[shikha_roy]

Hello BHPians, Welcome to my first Blog!

I have been following this forum for over a decade, and is my go to page, whenever I need a genuine review on a car or need to check on a route. Presently I am an owner of a 4*4 Jeep Compass MT which just completed a year last month. My first owned car was a 2nd hand Wagon R LXI in 2007, followed by Honda City, Chevrolet Aveo, Swift Dzire and lastly Punto Abarth. When I am not driving, I am a software professional juggling home and office.

It was just 3 months back, when my husband (TBHP handle: livetodrive) and I concluded our Spiti trip from Bangalore in our Grey Goose. In case, you have missed our previous blog, read it here https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...p-compass.html (Bangalore to Spiti in a Jeep Compass)

This time, I decided to join a group of friends on a self-drive expedition to Rajasthan from Bangalore. It was an 8-day drive around Rajasthan starting Jaipur and ending at Udaipur.
When Beyond Xpeditions (the group who organized our Spiti trip) informed me of their Rajasthan expedition, there was no way I could miss a chance considering I have never visited that state. Hubby could not manage leaves from his office, which left me with 2 choices - Either I drive solo from Bangalore or take a flight till Jaipur and hire a self-drive car there. But then my Grey Goose wouldn't approve of the 2nd choice

So Grey Goose and I start another cross-country drive, all excited to explore a new territory. There were another 2 cars from Bangalore to join our expedition, but they had other plans. One of them was stationed in Hubli for months and drove from there. The other one decided to take the Mumbai route. After hearing the horror stories of the traffic at Vapi- Surat stretch, I decided to bypass Mumbai.

My route: Bangalore - Tumkur - Pune - Nasik - Ratlam - Chittorgarh - Jaipur
Bangalore - Pune stretch is smooth, with few congestions here and there. Started from Whitefield, Bangalore at 4am, and reached Holiday Inn Express, Pimpri at 4 pm where I halted for the night. Had breakfast at Royal Delhi Darbar, Bankapura. Stopped on the way for 2 tea breaks and a lunch break at Mejwani Restaurant in Satara. Traffic was light to moderate until Belgaum. Belgaum - Satara is slightly tricky, with agricultural trucks carrying sugarcane occupying one lane, but it’s manageable. Traffic gets heavy after Katraj tunnel, depending on which time of the day you enter Pune.



My staple breakfast when in Maharashtra


Grey Goose indulged in a photoshoot by the sugarcane field.

At Kolhapur


Lunch stop at Satara



Reaching Kolhapur


Reaching Pune


Distance between Bangalore - Pune: 850kms
Toll : 1045/-

The next morning, I left Pune at 5.30am, and reached Ratlam (Madhya Pradesh) at 4pm.
Route: Pune - Sangamner - Nasik - Dhule - Ratlam (Take left at Manpur, ~120kms before Ratlam)

Even at early morning, traffic was bad at Chakan with interstate buses and numerous trucks on both sides of the road. Once you cross Chakan, the stretch is a mix of 2-lane (predominantly) and 4-lane with good road conditions. Encountered moderate truck traffic throughout the stretch, but they are kind enough to let you pass. There are few diversions around Nasik, due to flyover construction.
Breakfast was at Kamat, Sinnar and lunch was at 'Taste of India', Julwania suggested by a friend. You have multiple food options throughout highways in Maharashtra. Called the day off at Hotel Lavanya Palace, Ratlam, just off the highway.

Distance between Pune - Ratlam: 650kms
Toll : 948/-

Somewhere on the highway


Lunch stop at Julwania


The last day to reach Jaipur was a shorter drive. Started around 5.30am from Ratlam and reached Jaipur hotel at 3pm, with fuel, tea and lunch breaks. For almost 80-100kms before Ajmer bypass, there are multiple diversions due to flyover construction. For less experienced drivers, would advise to cross this stretch during day time. Rest of the stretch is super amazing 4 lane until Jaipur. It started pouring heavily as soon I reached Nimbahera, until Beawar bypass. Speaking to the locals I realized it hadn't rained for past 3 months. That's Rajasthan's style of welcoming me on my maiden trip to their state.
I had planned to visit the Chittorgarh fort, but the rain ruined the plans. Traffic is moderate until Kishangarh, mostly comprising of trucks. At Kishangarh, traffic from the Ajmer bypass merges and truck traffic increases exponentially. The truck traffic mostly comprises of the huge multiple axels, hence, expect a fall in your average speed. However, Rajasthan has the best road conditions throughout the state. Stopped for lunch at Hotel Hiwayking before entering Jaipur. It is a huge restaurant, amazing food and has clean washrooms. Reached Hotel Shahpura House, Jaipur around 3pm, our starting location for the expedition.

