rokos at Lodhasuli) etc.

Day 4 is a long drive. Maybe you can shorten it by NH at Raigang or Dalkhola (there is a motel there now). You will not gain anything by arriving at Phuntsoling early. Its a Sunday. And with a bike, I'd suggest NH34 rather than NH2- NH60- NH34.

Would suggest Siliguri - Sevok route. More scenic. For Hashimara, Jalpaiguri route not really shorter.

Would suggest Thimpu first, to get all your permits.

Don't know if there is accommodation at Samdrup. Might have to come down to Rangia.

Happy journey.

Sutripta

@Sutripta

Yes really fast paced..If there is a delay ..would drop the cherrapunji plan and get an additional day!!

Day 4 is the big day..Would be trying to make it up by covering longer distances on other days..Its a real-time dynamic plan

Originally Posted by akas_chauhan

BTW which bike you will be using for this trip, just curious.
A Bullet?

@akas_chauhan,
Its a bullet electra 5s 2008 model..unfortunately now out of production

Originally Posted by StarVegabond

Good wishes for your trip.
Are you going alone ? or do you have any companions ?
Which bike you would be driving ?

Take care of your safety on trip.

Ensure that your mobile phone is charged everyday evening so that you can use it when needed.

post your experience when ever possible

@SVBond..Yup thats a mandatory thing....The question is the range of airtel in all these places..

Originally Posted by Sutripta

To add. For NE, get a post paid BSNL connection. Prepaid will not work.

International roaming charges in Bhutan are extremely high. Get a Bhutan card.

BTW, I think your KGP- Panagarh - Siliguri distance is wrong. Top of head, I'd say 780 Km. HVK?

Sutripta

@Sutripta..I guess thats the case if you go via CAL...But we would be going via Bardhaman..

Originally Posted by gaddiwale

True. You can just bypass busy Siliguri taffic and head towards Sevok - Bagrakot - Odlabari - Dam Dim - Mal Bazar - Chalsa - Nagrakata - Goyerkata - Birpara - Hasimara - Jaigaon (NH 31 and 31C).

All the very best for your journey to my native place.

@Gaddiwale..Thx...

Originally Posted by MX6

Let me know the time you'd cross Hadapsar. I'd love to see you off if time permits.

@MX6..I would be passing there in the early hours of morning..by 5 ish..

Originally Posted by Captdey

" Day 4 is a long drive. Maybe you can shorten it by NH at Raigang or Dalkhola (there is a motel there now). You will not gain anything by arriving at Phuntsoling early. Its a Sunday. And with a bike, I'd suggest NH34 rather than NH2- NH60- NH34. "

Sutripta ,

Where is the Motel at " Raigunj " or at " Dalkhola " ?
I remember seeing one at " Raigunj " is it the same
you are talking about ?

Cheers

@Capt dey..Agree..as said earlier..its a dynamic plan

[MX6]

Originally Posted by JayKis

@MX6..I would be passing there in the early hours of morning..by 5 ish..

I'd try and wake up early tomorrow. Let me see whether I can see you off near the Shiva temple at the junction of Pune-solapur road and the one that goes to Magarpatta city. If I wake up, I shall be there at 5 am sharp.
You will find a Ford Ikon with 13 TBHP stickers on them.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by MX6

I'd try and wake up early tomorrow. Let me see whether I can see you off near the Shiva temple at the junction of Pune-solapur road and the one that goes to Magarpatta city. If I wake up, I shall be there at 5 am sharp.
You will find a Ford Ikon with 13 TBHP stickers on them.

Great MX6... Thats what we live for right? A group we just talk and blog about. Seeing them actually is a different feeling. Jaykis all the best for your journey. I recently read a book called one life to ride. Where the author (Ajith Harsinghani) biked all the way till Leh. His next destination was Bhutan. Looks like you are on the same lines !

[JayKis]

Originally Posted by MX6

I'd try and wake up early tomorrow. Let me see whether I can see you off near the Shiva temple at the junction of Pune-solapur road and the one that goes to Magarpatta city. If I wake up, I shall be there at 5 am sharp.
You will find a Ford Ikon with 13 TBHP stickers on them.

Wow..thats some commitment you got!!!!!..Well hope to meet you up in Hadapsar...This is probably the first time I would be travelling on that route..SO have no idea where the Shiva temple is..But a combination of google maps and my hunch tells me it would be the one in front of the Hadapsar ind estate..PLz correct me if am worng...

Originally Posted by ampere

Great MX6... Thats what we live for right? A group we just talk and blog about. Seeing them actually is a different feeling. Jaykis all the best for your journey. I recently read a book called one life to ride. Where the author (Ajith Harsinghani) biked all the way till Leh. His next destination was Bhutan. Looks like you are on the same lines !

@Ampere..Thanks a lot..That book i hrd is awesome..Havent read it so far thou..Let me ride and experience it first and then read it and find the similar items What say???