7th December 2016, 19:29
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| BHPian  | Hyderabad - Sikkim in a Duster AWD! It’s not very often that I get a chance to say “Huh, I drove on Himalayas the other day”. Luckily 2016 was different. This Bong, went crazy on 2016 Durga puja. A long vacation was pending for three of us for very long time. For family functions we had to be at Asansol (my native) for this Puja no matter what. So we thought of taking a two week vacation and doing Hyderabad-Sikkim-Hyderabad. The planning started early July and we made prior bookings via Goibibo. My wife is a frequent flyer and thus had lots of points which came in handy. It’s often said the more you see Himalayas the less you feel you have seen. Fellow Bhpians advised me not to cover Gangtok and Nathula with a 2 year old. My schoolmate who was with Army advised me the same. Better half said not an issue will do it again sometime soon, Himalayas would be just there for all of us. Bong Duster 4wd excited about the trip !  So the plan was as follows. Hyderabad – Bhubaneshwar (1167 kms) Halt at Bhubaneshwar (Ginger group of hotel, very close to NH16)  We started at 9pm from our house at Banjara Hills with a light dinner. Touched ORR at Gachibowli and there it was, awesome tarmac all the way till Bhubaneshwar. I had previously done Bhubaneshwar and last time made the mistake of entering Rajamundry. But recently we had a Team Duster meet at Hyderabad and folks were kind enough to update me on latest road condition at Rajamundry. Last time I went this was the route I took. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...d-asansol.html (From prior experiences) Although this travel log has nothing to do with the Punto. At few places I did miss the Punto. Duster is different breed and comparing the two would be wrong. I really wanted to thank Punto, that car is lovely. Given the chance and the parking lot I shall buy a Punto again, eyes closed. (Probably the Abarth ) The journey was pretty straight forward and the road conditions were great. The weather was great and the Duster did well. I had bought the Duster 4wd due to its capabilities offroad but did not connect with the K9K until I drove it for a straight 18 hours. The K9K is smoother than the multijet. I loved the short gearings of the Fiat and the loved the even shorter gears of the 4wd. Hill descent control ? never thought it would be needed and was true while climbing down the Peshok road from Darjeeling to Temi Tea garden, more on that later. Few pictures of the beautiful Chilka Lake. Did not get time to stop by and take some pictures of migratory birds in that area. It’s said that the Chilka lake area is not a safe bet for driving post 6pm.   Near Bishnupur in West Bengal.  A video of the scenic road to Chilka Lake Few points from Day one. Time your journey in such a way that you cross OD and WB before nightfall specially if you travelling with your family. Whenever you encounter huge Truck queues, stop and watch out for the local vehicles, if they are taking the wrong side with blinkers, keep them in front and follow them. Even the local police authorities encourage that since you are not contributing unnecessarily to the already heavy traffic. If its post sunset and you need to take some rest, please just don’t stop anywhere. Cross the nearest oncoming toll gate and then park at left to halt. I had anticipated that the drive from Bhubaneshwar to Asansol would be terrible after Khadagpur from my previous experience, but I was wrong. The road was double lane without a divider at most places but the tarmac was laid brand new. I was at Asansol for the DurgaPuja, took the Duster to get a feel of heavy traffic. Durga Puja is always a good time to visit West Bengal. People are super happy and super cooperative. Customary picture near river Damodar  Beloved School St. Patrick's HS School Asansol  Mandatory selfie of a Bong Duster 4wd with Kash Phool  Few Durga Puja pictures. The duster was running all LED setup. Details below. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...ml#post4094661        Now let the actual trip begin .. Last edited by Gannu_1 : 8th December 2016 at 06:58. Reason: Typos. |
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7th December 2016, 20:03
| #2 |