Distance between Ratlam - Jaipur: 530kms
Toll: 497/-

Lunch stop before Jaipur



Shahpura House Jaipur

[shikha_roy]

The Expedition Begins!!!


Jaipur - Pushkar
The evening went in meeting our fellow explorers who drove from Bangalore/ Mumbai /Delhi/ Ajmer - some old friends and some new faces.

Stickered our cars, enjoyed the beautiful resort, did loads of photoshoots followed by a roof top dinner with live music band before we retired for the night.

Oh btw, on my evening walk to the tea stall nearby, met Mr. Bruno, the owner of the property. Tried a lot to be friends but guess he didn’t approve of me. The next morning, before leaving Jaipur, managed to click a selfie with the cute and adorable Bruno.

Cuteness overload




Starting from Jaipur


We headed towards the Kishangarh Dumping Yard, around 150kms from Jaipur. Don't twitch your nose hearing the word Dumping yard It’s a beautiful place, also called the Kashmir of Rajasthan. The entire place is snowy white, thanks to the tons and tons of marble slurry dumped over the years. The place is famous for pre wedding shoots and multiple Bollywood films have been shot here. The sea green water, amidst snow white peaks is a sight to behold. We had some yummy kachoris and tea amidst the 'snow'.

Kishangarh Dumpyard






We head towards Camp Land’s End, Pushkar for lunch, which also happens to be our stay for the night. We spent some time exploring the property, had lunch and headed towards Pushkar, to witness the world-famous Cattle Fair.

Lunch at Camp Land's End


Abode for the night



Weaver Bird Nest


We reached the Cattle Fair on 19th Nov, Karthik Purnima which was the last day of the fair. I have never seen so many colors in one place ever. The camels decorated in bright colors, the locals gleaming in their colorful traditional outfits- bright colored lehengas and those traditional red turbans. I saw few beautiful horses, which I heard are sold in crores!!

We decided to take a spin in sand, something I had never done before. It was super fun, I was a bit skeptical in the beginning, but once you get a hang of it, it’s addictive. We played in sand in our cars like school kids, giggling, laughing, chasing each other, clicking photos and were in no mood to get out. However, it was getting dark, and since they were packing up the fair we had to leave.

At Pushkar Cattle Fair






From there we headed to Pushkar lake or the Pushkar Sarovar. The initial plan was to witness sunset here, but we were being the adamant kids in sand, so by the time we reached lake, it was already dark. But the view of the Pushkar lake even at dark is mesmerizing. 100's of diyas lit by the ghat, with the reflection of the numerous temples in the water is worth a visit. You need to climb down a flight of steps to reach the ghats. We had a long conversation with one of the priests who took us through the history of the lake and the mythology associated with it.

Pushkar Lake





You will see local girls dressed up as deities, walking around blessing people, expecting some donation in return.





After spending couple of hours at the lake, and having some hot milky coffee, we headed to Camp Land's end - our halt for the night. It’s a beautiful property, away from the maddening sound of city, surrounded by the Aravalli range. The outdoor swimming pool amidst mountains was so tempting but the water was too cold for us to take a dip.




Ever since I planned for Rajasthan, I have been waiting to taste their Laal Maans - the traditional mutton curry. And guess what, as soon we reached the property, we saw Laal Maans being prepared the traditional way, on a wooden stove! I tried my hand in cooking, and the flavor and the color were an absolute delight. It took over 3 hours to cook a hot, spicy, semi thick gravy, rich red in color , courtesy the famous mathania chilies.

The evening went by the bonfire with some hot juicy nonveg starters and drinks, followed by a sumptuous dinner. Tried the authentic Daal baati churma with loads and loads of ghee, followed by the laal maans and finally ending with Churma laddoo for dessert, another delicacy of Rajasthan.

