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Old 25th August 2023, 15:42   #1
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Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4

I visited Manipur for a few days in April, 2023. This was just a week before the violence started in the state which has claimed many lives so far. It is a beautiful place with friendly people and I hope peace returns soon there.
It is not much of a wonder that I have never visited the state before. The ground situation changes there so suddenly with local bandhs etc. I will not dwell upon what is going on at present in the state and just share the experience of driving through it.

Vehicle:

My 2016 Bolero 4wd. It is amazing how easy this vehicle makes travelling to unknown places.

Travel partner:

My friend and brother in law, Pahar. As usual, we did not discuss any plans except for the starting date.

ILP:

Inner Line Permit is required for entering the two states of Nagaland and Manipur. I tried applying for Manipur ILP online but it remained stuck at “under process”. We decided to just wing it and get the ILP made at the entrance gates.

Day 1: Guwahati to Imphal

Route taken: Guwahati- Dimapur-Kohima-Mao- Imphal

Distance: 500 kms approximately

Road conditions: Guwahati to Kohima is in good condition with few rough patches. Kohima to Mao (30 odd kms) is still under construction and the going gets tough. From Mao onwards, it is smooth sailing all the way to Imphal.

I started from Guwahati at around 6 in the morning and picked up Pahar from Dokmoka, Karbi Anglong. Some of his friends and cousins had come to see him off and we took his case for not taking his new Bolero BS6 for the trip. Pahar was treating his new Bolero like a sedan and making all kinds of excuses for not bringing it for the trip.

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-20230423_072243.jpg

The new 4 lane Doboka to Dimapur road


Our friends soon cruised by us in their CSUV while I was going pedal to medal at 90 kmph in my DI Turbo on the Dokmoka Dimapur road. It would be nice to cruise like that I thought- I mean I can do that in my Toyota Yaris but I don’t want to take it on an adventure trip. Maybe something which does good speeds with 4wd capability- a Thar would be nice. Yes, a Thar will be sweet- but what if it breaks down with DPF issues on top of a mountain. Petrol Thar will be good- but. At this point Pahar broke my day dreaming saying the Bolero 4wd feels much tougher than his BS6. Also, he was unhappy that it gets serviced by fixing some laptop to it. I offered to exchange our rides and he promptly fell asleep.

We did not stop much as it was raining all the way through and truth be told I was not really impressed with the landscape on the Dimapur Kohima route. Arunachal Pradesh has spoiled me and it is really difficult to get similar amazing terrain anywhere else here. Nobody checked our ILPs at Dimapur and we moved on towards Kohima on the 4 lane road. Pahar and I skipped breakfast and realized it feels better to have empty tummies on a journey. We passed the town of Kohima and being a Sunday the roads were quite empty. That also meant that there were no eateries and the few open ones we had already passed when we were practicing intermittent fasting.
We stopped at a small place named Maram and had some rice and dal at a small shack. Pahar complained about the price charged to the owner of the shack. I had a full tummy and did not complain.

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-20230423_114517.jpg

Somewhere after Kohima

Rains had intensified and Bolero took the bad roads before Mao with aplomb. On such roads, it becomes one of the fastest vehicles. Mao is the entrance to Manipur and where ILPs are checked. In the heavy rain, we missed the ILP check point and nobody waved to us to stop. And just like that, we were driving in Manipur. The terrain is hilly but not spectacular and I was getting tired. We stopped on the outskirts of Imphal and had some overpriced coconuts.

We drove into the clean city of Imphal in to our lodge for the night- Manipur House. It is a budget hotel and a good choice for people looking for a no frills stay.

Day 2: Imphal to Ukhrul

We did not have any fixed plans for the day- just that we would drive to Ukhrul, one of the hill districts of the state. There are a number of tourist attractions in Imphal city and I wanted to check out the Kangla fort. However, it remains closed on Mondays and we instead went to the all women market- Ima Keithel or Ima Market. It is a market run entirely by women. It has different buildings for all kinds of items- meat, fish, clothes, fruits, hardware items etc. We found communicating with the shop keepers a bit tough due to language barriers. They spoke only a little hindi and we spoke no Meitei. Pahar is a pro in such situations and very soon he had all the women laughing by being himself. I bought a small knife and it has become my favorite for peeling fruits and vegetables. Pahar got some tree bark which is used during prayers. I found out that it smells really nice even when unlit and kept it in my Bolero as an air freshener. We spent around 2 hours in the market and it was a great experience.

