[Audioctor]

Raipur – Chitrakote Waterfalls – Hyderabad – Pune – Lonavala – Mumbai – Triambakeshwar – Shirdi – Ellora – Nagpur – Raipur, 2500+ Kilometres, 10 days: An amazing road trip on my Harrier (with a touch of warmth from Tata Motors Service to take away a small engine scare).

The main purpose of my writing this piece, besides sharing the awesome experience of my first road trip, is to enlighten others about a scenic route option between Raipur and Hyderabad which is often ignored. I hope I am allowed to write such long articles.
The more commonly taken road from Raipur to Hyderabad is the one via Nagpur, as it is faster, all 4-lane and considered safer. I deliberately chose to go via Chitrakote (Jagdalpur, Bastar) for the sake of exploring and I did not regret my decision for a single moment. The route is almost equidistant as the one to Hyderabad via Nagpur (810 km vs 790 km respectively).
Our trip was impromptu. Just after our son’s examinations were in March first week, one fine day we decided to take the plunge. So, we just packed our bags and started. We had no fixed plans or any advance bookings. So much so, that our initial plans were to drive down to Goa, but we ended up visiting temples and caves instead. We found our Harrier very apt for this road trip. Folding down the back seat, we enhanced the already enormous boot space and were able to create a small bedroom for our son besides the luggage. So, this was our little home for the next 10 days.

Day 1: Raipur -- Chitrakote Waterfall, Bastar (Jagdalpur)


We started at around 10 in morning. We had our lunch at the famous Makri Hotel, Kanker almost midway. Travelling at a modest average speed of 80-90 kmph we covered about 290 km and were at Chitrakote before sunset. The drive in our Harrier Automatic was very comfortable and not at all tiring. Sports Mode was not needed anywhere including the ghat climb at Keshkal. I enjoyed my control over the car. Chitrakote is a majestic waterfall on the river Indrawati. It’s the largest waterfall in the region. Best time to visit the fall is in the monsoons when its grandeur is at its peak. At Chitrakote we stayed at the scenic Chhattisgarh Tourism Dandami Resort overlooking the waterfall (this is the best place to stay when visiting Chitrakote). Although we managed to get a room by spot reservation, I would recommend getting reservation in advance especially for weekends and in tourist season (i.e., monsoons and winters). With a day or two to spare one can visit Tirathgarh waterfall and Kutumbsar caves nearby. There is lots to see in and around Jagdalpur. Contrary to common perception this place is very safe and always busy with tourists.

Day 2: Chitrakote to Hyderabad


We started at around 9 in the morning. This route passes through the dense forests adjacent to Indrawati National Park via Bijapur and Bhopalpatnam in Chhattisgarh. The road, being a national highway (number 63), is very well maintained. The natural beauty on this green hilly route is amazing even in this time of the year. One can just imagine how breathtaking it would be in monsoons! Owing to the Naxal concern, the road is marked with security force stations at regular intervals, though they do not cause any hindrance to civilian traffic. The route is again perfectly safe and busy with traffic. Still, I would recommend this part of the route to be crossed in daytime. As we crossed the Godavari River to enter Telangana after a small patch of Maharashtra, the land scape became more civilian with villages mixed with small towns. Soon we were on highway 163 all the way to Hyderabad via Warangal. I must admit that the highways in Telangana are exceptionally well maintained and beautiful. Again, the Harrier’s drive was tireless. The Google Maps on Car Play was spot on all along except for a small patch at the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra-Telangana intersection where it hung up due to poor mobile network (I would recommend downloading the offline map in advance, at least for these parts). We were at Hyderabad comfortably by 8:30 pm. We did a spot reservation and got ourselves accommodation at the Lemon Tree Hotel, Gachibowli, Hyderabad.

