[globemaster]

Wow!!!
Sadly only 2 smiley's / icons can be used. Else I would have given 5. Definitely a 5 Star travelogue. You have demonstrated the best way to spend a month long holiday. Sadly this is just a dream for many of us in the Private/MNC sector. Where we can only Drool on achievements of the lucky few.

For all that travelling and the super detailed writeup..

[RocketRaccoon]

This is probably the best travelogue on Team BHP I have been through. Correction - this is THE best travelogue I have been through anywhere on Team BHP till date. Each and every picture is 'wallpaper worthy' and truly worth a thousand words. I must say I have a completely different perspective on Rajasthan, on India and the power of photography. You must have had a truly scintillating experience exploring incredible India. Now I am beginning to wonder about my dreams about 'travelling the world' once I do my MBA etc are so meager when there is a smorgasbord of travelling destinations to explore within our own country. Thank you for sharing ! I will keep coming back to your post time and again when I need to escape !

[Rajain]

Originally Posted by globemaster

Wow!!!
Sadly only 2 smiley's / icons can be used. Else I would have given 5. Definitely a 5 Star travelogue.

Thank you. You are too kind.

Originally Posted by globemaster

You have demonstrated the best way to spend a month long holiday. Sadly this is just a dream for many of us in the Private/MNC sector. Where we can only Drool on achievements of the lucky few.

All things can wait, usual stuff around household, relatives this that and the other - all things can wait. A month long drive across the country is quite a dream. I am sure even in MNC sector there are times when you can combine some leaves and take some days off. Yes a month perhaps may consume sanctioned leave of more than one year.

Thanks again

Originally Posted by globemaster

For all that travelling and the super detailed writeup..

I am glad you liked it. Yes the travelling was great fun and writing it with the feel and the local sentiment was even better.

Originally Posted by RocketRaccoon

This is probably the best travelogue on Team BHP I have been through. Correction - this is THE best travelogue I have been through anywhere on Team BHP till date.

That is superlative...I think there are so many others who have written some wonderful travelogues, have visited some wonderful places, have taken some wonderful pictures and undergone quite a few hardships. I think you are very kind with your words. Thank you.

Originally Posted by RocketRaccoon

Each and every picture is 'wallpaper worthy' and truly worth a thousand words.

Thank you. You are very generous with your words. While one tries to take nice pictures and hopes that the pictures can substitute a thousand words I know of dozens of pictures which are not close to what I wanted them to be or I did not have the angle or the light or the particular background when I took the picture. In spite of a month plus out there was still paucity of time in some locations.

Originally Posted by RocketRaccoon

I must say I have a completely different perspective on Rajasthan, on India and the power of photography. You must have had a truly scintillating experience exploring incredible India.

Photography can be very fulfilling, it can give a sense of comfort, a sense of achievement or even a sense of pride. Sometimes one takes a bit long to get that perfect shot. I remember standing in snow at Khardung La trying to capture snow flakes with the non gloved hands being really cold. I have waited hours to get bird shots with catch or at water points in jungles for his royal highness to make his appearance. I am just glad that through this medium I have been able to showcase a small fraction of incredible India. I absolutely enjoyed the trip and recommend this to anyone.

Originally Posted by RocketRaccoon

Now I am beginning to wonder about my dreams about 'travelling the world' once I do my MBA etc are so meager when there is a smorgasbord of travelling destinations to explore within our own country.

Yes there is so much to see in our own country and so much to explore. The phase when you are graduating from university/B school/law college etc and before you join a place of work - take a break. Then between employment there are times. And above all find a life partner who share the same interests as yours.

Originally Posted by RocketRaccoon

Thank you for sharing ! I will keep coming back to your post time and again when I need to escape !

Sure do. I often do that with some photos and with some travelogues. I love Ladakh and have been there a couple of times. Though I have not written a TL yet - mainly because I feel I am not there yet. And when I don't have a substantial contribution I would not contribute. I take special interest in the TLs on Leh. That, to me, is my escape. I love reviewing pictures from various forests, mountains, deserts, sea beaches - that is my escape.

I am honored that you would find escape in my work. Thank you.

[thatsdileep]

Rajain...Kudos for making such a long trip. Great travelogue with stunning pics. You seem to have covered a wide range of landscapes from beaches to mountains to forts to museums to wildlife sanctuaries to deserts...

This surely gives a perspective not only of the cultural diversity of India but also the diversity in terms of landscapes. But still India one United country that brings us all together.

Jai Hind

[deky]

Brilliant stuff this is. I read it at one go yesterday night and read it again this morning and enjoyed the narration and the pics thoroughly. What an awesome journey it has been for you. So many places in one holiday is real adventure.

The Ranthambhore part made it extra special for me as I am quite keen on wildlife myself and as its pretty close to Jaipur, we keep visiting Ranthambhore. Just to ask you about the following picture, would you remember which zone or which tiger is this, as most of the RTR tigers have specific features and this tiger looks so unlike them.



It would be great if you can id him.

Also, glad you took the Tonk Road to Sawai Madhopur as against the Agra road, as after you leave the Agra road, the route gets pretty horrible.

Regards

[deepv]

Rajain .. extremely elaborate, entertaining and informative travelogue as was your journey!
Completely agree with you - breaking it into multiple segregated sections/logs would have made it disjointed.

[behaln]

Awesome travelogue Sir, truly inspiring. I too have an Ertiga Zdi and your write up has definitely increased my respect and faith in the abilities of the car.

[Rajain]

Originally Posted by thatsdileep

Rajain...Kudos for making such a long trip. Great travelogue with stunning pics. You seem to have covered a wide range of landscapes from beaches to mountains to forts to museums to wildlife sanctuaries to deserts...

I am glad I was able to get the time in life to make such a trip. The diverse landscape, the local feel, the development, the people...all made it worth the while.

Originally Posted by thatsdileep

This surely gives a perspective not only of the cultural diversity of India but also the diversity in terms of landscapes. But still India one United country that brings us all together.

Jai Hind

Yes I totally agree. Isn't India a wonderfully bestowed country. Just so much of diversity and culture and topography. And to think of it - so many of us have seen only a small fraction of it. Thank you for your feedback. Much appreciate.

Originally Posted by deky

Brilliant stuff this is. I read it at one go yesterday night and read it again this morning and enjoyed the narration and the pics thoroughly. What an awesome journey it has been for you. So many places in one holiday is real adventure.

Thank you. I really appreciate your warm message. Yes it has been a good trip. I thoroughly enjoyed the drives, the places, the beauty that India has in its diversity and yet...how we are all united. Thank you for taking the time to go through this TL. Sometimes I tried to retain more details - like tolls and tried to write all that down. After a few days all I had were lots of toll charge slip and then a general approximate idea of what I spent. Managing all details from the various sections alone was a herculean task and on some of these aspects I could no longer continue keeping a tab.

Originally Posted by deky

The Ranthambhore part...which zone or which tiger is this

I don't recall which all zones we were taken but by direction we were taken through a big gate and till the fort. I recall 1-6 zones there (I could be wrong) and that is where we were. I mean I have sincerely not reached a level of knowing tiger names and their zones. By topography we were driven through a hill, a bit of cliff, then down to a water point and then further some distance away and back driving maybe 3-4 kms.

Originally Posted by deky

Also, glad you took the Tonk Road to Sawai Madhopur as against the Agra road, as after you leave the Agra road, the route gets pretty horrible.

Oh yes. The Agra road and then a left into some village road which was not the best. Other colleagues had driven from the Tonk Road and reached well ahead of us. On my way back we went through the Tonk Road and made it back to Jaipur in 3 hours.

Originally Posted by deepv

Rajain .. extremely elaborate, entertaining and informative travelogue as was your journey!

Thank you. I am glad you found it entertaining and informative. I certainly enjoyed putting it up together.

Originally Posted by deepv

Completely agree with you - breaking it into multiple segregated sections/logs would have made it disjointed.

Yes that thought did cross my mind. And I felt I would not do justice to all of this if I break it down..

Originally Posted by behaln

Awesome travelogue Sir, truly inspiring. I too have an Ertiga Zdi and your write up has definitely increased my respect and faith in the abilities of the car.

Thank you. Yes the vehicle is truly impressive and I feel a great highway cruiser, and cross country drive. Has the space, the flexibility and the strength to last the distance. Thank you for taking the time to review the TL.

[BeantownThinker]

Wow! What a way to spend your time off between jobs!

This certainly was an ultra marathon vacation. I especially loved the 2 photos you have put in the opening post and the one of the tiger in the green grass walking away from you.

Such travels and travelogues are what makes people dream of living life to the fullest and enjoying the richness this country of ours has to offer.

Thank you for sharing this journey with us.

[Rajain]

Originally Posted by BeantownThinker

Wow! What a way to spend your time off between jobs!

I learnt this approach from my wife. She was upset with me when she moved jobs two years ago and I did not take her anywhere. This time I was certain I would utilise this break.

Originally Posted by BeantownThinker

This certainly was an ultra marathon vacation. I especially loved the 2 photos you have put in the opening post and the one of the tiger in the green grass walking away from you.

Such travels and travelogues are what makes people dream of living life to the fullest and enjoying the richness this country of ours has to offer.

Thank you for sharing this journey with us.

Thank you. I appreciate the time you took to go through the TL. I am in awe of our country and the richness in diversity it offers. I certainly enjoyed the drive around and seeing the country in its magnificence.

[ashishmathur14]

Rajain -

The travelogue invokes the feeling of being envious, in recent times, by and far it was one of the longest road trip travelogue shared over this platform of automobile enthusiasts, boasting a "Live to Drive" sticker around the hatch of their rides. The writing and pictures taken across the journey are exemplary.

Moving on to a couple of questions, assuming you have an answer to those, I am on my drawing board planning a trip to Rajasthan and Haryana from the city of Pune, and return via NH3 taking a stop over in Bhopal.

I want to understand the road conditions across Rajasthan ? I have driven around Gujrat and very frequently on GT Road, never touched Rajasthan roads and state highways.
I plan to drive to Delhi in one stretch depending upon roads in Rajasthan. Could you please enlighten the stretch spanning across Rajasthan.

I am working along with Google Maps to draw the fastest route but actual road assistance can only be sought from someone who is frequent on those roads or have been there recently.

Thanking you in advance !

[nilanjanray]

Lovely travelogue, and lovely shots, Rajain. Thanks for sharing.

The Desert National Park looks very interesting. Will visit sometime, when I do a Gujarat - Rajasthan drive.

[Rajain]

Originally Posted by ashishmathur14

Rajain -

The travelogue invokes the feeling of being envious, in recent times, by and far it was one of the longest road trip travelogue shared over this platform...The writing and pictures taken across the journey are exemplary.

Thank you. Yes it was a wonderful long drive.

Originally Posted by ashishmathur14

Moving on to a couple of questions, assuming you have an answer to those, I am on my drawing board planning a trip to Rajasthan and Haryana from the city of Pune, and return via NH3 taking a stop over in Bhopal.

The route is fairly simple - Pune - Mumbai (bypass Mumbai through Thane and arrive on NH 8 at Fountain hotel) - Surat-Vadodra-Ahmedabad-Udaipur-Ajmer-Jaipur. Or you can branch away from Ahemdabad towards Jodhpur via Mehsana and Palanpur. List me the destinations and I can prepare the plan for you.

The return through Central India is now better and faster. Delhi - Agra-Jhansi-Sagar-Nagpur. This stretch is pretty good. Used to be in horrible shape earlier.

Originally Posted by ashishmathur14

I want to understand the road conditions across Rajasthan ? I have driven around Gujrat and very frequently on GT Road, never touched Rajasthan roads and state highways.
I plan to drive to Delhi in one stretch depending upon roads in Rajasthan. Could you please enlighten the stretch spanning across Rajasthan.

You can possibly do Pune to Udaipur and Udaipur to Delhi in two days. Pune - Udapur can take about 13-14 hours and Udaipur to Delhi would be 11-12. You could also stay in Himmatnagar (between Ahmedabad and Udaipur). The roads are pretty good. On most you can do triple digit speeds. The section between Udaipur and Ajmer is not al that smooth so your speed may drop to 80 or so.

Again - send me the section and I shall get back regarding the current road conditions.

Originally Posted by ashishmathur14

I am working along with Google Maps to draw the fastest route but actual road assistance can only be sought from someone who is frequent on those roads or have been there recently.

Thanking you in advance !

You would need to use Google or Sat Nav or Garmin. However, the real feel of traffic conditions and road widening efforts etc are best known when you have travelled or have spoken to some who has recently travelled.

Feel free to send me the plan and I can list down various details. I (or my family) have recently done both the central India and the western India highways.

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

Lovely travelogue, and lovely shots, Rajain. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you Nilanjan. You yourself have amazing shots. The way you capture wildlife is an inspiration to many.

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

The Desert National Park looks very interesting. Will visit sometime, when I do a Gujarat - Rajasthan drive.

Oh yes. This is quite unexplored. On the morning we went there - we were the only people. Though later a couple more were visible. And a very different terrain. All states have various offerings but I feel Rajasthan is really well endowed in terms of what it offers as a state.

And while having driven that far, do not miss Longewala and Tanot.

[Srikanthan]

[quote=Rajain;3892680][b]

Disclosure -

1. No animals or birds were harmed during this travel
2. The emission met the current pollution standard prevalent in our country
3. For the entire journey I did not swear at anyone and there was no instance of road rage
4. All close-up pictures of any person were taken with their permission
5. The forts and palaces were full of people. Hundreds and hundreds of people. Busloads of foreign tourists. The pictures don't reflect the rush but that is because the picture has been taken in a way to get the maximum amount of the monument.
6. While in forest/national park/wildlife sanctuary/bird sanctuary area additional precautions as well as local requirements were followed. Natural habitat was not disturbed. No deo, no music, no bright colours, no disturbing the foliage for a better picture etc.
7. The use of plastics was limited to those absolutely need be. Even where they were used, they were not disposed off and were actually brought all the way back.
8. The extra spot lights were never used within city and were in fact covered. They were used only on 4 or 6 lane highway (never even on 2 lane highway)
9. Traffic police stopped me a few times. There was no instance of being on the wrong side of the law and all interactions were usual check and let go.
10. Safety of the travellers (and others on the road), being conscious of the carbon footprint, enjoy the drive, soak in the royalty, breathe fresh jungle oxygen, remember the roots and discover our rich heritage were the essence of the drive.

=======

A well written travelogue with beautifully captured pictures. I very much like the disclosures at the end. Much responsible ones!

Wish you more and more miles of safe and pleasant travel.

[mpksuhas]

Rajain, a superb travelogue. Had started reading the thread when it came live, however just able to complete the same now due to other commitments.

Though not as elaborate as your trip, been thinking of doing a west India drive since past couple of years, haven't been able to do the same yet. Anyways, when that works out, this travelogue is going to be the reference.

OT: Guess I spotted your car parked at HSR layout 27th main last Saturday noon.