There is a place called as Tadoba in Maharashtra that never disappoints and at the drop of the hat, we chalked out our Tadoba sojourn

BHPian abirnale recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Since last year's successful trip to Tadoba, we have been looking for all kind of opportunities to do safaris. On my work travel, I tried to do about 9 different Tipeshwar Safaris, Multiple Bandipur and BRT safaris to no avail. It's been frustrating - at times felt like I am now out of my luck!

But then we recalled - there is a place called as Tadoba in MH that never disappoints And at the drop of the hat, we chalked out our Tadoba sojourn. Since the daughter (exams) and wifey (trekking in Himalayas with her girl gang) were unavailable, it was a even more simpler travel plan - me and my son went out for the boys week-out!

We secured the bookings into Zari Core, Zari Peth Buffer and Mamla Buffer zones of Tadoba. With some more effort and tertiary connections, we secured a VIP booking at premium in Moharli too! The greed to see big cat out in the open is never going to reduce - we thought if boys are anyway going to Tadoba, why not go another 250kms ahead as well as see what Pench has in offer for us!

Bangalore - Tadoba - Bangalore: The plan

• May 1: BLR To Tadoba Drive (1050 Kms To Chillarwar farms - run by a good friend)
• May 2: Afternoon Safari in Zari Core
• May 3: Morning Safari in Moharli, Afternoon Safari in Zari Peth
• May 4: Morning Safari in Mamla Buffer, Evening drive to Pench - Turiya zone. Stayed at Pench Tiger Home
• May 5: Morning Safari in Khursapar Core Zone of MH section, Evening Safari at Turiya core zone of MP section
• May 6: Straight drive back to BLR (about 1250 Kms)

We had the best breakfast in Pench - Khursapar safari - parking Gypsy in the rest area marked as such, spread over the gypsy bonnet and enjoying the food in jungle!

This trip is something I am unable to justify in the words. So I would complete the post with some pictures, some clips for my readers to look at:

TBC - some more pics.

Continue reading BHPian abirnale's post for more insights and information.

I did a small trek at one of the view points and headed straight to Green land farmhouses resort.

BHPian Meteormariner recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

This ride happened on the 15th of March. I followed my usual practise of visiting Isha Coimbatore at least once after every signoff, now that I was in Coimbatore, I thought " Why not ride further and explore some new place".

Instagram on one hand had been showing me an ad of an ebook "Exploring India's most thrilling routes" , as it wasn't very expensive i gave it a try.
I was browsing through the ebook to find some place of interest around Coimbatore, that is when i found them all praises for the route leading from Palakkad to Nelliampathy.

The book describes the route as " An exciting and scenic ride through landscapes of Kerala". Looked at google map, found the line to Nelliampathy Wiggle. A wiggling line always makes for a good ride, greater the wiggle better the ride.

No second thoughts bags packed and room checked out, out of busy Coimbatore and on towards Palakkad. Wonderful 4 laned highway transiting from Tamilnadu into Kerala, I believe it is one of the few 4 lanes the god's own country has.

An empty highway, dense vegetation on my right, a mountain right ahead and an early morning sun-Perfect, what else does a rider want! Proceeded with a wide grin on my balaclava clad face.

Began the ascend to Nelliampathy. Narrow roads, meagre traffic, adequate green cover, again a riders delight. Nelliampathy is a feast for the eyes, oh man it is such a beautiful place, let the photos do the talking.

Did a small trek at one of the view points and headed straight to Green land farmhouses resort.

It was an empty restaurant but still i was getting a lot of attention from the waiters, its not everyday they get to see someone in full riding gear. Asked them to prepare my lunch while i went exploring the property, found an off road section and tried my hand at it, should have brought a horse to the race i was on an elephant. Managed to pass the offroad without a fall.

Stopped underneath a tree removed my boots and walked bare foot for a few meters and spent close to an hour exploring the property, they say walking barefoot has its own share of benefits, that's unless you don't tear yourself.

Went back to the restaurant finished my lunch and headed home to Madurai.

It was a weekend well spent.

Here are a few photos of Nelliampathy:

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I had left something incomplete in Ladakh a couple of years ago and I do not like unfinished stories. The ascent to Umling La was the missing piece in my travel previously to Ladakh

BHPian jithin23 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” -Saint Augustine

Well, my life has been more of a travel book at least in my circles. This year too I wanted to drive up North as the places in the southern part of India are something I've been seeing since childhood. I had left something incomplete in Ladakh a couple of years ago and I do not like unfinished stories. The ascent to Umling La was the missing piece in my travel previously to Ladakh and my third time to Ladakh. So as always, I decided to complete that portion in my own car so that I'll have mental peace. This time surprisingly I wanted to take a few people along and I had taken along a friend named Malatesh and he's the one who services my car at FASS. I wanted to take him along as opportunities for him to travel across the country are limited.

