[issigonis]

>>>

Janjua,

I will be starting from Bombay on the 24th morning for Udaipur; then on the 25th I will do Udaipur to Manesar and on the 26th carry on from Manesar to Ranikhet.

If you happen to be in the vicinity on the dates and in the places/routes mentioned ( I think only 24th and 25th are relevant here), give me a shout. Do PM me and we can exchange our contact numbers.

Reminds me of the following quote by Longfellow :

"Ships that pass in the night, and speak each other in passing, only a signal shown, and a distant voice in the darkness; So on the ocean of life, we pass and speak one another, only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a silence."

Regards, drive safe

P.S. : Your family name suggests a very interesting lineage. Would love to meet you.

[buz]

Great to learn many similar minded people on the road and the route I am taking as well, albeit out of Mumbai. Hope you have a safe and comfortable journey. Just one question I had - "why not convert this into a 14 day trip and enjoy the places you drive through?". I am myself visiting Goa, Munnar, Kochi and Kovalam en route and taking the necessary breaks. Even on my 9/10 day trip down from Mumbai, fellow BHPians have cautioned me on the fatigue factor. Do remember - you could cover the long length in gusto; you still have to come back the same way. Try and have 2 drivers with you instead of just 1 in addition to yourself. Wish you all the best in your trip. PM me if you can once you reach Kerala/KK. It should figure on my phone. We could catch up if we are in the vicinity. Godspeed!

[Janjua]

Thank you very much for your most gracious help regarding my queries.
I am all set to start on the 24th morning from Chandigarh.
I will hopefully keep a detailed log of my journey and post it soon with some pics for you guys to enjoy.
Wish me luck & God Bless.
Regards,
Sandeep Janjua.

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Problem with NH17 is in KK-Mangalore (NH47 from KK to Kochi, and NH17 from there on) - it sees heavy congestion all the way from KK to Mangalore. Besides, road is bad in some sections, especially Kozhikode-Kannur and Kasargod-Mangalore. The only way to beat this problem is to take this sector by night, when there is absolutely no traffic and you are guaranteeed to reach Mangalore, starting from KK at 8 pm, before 8 am the next morning.

NH17 from Mangalore is in bad shape after Kundapura, especially around Bhatakal, and will slow you down considerably. Once you cross Honavar, it is fast.

Do not take NH17 from Goa towards Bombay by night, it is full of maniacal bus traffic. If you leave from Mangalore in the early morning, you should reach Bombay by late night. You can stop at Hotel Fountain at Ghodbunder, where the road coming from Thane/New Bombay/Panvel (your route to bypass Bombay) joins NH8.

[Janjua]

Dear issigonis,

I would love to do that. I am starting from Chandigarh at around 5.30-6.00 am. My mobile number is 09872673030. Please feel free to call me or else please give me your phone number so that I may call you up.
Would love to meet you too
Warm regards,
Sandeep Janjua.

Originally Posted by issigonis

>>>

Janjua,

I will be starting from Bombay on the 24th morning for Udaipur; then on the 25th I will do Udaipur to Manesar and on the 26th carry on from Manesar to Ranikhet.

If you happen to be in the vicinity on the dates and in the places/routes mentioned ( I think only 24th and 25th are relevant here), give me a shout. Do PM me and we can exchange our contact numbers.

Reminds me of the following quote by Longfellow :

"Ships that pass in the night, and speak each other in passing, only a signal shown, and a distant voice in the darkness; So on the ocean of life, we pass and speak one another, only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a silence."

Regards, drive safe

P.S. : Your family name suggests a very interesting lineage. Would love to meet you.

I absolutely agree with you buz.
Going by the advice given to me by the fellow BHPians, I have extended my itinerary so that fatigue does not get the better of me.
I am going to travel by the day, upto a maximum of 9 pm at night and then crash out at the first appropirate accommodation that I come across. Have a good nights' sleep and start again in the morning.
I am travelling alone after all and am all the more excited about the trip.
Wish me luck.
God Bless.
Regards,
Sandeep Janjua.

Originally Posted by buz

Great to learn many similar minded people on the road and the route I am taking as well, albeit out of Mumbai. Hope you have a safe and comfortable journey. Just one question I had - "why not convert this into a 14 day trip and enjoy the places you drive through?". I am myself visiting Goa, Munnar, Kochi and Kovalam en route and taking the necessary breaks. Even on my 9/10 day trip down from Mumbai, fellow BHPians have cautioned me on the fatigue factor. Do remember - you could cover the long length in gusto; you still have to come back the same way. Try and have 2 drivers with you instead of just 1 in addition to yourself. Wish you all the best in your trip. PM me if you can once you reach Kerala/KK. It should figure on my phone. We could catch up if we are in the vicinity. Godspeed!

[Janjua]

Dear fellow BHP-ians.