Laal Maans


Churma Laddoo


Sunrise at Pushkar

[shikha_roy]

Puskar - Jodhpur - Jaisalmer

This was the longest day and drive of the trip, approx. 470kms. Enroute Jaisalmer, we stopped at Sathin Garh fort for a tea break. It’s a 350year old heritage haveli, now converted to a home stay with limited rooms. We had mirchi vada(stuffed chilli fritters - another popular snack from Rajasthan) and tea over a long conversation with the present owner of the property, who took us around the place and shared stories from times his ancestors ruled this place. It was fascinating to hear about the lifestyle of people those days and the numerous camels and horses they owned. The stable still has the marks on stones, caused by rubbing of the horse knot over the years.

At Sathin Garh Fort




Mirchi Vada


We headed towards Jodhpur city for lunch, where we happened to bump into few old friends from our previous expeditions. Post lunch, we continue our drive towards Jaisalmer, catching a quick glimpse of the Mehrangarh fort. Superb roads throughout, though double lane. You will cross few ghat sections too, which aren’t risky to drive at night.

Finally, we reached Hotel Rang Mahal, Jaisalmer after a drive of 11 hours, including all the breaks. A beautiful property inside the city. You get a feel of a palatial abode, with the fort like architecture and the hospitality with a huge buffet spread. Post dinner, we spent few hours in the huge lawn chatting and singing, before we signed off for the day.

Drive to Jaisalmer


Hotel Rang Mahal, Jaisalmer




A visit to Sonar Kella (Sonar Quila) - Jaislamer Fort
Every bengali child and even adults are fascinated with Sonar Kella (The Golden Fort), a mystery novel written by famous writer and filmmaker Satyajit Ray. Ray made a film on the same name, where the private detective Feluda played by Soumitra Chatterjee goes to this fort with a kid named Mukul, who is in Rajasthan with a parapsychologist to find treasure from his past life. Next morning, the mere mention of our visit to this fort gave me a childlike excitement.

All set to start the day


It’s a humongous fort, one of the few 'living forts' in the world. It is said that 1/4th of the city's population resides inside the fort. The fort has huge yellow sandstone walls, which turn golden when sunrays fall on them camouflaging it with the yellow desert, hence the name Sonar Quila (Golden Fort).

Grey Goose at Sonar Kella


A walk inside the fort can take up to hours, through the narrow lanes, laced with eateries, tea stalls, shops selling leather handbags to clothes and jewellery to anything and everything you can imagine at a tourist spot. The architecture is so huge inside, that at times you mistake it for a small town. The intricate carvings on the walls, pillars and windows are mind blowing. No machine can do such a neat job, what these people did with hands and limited resources centuries back!!

Inside Jaisalmer Fort










There is a roof top cafe, where we had tea, overlooking the city. Speaking to locals about the history of the fort and city, I learnt that during wars, to stop opponent elephants from entering the fort, soldiers would drop huge stone balls from terrace. Huge number of stone balls are still left on the railings and terrace, a testament to a time of gory and bloodshed.

View of Jaisalmer city from Fort


Stone balls used during war


I could walk around the fort all day, just admiring the beauty, the vibe of old city, the vibrant colors all around. Just when we stepped into the adjacent haveli, heard a gentleman sing folk songs on harmonium. The earthy rustic voice, amongst the backdrop of haveli was the perfect setting.

https://youtu.be/Ef2Ag6wP064

For the evening tea, we decided an offbeat place, a little break from the regular restaurants and cafes. We headed to Gadisar Lake, a serene calm artificial lake on the outskirts of Jaisalmer. Had some piping hot kachoris, pakodas and tea while enjoying the silence. As soon we entered the lake premise, I heard a gentleman playing flute. Struck up a conversation and realized he has started learning flute just a year back. Every day after his office hours, he comes here for practice, and the calmness of the lake gives him the perfect environment to his ‘rewaz’. After everyone left the premises, requested the gentleman to play a song and he happily obliged. A small snippet is in the video below.

https://youtu.be/6dQxza3zHek

Gadisar Lake


Kachori and Pakoda by the lake



Visit to Kuldhara - The Ghost village

We headed to the abandoned village of Kuldhara, which was established in 13th century but was abandoned in 19th century, Paliwals being the main inhabitants. There are many theories of why the entire village was deserted - water shortage, earthquake, high tax demands by the state are few of them. However, another theory states that a Diwan Salim Singh had his eyes on one of the girls from the village. When his forces went to pick the girl, they were asked to come the next day to take her, and overnight the entire village was abandoned. It is also believed that Paliwals imposed a curse that no one would be able to re-occupy the village. Many people tried settling there but left after experiencing paranormal activities. The guide also told us that few celebrities from our film industry have tried their luck spending nights at the village and ended up experiencing paranormal activities.