So what better time than to utilize the ridiculous notice period offered by the so-called IT giants(they want us to join immediately but will relieve us only after 2-3 months which is detrimental for an employee's progress) As usual, you know the drill (Entire closet in the boot of my EcoSport) by now but this time I was slightly prepared as I carried along a postpaid sim too (Only Postpaid works in J&K and Ladakh).

Now, let's get into the journey!

Bangalore to Mumbai

Day 1: Trunk Route
Places: Bangalore-Mumbai
Date: 24 May 2024
Distance: 1,017 kms and 15.5 hrs including 2 stops

I'm already charged up and promptly filled up the fuel tank till the brim at Nayara OMBR Layout, recharged Fastag for about 5-6k and went towards Hennur to pick Malatesh. In 20 mins we were at Esteem Mall as Vipin ettan wanted to wish us luck and treat us with some chocolates from Europe. By 7.20 we were zooming past the airport toll and took the STRR to reach Dobbespet(I avoid going via Gorguntepalya due to endless traffic and I find this route better), by 9.30 we were at Shell Sira for a quick Coffee and Sandwich break. By 11.45-12 we reached Ranebennur and met another EcoSport owner named Rakesh and went to Maltesh's place for a sumptuous Uttara Kannada style meal! We took a few jolada(Corn based as jola=corn) rotis as parcel and proceeded towards Pune via Kolhapur(Damn, I should have gone via Bijapur-Solapur) and the roads were smooth and uneventful till Belgaum except for road expansion on the Hubli-Dharwad stretch(finally!). Another bummer was that the engine oil I was carrying along had leaked on my clothes bag and half my clothes had engine oil stain :( and we took an empty can from Shell and refilled in that can. From Belgaum, it was utter chaos till Satara as the roads were being widened or repaired and traffic jams ranging to a km or two. After crossing the ghats, we reached the outskirts of Pune and here the drill is to order Mutton and bhakri which I religiously did! Within 1.5 hrs we reached Mumbai and our hostel dorms were already booked at Belgaum I usually prefer staying at hostels in most places so that one can connect with other travelers and when I'm alone, it is much more cost effective. I booked a hostel at Bandra known as Forrest Hostels and we were fast asleep. Meanwhile I got a call from a Fiesta owner whom I had helped last year pertaining to some documentation on her car and she too wanted to meet me. I left to Western Express Highway post midnight and we both ended up taking a spin in each our cars around WEH and later I called it a night. The Fiesta has been maintained well since 2007! Respect and then we bonded over our cars .

Pics from Day 1

The Send Off

At a Group Member's place in Ranebennur

The Joalada Roti from KA meets Mutton Bhakri from Pune

The Hostel in Bandra, Forrest Hostels(Crazy name :P)

Mumbai to Vadodara

Day 2: Broken Roads
Date: 25-May-2024
Places: Mumbai City-Vadodra
Distance: 450 kms and one whole day

The first half of the day we went to the Gateway of India post breakfast and after a while we met Karan as well whom I'm in contact with for a very long time(right from my blue EcoSport days). Post 2.30, we started off towards Gujarat and then I realised that Mumbai has 2 major choke points, the Virar and Vashi Creek. To cross Virar will take ages so I thought we'll go via Bhiwandi and that road too was no less than driving on a moon crater. After 3 hrs of driving, we stopped at Hotel Ahura for a quick chai(I like coffee but coffee is best at home in KA/TN ) and a big no to Starbucks coffee that's not coffee, that's an invitation for high sugar and BP..No offence to anyone tho!). Post that, I handed over the wheel to Maltesh and all I remembered next was we reached Ankleshwar by 11pm(I dozed off on the shotgun seat) to meet another fellow EcoSport owner named Sanju Sebastian. He too was keen to see my car and was inspired by my car to own an EcoSport and he too owns a Race Red EcoSport. Though we met for the first time, we exchanged a lot of stories and how we keep our cars and then proceeded towards Vadodra for the night.

Gateway of India

With a fellow EcoSport owner at Gujarat

Vadodara - Udaipur - Ujjain

Day 3: Spiritual Detour
Date: 26- May-2024
Places: Vadodra- Udaipur- Ujjain
Distance: 780 kms

After we bid bye to Sanju bro, I quickly found a stay on treebo at Vadodra and we drove towards Vadodra on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. Within an hour we reached out stay at Vadodra and called it a night at 2.30 am. The hotel receptionist woke us up by ringing the bell for breakfast at 10 am(we had piping hot Pohas) and within 35 mins, I was behind the wheel and in the next 45 minutes, cops flag me down at the periphery of Ahmedabad for having tint on my windows (I decided to keep a separate budget only for fines, as some cops like to see Gandhi a lot :P). We stopped at Shambu's for a quick juice break and I was thoroughly enjoying the empty roads till Udaipur. By 3pm we were yet again greeted by traffic cops for tine again :(. By 3.30 we reached Khamma Ghani(my usual spot at Udaipur for Lal Maas). Then another friend named Phani from AP had tagged along for the rest of the drive at Udaipur. We met a couple of EcoSport Owners(Jeo and Amit) near Karni Mata for sunset. The view from the hill is beautiful! Post sunset, we headed towards Ujjain which was another 7 hours from Udaipur. Since Maltesh too was there, I thought we can keep switching and reach by midnight. The drive was quite uneventful except the last 70-80 kms which was a single lane road. Our stay was sorted by the time we could reach again, credits go to an EcoSport owner.