| BHPian | Hyderabad-Sikkim-Hyderabad in Duster 4wd We headed for Darjeeling on 11-Oct. Road conditions were excellent. Crossed few cities relatively early and did not encounter much traffic. The route we chose Asansol-Mollarpur-Farakka-Malda-Botolbari-Siliguri-Darjeeling (580kms, 14 hrs)  After crossing Siliguri weather changed the roads started getting thinner and curvy. We got the first glimpse of the Himalayas. Although most of it was covered in cloud but the first sight of Himalaya always gives the goose bump. We reached Sinclairs, parked the vehicle near the hotel, yes you read that right Sinclairs has its own parking. No matter what seeing the first glimpse of Himalayas has always exited me. Beautiful North Bengal   You can take the Botolbari Route, road is narrow but in good condition and lots of great scenery on the way. Few points from 11th October Start early in the morning, very early. Immediately after you cross Pakur there are 2 roads that are splitting. Small vehicles would need to take the straight road and cross a relatively small Iron Bridge over the Farakka Canal feeder. Trucks need to take the left and enter the village to cross the canal.Try to cross the Mollarpur – Malda stretch between 4am-6am because the traffic keeps increasing after that specially narrow areas like Kaliachowk. Malda city has a bypass but it becomes equally crowded. It is obvious that hilly roads will have the hill on one side and other end will be the trench. But another thing we need to keep in mind is that the side of the hill also has a small drain running parallel to the road. This is the place where I saw many private vehicles stuck with wheels jammed in the drain. You need to be careful of those and stop when in doubt. When you book a hotel in Darjeeling and if you are driving your own vehicle, ensure that the hotel has its private parking. If not then you have few spots around Darjeeling where you can park one of them being Gymkhana Church, try to book a hotel close by. 12th October was dedicated for Darjeeling. I had heard that roads are cramped, little did I know they were so cramped. There are numerous one ways and you need to watch out. Google Maps did a great job in the city. Since it was peak season driving around was tough but fun at the same time. Locals were ever so helpful. I was so impressed with the road manners and driving phycology. Toy train was in the list, got in touch with the travel desk and after much requesting they managed tickets for us. The train starts from Darjeeling station, goes up to Ghum, makes a brief halt at the Ghum station so that you can take a look at DHR Museum, and then on its way back stops at Batasia Loop for soaking in the great views of Kanchenjunga as well as Darjeeling town on the hill slope, and then returns to Darjeeling. For longer rides, you can take the toy train between NJP and Darjeeling, or between Kurseong and Darjeeling. The best way is to book online and use the Indian Railway website www.irct.co.in. a) Train No.: 52546 (8am - 10am) b) Train No.: 52548 (10.40am - 12.40pm) c) Train No.: 52549 (13.20pm - 15.20pm) d) Train No.: 52547 (16.05pm - 18.05pm) Batasia means airy space. Stand on one side of the garden and see the toy train make a complete loop while hooting its whistle along the way and trying to negotiate the spiral track with a double loop, it's a fabulous experience. There are seating areas as well to enjoy the views. The entire area along with the gardens and an approach bridge that leads to the garden is about 50,000 square feet. It has been covered with grass and beautified with both seasonal and perennial flowers and shrubs. Evening was dedicated for the famous Mall Road. It gets crowded and its better you walk from the hotel as there are no car parking. Glenaries is a good spot to hang around in the evening, great food and great ambiance. We left the vehicle in the hotel parking as there is practically no place to park near Darjeeling station. Came back and headed for Rock Garden in our car. The road is broken and steep and narrow but it was great fun doing all that in a Duster 4wd. Engaged auto and never had to even hit the accelerator and it crawled slowly behind a Tata Sumo which exhaled black smoke so often. Rock garden has a great view but we missed that because of heavy cloud. On the way there are few Tea gardens like the Orange Valley which is worth a visit. In the news we heard of very heavy rainfall in the region causing multiple landslides and blocking few major roads to Siliguri. We were heading further up North which had landslides too but decided to take the chance next day. Locals and fellow Bhpian Samba suggested to take the route via Melli as there were no reports of major landslides in the area. Darjeeling is a charming place, people say that the place has lost its charm due to over population in the area but it’s a place worth visiting once in your life time. People are great and shopkeepers don’t believe in bargaining much. Easy going people with a great taste of food. There was heavy downpour and severe fog all over the place, tried to make use of both to get some pictures.  View of Darjeeling City  Orange Valley that comes on the way to Rock garden.    Rock Garden   There is ample place to park your vehicle but it better to get early and park as close to the Rock Garden as possible.  View of the valley beneath the Rock Garden  Darjeeling station and Trains    Last edited by ARAY : 8th December 2016 at 00:24. |