I had earlier regarding my plans to do the Chandigarh to Kanyakumari and back, solo in my Maruti Esteem Vxi.
Well I have done it. I started from Chandigarh for Kanyakumari on the 24th of December at 7.40 hrs and was back in Chandigarh after doing the whole trip on the 31st of December at 18.30 hrs. I went solo all the way.
My brief trip statistics is as follows -
Day 1 Chandigarh-Udaipur
Day 2 Udaipur-Pune
Day 3 Pune-Hosur
Day 4 Hosur-Kanyakumari
Day 5 Kanyakumari-Anantapur
Day 6 Anantapur-Seoni
Day 7 Seoni-Agra
Day 8 Agra-Chandigarh.

These past 8 days have been the most exhilerating, liberating & the happy ones' of my life. I crossed the length of India alone in my car.
I will post the details and pics very soon.
My heartfelt thanks to all the BHP-ians for their advice and their inputs were worth their weight in gold.
Details & pics follow.

Warm regards,
Sandeep Janjua
Chandigarh

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Janjua

Dear fellow BHP-ians.

I had earlier regarding my plans to do the Chandigarh to Kanyakumari and back, solo in my Maruti Esteem Vxi.
Well I have done it. I started from Chandigarh for Kanyakumari on the 24th of December at 7.40 hrs and was back in Chandigarh after doing the whole trip on the 31st of December at 18.30 hrs. I went solo all the way.
My brief trip statistics is as follows -
Day 1 Chandigarh-Udaipur
Day 2 Udaipur-Pune
Day 3 Pune-Hosur
Day 4 Hosur-Kanyakumari
Day 5 Kanyakumari-Anantapur
Day 6 Anantapur-Seoni
Day 7 Seoni-Agra
Day 8 Agra-Chandigarh.

These past 8 days have been the most exhilerating, liberating & the happy ones' of my life. I crossed the length of India alone in my car.
I will post the details and pics very soon.
My heartfelt thanks to all the BHP-ians for their advice and their inputs were worth their weight in gold.
Details & pics follow.

Warm regards,
Sandeep Janjua
Chandigarh

That was a good drive, Sandeep, especially in light of the heavy fog.
Curious to hear about the road conditions on the Seoni-Agra route.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

That was a good drive, Sandeep, especially in light of the heavy fog.
Curious to hear about the road conditions on the Seoni-Agra route.

Does Agra come under any GQ access for a route down south?

[khoj]

Congratulations on the solo drive Janjua. That is indeed a novel way to close one year and begin another. Look forward to your detailed travelogue.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by ampere

Does Agra come under any GQ access for a route down south?

To go from South on GQ, you can go on NH4-NH8-NH76-NH79 till Jaipur, then take NH11 to Agra.

[RS_DEL]

Originally Posted by Janjua

Dear fellow BHP-ians.

I had earlier regarding my plans to do the Chandigarh to
Chandigarh

First of all congratulations on accomplishing this feat. Second you have inspired me to take the wifey out now,maybe the kids too i.e. if they agree to suffer our company in the confines of a car for so long, and show her the country as soon as a few personal matters are sorted out. If I am able to do this and when I do do this, I think we will take it easy and soak in the surroundings as we move along.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

To go from South on GQ, you can go on NH4-NH8-NH76-NH79 till Jaipur, then take NH11 to Agra.

Thanks HVK. I was not aware that NH79 was 4L. Is 76 4-laning fully done?
Also then how is the status of NH3 (Indore-Gwalior and beyond).

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by ampere

Thanks HVK. I was not aware that NH79 was 4L. Is 76 4-laning fully done?
Also then how is the status of NH3 (Indore-Gwalior and beyond).

NH79 is 4-laned (part of GQ) from Chittorgarh to Kishangarh.
NH76 is fully 4-laned from Jhansi through Shivpuri, Kota, Chittorgarh, Udaipur till Pindwara where it ends. That is because the Jhansi-Pindwara section is part of the East-West Corridor.
NH3 continues to be in a bad condition between Gwalior and Dewas via Shivpuri, Guna, Biaora & Sarangpur.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

NH79 is 4-laned (part of GQ) from Chittorgarh to Kishangarh.
NH76 is fully 4-laned from Jhansi through Shivpuri, Kota, Chittorgarh, Udaipur till Pindwara where it ends. That is because the Jhansi-Pindwara section is part of the East-West Corridor.
NH3 continues to be in a bad condition between Gwalior and Dewas via Shivpuri, Guna, Biaora & Sarangpur.

Thanks HVK. I had been using 76 and 79 two decades back, when I did know not even what an NH is! Mostly used to run around Kota/Chittaurh/Udaipur/Jaipur and the surrounding locations. The Rajasthan State RTC buses then used to be very good and puntual.
Not sure how they are today.

Feels good to know updates on these routes once again, thanks to you.

[unni.ak]

Originally Posted by Janjua

Day 1 Chandigarh-Udaipur
Day 2 Udaipur-Pune
Day 3 Pune-Hosur
Day 4 Hosur-Kanyakumari
Day 5 Kanyakumari-Anantapur
Day 6 Anantapur-Seoni
Day 7 Seoni-Agra
Day 8 Agra-Chandigarh.

Thats some drive!! Congrats on doing it successfully. Looking forward to the logs.

[CANPUSH]

How was the trip? Keep us posted.
Slowest must be NH17 where you can not really do more than 40 kmph average due to heavy traffic, particularly in Kerala, and geometry of the road.