Shade for the Dragon is scarce

Lal Maas at Khama Ghani is a ritual when in Udaipur

With the EcoSport boys in Udaipur

Indore - Udaipur - Jaipur

Day 4: Empty Expressway and a broken truck
Date: 27-May-2024
Places: Indore- Ujjain- Jaipur
Distance: 700kms

We had stayed at Ujjain the previous night and the next morning we had to pay a visit to the Mahakaleshwar temple. I parked the car about 500m away from the temple and had to make a couple of calls to go through the special darshan queue. In 15 minutes, we had a peaceful darshan and we were out of the temple and we had to meet another EcoSport owner for lunch who arranged the darshan for us. Met him and we discussed a lot of topics at length and we set off to Jaipur by 4pm. We took the Work in progress Delhi- Mumbai expressway and luckily we had filled up fuel as there was not a single bunk in the expressway stretch. By 8-9 pm ish we reached somewhere near Kota and a truck was broken down in the middle of the road. I tried to help the truck guy by starting the truck but some pin had broken due to which the truck was not moving. Then we had to drive almost at the kerb of the road for a few kilometers and we connected onto the highway. By 10pm we stop for dinner at a dhaba and then proceeded to drive towards Jaipur. By midnight we almost reached Tonk and from Tonk I decided to take a nap and Maltesh was behind the wheel. We reached a friend's place at Jaipur by 2 am.

Ujjain(sorry for the hushed up photography)

Another state, another set of enthusiasts

Day 5: RX 100 Ride and a quick service
Date: 28-May-2024
Places: Within Jaipur
Distance: 60 kms

I wake up in the morning and I do a quick check on the car and I noticed that the driver side door glass was slightly damaged but not alarming(mostly due to the heat). Then I call up Shantanu(another EcoSport owner in RJ) and he came with a surprise for me. He brought the RX 100 and I rode the motorcycle like a teenager(took me back 10 years in time) on the streets of Jaipur despite the scorching heat till Patrika gate and then we headed to KS Ford to get the car serviced. I went in and spoke to the manager and seeing my car and license plate, he immediately agreed to get it done within 2-3 hours. Post which we went to Hawa Mahal and Naharngarh fort with his boys for a chai as well as to see the view from the top of the hill and we called it a day.

All set with the Helmet and I was on a fun run with the motorcycle

Two Immortal Legends in the hearts of Enthusiasts

Hawa Mahal

Night view of Jaipur

Jaipur to Amritsar

Day 6: Udta Punjab
Date: 29-May-2024
Places: Jaipur to Amritsar
Distance: 660kms

We started off peacefully by 8.30am after a hearty breakfast at my friend's place and from his place, the highway is just a stone throw away and in no time we are almost near Haryana border. However, before we could exit RJ, again I got flagged down by cops for maintaining 100kmph speed and the cop kept on arguing( I never saw any speed limit sign but on a NH I'm aware that the speed limit is 100kmph), I paid him some money and I went on with my journey. Right after Narnaul, there's a diversion which goes via the trans-Haryana expressway(take the road via Kheri Mukkar- Narnaul and then you'll reach the start point of the expressway) and it bypasses Delhi and leads straight to Ambala. One small incident had ahappened over here. A tipper lorry with jelly stones was driving at high speed and a 3-4 stone pebbles fell on my car's roof. Fortunaately nothing happened, not even a dent on the roof. Had it been a sunroof, I would have had a cracked sunroof for the rest of the trip(I thank my stars for not picking a sunroof variant car!).3The only decent restaurant in this stretch available was Aureo Food plaza and we stopped over there for some Punjabi style parathas. The best part is that the roads are empty and we reached Ambala in 3 hours. From Ambala, we drove at a leisurely pace and took sufficient breaks to admire the loud alloy wheeel taste of Punjab :P. By sunset we checked in at our hotel and we visited the Golden Temple and had a king-size paratha with lassi at Brother's right near The Golden Temple.

Just by this wheel, we know that we are in PB!

