[mi2n]

“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” – Jack Kerouac



With the arrival of TUFFEY, our molten orange Mahindra TUV 3OO, in August, I knew my days of solo roadtrips were over. I had no excuse to leave the family behind now.



So, with a boot full of luggage and a car full of loved ones we started to roll.

DAY 1 (04.12.2016) - Kolkata(WB) to Barkul(OD) approx 560 kms

Having done all of my previous road trips solo or with a cousin, I had always managed to get going on schedule or even prior to the scheduled start. But change is constant, and so, for no apparent rhyme or reason, we started an hour late at 0530 hours.

However, the beauty of a trip down south is that it allows you to make up for lost time quite easily. In no time we reached Kolaghat and stopped for chai. There's this thing about having chai at a nondescript highway dhaba. Not only does it taste heavenly, it always manages to uplift the spirit of the traveler.





Some 40 kilometers down, at Debra Toll Plaza, demonetization struck. Staff seemingly untrained to handle card swiping machines and truckers too reluctant and suspicious about the swiping procedure meant that almost 10-15 minutes were being spent to process a single transaction. The scene was repeated at most toll plazas en-route.

We galloped past Kharagpur and hopped onto the Chennai Road and crossed the Bengal-Odisha border at Jaleswar by 0830 hours. We halted to savor our packed breakfast. After having our fill, we continued onward through the pristine Golden Quadrilateral. Traffic within the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar was heavy, probably due to marriage season. We had initially planned to have our lunch at Bhubaneswar, but the noted food outlet was on a slip road, and before I could spot it, we were already on a flyover passing over the joint. So we decided to have our lunch at Barkul itself.

Post Bhubaneswar, the scenery changed, we meandered through pristine highways along small hillocks





We entered Barkul at around 1400 hours and reached the famous Chilika Dhaba where we had planned to have our lunch. To our utter dismay, the place was extremely crowded with tourists and the chance to get a quick lunch for our hungry tummies looked pretty bleak. So, we head on to the OTDC facility where we were booked for the night. Luckily, we got a full course lunch at their restaurant. We wasted no time in gulping down the tasty delicacies of fresh prawns and crabs before checking in to our rooms. The OTDC facility also houses a water sports park and being a December Sunday, there were hundreds and thousands of local tourists and picnickers. We quickly decided to retreat to our cottages which were in a separate complex, secluded from the maddening crowd.

[mi2n]

DAY 2 (05.12.2016) - Barkul(OD) to Vizag(AP) approx 330 kms

As we had not dared visit the Chilika lake last evening due to the crowd, we woke up early to enjoy the sunrise over the lagoon :













The OTDC Panthaniwas at Barkul with the water sports park



Post a tasty breakfast of poori sabji and omelettes, we started for Vizag at 0930 hours.

Tuffey posing at OTDC, Barkul



The drive onwards was through even scenic roads and some small ghat like sections. We crossed over into Andhra Pradesh at Icchapuram and continued on pristine roads enjoying the drive to the fullest. We reached Rushikonda beach after a five hour drive and checked into APTDC's Beach Resort.

The first glimpse of the Bay of Bengal at Rushikonda



The beach and the APTDC facility were both majestic







Mithi enjoying her late lunch at the open air restaurant of APTDC resort



We were mesmerized by the beauty of Rushikonda and the APTDC resort. We could view the sea right from our beds. We decided to spend the evening lazing and chatting in the balcony overlooking the sea.

Meanwhile, I tried to stitch some panoramas :





We spent quality family time together, a much needed respite for all of us. Frequenting the balcony every now and then to soak in the views



We have all day tomorrow to explore Vizag, but we do not feel like leaving the resort. The locale, the ambiance, the rooms, the food, the courteous staff continue to pamper us.

