Team-BHP > Travelogues


Reply
  Search this Thread
170,959 views
Old 13th January 2009, 09:25   #91
Senior - BHPian
 
hvkumar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 7,369
Thanked: 3,454 Times

Road is good all the way to the AP-Orissa border. Some nasty sections at the check post, and some rough sections in and around Behrampur, 2-lane roads to Bhalugaon, a broken-down bridge approaching Bhalugaon, and some 2-lane roads between Bhadrak and Baleswar.

Bengal roads are fine, except for some repair work going on in Kolaghat bridge between Kharagpur and Ulberiya.

Don't wait to refuel till your tank is running empty, be careful about the quality of fuel.

Food facilities are poor. Carry your own bottled water.

No hotels on the Bhubaneswar bypass.

Kakinada is not on the route, you have to take a considerable deviation from Alamaru, after Eluru and Ravalapalem, but before Rajahmundry. If you do choose to go to Kakinada, you can rejoin the NH5 at Kattipudi without going via Rajahmundry.
hvkumar is offline  
Old 13th January 2009, 09:47   #92
Senior - BHPian
 
akroy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Posts: 2,423
Thanked: 85 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by deb_majumdar View Post
I am planning to do what you did, but only one way. I am moving from Bangalore to Kolkata and the idea of driving down is steadily getting stronger in my mind.
Good Idea. You will surely relish the drive.

Quote:
Originally Posted by deb_majumdar View Post
I am planning for three full days: Bangalore - Kakinada/Vijaywada (have a relative in Kakinada), Kakinada - Bhubaneswar/Puri and then to Kolkata on the third day.
Kakinada has a considerable detour from Eluru. You enter from one side and come out from the other side much ahead near Vizag via NH214 I think (at Kathepudi @ 130km before Vizag). Pls PM hvkumar and plan up this part. I think you cover some nice places including Yanam as well.

Quote:
Originally Posted by deb_majumdar View Post
This will be with my 10 months old Getz prime GLX 1.3 (6700km). If I finally do this, I will surely do my third service (although two months before time) and buy some extra precautionary stuff like you did.
Yes, make sure you complete the service before you start.

Quote:
Originally Posted by deb_majumdar View Post
Seems like the road has improved overall by now, and although my driving experience is only as much as the age of my car (10 months), I feel pretty confident about it. The longest drive I had in a day so far was 480km (Bangalore - Shravanabelagola - Halebid - Belur - Bangalore) during which I had no problems.
Whatever be the road conditions, pls dont get panic or restless to reach the destination faster. Since these are very long drives with 3-4 hours of nonstop driving, maintain your composure and enjoy every moment.

Quote:
Originally Posted by deb_majumdar View Post
The whole thread already provides me a lot of tips. Anything else that any of you want to tell me?
I have PMed you my phone number. We can discuss them on call.

Abhi
akroy is offline  
Old 13th January 2009, 10:23   #93
BHPian
 
akas_chauhan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: San Antonio
Posts: 596
Thanked: 25 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by hvkumar View Post

No hotels on the Bhubaneswar bypass.
You will get Dhabas at Rasulgarh around 5 KM before Bhubaneswar if travelling from cuttack.
akas_chauhan is offline  
Old 11th September 2009, 15:21   #94
Newbie
 
saptarshi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 8
Thanked: 0 Times

Great post, Abhi!

I am planning to drive from Bangalore up to Kolkata on the 3rd week of this month and back the next month. I shall post my travelogue once I return back.
saptarshi is offline  
Old 11th September 2009, 16:25   #95
Newbie
 
saptarshi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 8
Thanked: 0 Times

Great post Abhi!

I am planning a similar Bangalore - Kolkata - Bangalore trip this month and will post my travelogue once done.
saptarshi is offline  
Old 14th September 2009, 16:13   #96
BHPian
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 100
Thanked: 0 Times

Great Abhi. I am planning Bangalore - Vijayawada early October. Not to mention but, your journey inspired me to do so .
Fordy is offline  
Old 15th September 2009, 16:09   #97
Senior - BHPian
 
akroy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Posts: 2,423
Thanked: 85 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by saptarshi View Post
Great post Abhi!

I am planning a similar Bangalore - Kolkata - Bangalore trip this month and will post my travelogue once done.
sure, Have a nice, safe and pleasant journey. All the best !!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fordy
Great Abhi. I am planning Bangalore - Vijayawada early October. Not to mention but, your journey inspired me to do so .
Thanks Fordy !!

Abhi
akroy is offline  
Old 16th September 2009, 01:58   #98
BHPian
 
four.bytes's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Kolkata
Posts: 39
Thanked: 6 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by saptarshi View Post
Great post Abhi!