The Ubiquitous Brother's Dhaba

That one Parantha is enough for 2 people, but I ended up finishing up the plate and Lassi

Glittering Golden Temple

Amritsar to Attari Border

Day 7: Border Parade
Date: 30-May-2024
Places: Amritsar and Attari Border
Distance: 60km to and fro

I rememberd my childhood memory when I had been to Amritsar in 2005 wherein I was lucky enough to sit in a railway engine(I'm a huge Rail Fan too) and I had witnessed the parade at Attari border when I was 9 years old. The parade memories took me back in time and I revisited that memory lane by attending the parade once again (Yet, another huge defence forces fan, especially the Indian Army!). I had booked the parade ticket online in prior and it was free of charge. Before we could head for the parade, we had to pick another friend who was flying down from Hyderabad. We picked him up and we headed straight to Jaiianwala Bagh and Golden Temple. The parade was filled with crowds clamouring for seats at both the borders and man! What a sight to see the parade in action. By 6.30 pm, the parade got over and we headed back to our hotel and parked the car as I wanted to explore the city in a more laidback manner. We took an e-rickshaw to Charming Chicken and had some amazing Chicken gravy and paratha. Had I been in Punjab for some more time, I would have gained 5-10 kgs more, heheh.

This is our group to the mountains

Jallianwala Bagh

The Parade performed by the BSF is a sight to watch

Continue reading BHPian jithin23's post for more insights and information.

85% of the stretch is 4 / 6-lane roads, except for the interiors of Orissa and Jharkhand, where we have to travel through thick forest.

BHPian Anupam1024 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

We have recently come to Bokaro Steel City, JH, in my Ford EcoSport. We are still here and will be returning sometime next week.

Since corona times, I have travelled to Jharkhand 8-9 times by car, mostly with family and even alone. I have used the two routes mentioned below to cover this to-and-fro journey.

Routes

• Bangalore - Hyderabad - Nagpur -Raipur - Sambalpur - Jharsuguda - Khunti - Ranchi - Bokaro
• Bangalore - Tirupati - Vijaywada - Vishakhapatnam - Cuttuck - Keonjhar - Chaibasa - Khunti - Ranchi - Bokaro

As far as I know, there is a good 4-lane road to Janshedpur from Balasore - Bhadrak.

I don't drive beyond 8 or 9 PM and I generally take 2 night stops because I am the only driver to cover either stretch, which is about 2000 - 2100 KM long journey spread over 3 days. This can be reduced to 2 days if there is more than one expert driver.

85% of the stretch is 4 / 6 lane roads, except the interiors of Orissa and Jharkhand (especially the state border area) where we have to travel through thick forest.

I have attached a few pics of my recent trip (17 -19th April 2025). We stayed overnight at Viziangaram and Puri. We visited Puri Temple on 18th April 2025 Evening and then had a darshan of Maa Tarini temple at Ghatgaon the next day.

There are ample places you can visit enroute. IMO, we should plan our deviations and then it would be worth doing it. Random deviations may take a longer time. On my return journey, I have planned to visit Mallikarjun Jyotirling Temple at Srisailam.

Note:

On this trip, I drove my Ecosport to Kathmandu (via Raxaul - Birgunj - Hetouda) and to Manakamna Temple. Will plan to write a blog on that.

Hope this info helps

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Because of very recent snowfall and intermittent rains, the track became an even more fun ground for Gurkha

BHPian dhrubojyoti recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

On 1st May afternoon, wifey told me that there was unusual snowfall in Sandakphu that day. Also, it might be the last couple of weeks of the Rhododendron season this year. There was no obvious question whether we can go there now or not, but silently this means the same.

I had no possibility of taking leaves from my weekday job then, so we are left with only a weekend plan. We started by Friday evening, made the Bhansar from Nepal, paid the Nepal road tax and headed towards Sandakphu. I am not writing any travelogue here, there are many travelogues in T-BHP on Sandakphu drive and the track conditions, both through India route and Nepal route. I may say about how the Gurkha performed there.

Drive experience

Because of very recent snowfall and intermittent rains, the track became an even more fun ground for Gurkha. I didn't want any unnecessary beating to the suspension, hence I kept on climbing at a very slow pace. Kalpokhri was fully covered in dense fog and the chance of witnessing the sleeping buddha from Sandakphu top seemed very thin. However, Rhododendrons didn't disappoint us. There were hundreds of blossom filled trees of many colours! Gurkha not only tackled these sections with ease, but also allowed us to stop at any incline for the photo capturing and then again move without rolling back or wheel spin. Watching the ultra slim track, ruts and gravel, my 10 year old daughter asked me, whether deflating the tyres would help us tackling the track comfortably. She has been traveling with us everywhere we go and must have heard us discussing similar things earlier. That's one of the byproducts of having an adventure vehicle.

