[autocrat]

Rating a well deserved 5 stars. Reading the travelogue felt like being with you on the trip! The photos and write up are complementing each other and I like the style

Look forward to more from you soon!

[jaysmokesleaves]

Originally Posted by dreamliner17

A phenomenal travelogue jaysmokesleaves and rated a well deserved 5 stars !

A fantastic pace to start off with the journey. Going by your statistics, you have been averaging triple digit speeds throughout the Mumbai - Jhansi leg! This is even bettered on your return journey taking 14 hours.

Though i haven't experienced many expressways in India, I consider the NH3 to be a mini Autobahn. I have done a maximum of Mumbai - Indore on the NH3 and its super smooth!

I hope that there weren't many bad repercussions and veeru was able to digest it somehow

The Safari is a very able mile muncher and can comfortably do 3 digit speeds all day long. The 4 lane roads do help and so does planning good departure times to make the best of traffic and daylight conditions.

No problems with the adulterated fuel except for undesired white smoke till the tank was empty.

Originally Posted by Aum

Amazing travelogue. Lovely places, have been planning a trip to Arunachal. This Tlog has given wind to fire. Thanks for staring, rated 5 star.

Thanks. Second step after planning is execution. Just do it.

Originally Posted by autocrat

Rating a well deserved 5 stars. Reading the travelogue felt like being with you on the trip! The photos and write up are complementing each other and I like the style

Look forward to more from you soon!

Thanks & glad the intent was delivered. I was hoping to deliver the feeling of a journey rather than a report and im glad u felt that way.

Cheers.

Jay

[chandrda]

Amazing Write up and Photos. Its a brave decision to decide to sleep in the car or outside if there is no accommodation. I really appreciate that, it shows the desire and determination to travel irrespective of usual comforts of life.

Also was that Baby Jackie Chan really holding a Puma and is deer meat legal in AP

Regards

[Prowler]

Wonderful TL. Read the full TL in one sitting. Thank you for all the amazing pictures.

It would be quite useful if you could add a shot of the interior of the Veeru. I read in another Safari group that someone had fashioned fold down bed and a strong box for long journey. Your 'Old Monk' never seems to age.

You are a source of inspiration.

[sooshan]

Beautiful travelogue! It was almost like I was travelling along! Reminds me of the trip I had planned, but could not make it happen due to ILP issues! (I was travelling during Durga Puja).

The camping spot off Mechuka was just too beautiful, with the river and the snow clad peak forming an amazing canvas in the background!

The pictures of Sohra, and the valley enroute reminds me of my own solo trip there! The nongriat trip, especially!

Thanks again for taking us all "Along" (pun intended!) on your trip!!!

PS: Guess I know one more person iI can bank on for more details on Arunachal!

[Fortuner71]

Jay how are the 2 LED's which are mounted ? what range do you get ?
Are these for highways ? fantastic travelouge

[vsathyap]

Awesome trip, great write-up and humble respect for mother nature!

BTW, what dashcam device were you using? I believe all the pics that have a wide aspect ratio are from the dashcam? Please share the details!

[jaysmokesleaves]

Originally Posted by chandrda

Amazing Write up and Photos. Its a brave decision to decide to sleep in the car or outside if there is no accommodation. I really appreciate that, it shows the desire and determination to travel irrespective of usual comforts of life.

Also was that Baby Jackie Chan really holding a Puma and is deer meat legal in AP

Regards

Hahaha no, that was a cat that looked like a Puma. I dont know if deer meat is legal or not, but its easily available in Arunachal.

Originally Posted by Prowler

Wonderful TL. Read the full TL in one sitting. Thank you for all the amazing pictures.

It would be quite useful if you could add a shot of the interior of the Veeru. I read in another Safari group that someone had fashioned fold down bed and a strong box for long journey. Your 'Old Monk' never seems to age.

You are a source of inspiration.

Thanks. Well in all the rush we missed clicking an interior shot, the rear seat has been fixed back now. However, i do plan to do some customization shortly, to make it even more camping friendly and will post pics once im done.

Originally Posted by sooshan

Beautiful travelogue! It was almost like I was travelling along! Reminds me of the trip I had planned, but could not make it happen due to ILP issues! (I was travelling during Durga Puja).

The camping spot off Mechuka was just too beautiful, with the river and the snow clad peak forming an amazing canvas in the background!

The pictures of Sohra, and the valley enroute reminds me of my own solo trip there! The nongriat trip, especially!

Thanks again for taking us all "Along" (pun intended!) on your trip!!!

PS: Guess I know one more person iI can bank on for more details on Arunachal!

Thanks. Sure, i shall provide whatever information i can when you need it.

Originally Posted by Fortuner71

Jay how are the 2 LED's which are mounted ? what range do you get ?
Are these for highways ? fantastic travelouge

Thanks. I have an A frame welded to the chassis cross member below the bumper. The led's are bolted onto that.
They are 40W. The range is a good 150 - 200 meters id say. They are good for 4 lane highways and isolated roads with no oncoming traffic.
However, on a regular 2 lane highway, they are totally useless as the white light gets cancelled out by headlights from the oncoming traffic.
Also, they are extremely disturbing to oncoming traffic if used on a 2 lane road.
But since almost all highways are 4 lane now, its not much of a worry.