Ending day two with the trip log of our journey this far as recorded by the GEOTRACKER application :

[mi2n]

DAY 3 (06.12.2016) - Driving around Vizag city

We had no plans for the day apart from driving through the scenic Beach Road between Rushikonda and Ramakrishna beach multiple times. So after witnessing another glorious sunrise and treating ourselves to the buffet breakfast we head out :





We immediately hit the picturesque Beach Road and stopped numerous times to savor the scenery









It was a very memorable drive with the sea on one side and hillocks on the other. The road continues past the famous Kailashgiri and on to the Ramakrishna beach which houses the Submarine Museum where the Legendary INS Kursura submarine puts up a mighty show.

The drive through Beach Road at Ramakrishna Beach

https://youtu.be/K7Sb2VizlrE

As my daughter gets very excited on seeing pictures and videos of animals in books and on youtube, we decided to head to the Zoo to see the "Jilafffffff"(Giraffe). The Vizag Zoo allows tourists to take their own vehicles inside the premises and all through it for a fee of INR 200 over and above the entry fee of the visitors. We took the opportunity and ventured into the zoo in the comfort of our car. We crossed a few enclosures housing Swans and Ostriches but it soon dawned upon us that we might never find the other enclosures as there were no precise signs visible from the road. So, we head back to the entrance, parked Tuffey under the cool shade of a tree and hired an electric cart.

















We spent more than an hour at the Zoo and then retreated to our hotel for lunch. After lazing around for a couple of hours we suddenly thought of visiting the Ramanaidu Film City nearby. The faux city is nestled upon a nearby hilltop with a small patch of lovely curvaceous tarmac leading to it.



We traversed the alleys of the film city













The coastline as seen from the view point of the film city



The museum was quite rich in vintage motion photography equipment and sound recording devices. Sadly, photography was prohibited inside.We walked out of the gate and was treated to this sight of the setting sun



Bought some tasty snacks on our way back and retired to our hotel rooms for the day spending the evening chit chatting and frequenting the balcony again and again.

[mi2n]

DAY 4 (07.12.2016) - Vizag(AP) to Araku Valley(AP) approx 123 kms

All of us wanted to prolong our stay at the Rushikonda Beach Resort. But this time, we had pre-booked accommodations, making it impossible to change the itinerary. So after a savory breakfast, we left Vizag with a heavy heart.

But not before taking some parting shots











The drive to Araku Valley started amidst rush hour traffic in Vizag. But soon we left the busy city behind us and were ambling along village roads. The roads, though a single carriageway was in excellent shape.

Soon, we were climbing up gentle slopes of curvy and pristine hill roads





We passed by the APTDC facilities at Tyda (jungle) and Ananthgiri (hill station) and stopped for some coffee



Post the break, we continued our sojourn through the scenic mountains

https://youtu.be/Al0OqRaiik8

The surface throughout was excellent. The ambient scenery was gorgeous. We were cherishing every moment of the drive to the fullest.

After some 40 odd kilometers of driving through the hills we hit the valley and drove right up to our cottage at the Haritha Valley Resort(APTDC)











The Valley Resort was again a beautiful property with a pool and ample space for activities. Upkeep was top-notch too. There is no view to savor here though. After freshening up we head to the restaurant for lunch. The food was tasty and satisfying.

Post lunch we strolled down to the Tribal Museum














And while the ladies went on to do what they do best



I found the Sweet Spot



We had one of the best cold coffee here and the dark chocolates oozed quality. So we bought as much as we could carry.

On our way back, we spotted the Araku Moon



After sundown, we again gathered in our room and had a fun time over some Bamboo Chicken, a local delicacy. We were really enjoying the time spent together just listening to each other. At night, we availed the room service for dinner and called it a day

[mi2n]

DAY 5 (08.12.2016) - Araku Valley(AP)

Although today we were supposed to stay at Araku only, we had to switch base to the other APTDC Resort barely half a kilometer away. So, after another healthy and tasty breakfast, we packed up and moved to the Mayuri Hill Resort (APTDC). We were immediately glad that we had booked the Mayuri for the day.

The magnificent Mayuri



and the majestic view it offered



The rooms were exact clones of the ones we had in Rushikonda, Vizag



Apparently, everyone was excited



But we had no time to settle down! We had to go visit the local places of interest. So we went back through the hilly roads towards Borra Caves.









As we approached the Borra Caves, I found a perfect place to park



Some information about the Borra Caves



A small rivulet en-route the cave



The entrance to the caves





The innards of the caves were artificially lit with color changing decorative lights. I did not find the same tasteful and would have liked a more neutral tone, something that would allow visitors to gauge the natural colors and shades of the rock formations.

Some pictures of the innards of the cave











We did not venture too deep into the caves and started our trek back up. The APTDC restaurant at the entry gate served us some great tasting cuisines. The Chicken Fry deserves a special mention!

Meanwhile Tuffey was enjoying his own vistas



We stopped by at the Coffee Museum which was just outside the compound of our hotel



As the ladies got to their act again, I quietly slipped back to the hotel and enjoyed a glorious sunset over the hills from our room

[mi2n]

DAY 6 (09.12.2016) - Araku Valley(AP) to Gopalpur on Sea (OD) approx 330 kms

We had planned an early exit, but the surroundings at 0830 in the morning looked like this





As the day progressed the fog subsided and a local suggested that we wont find any fog once we hit the hills. He couldn't have been more right.

We rolled through the hilly sections in bright sunshine

https://youtu.be/oJoosJ6vdKs

Once we left the hills behind, we followed Google Maps onto NH-16 through the city of Vizianagaram. Once back on the GQ it was smooth sailing until the Andhra-Odisa border at Icchapuram, where we lost good time stuck between hordes of trucks. We finally checked into our hotel at Gopalpur around 1515 hours







After sundown, we went for a stroll on the beach



Our hotel in front of the lighthouse at Gopalpur



We had to make a 620 kilometer home run the next day and I wanted to reach Kolaghat in daylight. So after an early dinner we hit the bed.


DAY 7 (10.12.2016) - Gopalpur on Sea(OD) to Kolkata(WB) approx 620 kms

We managed to start from Gopalpur at daybreak around 0600 hours. The initial idea was to beat the office time traffic at Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. We managed to do that and stopped for breakfast after crossing Cuttack at a IOCL Dhaba.



We had a hearty breakfast of Aloo Parathas with delicious sabji and dahi. Once we had our fill we started our onward journey reaching Kolaghat by 1420 hours. As we were just 75 kilometers away from home, we took our own sweet time to have a grand lunch at our favorite joint, Express Food Plaza.

We left Kolaghat at around 1600 hours, but not before taking a trip end selfie



The last 75 km run took almost two hours owing to traffic and long queues at the Dhulagarh and Nivedita toll plazas. We finally reached home, happy and content at 1800 hours. The Trip meter read 2124.6 kilometers



Some numerical details of the trip

Total distance covered : 2125 kms approx
Total fuel consumed : 126 liters approx(diesel is costlier in OD & AP)
Total toll paid : INR 2000 approx

A special mention must be made of Andhra Pradesh Tourism(APTDC). We surely owe them a lot for making this trip so memorable and comfortable. We thank you for your hospitality.

This travelogue won't be complete without a mention of CRINGER, our 2014 Ford Figo TDCi. The one that started it all. Really missed you all along the curvy ghat roads buddy.

CRINGER in Sikkim (March 2016)



Thanks for reading.

Signing off!

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to Travelogues. Thanks for sharing!

[ARAY]

You have covered quite a lot of places in a very short time. Lovely photographs and great narration. Since I have been to the places you mentioned it was a great experience visiting those virtually through your post. Great detailing , sure this post will help fellow Bhpians .

[Samba]

Great travelogue with awesome pics. Rated 5*.
The road to faux city looks tempting, you sure have missed your Figo over there!
And last but not the least, congrats for your brand new TUV300 with 100 horses! The first long drive in a new car is always special.