Our plan was to return the next day, but we fell in love with this place and wanted to try the Phalut region too. The approach road was looking quite friendly and we started at 2H. Just after 50 meters, I shifted to 4H, and after another 50 meters, I shifted to 4L 2nd gear for a comfortable drive without much of the usage of the clutch. Few sections and switchbacks demanded 4L 1st gear and locking rear differential and I obliged. The engine grunt from the snorkel was ecstatic! The drive to this region was even more fulfilling and picturesque! There were riots of colours everywhere! I felt that Thakum valley is very little explored and discussed.

In spite of being such a large vehicle, surprisingly Gurkha has a very good turning radius. Most of the notorious switchbacks with steep gradient and undulation were covered by single point turn. I am a very ordinary driver with an ultra defensive approach all the time, but Gurkha has masked up all my driving shortcomings and limitations with its capabilities.

I am sure, there would be questions on the famous DPF issue of the BS6+ engine, hence thought of sharing the experience beforehand. I was mentally prepared for witnessing the manual regeneration alarm for the first time in this region as I had been crawling up to 12K feet for hours in the lowest possible gear at less than 15kmph speed (80% being less than 10kmph). But it disappointed me this time too. I don't have any logic or explanation of why it didn't come up, but that's how it was. The DEF/urea doser went mad though at this altitude + temperature + crawling drive for hours. It threw up DEF dosing error, EDC and the yellow check engine light. The very strong smell of urea didn't leave us on the second day. The EDC and DEF dosing error indicator also went away after a while but kept on buzzing intermittently (after every 30-60 minutes) However, the engine response was absolutely top notch. I took the chance because of that to let it be and drive back to tar road the next morning and all the error codes disappeared on their own. Even after being a BS6+ vehicle, Gurkha is still very simple and mostly mechanical piece of engineering.

We drove back and stopped for breakfast at Lepchajagat (very close to Ghoom railway station). The shop owner was very excited after seeing the Gurkha. He said that his father had a 1955 Land Rover which they had to sell at 35K back in 90 and he couldn't forget the joy of driving it. He was affectionately patting the snorkel of Gurkha and was saying, such beautiful vehicles are not made these days.

Signing off with a few pictures, as always..

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Within an hour, we hit the jackpot - a majestic tiger lounging near a watering hole!

BHPian amrutmhatre90 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Hey BHPians!

My wife and I just got back from a tightly packed yet deeply satisfying 4-day road trip that checked off both spiritual and wild experiences—from divine darshans to thrilling tiger sightings. The main goal was to visit Tadoba Tiger Reserve, but we made the most of the route by adding Shirdi, Sula Vineyards, and Trimbakeshwar to the itinerary. Here's a detailed account of the drive, stay, experiences, and tips for anyone planning a similar route.

Got the idea and inspiration to do this 4-day loop thanks to this helpful travelogue I came across on Team BHP. Big thanks to @vivek95 for sharing such a well-documented trip.

Total Drive: 1,400+ km

Vehicle: Thar Roxx AX7 4x4 AT

In love with the car after this road trip. It effortlessly eats up miles, whether on good or bad roads. Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist, and ADAS features worked together seamlessly, making this a fatigue-free drive.

The car performed flawlessly through highways, village roads, and a few rough patches near Tadoba.

Fuel Efficiency:

• 14 kmpl with 100 kph on Samruddhi Highway
• 11 kmpl with 120 kph on Samruddhi Highway

This trip made me appreciate the Thar Roxx even more—it’s not just about its presence, but its performance. The car remained composed on long highway stretches, and the steering assistance systems gave confidence even with single-lane overtakes. On the rugged, dusty, and under-construction roads near Tadoba, the car showed its true colors—this is what it’s built for. The commanding driving position, suspension tuning, and power delivery just made it a joy to pilot.

Planned Route & Itinerary:

• Day 1: Mumbai → Shirdi → Chandrapur (Tiger King's Resort)
• Day 2: Morning & Afternoon Safaris in Tadoba
• Day 3: Chandrapur → Sula Vineyards (Nashik)
• Day 4: Trimbakeshwar Darshan → Return to Mumbai

Link: Google Maps

Day 1: Mumbai to Shirdi to Chandrapur

We left Mumbai early in the morning around 5 AM to beat traffic but got bogged down near Bhiwandi for an hour due to horribly parked trucks blocking the roads. We reached Shirdi by 9:00 AM. A quick and peaceful darshan at Sai Baba Mandir, followed by breakfast, and we were back on the road by 10:30 AM sharp.

Next stop: Chandrapur – a long but non-fatiguing drive on the Samruddhi Mahamarg with good roads until we took the Sindi Dry Port interchange. Word of advice: carry your own food when traveling via Samruddhi Mahamarg. The food and toilet facilities are in poor condition. Luckily, we carried enough snacks and sandwiches. The lack of shade or trees on this stretch was disappointing. We also got some rain on the way, which was refreshing after the crazy heat. Maintained 100 kmph using cruise control to check what mileage the Thar Roxx could achieve—got around 14 kmpl, with some bursts in between.

