[blackwasp]

Wonderful trip report. The pictures made me feel though as I was a participant myself. I saw the outdoor picnic table and chairs, can you please share some more details of it? Seems like a good idea to carry it on road trips going forward.

[jkrishnakj]

So many places that you covered , yet , succinct writing made it a joy to read.

The narrative on the marauding bus driver was excellent to read. I could feel what you were experiencing just by reading the way you wrote. Loved that bit!

Have never explored MP and your travelogue is playing tricks with my head now.

Superb one !

[Vinod_nair]

Well detailed travelogue, picture postcard perfect.

Have been to Orcha and Bhopal a couple of times, have to revisit to explore more.

Did you try Jamils biriyani at Bhopal? It's legendary.

[Dr.AD]

Wow! What an amazing travelogue megazoid. The photos are brilliant. This is one of those perfect travelogues where both the journey and the destinations are so brilliantly captured. Thank you for taking efforts to document this and sharing it here.

Your photos and the moments you described in the photos are so good that it makes me feel like dropping whatever I am doing and getting in my car and going somewhere.

Originally Posted by megazoid

The car had performed flawlessly and been so sure footed everywhere that it never featured in any discussion. A wonderful instrument for cross country journeys indeed. No squeaks, noises, vibrations, nothing for a vehicle that had done a lakh kilometers is very satisfying.

Wow. You said it so well. What a nice machine!

This is exactly how I would describe qualities that make a perfect car for a road trip like this. There are some cars which (whether you want or not) always remind you of what you are driving and the "drive" always become all about the car. Not that that is bad, but that is a different kind of experience. And then there are cars like these (from your travelogue) where the car does everything well while letting you focus on your explorations. These are the "selfless" cars, that enable you enjoy other things in the "journey" (as opposed to the "drive").

Maybe I am getting old now. But slowly and surely, I have started to appreciate these latter type of cars and journeys. These journeys offer the true joy of adventure, travels, and explorations, as opposed to the pure joy of driving.

That Fortuner is really a perfect companion for your kind of road trips, and it is so nice to see that Fortuner in action again. That particular car was a part of our driving group a few years ago, and it is great see it again.

[megazoid]

Originally Posted by guyfrmblr

I haven’t heard of any of those places except Taj Mahal and Chambal. It was a visual treat.

Some great places to see in those parts. In fact central India has everything. Forests, historical extravaganza, opulence, wonderful cities and lovely people.

Originally Posted by Sreesh1009

I did not know that you owned a Fortuner 🤔
An ownership thread, maybe?

This is a recent acquisition and only its second long trip. Will pen an ownership thread for sure.

Originally Posted by blackwasp

I saw the outdoor picnic table and chairs, can you please share some more details of it? Seems like a good idea to carry it on road trips going forward.

Its the regular ones available from camping stores. 50kg maximum weight table and decent chairs. I picked this from Decathlon. Yes, pretty handy on such long hauls. Takes up space in the car though.

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

Have never explored MP and your travelogue is playing tricks with my head now.

Please do. MP is a visual treat indeed.

Originally Posted by Vinod_nair

Did you try Jamils biriyani at Bhopal? It's legendary.

Trying out food and garam chai at odd places is what I miss the most in these times during travel. A big fan of those impromptu chai stops and conversations. Didn't try Jamils due to all the self imposed restrictions during these times. Will keep it in mind for the next visit . I haven't had enough of MP.

Originally Posted by Dr.AD

These are the "selfless" cars, that enable you enjoy other things in the "journey" (as opposed to the "drive").

Concur. It allows you to just do your thing without having to make five year plans to pull off a maneuver. The space on offer, the simple mechanicals and the reliability just takes away those creases from the forehead.

[v1p3r]

Your thread is beautiful and reads like an MPT brochure. I've had the pleasure of visiting the reserves and a few towns there and was aware of the general culture and beauty, but this is a whole new level.

[pineapple_ameet]

Great Travelogue! you really had fun! It seems that except me, everyone else made the most of their outdoor cravings post opening

[Puneet0051]

Lovely trip and great pictures. Thanks for sharing.

Can you share itinerary Day 1 to Day x looked how and was it easily doable. Any bad roads in between not by fortuner standards but from a low slung sedan point of view

[abtyagi]

That's a great thread and quite an interesting route that you've taken. Incidentally enough, I have as well did Bangalore to Sonipat in August in my Fortuner. I will try to cover some parts on the way back in December.

[Stribog]

Loved this travelogue, the pictures and also the selection of places.

[InControl]

Amazing travelogue, write up and photographs to boot. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

Our country is truly beautiful and its really nice to see tourist places without a lot of crowd(like we are used to seeing in Bangalore). You feel like the entire place is reserved for you and makes the place/experience that bit extra special to savor.

[fhdowntheline]

LOVELY trip report. Makes me want to apply for leave, pack my bags and jump into my car and head out. (My tank is already topped up)

Its interesting that there weren't many tourists at the wildlife reserves.

Would you also comment on the safety/hygiene precautions that you took and the hotels were providing ?
I am still unable to mentally agree to sleep on a hotel bed in this Covid situation, for example- even though the hotel would have likely laundered the bedsheets etc.

[ampere]

Some amazing and more importantly natural pictures of the locations. The car blends into its elements easily.

Great drive!

[sghosh2019]

Just 2 words.
Simply amazinggggggggggggggggggggggggg!

[Durango Dude]

Lovely travelogue laid back style made it enjoyable, peppered with beautiful pics. Kudos! Voted 5*. Made me think that you had employed the services of a driver; so good and detailed were the pics. Driving and enjoying the vistas along the way is great. Good job!