Day 3: Sightseeing at Hyderabad (Ramoji Film City) and Drive on the ORR Expressway

We spent the whole day at the wonderful Ramoji Film City. There is so much to see and do, that I would recommend booking one of the in- campus hotels there so that one may get the best experience. Ramoji Film City is must-see (Don’t miss the Bird park there). Another attraction for us in the day was driving to and fro on the 8 Lane Hyderabad Outer Ring Road. Its a real pleasure. Even my wife could not resist the temptation to drive at 100 kmph+ speeds. Again, I would admit, the Harrier had enough thrust to keep up with the fast traffic even without the Sports Mode.

Day 4: Hyderabad to Pune


We started after breakfast. The road is again good, especially in Telangana. It is busier, though, mostly with trucks and some passenger traffic. Driving comfortably with max speeds of 80-90 kmph we were able to reach Pune after a 10-hour drive including two meal-stops. The Harrier returned an impressive mileage of nearly 21 kmpl on this route! We stayed at Ginger, Pune again after a spot booking. (I would recommend spot bookings too being done online, whenever possible, as one is most likely to get the best deal there).

Day 4: Pune to Lonavala (Khopoli) and Imagicaa Aqua World

After about an hour’s drive starting after breakfast, we reached Imagicaa Aqua World. Here we were joined by my Sister-In-Law and family. This day was totally for the kids. After a wet tiring day, we retired to Sai River Resort at Khopoli.

Day 5: Khopoli to Mumbai


Breezing on the expressway passing through numerous tunnels and ghats, we were at Mumbai after a short yet remarkably scenic drive. Driving on this route was a such a pleasure that my brother-in-law kept it all for himself, not allowing me to even touch the steering wheel. Mumbai is a world in itself. We could not stop ourselves from going out to explore straightaway. After a Sunset boat ride at the Gateway of India and Mumbai Darshan on Double Decker Bus, we retired for the day. We stayed put at sea facing Strand Hotel near the Gateway of India.

Days 6 and 7: Mumbai Sightseeing and our Tryst with Tata Motors Service

While in Mumbai, we faced our first and only moment of concern for the entire trip. While standing outside my Harrier, with engine still running, I noticed an abnormal creaky sound, more on the right side of the car. Thanks to the terrific NVH handling of the Harrier, there was no way I would have found this out while sitting inside!!
There is a lesson though: While the vehicle is moving close by rigid structures like road dividers, foot paths or toll booths, one may lower both the front window glasses once in a while and try to hear anything unusual. Noise from engine, lower body and wheelbase tends to get reflected up from these structures on the side and anything unusual becomes easier to identify. This is how I suspected the above-mentioned noise for the first time.
Now, since there was a long journey back coming up, we decided to get the vehicle checked. We took the Harrier to Puneet Cars Tata Motors Service Centre at Worli. To our worry, after assessment, we were informed that the Alternator had malfunctioned and needed to be replaced. Fortunately, the car was under warranty, so the replacement would be free of cost. But the issue was that the part was not readily available. The Service guys said that ordering and then replacing the part would take 4-5 days. They even suggested taking the car to another service centre which had the part in stock and could repair my car in time. There was so much uncertainty and our departure date stayed threatened. But the things took a pleasant turn as soon as the Tata Motors Customer Care stepped in within 2 hours of an email I sent them. Things were expedited and Puneet Cars decided to retain the car for repairs. After the repairs, the car was delivered to me the very next day, in time for our planned departure. Thank you, Team Tata Motors, for your concern and help.
Besides this momentary hiccup, rest of our time in Mumbai was spent having fun, visiting Siddhivinayak and Mahalaxmi Temples, visiting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum, going to Juhu and Girgaon Chaupati and lot of other things.

Day 8: Mumbai – Triambakeshwar – Shirdi



After breakfast, we checked-out from the Hotel and carried our luggage straight to Tata Service Centre. My Harrier was ready when we reached. After finishing the formalities, we packed our luggage and started off straight away towards Shirdi at around 1:30 pm. We took a lunch break at Food Highway Hotel (Kailash Sarovar Restaurant) at Haloli. We had some of the most yummy Maharashtrian Snacks including Wada Pav and Missal Pav amongst others. I would recommend this place for its food and service. After a sumptuous meal we moved on to stop straight at Triambakeshwar (Trimbak). It was late in the evening by the time we completed the Jyotirlinga darshan. But as we could find any decent places to stay overnight, we decided to travel to Shirdi. Hence, we reached Shirdi just after midnight. We checked-in at Siddhant Hotel (with McDonalds Restaurant), again after spot Booking. It’s a reasonable and decent hotel to stay overnight and just walking distance from the Shirdi Temple.