The roads while entering Chandrapur were under construction and covered with grit or red sand. Thar Roxx performed as it should here—literally came alive in this location, showing why this vehicle is the best for such conditions. Didn't need to slow down; the car was just gliding.

We arrived by 6:30 PM at Tiger King’s Resort, conveniently located just 5 minutes from Kolara Gate—one of the core zones of Tadoba. The resort is well-maintained, with good food and helpful staff. Highly recommended for those booking Kolara safaris.

Day 2: Tadoba – The Jungle Beckons

Morning Safari: Just as we left the resort gate, we saw a deer right in front of our car. Entered through Kolara Gate around 5:30 AM. The air was crisp, the jungle alive with sounds. Within an hour, we hit the jackpot—a majestic tiger lounging near a watering hole! It was sleeping initially, then woke up to drink some water, and I managed to get some great pictures. While waiting for him to move, I also captured some bird shots.

Our hotel staff had packed a nice breakfast of sandwiches, poha, eggs, and bananas for us to enjoy in the wild.

Afternoon Safari: Entered via Shedegaon Safari Gate at 2:30 PM. It was a hotter ride, but worth every minute. This time, we ventured deeper into the park and were rewarded with a fleeting glimpse of another tiger crossing the trail—pure adrenaline! We also saw a few tigers resting in ponds.

Pro Tip: Book core gate safaris in advance (via the Mahaecotourism portal) and request experienced guides—they make all the difference in spotting wildlife. Just to add, we are searching and finding tigers in the wild here; this is not a zoo where you're guaranteed to spot one. It's pure luck. I know someone who has done this 10–12 times but never saw a tiger. My wife and I feel lucky we could see it during both safaris.

The Gypsy drivers are superbly skilled and know the jungle inside out. They helped spot the tigers along with the guides. There was one Gypsy that had been converted to electric, and it seems most Gypsys might go electric soon.

Day 3: From Wilderness to Vineyards – Chandrapur to Sula

We left the jungle behind early at 5 AM and began our drive to Sula Vineyards, Nashik. The hotel staff packed breakfast and lunch with lots of sandwiches and parathas. We ate mostly in the car and just stopped for fuel. Adaptive cruise control came in handy—this time we locked the speed to 120 kmph. Reached by late afternoon around 2 PM. Took a short nap and then left for Sula just in time for the sunset tour. Enjoyed the wine tasting, relaxed ambiance, and a delicious meal at their on-site restaurant.

A perfect way to unwind after back-to-back safaris.

Day 4: Trimbakeshwar Temple Visit & Return

Early morning around 5 AM, we headed to Trimbakeshwar Temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. Smooth darshan experience, helped by reaching before the rush. Got back to the resort around 7:45 AM. After a quick breakfast and tea, we started the final leg back to Mumbai, reaching Thane by 11 AM for a function—not tired or fatigued, but with hearts full.

Closing Thoughts:

Tadoba is a must-visit for any wildlife lover—raw, wild, and teeming with life. Combining it with spiritual stops and a vineyard visit added variety to the trip. If you're short on time and want a mix of nature, divinity, and leisure, this 4-day route delivers on all fronts.

Happy to answer questions or help with planning. Until the next drive—cheers!

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There were no breakdowns or tyre punctures, but somehow I managed to get my i20 Active stuck in beach sand.

BHPian na_agrawal recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Not all those who wander are lost!!

Key points –

1. Car – My trusty 8-year-old Hyundai i20 Active Petrol.
2. Peeps – Me with my wife, my friend with his wife.
3. Time – 27th April to 4th May (8 days). 41 hrs 22 mins of driving.
4. Total kms driven – 1588km (home to home).
5. Overall fuel economy achieved – 13.44 kmpl. (4 adults and full boot luggage).
6. Best fuel economy achieved – 15.8 kmpl (Goa to Gokarna and within Gokarna).
7. Worst fuel economy achieved – 10.3 kmpl (Within Goa).
8. Total tolls – 690 (to and fro combined).
9. Cheapest fuel – 96.31/L (somewhere in Goa), most expensive fuel – 103.82/L (Pune).
10. No breakdowns, no punctures, no issues. Car performed ideally. Except one stuck-in-sand event.

Day -1

I went to sleep, or maybe tried to sleep early so as to leave as early as possible. Target was set somewhere around 4:45 am and to pickup my friend by 5:30 am from Katraj and leave for Gokarna. Had already refueled my car up to the brim and filled her shoes up with 33psi, filled up the windshield washer with the blue liquid. Bags packed and ready to be thrown in the car, snacks preordered from BBnow, and off we went to catch at least 5 hrs of sleep.