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7th December 2016, 21:08
| #3 |
| BHPian | Re: Hyderabad-Sikkim-Hyderabad in Duster 4wd 13th October we started for Pelling via Temi Tea garden. Route used Darjeeling-PeshokTeaGarden-Chitrey-Rangpo-Singtam-Temi Tea Estate ( 65kms , 4 hrs) Immediately after Singtam the road was getting widened when we visited. What would have been dirt + broken road changed to slippery slush+ broken road, thanks to the continuous heavy downpour in the entire region. Again I can’t comment how my Punto would have handled or any other front wheel drive. The 4wd auto did give extra traction and inspired a lot of confidence. I had turned on the ESC and that kicked in when the vehicle was sliding sideways. Under usual conditions the situation would have been different but with landslides+ construction+ heavy rain I was happy that I came with a 4wd. Temi Tea Garden   The road condition to reach Temi. Reached Temi tea Garden in the afternoon but the weather made it look like early morning. Got update from the hotel guys (Cherry Resort) that there has been major landslides and roads were blocked. I was disheartened but wanted to give it a try. Spoke to a local Taxi guy with Innova and he confirmed that roads are broken but it can be crossed and he was heading to Pelling lower area. Temi Tea Garden in Ravangla was established in 1969 by the Government of Sikkim, is located in South Sikkim in the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim. It is the only tea garden in Sikkim and considered one of the best in Asia and in the World. Entering Sikkim  We headed for Pelling, route taken Temi-Damthang-Ravangla-Bonpo-Kewzing-Gezing-Yangtey-Sakyong-Pelling ( 70kms ,4 hours) We stayed at Chumbi Mountain Retreat. It belongs to Danny Denzongpa ( Danny as in Actor). Chumbi is a great place to sit back and relax with your family. The property is situated beautifully in between three Hills. Road from Temi-Pelling Chumbi    View from Chumbi  View from Chumbi at night  Few points from 13th October. Start early from Darjeeling if you are planning to reach Pelling via Temi. If you think you wont be able to make it to Temi by 2pm and you are still in Singtam area please get your lunch completed at the foothills. There is good chance that you might end up not getting lunch at Cherry Resort if you happen to visit in peak season. Plan so that you can spend a good 1+ hours to visit the garden or even better a night stay at Cherry Resort. The place has a lot of history and it’s fun to know all of that. Temi to Pelling involves crossing few small villages and extremely narrow roads carved out of steep hills. Follow a vehicle a couple of inches wider than yours. For me Marshalls, Boleros and Sumos were the best bet. Trust me you will not regret following a local Taxi. They know those roads like the back of their palm and maintain a steady pace. You save time and get to drive safe. RTO Locations RTO Code Gangtok, East Sikkim SK01 Gyalshing, West Sikkim SK02 Mangan, North Sikkim SK03 Jorethang, South Sikkim SK04 Karina, North Sikkim SK05 Take a mental picture of this list but don’t follow it blindly. There is a good chance that you will be following a Taxi that is on its way home. I would say don’t rely on Google maps completely. The beautiful road from Tista Bazar to Teami has the Tista River running parallel. At few places Google Map showed that we were driving ON Tista river. Besides Teesta River.  14th October was dedicated for Pelling. The idea was simple I have to drive and the weather was just getting great after last 3 days of heavy downpour but I needed a local guide. Booked a local Wagon-R from the travel desk. Confirmed with driver if he had issues if I took my car. He was happy to be the co-passenger for a change and very happy to guide us. We started at around 9am in the morning. Travel itinerary included.    Kanchenjunga Falls The Kanchenjunga Falls and the Sangay Waterfalls are two good attractions you can visit on relatively freer days. An added advantage is the unspoilt surroundings of these waterfalls.  Khecheopalri Lake Hidden by a rich forest cover, it offers a pristine setting that is perfect for a stroll along the periphery for admiring its beauty. It is also considered a ‘wishing lake’ and it is believed that no leaf remains on its surface at any point in time. This is the case also because of the sizeable duck population at the lake which usually plucks away any leaves that might fall on the surface of the lake. No water activities are permitted at the lake due to its sacred nature.    