Team-BHP - Leaving for Mumbai-Delhi tonite

I don't know what the objective of your trip is - to drive fast and reach Delhi as quickly as possible or to take it easy, take in the sights and enjoy the journey as much as reaching your destination! Mind you, you may adopt the latter way without sacrificing speed totally - just not breakneck at the cost of 'smelling the flowers' en-route, that's all!!

I 'do' this route every month.

If you're going to do this the 'sedate' way, I would suggest that you leave Bombay around 0400 hours and sleep over the night at Udaipur, which you can touch comfortably by 2100 hours. And then start out early next morning from Udaipur, by 0500 latest, and touch Delhi between lunch and tea! Driving through the Shekhawati region and it's hills at daybreak could be a wonderful experience.

There are bypasses along the way and you can opt to take those if you wish to not drive through the cities, big and small, along the way. Avoid night driving as far as possible, unless it's a must do.

I stay at a RTDC Hotel in Udaipur called Hotel Kajri, located at Shastri Circle, Udaipur. You have to drive in from the highway, around 10 kms in. The phone numbers are 0294-2410501 & 2. Not the swankiest of Hotels, but it's clean, the food is ok, the place has an old world charm (with high ceilings and large rooms). Tariff ranges from Rs. 2100/- for a double A/c room down to Rs. 100/- for a bed in the dormitory (rates from a card dated 1/7/09 - don't know if there's been a revision; I generally get a double room for around 1800/- and a single bed for 1500/- since I'm a regular!. You may negotiate and obtain a decent discount too. B'fast is complimentary with the rent (not if you're bedding in the dorm). Check out time is the standard 1200 hours (noon time).

What's your itinerary? I might be heading to Bombay and Pune in the coming week.

Be alert at the wheel, don't get overconfident, expect the unexpected on our highways, rules are made to be broken is the credo here! Preempt the other guy's action/reaction. It's best to be defensive, although it may not sound exciting, but believe you me, you can have a lot of fun too. But that's only me, you may like to be fast and furious! I've done my fair share of dirt biking, racing and rallying back in the day, and got my thrills, spills and high speed-fix there - but that's another story.

Do PM me if you want my no.

Happy journeying! Cheers.

Prabal

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prabal (Post 1887358)

I 'do' this route every month.
>>> I'd like to know more!
Plan to do a Mumbai-Corbett trip later this year

Prabal

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prabal (Post 1887358)

I stay at a RTDC Hotel in Udaipur called Hotel Kajri, located at Shastri Circle, Udaipur. You have to drive in from the highway, around 10 kms in. The phone numbers are 0294-2410501 & 2. Not the swankiest of Hotels, but it's clean, the food is ok, the place has an old world charm (with high ceilings and large rooms).
>>> An update : Had a bad experience lunching at Kajri. The young ( under age?) bearer looked as if he had not bathed for a month, three of the four of us had severe stomach upset for the next week or so, spoiling our onward trip to Mount Abu. In fact anainar had also given a bad review of the place- but we had no choice that day.
We did Mumbai -Udwada -Udaipur-Mount Abu-Mumbai in February. Will post a travelogue soon.
Prabal

Do revert.

Regards

I have not done the complete stretch but have done Jaipur-Vadodra-Jaipur. My suggestions are based on this

1. From Udaipur towards Jaipur, take the route via Chittorgarh (NH76 & NH79) and not via Beawar (NH8). Though the Chottorgarh route is a bit longer say 20kms or so, but the drive is much better as compared to NH8

2. If you do not want to enter Jaipur city, make sure you take a left as soon as the expressway finishes. This is the bypass to Jaipur city and will save you atleast 90 mnts of driving time.

Regards
Dhiraj