[adc]

Finally after a 25 mt clearing bushes and descent we are at ground level



And finally on to the sand, whoaa!!!



And the waterfall with crystal clear water


I did not bring my shorts so the vest goes is modified to like that!!


Seeing me, my son is super excited and the village guide also comes in for a dip



And we all have a fantastic time, a moment we all cherish, absolute wilderness and a swim in the middle of a forest.



And from here the water flows down to go to another waterfall called Kharaldas, the source of River Jonk, which is twice the height of Beniadhas at 160 feet and twice as remote as we go further into the forests through unchartered clearings, there are no roads.

[adc]

Originally Posted by theMAG

There's something always enchanting about getting off the beaten track - a kind of inner peace thats not available going to popular tourist places.

Definitely, and rural people we met here were superably helpful and welcoming. It was really a memorable journey.

Originally Posted by planet_rocker

how do you get to know about these places? awesome travelogue. keep them coming.

have you fitted yellow fog lamps in the stock location?

Came to know about Sunabeda accidentally while searching for some wildlife sanctuaries to visit nearby.

Yes those are stock, the green wire has come out in all the bumps, as seen in the pictures.

Originally Posted by iceman7

Simply stunning pictures adc. Looking at them i can just imagine the excitement of the midnight safari. Looking forward for more.

PS - The opening shot of the Safari in the grasslands is awesome.

Cheers

Midnight safari has to be experienced, words and pictures dont do justice for the excitement.

Originally Posted by suman

Anirban, priceless travelogue, keep the pics flowing

At the end of three years, TML should give you a brand new 2.2 just as a loyalty bonus. And this time around, it should be a 4x4 cheers:

thanks Suman-da. I have started to develop some kind of emotional attachment to this 2wd Safari, I drive the Safari to the limit it is possible and the nature of terrains in the last year that it has gone over has suprised me no less, I have used this one very roughly and it is still trouble free, niggle free, or whatever. Sunabeda forest interior is really remote, if the VTT had stranded we were looking to a day's trek to the nearest village, and again from there to another village to bring a tractor and then another day to the nearest town and another day to the TASS at Sambalpur - it would have thus taken a minimum of 3-4 days.

But then the VTT took everything in its stride and is as healthy as it has to be. Needless to say have tremendous confidence with Safari Dicor 2.2 as a product.

[akroy]

adc, amazing travelogue (I should rather say priceless). You have just educated me about some new places which can be explored too. Nice and timely pics as well.

Now I know how you couldnt make to the SEP meet on 25th, you were busy planning a bigger trip the next day?

Abhi

[akas_chauhan]

Hey nice picture and travelogue there. I was studying in Burla,know those places pretty well. It's really interesting to go to tjhose jungles, crossing Hirakud DECK, zero point and those safari.

[adc]

After that very satisfying visit, next is Kharaldas waterfalls, the source of River Jonk and twice the height of this and twice more remote, but it takes around another hour from here and thus making a return journey to our rest house to around 3 hours. We decided to try the next day since we were already late, having spent quite a bit of time out here as it involved going over boulde sized rocks and grasslands. Also the village guide is not quite sure whether a car can over there.

As such went to Borra salt pit watch tower and thought of waiting sometime since dusk to see some wildlife but the watch tower and no steps to go on to the top [!!] and there were not even a road or even clearing to the watch tower to bring the Safari till there.


Returned back to the forest village to take some rest and walked around, a small village but the main village of the forest of around 200-300 people.

Young revolutionary


As night and temperature falls, we light up our own fire outside.



and thats the way you light up.


After a wholesome and simple dinner cooked by forest guards we are out again for a night safari, a place called Datunama - again remote and this part is bordering Chattisgarh and part of Naxalite region.




The forest guard at Datunama and our village guide at Dantunama and at Orissa/Chattisgarh forest boundary.


While coming from Datunama saw a cheetah, which was amazingly fast just for may be 2 seconds or so, and a big bear - totally different size wise from what we see at zoos, this is huge and stands still as it eyes glows at a distance from the Safari lights and then suddenly takes flight hops off to the darkness.

While coming back see this tree, a perfect shape, in fact stop here to take a picture, looks like some pruned it.


Thus ends day 4, Dec 30, 2008. Tomorrow we explore 2 more forest waterfalls, Godhus and Kharaldas.

[thebagchi]

Wonderful place, Anirban da are motorcycles allowed inside

[kaushik_s]

Cheetah? Are you sure? That may be a Leopard, cause afaik Cheetah's no longer exists in India .
But whatever it is, a travelogue and what an experience you are having with your tryst with the jungles.

[HappyWheels]

ADC,

Speechless! Wonderful trip you have done!

Seems like you are pushing your Safari to its limits and it is taking it as a charm!

5 * rated!

[adc]

Originally Posted by akroy

Now I know how you couldnt make to the SEP meet on 25th, you were busy planning a bigger trip the next day?
Abhi

Yes, I knew about this meeting and definitely wanted to meet and dicuss travel places, but that day I had work, had to pack, and also get a hour or two sleep to drive the night. Lets see next time, though thought there would be another meet when you were going back.

Originally Posted by akas_chauhan

Hey nice picture and travelogue there. I was studying in Burla,know those places pretty well.

Burla is the educational town, just beside Debrigarh, but to my wonder no good hotels out there. Also what intrigued me is that even in West Orissa almost no one knew about Sunabeda at Debrigarh and vice versa. Sunabeda was very much mistaken for Sunabeda of Koraput.

Originally Posted by thebagchi

Wonderful place, Anirban da are motorcycles allowed inside

Thanks. But to disappoint you, No. Almost in all forests motorcycles are restricted. I am in fact looking out for a wildlife sanctuary where bikes are allowed so that I can join you all up for a ride, and again for me it would be good to be back on long bullet ride after much time.

Originally Posted by kaushik_s

Cheetah? Are you sure? That may be a Leopard, cause afaik Cheetah's no longer exists in India.

Yes it is a leopard, and in fact I should have been more carefully describing it since this is a wildlife travelogue. The forests people, both at Debrigarh and Sunabeda, still describe these as "cheetah" and in fact over there told them difference between a leopard and a cheetah and why they should now even as colloquially should refer them as leopard.

Originally Posted by HappyWheels

ADC,

Speechless! Wonderful trip you have done!

Seems like you are pushing your Safari to its limits and it is taking it as a charm!

5 * rated!

Thanks again. Sure it has been pushed much and abused a lot, not only at exotic locations that it has been for the last 1.3 years but also on regular roads as I cover good distances in as short period of time I can. After all I am a freelancer, any off time is like no pay for me!!!

[adc]

Dec 31, 2008, the last day of the year, was day#3 at Sunabeda. We had 2 more waterfalls to cover Godhas and Kharaldas. Godhas, at the other side of the forest range, relatively easy road but takes about 2.5 hours as one needs to go out of the forests all the way back to Nuapada town and then go towards Patora Dam, and then beyond.

After a spending total to and fro travel time of 6 hours we were very much disappointed to see this kind of waterfall after what we have seen at Beniadhas [the secret beach one].

Dec 31, 2008, and last day at Sunabeda


At Godhas forest shed.


Godhas waterfall, no water falling, just stagnant, definitely will be fantastic during monsoons


It was late afteroon already by the time we had our lunch and we had to go to Kharaldas, the big one, the source of River Jonk. The journey is beyond Beniadhas and we take on another villager who knows the way, our own village guide has not seen that place yet!!!, but was not sure if a car can make. There were another couple of villagers who wanted to go with us but then already we were full in the VTT with 6 people!!! Really made me wonder what we were heading to. It took around 2.5 hours from the Sunabeda forest village to the waterfall deep inside the forest.

There is no road, in fact these pictures were when you can describe the road as "good" as after that it becomes impossible to hold on to the camera and drive.




And then it becomes very bad, there are roads/paths, or whatever, twice I scratch the engine guard and 4 times the VTT travels the complete length of the shock absorbers.

Paused for a moment to figure out how to go about this


But then we reached it and "parked" the VTT and it is a 15 mt trek in the forest to reach the waterfall sides.


No amount of coaxing would have wife come down the rocks, she planted herself over there and enjoyed the wilderness. It was really steep going down to the actual waterfall

[Sudipto-S-Team]

How could I have missed this so far? Congrats on one more five-star travelogue. Truly amazing courage you have to take a vehicle to places where a breakdown would be disastrous, to say the least. And you have wife and child with you. Hats off to them, particularly your wife. I would never have driven through Lodhashuli at night!
I think you deserve the title of "Dr David Lingstone of team-bhp". Keep it up. I know some off-beat tourists and travellers of Kolkata but even they haven't heard of all the places you go to.

[adc]

Kharaldhas waterfall is around 55 Metre/165 feet height, located towards west of Beniadhus waterfall. The water that comes through is from the Beniadhas itself and from here the water flow becomes the source of River Jonk - like that name "J-O-N-K"



The drop is precipitous and boy under the watchful supervision of the guide



The waterfall and surroundings




The drop was sudden and I crawl on the belly to the edge.




As sun sets over the Kharaldas so also our stay at Sunabeda ends

[ASHISHPALLOD]

the best pics of wilderness on this forum.
it is always adventure and fun to go unknown places till it is unknown about hardship.
after reading and looking at pics, i don't think anyone will dare to go there.

@adc--can you post the map showing these places and route.

[adc]

On the first day of the New Year we start our journey at 5 am towards Calcutta, it is a big one, around 900 km through state highways and NH6 single carriage ghat roads and the roads are very bad to okay from Keojhar towards Calcutta - anyone who has a sedan or other than SUV should take the NH42 to join NH5 at Choudhar. We all have work and offices next day and we have to reach Calcutta by 800 am on Jan 2, 2009.

We travel fast and by 530 pm we are at Bangriposi, Orissa, around 4 hours from Calcutta. Decided to have a stop here to relax at the Panthashala since we now had the journey under control. We thus start at 4 am on the Jan 2, 2009 morning and reach around 8 am, again experiencing the convey escort at Lodhashuli.

NH6 we crossed during the night while going and it was menancingly beautiful with pitch darkness and now in daylight it was a scenic highway, good to be on single carraige old school style highway.


Ghat roads on NH6


And a 1 hour slow crawl because of this, traffic from opposite sides closed, there is something of a ISRO unit out here somewhere.



Stop a lonely dhaba for lunch, somewhere on NH6


And after crossing Jashipur took a halt here for a break and also watch these fights for sometime.





At Bangriposi, Orissa, where we stopped for the night at the OTDC guest house there before proceeding very early morning [4 am] to join offices/work on Jan 2, 2009.


So there ends one heck of a memorable trip. The place we knew was going to be remote, but what we got was way above it, the memories of the journey and places will remain with us for long. And kudos to the 2.2 VTT-TMT for coming back incident free and making us feel so safe, of course some of the rides in the future are only going to be tougher but right now have tremendous confidence on this 2.2

As usual, it is a pleasure to share with all and writing down this travelogue is definitely reliving the experience and refreshing the memories.


End

[swathyd]

Really a different world opened before us . Fantastic photos and good description . Did you also face the tax problem while crossing to orissa from westbengal .