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-20230424_082933.jpg

Bustling!

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-20230424_084837.jpg

Different buildings for different stuffs

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-20230424_084920.jpg

Ima Market

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-20230424_085318.jpg

Inside the market

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Sweet smelling wood. Lights up very quickly

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-20230825_151942.jpg

Phaneks of different hues


Ukhrul is 80 kms from Imphal. We were at the entrance of the district when we saw a gathering of young people by the road. They sweetly put some bamboos across the road and Pahar and I wondered if it was some kind of welcoming ceremony and we were supposed to crush the bamboos with our Bolero. But we decided to make sure and the young people informed us that a bandh/ strike has been called and we could not proceed forward that day. Pahar and I were lost as we did not have any other plans. I wanted to see Loktak lake but that meant driving back to Imphal with its busy streets. Seeing our confusion, one of the bandh supporters informed us that the bandh will be over by 6 PM and we could drive on then. The young guys were all very polite with us and Pahar took some of their water bottles.


We had around 6 hours and we decided to return and see the Loktak lake. We had lunch at a small hotel near the lake which was alright. We rented a boat which made a lot of noise and the engine died out in the middle of the lake. The owner sheepishly told us he ran out of diesel. I quite welcomed the resulting quiet and appreciated the beauty of the lake. I would like to spend the night here someday.

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-dsc_2316.jpg

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-dsc_2318.jpg

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-dsc_2324.jpg

Some hurried shots of the Loktak lake

We headed back to the place where we had been stopped in the morning by the bandh supporters. It was almost dark and we were finally on our way to Ukhrul. There is a popular trek there called Shirui peak which is covered in beautiful Shiryui Lilies in the month of July. There is another popular point nearby called Phangrei peak which gives beautiful views of the valley around.

We had called and booked our stay at a small place called TK Homestay which is run by an old and friendly gentleman, Mr. Tennyson Kazingmei. Because of the bandh, he could not get any fresh meat from the market and instead cooked us a dish of smoked pork and chicken. It was the first time I had eaten a combined dish of pork and chicken and it was great. Pahar ate most of the chicken and I the pork. The weather was cold as well and I had luckily brought a jacket. Mr. Kazingmei had a Bolero 4wd and I took some pictures of the two not so common beasts.

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-dsc_2336.jpg

TK's Homestay. Very basic yet welcoming

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-dsc_2332.jpg

Dining Hall (Haunted)


Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-20230424_204516.jpg

Our room

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-dsc_2337.jpg

Underrated beasts: Bolero DI 4wds

Pahar was in the meantime was grumbling about some pending work he had to complete for his madam at office. Remember we had not discussed about anything about the trip prior- not even the number of days it would take. So, on the second day itself my partner was having work anxiety.
Mr. Kazingmei heard our plans to trek to Shirui the following day and offered us an alternate plan. The Shirui peak is a very steep climb and he suggested to go to Phangrei peak instead. From Phangrei peak we could go via the mountain trek to Shirui peak where the ascent would be much more gradual. He also called up his contacts and arranged a guide for us.
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Old 25th August 2023, 16:01   #2
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re: Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4

Day 3:

I woke up early to a beautiful morning.

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-dsc_2339.jpg

TK's Homestay. Nice lawn

Phangrei Peak and Shirui Peak.

We drove to Phangrei and met our guide there. The climb up to Phangrei peak takes around 1 hour. After looking at our Bolero and confirming that it was a 4wd, the guide suggested we might drive up to the peak instead of sweating it out. Trust us to get a lazy guide for a trek. I was not so keen but Pahar thought it would be faster and he can get back to his work faster too if I just engaged 4wd and be done with it. With a two to one vote in favour of Bolero 4wd, we slowly started the climb up Phangrei peak.


With 4 Low, 2nd gear engaged, the Bolero made what should have been a 1 hour hike into a 20 minute drive. I could see the guide grinning at saving himself some energy. It was a tricky climb especially on grass surfaces but in the end it was not so difficult for my trusty workhorse.