A panoramic view of the Kuldhara village

[shikha_roy]

A visit to India - Pakistan Border

The day started with a visit to the highly revered Tanot Mata Mandir, 120 kms from Jaisalmer close to the India- Pakistan border.

The drive from Jaisalmer to Tanot mata is a butter smooth road, with dry land on both sides. You cross through Ramgarh, where you can see country's one of the tallest TV tower, with a height of 983 ft. Numerous windmills could be sighted in the entire stretch, approx. 2500 in total (is what I heard from locals).




During the 1965 India-Pakistan war, around 3000 bombs were fired towards the temple. All the surrounding areas suffered massive loss, however none of the bombs fired at the temple exploded, nor did any hit the target. The live bombs were unearthed and are kept at display inside the premise.


Tanot Mata temple


Tanot Mata


Prasad






Post the 1965 war BSF took over the responsibility of the temple and continue to do so. The temple was once again attacked in the Indo- Pakistani War of 1971. However, the Indian Air Force managed to destroy the Pakistani tanks, leaving the Tanot Mata Mandir unharmed. The Tanot Victory Pillar was built to commemorate the victory at the Battle of Longewala.



For those who haven't read about this war: The 1997 Bollywood movie Border was an adaptation of the Battle of Longewala (1971 Indo-Pak War) and the shelling on Tanot Mata was also depicted there.

You need special permission to proceed from Tanot Mata mandir towards India-Pakistan Border Pillar, BP 609. Our team arranged for passes for all, and we started our drive towards the border. It was a drive of approx. 40kms, to reach the border. Roads were as smooth and beautiful as you can imagine, not surprising when they are maintained by BRO (Border Road Organization). Occasionally, you spot an oasis in desert, something we all have read in school but very few have been lucky to witness.

We spotted few army bunkers camouflaged in the desert. As soon you reach the border, the silence amongst the whistling wind give you a mixed feeling. The border about which you have read and heard since childhood, watched so many movies on, is right in front of your eyes!



The fence


As soon I got out of the car and was walking towards the fence, I could feel a bag of mixed emotions churning inside me. I wasn’t as excited as I thought I would be. We started speaking to Mr. Singh, one of the senior BSF officials. Listening to his stories, the struggle, and the hardships these guys go through day after day, manning this border in scorching sun with no sight of a shade anywhere, staying away from their families, with no mobile network, but bound to be alert always for any movement from the other side of the fence.

Watching Pakistani check posts with naked eyes across the border and wondering that the people on the other side of this fence also have the same flesh and blood then why can't we coexist without this fence. One part of me was glad seeing the immense security India has put in, the other part was broken thinking of the many lives lost, families broken, so much blood lost keeping this post intact, it’s tough to explain those emotions in words.




A quick group photo, some snaps of my car at the iconic place and we head back towards Longewala War memorial. This is another proud moment for every Indian, but every victory at the border comes with a cost. You can witness the Hunter planes used in the 1971 war. Also on display are the original Pakistani tanks destroyed by our Indian Airforce. A tour of the museum gives you detailed insight of what happened at the border on 5th Dec, 1971.












We start our drive back towards our halt for the night - Dhora Desert Resort and Spa, Dechu about 100kms from Jodhpur. It’s truly as the owner describes it 'The Rajasthani way of life'. Huge, luxurious tents in the middle of Thar desert, with no boundary walls, making it also a home to desert foxes, wild boars, Nilgai and all sort of animals and birds.

Dhora Desert Resort and Spa






Nilgais dropped into say Hi
]

The evening had special Rajasthani folk song and dance, clubbed with bonfire and starters.

https://youtu.be/BoLPECp_brI

In the middle of the night, you can hear so many animals and birds, all around your tents. The 2nd night, I had an owl sitting above my tent since 5am As soon I came out of my tent, it flew to the nearest water body (also part of the resort). Tried chasing it for quite some time, but I guess animals are more scared of humans, than we are of them. The luxury, the food, the hospitality is spot on!

[shikha_roy]

2 days at Dechu

The next morning started with a visit to a stud farm. This farm boasts of some of the finest horses, who are trained to participate in the Mahalakshmi Racecourse. Tried our hands at horse riding, and slight dune bashing in our cars, before we returned to the resort for lunch.






Few selfies



Just when we were heading for lunch, the shimmering water of the swimming pool by the desert looked so inviting, that everyone decided to take a plunge. Fun, music, games in water was just the energy booster we needed.

With the mighty Jonga


Post another lip-smacking lunch at Dhora, we headed to dune bashing - a first for most of us. We learnt a few techniques to drive in sand and how to tow each other out if stuck. We went gliding up and down the dunes and that was the highlight of the day. I am sure most of us on this trip have waited for this. A trip to Jaisalmer would be incomplete without driving and getting stuck in sand





Post it, we tried something unique - Sand Surfing! Yes, gliding on sand behind a Jeep ending in a sand bath was hilarious. We got completely bashed in sand. Everyone went crazy like kids in a playground. We literally were fighting to grab the surfing board one last time, only that the last time never arrived

Don't miss the video at the end of the travelogue to see the fun we had in sand.

[shikha_roy]

Drive to Ghanerao

The next morning, we checked out from Dechu and started our drive towards Ghanerao, approx 260 kms. It’s a small town located strategically at the entrance of one of the few ancient passes in the Aravalli range that connects the erstwhile states of Udaipur and Jodhpur the two strongholds of Rajasthan, Mewar and Marwar.

Around 190kms from Dechu, is the famous Bullet Baba temple in Pali. For those who haven’t heard of this temple, the story goes back to 1988 when a man named Om Singh Rathore met with an accident with a tree and died at this spot. Police took his Bullet to the police station but every morning it mysteriously returned to the same spot. They even drained the fuel, tied it with a chain but the bike kept returning to the same ditch where he died. Hence, people constructed a temple at this site, and the spirit of Om Banna is believed to bless all drivers on this route who come for offerings. The motorcycle is kept in a glass enclosure inside the temple premise.

Bullet Baba Temple



Around 4pm, we reached Ghanerao. We had our stay booked at Ghanerao Royal Castle Heritage Hotel. It’s a 500-year-old haveli, converted to a hotel. The roads inside the village leading up to the castle are as narrow as you can imagine. However, the property had ample parking space inside its campus.

Ghanerao Royal Castle, Heritage Hotel




You need to take a leisurely walk inside the castle, to notice the artifacts from the royal family and the various weapons used during wars.



The actual armour worn by soldiers in war, made completely out of metal!


A camel saddle from the 18th century. They were used to climb on camels back.


In the evening, we headed towards the crocodile lake, situated 5kms away from the castle. It was nearing sunset when we reached the lake, the horizon lit up in bright orange, slowly fading to grey before finally turning dark. After spending some time and having tea we headed back to our hotel. The evening was filled with local folk music, loads of dance, song, with some of our group members turning into singers and dancers, with no prior experience

Crocodile Lake



The next day was a relaxed day with no fixed agenda - some decided to sleep till noon, few decided to take a plunge in the pool, few of us went for a village walk.

It’s a small sleepy village, with mostly the men of the houses out on work. We visited some old wells, met villagers, visited Jain temples (this place is dominated by Jains), plucked raw tamarind from tree and relived our childhood. We met some shopkeepers who have been running very small business from years out of their home and still they seemed so content.

This tea shop has been running out of this small place for past 40years!




One of the many Jain temples in this village


Plucking tamarind


Chhatri - These dome like structures are built on the cremation sites of the Royal family members, wealthy and distinguished personalities



Had lunch at our hotel and went street shopping again. We met a mukhiya of the village who invited us to his home for tea. His wife invited me inside their home, and we had long conversations. The kids were so excited to see us and requested us to click their photos. One of them also took my number, saying she will remind me to send her photos once I return to Bangalore. Sweet, isn’t it

With the mukhiya


Tea at mukhiya's home


Happy faces


We went leopard safari that evening, after a patiently wait of almost 2 hours, we finally spotted him. He was on the opposite hill, looking directly at us. Of course, we saw him through binoculars. What beauty and majesty!!! Can only imagine how it would feel to see them up close. No, I prefer watching them through binoculars.

The opposite hill is where he is sighted generally


And there he is! Camouflaged


Few of us decided to revisit the crocodile lake the next morning to catch a glimpse of sunrise.



We reached the crocodile lake just before sunrise. Witnessed the sun come up slowly from the horizon. A close look at the crocodile lake gave us shivers. You can see more crocodiles in the lake then fishes. We took some shots of our cars, enjoyed a nice chat under the open sky, saw crocodiles fishing for their breakfast and we headed back to our hotel.

Breakfast time




Jeep and Jeep

[shikha_roy]

A day at Jaisamand Island resort

At 130kms from Ghanerao, is the amazing Jaisamand Island Resort, Udaipur. It is located on an island on Asia's second largest manmade sweet water lake. We left our cars at the mainland and took a ferry to reach the place. It’s a good 20 mins ferry from the mainland. The property is amazingly beautiful, with every balcony facing the lake. Some went for a boat ride; some went for a swim in the pool overlooking the lake. Overall an amazing evening.

Jaisamand Island Resort







A Day at Udaipur

It was the last day of the trip, when we reached Udaipur. Spent the evening over a high tea overlooking the Lake Pichola at sunset. As darkness set in and the ghats lit up, the city looked no less than a Diwali decoration. After spending couple of hours, singing, dancing, chatting away to glory we returned to our resort. With this, our expedition came to an end. Promises to keep in touch, exchanging photos, clicking multiple group photos and the never-ending goodbyes... You know how farewells are at the end of such fun filled trips. The next morning, everyone started their return journey back home.

Lake Pichola









(Drone shots Courtesy: Media team)

[shikha_roy]

The return from Udaipur to Bangalore

Having been driving nonstop for the past 12 days, I decided to extend my stay in Udaipur by a day. Most of the group members had left for Delhi/Mumbai early morning. I had no agenda in mind, except getting a spa session for Grey Goose and some rest for myself, before I started my drive back over the next 3 days. Had a leisurely breakfast, sipped tea sitting in sun overlooking the Udaipur city, a swim in the pool under the open sky, a late lunch and finally a Netflix series bundled up inside the blanket.

In evening, went for a stroll till the City Palace. The lanes next to it are perfect for street shopping, full of cute artifacts and showpieces. Picked up few stuffs for home, some paintings, souvenirs for friends and family, gorged on 2 plates of Pani Puri, and ended my day with a plate of daal baati churma.

My initial plan was to return via the same route which I took for onward journey, but the sudden news of RT-PCR becoming mandatory at MH-KA border made me decide an alternate route. I decided to come via Udaipur - Bhopal - Nagpur - Hyderabad - Bangalore.

Day 1: Udaipur - Bhopal:

Udaipur - Neemuch - Jaora - Ujjain Ring Road - Sehore - Bhopal

Left Udaipur at 6.30am and reached Bhopal at 5pm. The initial plan was to reach Indore and next day proceed to Betul. However, read through some recent posts where people have advised against taking the Harda route to Betul, hence changed my destination to Bhopal. Good roads throughout, though quite a large part of it is single lane until Jaora. Had breakfast at Cafe Joyo, Jaora. It is a T junction from where you need to take a left for Ujjain bypass.

Exiting Udaipur



Breakfast stop at Jaora


Almost 120kms from Jaora junction is single lane, with moderate truck traffic but the city traffic is what will slow you down. Once you hit the Ujjain Ring road, it’s a 2 lane, smooth highway until Bhopal.

Ujjain Inner Ring Road


Halted at Hotel India, New Market, Bhopal. This is my first stay at Hotel India, a chain run by Indian Coffee Worker's Co-op. You will not find them on any online portals, nor do they have a website. The only way to book rooms with them is over phone. Reasonably priced, decent rooms for a night halt, Indian Coffee House on ground floor is the added charm. Attached below are pics of their phone numbers.

