[SS-Traveller]

Jaipur-Jhunjhunu(route?)

NH11 to Sikar >> Turn right >> Nawalgarh >> Jhunjhunu.

Jodhpur-Ahmedabad:Route?

Via Pali >> Abu Road >> Palanpur

[deky]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

We'd stopped at a nondescript place on the highway itself - I'm afraid I can't recommend any place in particular. Maybe deky can help?

I went there 3 years back. There are hardly any places that can be recommended on the highway. Not sure if any have sprung up in the last 3 years. Whenever we travel with my kid on the highway we always make sure we carry packed food for the kid at least. It always helps.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

NH11 to Sikar >> Turn right >> Nawalgarh >> Jhunjhunu.

Via Pali >> Abu Road >> Palanpur

Is it a good idea to come via the Dilwara temples @ Mt.Abu enroute to Ahmedabad from Jodhpur?If we leave Jodhpur by 9am,with a stop at the temples would a 6pm arrival at AMD be a realistic time-frame?Or is Mt.Abu best avoided on this route-major deviation?

[hvkumar]

Mt Abu is around 25 kms from Abu Road and Dilwara Temples is some 10 more kms further.
You have one more choice of seeing Ranakpur, which is also a detour, which are equally fantastic.
With any one of the 2 detours (the Dilwara is shorter), you could be in A'bad as scheduled.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Mt Abu is around 25 kms from Abu Road and Dilwara Temples is some 10 more kms further.
You have one more choice of seeing Ranakpur, which is also a detour, which are equally fantastic.
With any one of the 2 detours (the Dilwara is shorter), you could be in A'bad as scheduled.

Thanx for this.If this is the case,then shall plan to do Jodhpur-Dilwara Temples @ Mt.Abu-AMD.

Intend on doing Ranakpur as a day trip from Udaipur.UDP-Ranakpur-Kumbhalgarh-Eklingji-Nathdwara-UDP.This looks like a good circle,lets see practically how it comes out after we reach there

[deky]

Last time I went to Dilwara Temples, it had timings during which it opened. Kindly check so that you do find them open when you reach there or it will be an unnecessary detour.

[ranjitp1]

Thanx Dhiraj,I just looked up the timings and it says its open from 12am to 3pm,that timing should be convenient for us.

[arindamray]

@ranjitp1: your plan looks really good now.

From Udaipur to Ajmer, I would suggest to take NH76/79 (part of GQ, and really good roads) and take diversion from GQ at Nasirabad. It will be around 30-40 km longer, but most probably take lesser time.

[ranjitp1]

Just a quick update from my side,the itinerary looks to be more or less in shape now,this is what has been decided at the moment.1st leg completed(Hyd-BOM).2nd Leg (BOM-AMD)Departure day on Monday:6th Sep,2010.Arrival at AMD by early afternoon/eve.

This is what the final route looks like at the moment.Approx 4500kms in 15days.

Hyd-Mumbai-AMD-Jodhpur-Jaisalmer-Sam-Jaisalmer-Jodhpur-Ajmer-Jaipur-Udaipur-Vadodara-Dhule-Shirdi-Pune-Hyd.

[deky]

Good Luck, do get in touch when you here in Jaipur. Happy driving.

[issigonis]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Yes indeed,agree with you on this,it is quite a handful to do on an enroute way.I think we will do Ranakpur-Kumbhalgarh-Eklingji-Shreenathji-Udaipur as a day trip from UDP.

Is the 76-79 combo 4 laned with better facilities?or is the same as NH8?

Dont think we would go to Chittor,too much of a hassle to get off the highway and then get back onto it and then continue,might as well drop the place.

>>> ranjitp1,

It will be quite a stretch doing Eklingji-Nathdwara and Ranakpur-Kumbhalgarh together in the course of a day trip from Udaipur.