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-dsc_2342.jpg

Driving up a trekking route


Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-dsc_2354.jpg

Phangrei top

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-dsc_2361.jpg

Bolero parked. Now it is time to walk


The guide suggested driving further along the hill track to get nearer to our second peak-Shirui. But I wanted to walk and since neither the guide nor Pahar knew how to drive a 4wd they were left with no option but to walk as well. The path is not frequented often and we had lots of thorns sticking to us in the jungle path.

Some pictures from our trek:


Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-dsc_2374.jpg

Approaching paradise

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-dsc_2379.jpg

Soaking in the views. A walk in nature is therapeutic

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-dsc_2381.jpg

Guide and Pahar on the way to Shirui peak

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-20230425_095012.jpg

Gunin and Pahar. Tough (not much) guys

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-dsc_2385.jpg

The whole area will be covered with Lilies in July

I think it took us around 2 hours from Phangrei to reach Shirui. It was a view I would savour for a long time. In the distance, Ukhrul town was visible.

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-dsc_2389.jpg

View from Shirui peak

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-dsc_2392.jpg

Lights and Shadows

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-dsc_2391.jpg

I wish I could camp here for the night. Someday

While I was soaking in the atmosphere, Pahar came to me and reminded me he had work to do for his beloved madam at his Diphu office. I told him to get lost and he took it literally. When the time came to return, I could not find him anywhere. The guide was a bit worried too as the path is not well marked and one could easily get lost. As we stood, we heard my partner calling out my name. He had indeed lost his way and we called to each other at intervals until finally we located each other. United at last and some two way expletives later we made our way to the Bolero.


Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-dsc_2405.jpg

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-dsc_2408.jpg

On the way back to Bolero

The journey downhill was scarier as with the unwanted momentum I felt any careless braking would lead to loss of control. After having cleared the trickiest part of the trek/ drive, the guide calmly told me how a new Camper 4wd had rolled down to its destruction a few days back on this mountain. I thanked him for the information.

After a quick lunch, we decided to head back to Imphal for our stay. I would have preferred to drive on via Ukhrul and end up near Phek in Nagaland. But Pahar was getting jittery and just to bug him I started driving on the opposite route to Imphal. After some friendly cursing at each other, I corrected the course of the Bolero and said goodbye to beautiful Phangrei and Shirui.

In the evening, we reached the place where we had been stopped the previous day. A beautiful sunset was right before our tired eyes and we sat down near a watermelon stall. We had some tasty watermelons there.


Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-dsc_2409.jpg

On the Ukhrul Imphal road

Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4-dsc_2411.jpg

Mother nature's eye drops for tired eyes


Back in Imphal, Pahar was eager to get a Phanek (Traditional dress of the Meitei) for his madam and I was in awe of his devotion to his boss. I also got a Phanek for my wife from Ima Keithel. We lodged in the same budget hotel we had done previously and called it a night.


Day 4: Back to Guwahati

The return journey from Imphal to Guwahati was uneventful and I was back home in around 11 hours. Pahar got off at Manja and headed to his office at Diphu. Thank you for reading.
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Old 26th August 2023, 00:17   #3
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re: Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!
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Old 26th August 2023, 00:37   #4
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re: Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4

Wonderful travel Gunin, Manipur is indeed beautiful and it”s a tragedy that the state is facing atrocities of the worst kind. I hope peace returns and sanity prevails sooner. Sad that you had to miss visiting the Kangla Fort- it is one majestic place and is truly special. But knowing you, the second visit to the state will surely make up for it. Any log of your’s is incomplete without the trek pictures and this one is no different, fabulous shots from the peak. Keep travelling,

Regards.

P.S- Your post reminded me of my travel to the state. Attaching the link here for some pictures of the majestic Kangla Fort.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...tten-army.html (Journey to the land of the Forgotten Army)

Last edited by ABHI_1512 : 26th August 2023 at 00:39.
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Old 26th August 2023, 08:01   #5
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re: Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4

Awesome log and much needed humour about a place and people that has seen much maligning and trouble this year!

But what is up (or down) with those scooters man?
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Old 26th August 2023, 14:34   #6
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Re: Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4

A very nicely written travelogue. Your sense of humor is very good. Bolero 4wd is a very rare vehicle. Most people don't even know something like this exists.
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Old 26th August 2023, 18:50   #7
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Re: Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4

Quote:
Originally Posted by ABHI_1512 View Post
Wonderful travel Gunin, Manipur is indeed beautiful and it”s a tragedy that the state is facing atrocities of the worst kind. I hope peace returns and sanity prevails sooner. Sad that you had to miss visiting the Kangla Fort- it is one majestic place and is truly special. But knowing you, the second visit to the state will surely make up for it. Any log of your’s is incomplete without the trek pictures and this one is no different, fabulous shots from the peak. Keep travelling,

Regards.
Thank you Abhi da. I also wanted to visit the Kangla Fort as I had seen the pictures on your travelogue. Taking a cue from your journey I avoided the Jiribam route too .

Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Liner View Post
Awesome log and much needed humour about a place and people that has seen much maligning and trouble this year!

But what is up (or down) with those scooters man?
Thank you buddy. I put off this log for some time as I didn't feel like writing about the place in its present state. Haha you got some eye. I noticed the scooters only after you mentioned it. It must be due to the practice of pivoting the bike around on the side stand while taking it out of tight spaces. I see such sleeping bikes here too.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dj96 View Post
A very nicely written travelogue. Your sense of humor is very good. Bolero 4wd is a very rare vehicle. Most people don't even know something like this exists.
Thank you for the appreciation .
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Old 26th August 2023, 19:21   #8
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Re: Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4

Hi Gunin,
Love to read your adventure trips with your capable and tough Bolero 4wd.

Especially your exploring northeast trips with equal mention of your steed with passion is what I like the most.
Superb photos and witty description of the journey and experience.

Keep testing the capable machine for more adventures.

Thanks for sharing.
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Old 26th August 2023, 22:13   #9
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Re: Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4

@gunin. Don't sell your Bolero Your 2016 Bolero 4x4 is the last of its kind. Keep it for as many years as you can. I would have simply closed my eyes and bought it if the 4x4 version was available in our region during 2016.
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Old 26th August 2023, 23:49   #10
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Re: Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4

Excellent writeup. Enjoyed every word of it. I understand your love for bolero having driven one recently for a trip. The owner was all praises for the "pre-computer" Bolero. Wishing you happier journeys in the future.

That aside, what are those scooters doing?

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Old 27th August 2023, 08:13   #11
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Re: Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4

Very beautiful pictures. Especially of the Loktak lake. Even looking at the picture is so peaceful, I can only imagine what it would be like to be physically there.
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Old 27th August 2023, 16:56   #12
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Re: Road-Trip to Manipur in a Bolero 4x4

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fiatfan View Post
Hi Gunin,
Love to read your adventure trips with your capable and tough Bolero 4wd.

Especially your exploring northeast trips with equal mention of your steed with passion is what I like the most.
Superb photos and witty description of the journey and experience.

Keep testing the capable machine for more adventures.

Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for the kind words. The Bolero is indeed like a friend to me- one I trust to back me up in any scenario. I am very glad that you enjoyed the write up.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shan_Kmu View Post
@gunin. Don't sell your Bolero Your 2016 Bolero 4x4 is the last of its kind. Keep it for as many years as you can. I would have simply closed my eyes and bought it if the 4x4 version was available in our region during 2016.
Thank you . Some time back I did give a passing thought to sell my Bolero and get something more comfortable. Luckily, good sense prevailed and I realized there is nothing to replace a Bolero 4wd with (within a tight budget). It has been one of my best purchases.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aluminium View Post
Excellent writeup. Enjoyed every word of it. I understand your love for bolero having driven one recently for a trip. The owner was all praises for the "pre-computer" Bolero. Wishing you happier journeys in the future.

That aside, what are those scooters doing?
Thank you Aluminium! I am happy you liked the write up. Pre Computer Bolero . It is a pure mechanical beast.

I noticed the scooters only after you and Redliner pointed them out. I think they are on centre stands which have seen too much pivoting when taken out of parking spaces.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Ogre View Post
Very beautiful pictures. Especially of the Loktak lake. Even looking at the picture is so peaceful, I can only imagine what it would be like to be physically there.
Thank you for the kind words. It is indeed a beautiful place and warranted more time. It is also a national park -Keibul Lamjao. Hope you get to visit it in person.
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