Day 0

But, my phone’s clock app knows better why, I left finally at 6 am from my home and picked my friend up at 6:50 am and finally left for our destination a full 1.5 hrs late. We drove leisurely, on a calm Sunday morning. The roads were relatively empty, and I was well aware of the route. This was my 4th excursion on this particular road and I had a good idea of the roads. Had some snacks on the way in the car, thus saving crucial morning hours. Stopped at the Anuskura ghat viewpoint at 11:20 am to catch a glimpse of the surroundings. (time as told by my Google timeline). Refueled at a South Goa petrol bunk somewhere around 4 pm. And finally reached my Airbnb at about 8pm. A good 13 hrs drive. Not much to show in pics on this day...

My steed at the Anuskura Ghat

A view of a somewhat dried up valley

Day 1-2-3

Drove around Gokarna visiting numerous places which caught our interests. Had a gala time with my friends after almost a year. Some of the notable places which I visited were Kamal Beach, Kudle Beach, Mantra Café.

Somewhere in Kamal Beach. This one is unexplored and we were the only ones there. I wouldn't recommend this one post sunset.

On the way to Kudle Beach

Om beach

Sunsets are a real peach on Kudle

Day 4

Gokarna to Goa

We left late. Yet again!! Somewhere about 12 noon. Plan was 10 am.

Stopped at Karwar beach, near Karwar INS Naval academy. The road and beach run almost parallel for about a km, and we decided to stop even though the temps were high and hot winds were blowing. I stopped my car right in front of the beach. Spent 10 mins, which felt like eternity in the hot sun and came back to my car only to find it stuck in the sand with at least 5 inches of my tire and rim buried deep into it. Tried hard to unstuck it, only to lodge it deeper into the sand.

Then, suddenly, I remembered Anshuman Bishnoi’s videos and tried to find a wooden plank nearby. Found 2 huge ones in barely 30 secs, tried to stick it under the front wheels and I gunned the car while doing a zig-zag pattern with the front wheels. The car started moving, my confidence got a boost, engaged reverse, then first, then again reverse and repeat. Barely 2 mins, and I was unstuck!! Thanks for the videos, man!

Reached Anjuna, Goa by 530 pm and checked in to our Airbnb.

Day 5-6

Roamed around Goa, visiting and covering the most as we could. Some of the notable places that I went to were Chapora Mangroves backwater Kayaking, Tomatoes Morjim, Nauti Amigo Cruise, Burger Factory.

A cruise night onboard Nauti Amigo. I will rate it 3/5.

A perfect evening date at Anjuna with my biwi.

Day 7

The day which takes us back home has come. We had planned to check out by 11 and have a good lunch and then leave for Pune by 12 noon. But traffic and the weekend ending made sure that we won’t be able to stick to those timelines. The rush, the traffic were crazy that day. Most of the cars bearing KA, MH, GJ and DD registration plates were flocking the restaurants and cafes. All had similar checkout times as well, everyone wanted to grab lunch and then leave for home. Eventually, with both our and the car’s full tummies, we left Goa at about 2pm.

Fun fact

I left Goa at exactly 60,000 kms on my odo. A new milestone for me.

Again, a full 2 hrs late. We encountered a huge traffic pile up at Karad, and up until that, it was a smooth drive. Karad traffic delayed up by a good 45-55 mins. As roads cleared up, we were able to stretch our legs and stopped at Rau Wada (superb food and good service) for dinner. Finally, we reached Katraj in Pune at about 1230 am in the night, dropped my friend, and proceeded to my home in Hadapsar. Parked my car at my residence at about 1:10 am. A tiring, 11-hour drive from Goa. (Generally, it takes 9 hours without the dense traffic).

Left Goa at exactly 60k kms

Reached home after a 1588 kms drive. Took this pic next morning!

Now onto the next one. Let's see where I go.

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It is not very touristy, but it has lovely hills, woods and most importantly, plenty of good driving roads for our cars.

BHPian Jeroen recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

We have just returned from our annual Spider drive to Le Paradis in France. It's owned and run by our good friends Cees and Annelies. We met some 25 years ago through the Dutch Alfa Romeo Spider Register.

In fact, everybody involved in this annual Spider drive met through the Spider Register. We have all been board members or volunteers on various committees. Ever since Cees and Annelies moved to France and opened their B&B, we have been visiting them.

We usually set off on a Thursday and meet up in the southernmost part of the Netherlands. St Geertruid, a small village south of Maastricht. We have found a lovely B&B that can accommodate us and our Spiders.

Right opposite this B&B is an excellent Italian restaurant. Very appropriate for Spider drivers, of course.

On Friday morning, we set off and made our way to Le Paradis. We take only small and windy rural roads. It will take us the whole day to cover the distance, about 350 km.

Here we are.

Le Paradis is situated in Lorraine, which is near Verdun, Metz and Nancy. It is not very touristy, but it has lovely hills, woods and most importantly, plenty of good driving roads for our Spiders.

Every day after breakfast, we set off on various drives. On Saturday, we decided to have an en route picnic. So Bianca and Marianne set off first to do the picknich shopping at a nearby supermarket.