Distance between Udaipur - Bhopal: 530kms
Toll: 455/-





Day 2: Bhopal - Hyderabad

Bhopal - Itarsi - Betul - Nagpur - Hinganghat - Hyderabad

Took 11 hours from Bhopal to Gachibowli, Hyderabad. As soon you exit Bhopal, you cross few forest reserves. Post which for almost 40kms, road widening going on. Trucks come from opposite sides on both lanes since there is no clear marking of diversion. Preferably cover this stretch in daytime. Witnessed a nasty accident of Creta crashing into a buffalo. Till Betul it was a stressful drive, just when you feel diversions are over and you can accelerate is when another diversion lands up. Post Betul, until Nagpur is a smooth stretch, with manageable truck traffic. When I drove in August on this NH44, Nagpur to Adilabad had terrible roads full of potholes. However, most of the potholes have been filled now. Though your car won't fall in ditches anymore, but the patch work has left the surface uneven.

Post Adilabad until Hyderabad as always is a breeze to drive. The only hitch is unavailability of any food/refreshment/washrooms on this stretch. Finish your food at Adilabad or stay hungry till Hyderabad.

Distance between Bhopal - Hyderabad: 890kms
Toll: 1140/-


Exiting Bhopal


Sunrise on Highway


On a tea break


Breakfast in Nagpur


Day 3: Hyderabad - Bangalore

This stretch needs no description. Having been doing this stretch every 2-3 months since 2017. Until 2 years back, this used to be an empty straight road, not taking more than 6-6.5hours to reach Blore. Truck traffic has increased exponentially since then, add to it the villagers' movement, cattle herd, and diversions near Kurnool. Numerous restaurants have opened on this stretch every few kms.

Distance between Hyderabad - Bangalore: 570kms
Toll: 730/-

16days, 5states and 6000kms later, I finally reach home.



With this comes an end to my first trip to Rajasthan. While sorting content for this blog, I relived the moments of those 2 weeks. Shortlisting from the 100's of videos and pictures, sharing one after the other stories with hubby (knowing he isn't listening to half of it ), making him jealous with the videos of our drive in sand and the fun he missed, sharing the small, interesting facts I heard from locals, am loving it all.

The hangover of such trips stay much longer than the actual trip duration.

Until we meet again, Stay healthy. Drive safe. Khamma Ghanni

Shikha

https://youtu.be/Hv0H1uonyLg

[aah78]

Note from Support: Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Travelogues section. Thanks for sharing!

[abirnale]

Great to see you here shikha! I am hoping see more and moe of your travel stories revealed here - you have been driving for many many years. Some of the drives are legendary … truly putting driving at the top of everything.

And another amazing log here - I am hoping your hubby will NOT be considering retirement from writing now

Wish you many more happy (s)miles on your grey goose!

[rajshenoy]

Very nice read, and always a pleasure reading the blogs of a fellow enthusiast. I hope to resume long drives (post covid) and Rajasthan tops my list.

[mAndArk]

Amazing travelogue with some really great photos. Felt like I was there on the trip myself as I read through. IIRC had already read about some of your road trips, courtesy posts from your husband here

Finally, welcome to the forum and looking forward to meet in person sometime at a Bangalore TBHP meet-up!

[Dr.AD]

Wow! What an amazing travelogue. Solo drives are always fun and they provide a very unique feeling of driving adventures. Your solo drive all the way to Rajasthan, and then the lovely expedition there is an amazing combination. Hats off to you for your driving spirit and the adventure!

It is my long pending dream to do a drive to Rajasthan and then travel around within that state. Your travelogue has rekindled that dream for sure. Your travelogue is definitely an inspirational stuff. Very well written with nice photographs too.

Thanks for sharing this. Looking forward to reading more of your travel stories.

[NPV]

Wonderful travelogue and great writing skills, thanks for sharing Excellent photographs too!
The choice of places to visit and things to do is excellent.
Also interesting to note your choice of routes to avoid the Vapi stretch in onward journey and the re-planned route via Bhopal for the return

I think you're a veteran with several years of driving and touring, so this is a good start with a travelogue on the forum and will be good if you could write more often on your travel experiences / route suggestions when you do find time.

[Electromotive]

Thanks for sharing, very well documented adventure.
Bullet Baba never fails to get a chuckle out of me.