I am planning a similar Bangalore - Kolkata - Bangalore trip this month and will post my travelogue once done.
I am also planning a Bangalore to Kolkata trip. I will start probably on this Saturday(19th Sep) morning if everything goes according to plan(just now I made my decision and i have just 2 days at my disposal). Prob'ly if we our time/date matches we can start together. I will do a return trip starting from Calcutta on 27th Sep early morning.
four.bytes is offline  
Old 16th September 2009, 02:14   #99
Team-BHP Support
 
Zappo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 5,917
Thanked: 2,651 Times

Whatever you do, go prepared for the Orissa stretch. It lets you know immediately as soon as you cross over from AP to Orissa. Last month I did the Hyd - Kolkata route. The checkpost is abysmal. HVK was being magnanimous when he said it has some pretty nasty roads there. It almost feels like some sort of an armageddon happened there a while back. In fact till you are 100 kms away from Bhubaneswar the roads are bad, narrow, filled with vehicles and everything taken together if you have a bad day (like I had) you will loose time like crazy. I could cover only some 30 odd kms in almost 3 hours time after entering orissa.
Zappo is offline  
Old 16th September 2009, 12:32   #100
Distinguished - BHPian
 
mobike008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 11,657
Thanked: 14,561 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zappo View Post
Whatever you do, go prepared for the Orissa stretch. It lets you know immediately as soon as you cross over from AP to Orissa. Last month I did the Hyd - Kolkata route. The checkpost is abysmal. HVK was being magnanimous when he said it has some pretty nasty roads there. It almost feels like some sort of an armageddon happened there a while back. In fact till you are 100 kms away from Bhubaneswar the roads are bad, narrow, filled with vehicles and everything taken together if you have a bad day (like I had) you will loose time like crazy. I could cover only some 30 odd kms in almost 3 hours time after entering orissa.
Deb, I heard about your road trip to KOL. When is a detailed travelogue on the same coming up?

OT: Hope all well, been sometime we caught up
mobike008 is offline  
Old 6th October 2009, 12:49   #101
Newbie
 
saptarshi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 8
Thanked: 0 Times

Sorry to disappoint you friends! My plans of driving up to Kolkata did not materialize this time. But will make it happen sometime by middle of next year and will post travelogue then.
Cheers
saptarshi is offline  
Old 12th October 2009, 15:41   #102
BHPian
 
four.bytes's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Kolkata
Posts: 39
Thanked: 6 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by saptarshi View Post
Sorry to disappoint you friends! My plans of driving up to Kolkata did not materialize this time. But will make it happen sometime by middle of next year and will post travelogue then.
Cheers
Yeah! Same here. I was not able to make the trip due to time constrains. But will surely do the trip at the next chance. Till then wait for my travelogue. Btw, roamed around old portions of Calcutta on my khatara bike and enjoyed it very much.
four.bytes is offline  
Old 15th October 2009, 17:52   #103
MX6
Senior - BHPian
 
MX6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: City of seven islands.
Posts: 2,877
Thanked: 231 Times

WOW. You are an inspiration. This is all I need to convince my wife to go on a loooong drive as well I guess.
MX6 is offline  
Old 11th November 2009, 09:43   #104
Newbie
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Kolkata
Posts: 15
Thanked: 0 Times
Kolkata - Puri -Kolkata

Quote:
Originally Posted by akroy View Post
Yes and it will take some more time as well. Ichchapuram - Sunakhala work was stopped and was scheduled to start on Dec2006. hardly any work happened in Ganjam - Ichchapuram stretch there when I passed except an incompleter flyover at Berhampur BP. But Sunakhala - Chilka - Ganjam was on.

Now Bhadrak - Balasore section is more or less complete (4 laning) except for the bridges section and ofcourse the lane marking and stuffs. Bridges sections were the majot bottlenecks. If work carries on smooth pace it should not take more than 6months to complete but unfortunately it is still incomplete.

Abhi
Did the Kolkata-Puri-Kolkata during September 2009 and there was no improvement on the stretch between Balasore and Bhadrak. The 70 Kms stretch took me almost around 100 mins (Both directions). At some places , esp. around the small towns the road surface is really bad and caused some damage to the undercarriage of my Baleno.
The Border crossing into Orissa is a nightmare. I was stuck for almost 45 minutes in the midst of truck traffic which was reduced to a single lane. Of course could not convince the RTO officer at the Orissa Border that I am passing thru' Orissa (Maharashtra Plates) and had to cough up the Rs. 800/-.
The rest of the road is fantastic and was able to average around 85Kms per hour. however there is this strange phenomenon of driving 2 wheelers in Orissa, esp from Kharagpur byepass to Jaleswar. Cycles and motorcycles drive on the fast lane IN THE OPPOSITE Direction. So if you are overtaking you will need to be aware or BEWARE. Also on the way between Balasore and Jaleswar immediately after ROR bridge the enitre road has a pot hole and refilled with the dug out concrete. Can cause a lot of damage to the car at those speeds.
Another word of advise for those travelling with Kids, ladies and elders, Very few eating places on the highway between Chandihole and the Westbengal Border, unless you get off the highway into Balasore town. So plan your breaks (food and BIO) well. Stopped at this Water Cuckoo restaurant at Panikoili on the way to Puri. good Food and service. on the way back could only stop at 'Taj Bengal dhaba" at DeuliaChawk. (besides on IOCl Pump).
Hope this adds some value to this thread.
sundabs is offline  
Old 11th November 2009, 10:11   #105
Senior - BHPian
 
Ravveendrra's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 1,391
Thanked: 446 Times

Thanks Sundabs, that post is really helpful as we plan to do that stretch in December.

Cheers,
Ravveendrra is offline  
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks