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4600 kilometers of round trip from Kolkata to Goa and back is what I consider to be mission accomplished.



Yes, Kolkata to Goa was a sudden plan that my wife and I decided upon few months before the Pujas.

Since schools remain closed during Durga puja in Kolkata, my wife and son did not have any issues regarding leaves and holidays. As for me, working for a newspaper company, taking leaves need prior planning. So the first task for me was to take leave from my work. Now after the leave was sanctioned, our next task was to research the routes, hotels and places to visit during this span of our trip.

Initially, only three of us decided to do this trip. But, my mother and father-in-law showed their interest and joined us. So the situation was as follows: 1 car (SWIFT), 5 members (4 Adult and 1 child). Yes I know... Many people were shocked to hear that 5 people will be travelling so far in a small hatch. But my wife and I were confident that we can do this. Many of them tried to scare us with their own version of stories. None of them travelled in a car so far. Yet they have so much to tell. With all due respect, we proceeded with our plan.

Our final itinerary was as follows:


23rd September: Kolkata to Vizag

We started from Kolkata at 2:30 a.m. for our much waited trip and headed towards Vidyasagar setu that would eventually connect us with National Highway 16. Traffic was less hence we made steady progress.

At the break of Dawn, we halted for few minutes just to stretch a bit and have biscuits. My wife calls it a biscuit halt.


Next stop was near Balasore, where we stopped for our morning tea. My Father-in-law was very particular in regards to halts and food. He gave me a basic timeline like, at 6:00 am to 7:00 a.m., we will have tea, at 9:00 a.m. We will scout for possible dhabas and halt for breakfast, again by 2:00 p.m. we will halt for Lunch. At around 5:00 pm, we will have our evening tea. These were basically our main halts that were chalked out. Other than this, small halts, bio-breaks at petrol pumps or photo halts were there. I must tell you, this method worked out great among us and we never felt too tired during our drive.
So after all our scheduled breaks and halts, we managed to reach Bhubaneshwar by 11:30 in the morning. Refueled and again started off for Vizag. Roads were very good all throughout, except for some rough patches. Our car went over some of them. Felt terrible.

Finally we reached Vizag at 7:00 p.m. Everyone of us were happy that we covered such long distance on our first day itself. We went to our room and freshened up, sat togather and gossiped before having dinner and hit the bed for the day.

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24th September: Spending the day in Vizag

Next day after breakfast we decided to go for some sightseeing. We hired an Ola cab to roam around. Turned out to be a wise decision. Visited Rushikonda beach, spend some time roaming around and clicking photographs.

It was getting hot so we decided to head back to our hotel. In the evening we visited the famous INS Kursura Submarine Museum.



After the visit, we spend the evening on Ramkrishna beach road, roaming around. We realised that since we will be coming back to Vizag again while returning and again staying for a day, why not book a hotel on the beach road itself. So we booked a hotel which was located on Ramkrishna Beach.
Had dinner early, went to bed and woke up at 2:00 a.m. in the morning. Packed our car and started for Hyderabad by 3:00 a.m.

25th September: Vizag To Hyderabad

In the early hours of dawn, we halted for tea and breakfast.
Road towards Hyderabad were equally good. We maintained steady pace.



Lunch Break

Since our hotel was near Darga road in Hyderabad, Google map directed us to take the Nehru Outer Ring Road (ORR). And boy was I glad to drive on this stretch of road. It was brilliant.

Reached Hyderabad at 5:30p.m. The hotel was very basic, nothing to write home about. But, it was on the main road and there was a very good restaurant just opposite to the hotel named Mehfil. We freshened up quickly and went to this restaurant, had wonderful Irani chai which was very refreshing.

By 9:00 p.m. we finished our dinner since we had to leave by 3:00a.m. for Goa. We had Dum Biriyani which was great. I personally liked it very much.

Arabian Grilled Chicken

I realised, our time in Hyderabad was very less. Reaching at 5:30 p.m. and again starting our onward journey of another 600Km by 2:30 am. Just 9 hours was indeed hectic. But nobody complained especially our son.

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26th September: Hyderabad to Goa

Started from Hyderabad at 3:00 a.m. in the morning. Weather was good. We headed towards the outer ring road to take the required exit towards our destination. It was a very uneventful drive.

Took the following route
Dargaroad - ORR – Chevella – Manneguda – Pargi – Sedam – Kalaburagi Ring Road – Jevargi – Vijayapura – Sarawad – Mudhol – Sankeshwar – Ajara – Amboli ghat – Banda – Pernem – Arambol beach



Filling breakfast


Wonderful road


Photo break


"Click a photo of me sitting in front of our Red panda" that's what she said.

After Sankeshwar, road condition started to deteriorated. Our speed dropped considerably. By the time we reached Ajara, it was lunch time. Halted at a family restaurant named Harsh, freshened up, filled our tummies and moved on towards Amboli ghat.

Harsh Restaurant

Around 5:00 pm, we stopped near Amboli waterfall for some time. It was beautiful.


Amboli Waterfall



It was getting dark so reaching our destination was on my mind. The moment we got down the ghat road, it started to rain heavily and it was dark. We navigated through some narrow roads as guided by Google map.

This is the route I followed after getting down from Amboli Ghat.

The route via Sawantwadi which we took while returning from Goa is better. At one point, I doubted whether I was going in the right direction. I drove until, we reached our destination at Arambol at 7:00 p.m. This is the northern part of Goa. This part of the beach is away from the chaotic side of Baga and Callangute.

We all were tired. So we freshened up quickly, had dinner and called it a day.

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26th September - 2nd October: Stay in Goa


Local Church

Our stay was very close to the beach. The place was not too crowded, mostly foreign travellers. Food was considerably cheap yet tasty. We chose a shack as our daily hangout spot. Spend most of the time on the beach.


Chicken steak sizzler




Beach hopping, visiting Aguada fort and Chapora fort

Entrance to Aguada Fort




Ashu likes sand any day anytime


Lonely Anjuna Beach


Entrance to Chapora Fort


Vagator Beach seen from Chapora fort



The ladies of the team roamed around some shops as usual. Our main idea was to hangout and relax to the max. So after all the sightseeing, we preferred to come back to Arambol and spend the evening.

Freshly baked pizza

Thanks to our friend, who stays there. Who told us that there is a sweet water lake near Kalacha beach and you can reach just by walking from Arambol beach.

Kalacha Beach


Sweet water lake in Kalacha beach



Ashu busy climbing up and down the huge rocks

Ashus love to draw and dinosaurs are his favourite

T-Rex


Spinosaurus

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Next day, we got to know from where this sweet water is coming. High up in the mountain, we traversed through very narrow path. We could see streams flowing down and suddenly found a little pool like formation. We went down sat among the many rocks only to find out that those very rock are nothing but Multani mitti (Fullers Earth) in its purest form.




We ventured further up through the same jungle path, climbed some rocky areas and discovered another pool of water, this one deeper and cleaner than the previous on. The place was something we have never seen before.


We dived in, spend wonderful time before heading back to our hotel. It was one of the best experiences we had.

After spending sufficient time there, we trekked down the mountain, feeling hungry like never before.


2nd October: Goa to Hyderabad

Soon it was time to return. Five days of stay in Goa were the most memorable of all. We started at 3:00 in the afternoon and headed for Amboli ghat. The route we took was as follows

Arambol – Sawantwadi – Amboli – Ajara – Sankeshwar –Mudhol – Jamkhnadi – Sarawad – Vijayapura – Jevargi – Sedam – Pargi – Hyderabad


Aramboli Sawantwadi route

Drove all night had dinner somewhere on our way and reached Hyderabad at 8a.m. Filled up the tank and parked the car in the hotel for the day. Rooms were pre-booked. So after freshening up, slept till 11:30 a.m. Woke up to have lunch and again slept.

By 4:00 p.m., my wife, kid and I, took an auto rickshaw to visit the Golkonda fort which was very near. But then it started to rain very heavily. We stood inside under some shelter hoping that the rain will stop. It didn't. Hence we decided to see around the fort in the rain, needless to say we were completely drenched. So photos were limited.





The rain increased. I was getting worried about our return to the hotel. When we got out from the main gate, the rain was pouring and not a single auto rickshaw to ask for lift. After looking around helplessly, we caught an auto who agreed to drop us off. We hopped in with a sigh of relief. The roads were flooded to the lever where the wheels of the rickshaw was almost under water. Lightning and thunder added to our ordeal. We thanked the auto driver, who braved the flooded streets and dropped us safely.

Without wasting any time, we took hot shower and freshened up. By 8:30 p.m. we finished dinner. Our aim was to start for Vizag by 10 p.m.

3rd October: Hyderabad to Vizag

Started from Hyderabad sharp at 10 p.m. taking the above route.

Ashu sleeping peacefully

We didn't stop for dinner and kept driving. We faced heavy rainfall while on the highway. At one point, I felt that I should stop and wait for the rain to subside. But on second thought, it also occurred to me that if the visibility is ok, and I should drive through. I chose the second option and kept driving without speeding too much. Our speed dropped and we lost time but we also moved closer towards our destination. Eventually, as we reached Vijayawada, it stopped raining and the weather improved. at one point had to make a detour through the inner ring road (IRR) as the main highway was blocked by police.


Followed some trucks and asked a policeman, who confirmed that we are on the correct route and directed us towards the highway.
Early morning, google map showed us the diversion which will eventually connect us with NH16. It was a shorter route according to Google.

Diversion towards Tanuku


1.
2.

You can follow the highway as pointed below.


At last, we connected to NH16 and moved straight towards Vizag. Rest of the route was uneventful. By 6:00 a.m. we stopped for some tea. Reached Vizag at around 10.30 a.m. which was good and we all were happy.

Vizag beach road

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4th October: Spending the day in Vizag again...

Next day morning, we had complimentary breakfast with idly, vada, upma, coffee. Filled our stomach and went to Kailashgiri. Rope way ride was highly enjoyed by our son.

Vizag was very hot during the afternoon. So roaming around was out of question. The comfort of our hotel was what we appreciated. In the evening we went to a small fair, buying some stuff for family members back home. Soon, it was time to prepare ourselves for the long journey back to Kolkata. After a light dinner, we sleeping for few hours and by 3:00 a.m., we were all set to leave for Kolkata.

5th October: Vizag To Kolkata


Well the road was good as usual so driving was also comfortable. In the early hour of day break, we halted for tea to refresh ourselves.


Thought of having breakfast in Bhubaneshwar, but after some photo halts, we realised that we won’t make it within time. Hence we took a break somewhere before Khurdha.


After that, there was no stopping. Crossed Bhubaneshwar at around 11:30 a.m. Stopped at Pahala to devour on some rassgolla.


Finally reached Bhadrak at 2:30 p.m. and headed straight to Hotel Orion for lunch.


We reached at Kolaghat at 6:00 p.m. Had coffee at Sher-e-Punjab, which could have been avoided and instead we could have had it from any other small tea stall in half the time we wasted in Sher-e-Punjab.

At last, reached home at 8:30 p.m. covering a total distance of 4616 kms. It feels great to be home after a long holiday. Sleeping on your own bed is priceless and, if you the next day is already included in your holiday application, it’s a bliss.

Anyway, so far so good. Our entire trip went very well and beyond our expectations. I personally learnt a lot from this trip, realised my mistakes, and overcame of my fears. Drove in heavy rain, dense fog, at the middle of the night. To sum it up this trip was a combo pack of adventure, and experiences.

I really appreciate your patience and going through this long story. Hope to do more trips and explore places. I know I have missed out on finer details, which I will try to keep in mind in our future travels.

Last but not the least, Team-BHP plays a big role in inspiring me. I thank each and every one of the members, whose travelogues are not just inspiring, but are equally informative. You guys are awesome. Do share your comments and views. Till then, Cheers!

[Aditya]

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

[ALTIMAed]

Wonderful travelog Avishek. Wish I could have joined you as per our initial discussion, but due to some important issues, had to drop out. Rated 5 star.

[PapaBravo]

Super Avishek. One of the rare trips that one usually does from Kolkata. I liked the fact that you mostly kept the trip a relaxing one. Splendid photographs.

You look like a seasoned TL writer rather than a new one. Shall ask you for details if we make this trip in future.

Regards,

Pawan

[adg_andy]

Wonderful travelogue Avishek.. This will be a guide book for people planning to go to goa henceforth: it is so crisp but detailed.. Rating 5 stars

[Blooming Flower]

Just finished reading it at a single go. Very detailed narration with lots of information toasted with nice photography. Surely it can be deemed as a mini Bible for Kolkata to Goa for any aspiring tourer. Keep travelling and gift us nice travelogues like this in future.

Debojyoti

[mi2n]

Very informative narration dotted with beautiful pictures. Special note of appreciation for the relaxed yet clever itinerary you planned. Red Panda looking fabulous.

Cheers!

[RishikeshK]

Wonderful travelogue!! I've been to Morjim beach in North Goa with family and we were just bowled over by the serenity of the place. Very less crowd and clean beach. Perfect place to relax.

BTW, would you mind telling the name of the hotel you stayed in? Thanks.

[PointZero]

Very nice Avishek da. Staying at Vizag is really good idea for refreshment in such long highway monotonous drive. Nice pictures too.

Thanks for sharing.

[BlackPearl]

Superb travelogue Red Panda with wonderful pics, feeling nostalgic after going through it. Does not feel like it is your first travelogue, a century on debut surely , rated 5 stars. It seems as if we were in Goa just a few months back, but it has already been more than 3 years!! More than anything else, it is the food of Goa that I miss much.