[arindam_xeta]

Lovely travelogue, and pictures. It was taking me back to my maiden trips down these places, with my Xeta and Zed. When I visited with Xeta, ichchapuram was a hell. Loads of trucks, huge craters and tyre ruts and the highway was under construction. I enjoyed the entire completed route with Zed. Aptdc Vizag is a great place, I could not stay there on both occasions. It's a very relaxed and soothing drive.
Tuffy looked adorable, wish you both many many happy miles.

[nischaltopno]

Thanks for a nice travelogue . The pictures have come up really well - especially the one from Araku (me having a soft corner for Araku) .

Originally Posted by mi2n

and the majestic view it offered

Attachment 1585215

The view from Mayuri is just awesome. Take the room on the 4th floor left wing (if you are facing the resort) and you can spend the whole day in your balcony. The 3rd floor balcony is an extended one IIRC - for people who want to sit out and enjoy some drinks in the evening. The Mayuri also doesn't have a pool - FYI.

[TheStranger]

Great TL, mi2n.

I myself have been planning a Kolkata - Puri - Vizag - Araku - Puri - Kolkata drive, but I am yet to get time to finalise it. Your TL is just the thing I was looking for. I will get in touch with you for any further queries / suggestion when I finally put my plan in motion.

Nice pics too.

[mi2n]

Originally Posted by ARAY

You have covered quite a lot of places in a very short time. Lovely photographs and great narration.

Thanks. Yes, we wished we could prolong our stay at Rushikonda and Araku. On the hindsight, it's a potent reason to visit those places again.

Originally Posted by Samba

Great travelogue with awesome pics. Rated 5*.
The road to faux city looks tempting, you sure have missed your Figo over there!
And last but not the least, congrats for your brand new TUV300 with 100 horses! The first long drive in a new car is always special.

Thanks! Yes, I missed the Figo on the road to the film city and all through Araku. The pristine tarmac and the gentle gradient is tailor made for the Figo. The TUV is a very comfortable cruiser though. None of us experienced any sort of fatigue. It also pulled clean in 1st and 2nd when I intentionally stopped at middle of two relatively steep hairpins en-route Borra Caves and made candy out of stomping over dividers and ruts to the other flank of the NH at Icchapuram.

Originally Posted by arindam_xeta

Lovely travelogue, and pictures. It was taking me back to my maiden trips down these places, with my Xeta and Zed.

Thanks! I did refer to both your logs and the one from Predator while planning.

Originally Posted by nischaltopno

The view from Mayuri is just awesome. Take the room on the 4th floor left wing (if you are facing the resort) and you can spend the whole day in your balcony. The 3rd floor balcony is an extended one IIRC - for people who want to sit out and enjoy some drinks in the evening. The Mayuri also doesn't have a pool - FYI.

Yes! We absolutely loved the Mayuri and would have loved to extend our stay there. A revisit with an extended stay at Mayuri is surely on the cards. Thanks.

Originally Posted by TheStranger

Great TL, mi2n.
I will get in touch with you for any further queries / suggestion when I finally put my plan in motion.

Anytime!

[BlackPearl]

Superb travelogue mi2n!! Rated 5 stars. I have been to vizag so many times but never wrote a travelogue, so all the more thanks for sharing. It brings back good memories. Thankfully on one of those trips we had a school friend with us who penned a travelogue n team bhp in 2008, here is the link
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...-bit-more.html

[gmhossain]

Originally Posted by mi2n

... However, the beauty of a trip down south is that it allows you to make up for lost time quite easily.

It's another beautiful travelogue. I enjoyed reading it and congratulations mi2n on your new machine!

By the way, how was your trademark bermudas with a shaggy t-shirt reluctantly put on [TM], doing this time during the drive? You haven't put up such a photograph here so far Is Pawan listening?

Cheers,

[TM] http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ml#post3943564