Originally Posted by vsathyap

Awesome trip, great write-up and humble respect for mother nature!

BTW, what dashcam device were you using? I believe all the pics that have a wide aspect ratio are from the dashcam? Please share the details!

Thanks. Some of those are snapshots i took from the video shot on the SJ 4000 dashcam. Its a fantastic cam. The HD video is crisp. I will post some videos here once i finish processing. I havnt started yet though. A review of the cam can be found here on this forum somewhere.

[arjithin]

Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves

Arunachal Pradesh.... a place so beautiful that you just stop clicking pics.
This is a place to experience, to soak in, to absorb.
In the scheme of things, you miss clicking or just don’t feel like it.(ive clicked a few though)
Arunachal is a saga, of virgin mountains, beautiful people, addictive air, adventure and a feeling of never wanting to go back.

There are no destinations in Arunachal Pradesh. Arunachal is a destination in itself...
... and We will return there again to complete what got left out. Read on to see how things change in the mountains when the mountains decide to change your plans.

#Respect
This is a dream trip for me. What makes this trip special is your faith in your vehicle. I am doubtful if I will ever take a 1.1L done KM vehicle to such far away places.

Can you post few pics of the middle row makeshift bed?

[bj96]

Great TL Jay. Thanks for sharing

Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves

...greeted by a posse of bribe hungry cops ... Kanpur...
We breezed into Bihar, ... outskirts of Darbhanga... there is no stay option after Muzaffarpur. ...

“Bihar is dangerous to drive in the night”. Well, I don’t think so!!...

In 2012, I drove my WagonR (with family) from Pune to Darbhanga (my native place). In about ~2000 odd kilometers of my journey, nowhere except Varanasi, cops flagged me. However, I told them a "story" and they let me go w/o paying any bribes . So looks like UP hasn't changed much even after all these young CM and all.

Bihar is safe now and roads are also good. In the trip, I drove from Danapur to Darbhanga after midnight with dense fog (November) w/o any issues. Regarding stay options near Darbhanga, I think you will have to enter the main city - there are few good hotels inside.

Cheers,
-BJ

[jaysmokesleaves]

Originally Posted by arjithin

#Respect
This is a dream trip for me. What makes this trip special is your faith in your vehicle. I am doubtful if I will ever take a 1.1L done KM vehicle to such far away places.

Can you post few pics of the middle row makeshift bed?

I believe, if we can have faith in God with all the killing around us, faith in airline pilots, bus and train drivers to deliver us to our destinations, then its a very small thing for me to have faith in something under my control, my vehicle.

As mentioned earlier, we failed to click pics of the sleeping setup and now ive fixed the seats back. However, i will post once i remove the seats again for some customization.

Originally Posted by bj96

Great TL Jay. Thanks for sharing



In 2012, I drove my WagonR (with family) from Pune to Darbhanga (my native place). In about ~2000 odd kilometers of my journey, nowhere except Varanasi, cops flagged me. However, I told them a "story" and they let me go w/o paying any bribes . So looks like UP hasn't changed much even after all these young CM and all.

Bihar is safe now and roads are also good. In the trip, I drove from Danapur to Darbhanga after midnight with dense fog (November) w/o any issues. Regarding stay options near Darbhanga, I think you will have to enter the main city - there are few good hotels inside.

Cheers,
-BJ

Thanks for the info on the Darbhanga hotel, i might need it for my next trip.
The whole of India is like this. Sometimes we get lucky and sometimes we dont.

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves

I believe, if we can have faith in God with all the killing around us, faith in airline pilots, bus and train drivers to deliver us to our destinations, then its a very small thing for me to have faith in something under my control, my vehicle.

This is what I believe as well. I prefer to drive/ride myself. After all I am responsible for my actions. Luckily, my family prefers road travels too.

Sorry to go OT.

[belvaisudheer]

Wow. Jay, thats just one superb TL. Even though the photos could not depict the actual thrill you had out there, the words summed up your journey straight from the heart. This TL is definitely going to be a bible for all those travelling to Arunachal. 5 stars

One more star to the immense trust and belief of yours on your VEERU Just awesome

[belvaisudheer]

Wow.. Jay, thats just one superb TL. Even though the photos could not depict the actual thrill you had out there, the words summed up your journey straight from the heart. This TL is definitely going to be a bible for all those travelling to Arunachal. 5 stars

One more star to the immense trust and belief of yours on your VEERU Just awesome

[v_safari]

Superbly written travelogue. I too am contemplating to visit Arunachal and other North eastern states.

Can you post a picture of the arrangement you made inside Veeru.
The tray for luggage and bed arrangement.
I too own a Safari (STORME), and would be using it for all the long distance travels.

Your thread and experience is an inspiration for people like me who wish to travel far off places in own vehicles.