Pemayangtse Gompa Half a km from town and the third oldest monastery in Sikkim. It is said to have been designed by Lhatsun for the use of "pure monks"    Singshore Bridge This is the highest bridge of Sikkim. It is located in west Sikkim. It is situated at a short distance from Dentam. Enroute is Uttarey, a base camp for trek to Singalila range and other enchanting peaks and places.  Rimbi Waterfalls On the way to Khechopalri and Yuksam, near Darap Village Rimbi Waterfall is found. The waterfall leads to Rimbi River and is famous for the recreational activities like fishing. Spend some memorable moments with your loved ones here. The waterfall is placed at a distance of around 12 km from Pelling and about 5 km from Village Darap.   Damthang Valley on the way  Sangay Falls Two parts to the fall, one is seen from the road, the larger and more impressive is hidden behind a rock. Walk along the stalls that are spread there and reach the end, where you can see the largest part of the fall.   All the water falls were in full bloom due to the recent downpour. It was already 4:30pm and I tried my best to see the Kanchenjunga once before the day ends. I could hardly make it to the old helipad, instead got to see the distant hills lite up.  We woke up early morning next day to see the sunrise. Although Chumbi is a great place to see the sunrise from the comfort of your bed, we decided to go to the helipad. It was majestic and the clouds were just giving us a chance to view the entire mountain range.    Last edited by ARAY : 8th December 2016 at 00:07. |
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7th December 2016, 22:34
| #4 |
| BHPian | Hyderabad-Sikkim-Hyderabad in Duster 4wd 15th October we drove from Pelling to Kalimpong, the route we took. Pelling - Legship - Yangang - Pabong - Rangpo - Melli – Kalimpong (95km , 6 hrs, 1 hr extra due to land slide) The route from Melli to Kalimpong was not the best with broken roads and heavy fog. The LED setup did a good job. Kalimpong was pretty much like Darjeeling, lots of shop and lots of people. We stayed at Summit Barsana Resort & Spa. It’s a descent hotel but the entrance to the hotel is very narrow and tends to hide away.  Markets at Kalimpong We were planning to use the same formula to book a cab and then ask the driver to guide us but one of the hotel guys was just getting off shift and agreed to be our Guide. 16th October , around Kalimpong Cactus Nursery visited the cactus nursery run by the Pradhans in Kalimpong. The cacti are kept in tents and shaded enclosures and contain some rare species. The campus is sunny and picturesque. After our rendezvous with the cacti, we spent a few minutes in the garden and enjoyed a while with the friendly pet dog at the gate.    Paragliding Indulged in paragliding on the way to Delo and was worth it.     Few Valleys on the way   The Bong Duster stood calmly  Deolo Hill is one of the two hills that the town of Kalimpong stands between. Kalimpong is situated on a ridge connecting the two hills, Durpin and Deolo. The hill is 1,704 meters above sea level and is the highest point of Kalimpong town. The hill is located north east of the town. Three water reservoirs, two of which serve as the primary drinking water source to the town are present atop this hill.   Teesta River as seen from Deolo resort.   [PS : Do note that you can take your private vehicle till the resort on the top and entry fee is Rs50. The parking fee at the foot hill is also Rs 50. Its better to take your private vehicle. ] From there we took off for Rishob. The road is broken, narrow and steep and I am sure most TeamBhp members would love the drive. Rishab    Video of the climb to Rishab We had plans of doing Lava as well but it was already getting dark and I had to drop the plan. Went to the golf course at Kalimpong instead and spent rest of the evening there.  Teesta Valley at night    A palace in Kalimpong  Valley view from Summit  17th October Kalimpong-Rishob- Gorbutham - Damdim -Coronation Bridge - Siliguri - Malda ( 10 hours , 350 kms) The Epic trip was coming to an end and wanted to make the most of it. Woke up next day early and started for Lava. It’s a place worth visiting at least once. Then headed straight for Asansol (well that was the plan). Reached Farakka barrage pretty late at around 11pm and there was a huge jam due to truck traffic. Truckers said it’s been like this for last 3 hours. Took a turn and halted at Malda City at my brother’s place. I have crossed the Farakka Bridge several times from my earlier trips but there is no fixed time when Truck traffic will be less. It’s your sheer luck I guess. Returned Asansol took rest for a day or so and then started return journey for Hyderabad. Halted at Bhubaneshwar