[mr.sinha]

Thank you for taking us on a wonderful photo tour of MP's temples and historical places. Added MP on my list of places to go.

[procrj]

Thanks a lot for posting this detailed tlog sdp1975. Orachha has been on my to do list over the last few years and I might end up replicating your itinerary & route sometime next year

[blackwasp]

Excellent travelogue ! My mom always wanted to go to MP and we are soon getting a white Punto as well. So definitely a plan is hatching in my head. The quality of pictures is superb. I've shown this to my parents and both of them are awed with the mighty Narmada.

Thanks for sharing.

[arun_josie]

Another superb round-trip and a very detailed travelogue.
How did you manage your kids in those safari's at 42+ degrees?

[hemanth.anand]

Less words and more photos...The best way to read it in office
Having said that, you've captured all the necessary details of your trip. Crisp, yet well documented

Hatsoff to your spirit of covering so many places even in the heat. Seeing the photos it is evident of how hot it was!

The Ahalya bai ghat is the one shown in the last scene of 'Neerja' movie right? Very beautiful fort and ghat.
The photos from the Rupmati Pavilion are beautiful!

But after all this, you haven't put even one picture of the vehicle that carried you and your family around for 4400Kms- Not good
How were the refuelling options?

[sdp1975]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

How did you manage your kids in those safari's at 42+ degrees?

We had sun hats with us, but the best way to protect yourself from the heat was to put a cloth around your head. Inside Pench , there was adequate shade, and with plenty of water that we carried , they did not really complain.

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

The Ahalya bai ghat is the one shown in the last scene of 'Neerja' movie right?
But after all this, you haven't put even one picture of the vehicle that carried you and your family around for 4400Kms- Not good
How were the refuelling options?

Maybe it's from the Neerja , I'm not really sure.

I've attached a photo of her taken at the BPCL COCO Dhaba we stopped between Nagpur and Pench. She also crossed the 1 lac km mark in this trip - somewhere close to Nagpur - in about 6.5 years. Please excuse the low quality mobile pics.




There were plenty of fuel stations including COCO bunks. I always refuel from comparatively large bunks from where I see several trucks/cars/local vehicles refueling - had no problems with the fuel quality.

[ais]

Originally Posted by agd19682

Dude, you left out visiting a hill station (Pachmari) during the summer. BTW, I really admire your courage to visit MP during the summer season; I belong to Jabalpur myself, but trust me, we avoid being there during this time of the year.

Also, really splendid description of all the places. It brought back all the memories I had of these places.

MP is really beautiful during the monsoons when the state is covered with greenery. I was born at Nepanagar near Khandwa, and hope to do a road trip in the monsoons.

Thanks for the wonderful travelogue.

[agd19682]

Originally Posted by sdp1975

There were plenty of fuel stations including COCO bunks. I always refuel from comparatively large bunks from where I see several trucks/cars/local vehicles refueling - had no problems with the fuel quality.

Additionally, once you cross Nagpur and enter MP, some of the petrol bunks will have a sign stating fuel is much cheaper here compared to Maharashtra.

[tanwaranil]

Originally Posted by sdp1975

MP is extremely safe for travel. Gone are the days of the Chambal dakus riding their horses through ravines. I drove through desolate roads , albeit in the daytime, without any problems whatsoever.

There was excellent police presence in most places we visited - one reason was the Kumbh though. They were friendly and helpful. The state government has been pushing tourism as a revenue generator. We felt welcome everywhere we went. One doesn't have to worry about safety while visiting MP.

Dear SDP1975,

I am planning to visit Kumbh with parents. Have a couple of questions to ask. Can you PM me your number.

[YoungSaint]

I grew in Indore and have visited almost all the places that you have mentioned in the travelogue. Just refreshed my memory. Nice and detailed write-up. The photos made me nostalgic.

How was the performance of the car? Any more details of car/ route would also be a nice addition to the write up.

[sdp1975]

Originally Posted by YoungSaint

How was the performance of the car? Any more details of car/ route would also be a nice addition to the write up.

I have a Peted 75hp Punto that delivers 90 hp. Performance is adequate on the highways I'd say. At times I wish she had some more power - quick overtaking maneuvers are not possible. FE is excellent , I get around 20.5 in my trips with full AC. The AC performed well in the summer.

The exact route details are on the very first post. The route was overall good - and there were only 2 short bad stretches that I pointed out.

[Mafia]

Originally Posted by sdp1975

D1 (April 16) - Bangalore-Nagpur ( 1100 km )

You managed 1100 kms in a single day with your full family!

I have done a max of 650 and that was a stretch

Wonderful and beautiful thread. Just goes to show what a diverse and complex culture we are.

Thank you.

[gearhead_mait]

Excellent trip report along with some exceptional photographs. For me, the Dhuandar falls and the boat ride on the R Narmada takes the cake.
Though, I am not much inclined towards the religious aspect, but the temples do have the magic and charm on its own.

Feels wonderful that we were on the Indian Highways during the same time period. Rated the travelogue a deserving 5*.

[MorePower]

Your travelogue really gives people like me the confidence to take the family out on longer drives. Safety is always a concern. But your experience in MP is reassuring. Will try out this circuit sooner than later. Thanks for sharing!

[The_Wanderer]

Originally Posted by sdp1975

MP is extremely safe for travel. Gone are the days of the Chambal dakus riding their horses through ravines. I drove through desolate roads , albeit in the daytime, without any problems whatsoever.

There was excellent police presence in most places we visited - one reason was the Kumbh though. They were friendly and helpful. The state government has been pushing tourism as a revenue generator. We felt welcome everywhere we went. One doesn't have to worry about safety while visiting MP.

Thanks @sdp1975 for a wonderful post, I have been planning for a trip with a similar route for some time now, just was waiting for the Summer to pass... Will be going in the month of august.

With the monsoon, not sure if the National Parks will be open at all. Any idea !!?

My route more or less overlaps the one you have taken, except that I plan to go to Vadodara from Indore before returning to Bangalore.