Day 9: Shirdi – Ellora – Nagpur



After breakfast, we checked-out, put our luggage in the car and went for Sai Baba’s darshan. We started a bit late, so it was afternoon aarti time (12:00 pm) by the time we reached the main temple complex. So, it took us longer than usual to complete the darshan but at the same time we fortunate to get a chance to attend the aarti. After darshan, we started towards Ellora and were there by 3:30 pm, travelling on the newly built Hindu Hridayasamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Samriddhi Mahamarg (the recently completed Shirdi-Nagpur stretch of the 8 Lane Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway). The caves are truly majestic. Especially, The Kailash Temple is just mesmerizing. The way it has been built, cutting a single rock top downwards, is a sight to behold. One just cannot miss this marvel of a place. There-on, we had darshan at nearby Ghrushaneshwar Mahadev Jyotirlinga. It was dark by the time we started towards Nagpur. Again, the drive on the Samriddhi Expressway was an absolute joy. The clear long visibility for several kilometers straight ahead, despite the darkness, gives the confidence to drive constantly at 100 kmph plus speeds even at night. The way our Harrier was handling the speed with total control, just added to the fun. It was one-of-a-kind experience for us. Still, one has to be careful. Currently, there are no roadside stops to take breaks for fuel, meals or even the loo. (We had to take a 15 km detour for our dinner!!). Long, monotonous drives may lead to driver errors. So, one needs to be extra careful. On the other hand, taking frequent detours makes the journey expensive. You need to pay toll every time you leave or enter the expressway. Anyways, after a long yet comfortable ride we reached Nagpur at around 2:30 am and did a spot check-in to Hotel Onyx near the airport.


Day 10: Nagpur – Raipur –

Finally, after a late breakfast we started for Raipur. This was a relatively familiar stretch of the route for us. So, we drove at our leisure, stopping now and then for small snack breaks. The road is well maintained. Small stretches which were previously left double laned due to environmental issues are also now in the process of being four laned. Several small towns enroute are now being by passed with flyovers. So, this ongoing construction did slow us down at places, but I believe this is just for the time being. Once completed, these new structures would make the travel even better. There was just one discomforting part in this last stretch of our trip: - As soon as we entered Chhattisgarh, the highway, though still good - quality-wise, looked much abused. There were stray cattle all over. Many people on two wheelers could be seen travelling on the wrong side. Large stretches of the National Highway between Rajnandgaon and Dongargarh had been converted to two lane road with opposite side being reserved exclusively for pedestrians travelling to Dongargarh for Navratri festival. These practices should be discouraged on National Highways. Both, the police and administration need to work on this.
So, we were finally in Raipur just before dark, bringing our memorable First Road trip to a comfortable end.
The highlights for me from this trip were: -
1. The Raipur-Chitrakote-Hyderabad route is an equally good and rather more scenic alternative to Raipur-Nagpur-Hyderabad route, especially for leisure travelling.
2. The quality of roads has remarkably improved over these years, especially, even in the most interior parts. This has made long road trips a reality and a comfortable alternative to Rail and Air Travel. The Samriddhi Expressway and similar other upcoming expressways are going to prove gamechangers in transport.
3. Harrier is Pure Love to drive. The handling, comfort and road presence are all remarkable. The mileage adds a cherry on top of the icing. Coming from an S-Cross 1.6, the Harrier has been a worthy upgrade for me. The build quality of Tata Vehicles has clearly come a long way. No regrets about that at all.
4. The engine sound was a bit of scare for me. The alternator breaking down within a year and in under 25000 km total run is cause for concern. I request Tata motors to investigate it. Yet, the professionalism with which Tata Motors service took care of my problem in an unknown city was indeed very comforting.
5. Not being rigid about your travel plans, especially on road trips, makes it more thrilling. Avoiding advanced Hotel reservations makes you more flexible and yet you can get reasonable accommodation on the spot most of the times (Like people used to do in the era before Make My Trip and Yatra).
6. Finally, I would recommend, everyone should give road trips a try. The excellent road connectivity complimented by safe and comfortable vehicles have finally made this a reality in India. The freedom of travelling at one’s own leisure on roads is unmatched by any other mode of transport. Drive-Stop-Enjoy-Drive……Have fun.