Whereas Eklingji-Nathdwara (and Rajsamand) is on one axis (the NH8), to reach Ranakpur and especially Kumbhalgarh, one has to branch off to the left from NH8 from either i.Delwara and take the SH32 or 2. just before Nathdwara on the SH49. You reach Ranakpur on the SH 32 first and then continue for another 10 odd kms by turning right into SH 49.

There is another route using the NH76 and SH32 which I have heard but am not sure about.

I would recommend doing either Eklingji/Shreenathji-Nathdwara or Ranakpur-Kumbhalgarh on a day trip from Udaipur. We did day long trips to 1. Eklingji-Nathdwara-Rajsamand and 2.Chittorgarh from Udaipur, on separate days. We could not do Ranakpur -Kumbhalgarh because roads were being built at that time (Feb 2010) and also that locals were not able to explain the correct ( read most motorable) route from Udaipur to Ranakpur and thence to Kumbhalgarh to us. Things must be better now.

Kumbhalgarh remains in my must do list - a massive, brooding fortress in the midst of jungle with a steep incline.

On the other hand, Chittorgarh is easier as it is on the NH76 and you have to retrace to Chittorgarh city a few kms away to get onto NH79 for joining NH8 at Ajmer or Kishangarh, enroute to Jaipur.

By the way, I am planning to do Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner and maybe Barmer in February next year. I will do these from Bombay. Number of days is ten, give or take one/two days. I wish to spend at least two days in Jodhpur, doing Chittar Palace, Mehrangarh, Kailana Lake and Mandor.

hvk, anainar, SS Traveller,

Please recommend an itinerary with a route.

Regards

[hvkumar]

Why are you going to Jaisalmer via Jodhpur when you have a fabulous road direct to Jaisalmer via Palanpur, Deesa, Tharad & Barmer? You can easily do that in under 8 hours. By going to Jodhpur, you are unnecessarily retracting your road.

[ramkya1]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Why are you going to Jaisalmer via Jodhpur when you have a fabulous road direct to Jaisalmer via Palanpur, Deesa, Tharad & Barmer? You can easily do that in under 8 hours. By going to Jodhpur, you are unnecessarily retracting your road.

RP, Great plan you have here, just came across this.

I agree with HVK, fastest route is through Barmer, attaching my Jaisalmie trip logs through this route. Most of the time this road surface is good, hardly any rain throughout the year after Tarad, roads hold up good, Barmer - Jaisalmir is a drive to be experienced.

I also agree, "doing Eklingji-Nathdwara and Ranakpur-Kumbhalgarh together in the course of a day trip from Udaipur" , not possible. If you start early from Udaipur, you can cover Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur, would need full day. Eklingji and Nathdwara would really need one full day because you cannot predict the crowds at Nathdwara, on week ends it can be horrific.

However, ther's a way to cover Eklingji, Kumbalgarh and Ranakpur if planned properly. Attaching trip logs of my 2008 trip, check logs of 15-8-2008, I experimented with inner roads, doable.

IMO you should drop Chittaurgarh.

Guess we would get time to discuss it in Ahmedabad.

--Ramky
=======

[anainar]

Originally Posted by ramkya1

, Barmer - Jaisalmir is a drive to be experienced.

I also agree, "doing Eklingji-Nathdwara and Ranakpur-Kumbhalgarh together in the course of a day trip from Udaipur" , not possible. If you start early from Udaipur, you can cover Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur, would need full day. Eklingji and Nathdwara would really need one full day because you cannot predict the crowds at Nathdwara, on week ends it can be horrific.

+1 to that. I could not do even Kumbalgarh and Ranakpur in 1 day because I started pretty late in the day by 10:30 AM, went to Ranakpur and could have done Kumbalgarh if I had a couple of hours in my hand. The roads are ghat sections and distances in km does not work.

And you may not have to touch Jodhpur to go to Jaisalmer. The alternate road seems to be fantastic. Quiet a few people traveled that road and said the roads are excellent.

Nainar

[ranjitp1]

Thanx for these,guess will re-work to go to Jaisalmer first,the Barmer-J'mer road looks quite tempting to drive on.