again at same Hotel. To sum it up .. Hyderabad – Bhubaneshwar (1167 kms) Halt at Bhubaneshwar (Ginger group of hotel, very close to NH16) Bhubaneshwar - Asansol ( 10 hrs , 507 kms) Asansol-Mollarpur-Farakka-Malda-Botolbari-Siliguri-Darjeeling (580kms, 14 hrs) Darjeeling-PeshokTeaGarden-Chitrey-Rangpo-Singtam-Temi Tea Estate ( 65kms , 4 hrs) Temi-Damthang-Ravangla-Bonpo-Kewzing-Gezing-Yangtey-Sakyong-Pelling ( 70kms ,4 hours) Pelling - Legship - Yangang - Pabong - Rangpo - Melli – Kalimpong (95km , 6 hrs, 1 hr extra due to land slide) Kalimpong-Rishob- Gorbutham - Damdim -Coronation Bridge - Siliguri - Malda ( 10 hours , 350 kms) Malda - Rampurhat - Mollarpur - Suri - Asansol ( 7 hrs , 300 kms) Asansol - Bhubaneshwar (10 hrs , 507 kms) Bhubaneshwar - Hyderabad ( 19 hrs including breaks ,1167 kms ) Total days - 16 Total kms ( including Pandal hopping during Durga puja ) ~ 5500 kms Total fuel charges ~ Rs27,000 Average of entire trip ~ 12.7kmpl Total expense on Hotels ~ Rs60,000 Other expenses ~ Rs 30,000 Hotels used - Ginger at Bhubaneshwar ( 7/10 value for money) Sinclairs at Darjeeling (7/10 for parking facility and food and proximity to Mall road) Chumbi at Pelling ( 8/10 great place and value for money, if booked before) Summit Barsena at Kalimpong ( 6/10 try to avoid the isolated cottages and go for any room on 2nd floor and above )  Duster at the end of trip before parting with the Himalayas for few months.  -- I hope this trip and the details help fellow Bhpians. Last edited by ARAY : 8th December 2016 at 00:39. |
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8th December 2016, 06:57
| #5 |
| Team-BHP Support   Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Madras
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| re: Hyderabad - Sikkim in a Duster AWD! Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!  |
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8th December 2016, 09:28
| #6 |
| Team-BHP Support  | re: Hyderabad - Sikkim in a Duster AWD! Beautiful travelogue, pictures are amazing. And one of those rare times when pictures are not processed heavily. The Bong Duster pic is amazing to say the least  Thanks for sharing. |
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8th December 2016, 11:34
| #7 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Kolkata
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| re: Hyderabad - Sikkim in a Duster AWD! I am a big fan of the places you traveled and happy to see your travelogue and detailing... |
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8th December 2016, 12:06
| #8 |
| BHPian Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Mumbai
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| Re: Hyderabad - Sikkim in a Duster AWD! Very nice travelogue with some detailed information on the circuit. I have been wishing for a visit to Sikkim for a while now and reading your travelogue has made me more impatient. Is it crowded in the Sept-Oct period? I thought the rains at that time will keep the crowds away. Fantastic pictures of the Bong Duster |
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8th December 2016, 13:52
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| BHPian  Join Date: May 2014 Location: Asansol
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8th December 2016, 14:12
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| BHPian Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Pune
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8th December 2016, 14:32
| #11 |
| Distinguished - BHPian   | Re: Hyderabad - Sikkim in a Duster AWD! Very jealously rated 5*.  Awesome will be an understatement. Lovely pics, fantastic detailed narration and your Duster looks fabulous, specially after the mud bath! You did justice to the 'AWD' badge! On a different note this Duster AWD is destined to take 'us' to Sandakphu! Even i just love to travel in this part of the country and had been to these places few times. So just to refrain myself from attempting another trip to these places let me share few pics from my kitty and stay happy!  In & around Darjeeling        In & around Pelling.    |
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9th December 2016, 00:03
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| BHPian  Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Bangalore
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9th December 2016, 04:55
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9th December 2016, 06:45
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| BHPian Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Coimbatore
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9th December 2016, 18:37
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