[GTO]

Mod Note: Thread moved to the Travelogues section. Thanks for sharing! Will go to our homepage later this week.

[JoshMachine]

Nice travelogue replete with all details about the route and along-the-way trivia, thanks for sharing!

I can see that your drive with the Harrier alongwith your family was very comfortable on such long trips. The Harrier is really meant for making mincemeat of long distances.
A side note, I ask my kiddo to be belted while on the rear seat all times, makes me less worried on high speed runs > braking.

Finally, your experience of Tata Motors coming to the rescue of a customer who needs urgent help, this is a very good testimonial and should be cascaded.

[narayans80]

Am interested to know, how your experience was driving through Jagdalpur-Bijapur-Bhopalpatnam. Few years back, the it was only a dust track for many kms.


Also there was no bridge across Indravati and you had to do a water crossing for it. Has this been addressed?

Did you drive through Etturunagaram or Kaleshwaram?

Chitrakote is a different beast during monsoons

[Audioctor]

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

A side note, I ask my kiddo to be belted while on the rear seat all times, makes me less worried on high speed runs > braking.

Suggestion taken with thanks. I was more focused on comfort. But, I do understand that safety is equally important on the road.

[Audioctor]

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

Finally, your experience of Tata Motors coming to the rescue of a customer who needs urgent help, this is a very good testimonial and should be cascaded.

Certainly, Tata Motors' professionalism was commendable. Hope they build further on this and evolve into a world class Organization.Something to be proud of for all Indians.

[Audioctor]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Am interested to know, how your experience was driving through Jagdalpur-Bijapur-Bhopalpatnam. Few years back, the it was only a dust track for many kms.


Also there was no bridge across Indravati and you had to do a water crossing for it. Has this been addressed?

Did you drive through Etturunagaram or Kaleshwaram?

Probably you are referring to a time several years back. The Jagdalpur - Gedam - Bijapur - Bhopalpatnam road all metal, well laid National Highway 63. The drive is a breeze.

There is no water crossing anywhere on the route. All rivers and streams have all-weather bridges built on them as any other National Highway.

We drove by Kaleshwaram, across the gigantic Kaleshwaram Barrage over the Godavari River (There was small patch of a few hundred metres of unmetalled road adjacent to the Dam. Probably that too is under construction.

[Audioctor]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Chitrakote is a different beast during monsoons

Could not agree more.

[Audioctor]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Chitrakote is a different beast during monsoons

Infact, locally, Chitrakote Falls are often described as "Niagara Falls of India".

[pd1108]

That was a very nice trip for sure. Thanks for the details and the wonderful pictures. Appreciate the details you have given. Thanks for an excellent 'First Post' for us

[Audioctor]

As a side note, while travelling via Chitrakote / Bastar, I would recommend exploring Bastar Art and Crafts ( There is a store right near Chitrakote Fall). Its a unique and highly underrated Craftswork of,mostly, Bamboo and Cast Iron.

[abhi_tjet]

A well detailed travelogue with equally beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing.

You didn’t planned a sight seeing day for Pune?

[Audioctor]

Originally Posted by abhi_tjet

A well detailed travelogue with equally beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing.

You didn’t planned a sight seeing day for Pune?

It was more of a forced stop. It was pretty late in the evening by the time we reached Pune and we did not want to drive in the night. Hence the stop.

I have been to Pune before and have some lovely memories too. I love the weather there.

Shall be visiting again some time in the future for proper sight seeing.