All four Spiders parked for a coffee stop. There are not many open cafes in this part of France. So usually we bring our own tea and coffee in thermosflasks.

Not sure why there was a painting of a steam engine on this building, but there was!

We drove on for a few more hours. The route had been scouted earlier by Cees and Annelies. They had spotted a nice picnic spot as well, alongside a little stream of water. All drinks, wine and beer are strictly non alcoholic as we have to drive for many more hours.

We do a lot of driving and we stop at the odd little town. Towns are the best places to stop if you want to have tea, coffee or something to eat. Rural France is low on cafes and restaurants these days.

This is something I have shown before on other threads. We have them in the Netherlands too. It’s a little free library. The idea is you put a book in yourself and you take a book out to read.

Along our route out in the country, we pass endless little villages. Almost all village will have their own cemetery. Which parts of the world are always kept immaculate

On Sunday, we went to see several Brocante markets. We love Brocante. All these villages are completely dead seven days a week. There are cars parked, so people do live in these villages. But for some reason, very few people are outdoors. Till there is a Brocante!

Mrs D bought various items. Alex bought a lot of small Lego sets which he said cost a fraction of what they go for online these days!

I bought another vintage multimeter and some spanners.

We decided to drive to nearby Verdun for lunch.

This area of France so heavy and prolonged fighting in the First World War. There are dozens of war cemeteries around. Tens of thousands of soldiers from all nationalities are buried in these parts. There are reminders of the First World War everywhere.

And there is, of course, the river Maas! Nice river, makes its way into the Netherlands as well. I have sailed on the Maas often in our boat, Sirion.

Only a few kilometers from Le Paradis is another war memorial. An American one, known as the Monster American Monument. I like visiting it. It's an impressive reminder of the atrocities of war. And you get a stunning view of this part of France as it is situated on a hill.

Of course, we did a bit of spannering along the way. One of my headlights stopped working. Not the fuse or the bulb, looks like I might have some mass or wiring problems. I will fix it once we get home.

Earlier Peter and I found a new oil pressure gauge for Bianca’s Spider. She brought it with her, and together with Cees, we set about replacing it. Only to find it wasn’t working at all. Back to the drawing board.

Next to their daily drive (a Volvo) and their Spider Coda Tronca, Cees and Annelies are also the proud owners of a 2CV. Which always requires a bit of inspection by Peter.

We have been coming here for the last 7-8 years or so. Peter and I have been coming twice a year now and then. When the two of us take our annual Spider drive across parts of Europe, we often stop by Cees and Annelies as well. This year, that will not happen as in September we are off to Ireland!!

On Monday morning, everybody packs up and we drive home again. Very pleasant long weekend. Very relaxing, always endless banter as you get with lifelong friend.

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I took the Palladam - Kodumudi - Velur - Namakkal route, and wow, the roads were fantastic!

BHPian throttleAddict recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Hey everyone! This is my first time sharing a travel story here, and only my second long drive in the year I've had my car.

The plan was to drive from Coimbatore to Rasipuram for some work. On the way, I wanted to visit the famous Namakkal Anjeneyar Temple and the Narasimhar Temple right across the street. My initial route was Coimbatore - Chennimalai - Rasipuram - Namakkal - Coimbatore.

However, we had to skip Chennimalai in the morning because the Namakkal temples close by 1 PM. We didn't want to miss them! So, we started bright and early at 6:30 AM and headed straight to the Namakkal Anjeneyar Temple.

Palladam - Kodumudi - Velur - Namakkal

We stopped for a yummy breakfast near Kangeyam junction and finally reached the Namakkal temple parking around 9:30 AM.

Even though it was only mid-morning, the weather was already super hot, around 38°C! There was a small queue of about 30-50 people at the temple. We waited in line, had a wonderful darshan of Lord Anjaneya, and then walked over to the Narasimhar Temple, which is just opposite. Being a weekend, there was a bit of a crowd, but it wasn't too bad, and we had a good darshan there too.

Feeling thirsty from the heat, we spotted a coconut water (Elaneer) vendor on a bicycle right outside the temple. We grabbed one each, only to find out it cost a whopping ₹70! That's like 2.5 times the usual price. We didn't haggle, just paid and went back to the car.

The parking at the Anjeneyar Temple is private and had no shade. My poor car was baking in the hot sun, and the inside felt like an oven! I used my car's Bluelink app to remotely turn on the ventilation and let it run for a few minutes to cool down.

You know what would have been really helpful? If Hyundai had an option to automatically roll down all the windows at once, like some older VW cars used to do. It would have been much easier than opening each door and rolling down the windows manually in that heat.

Finally, we continued our drive to Rasipuram. After finishing my work, we had a delicious lunch at A2B on the highway. As we were leaving, we saw an elderly couple struggling with their Nexon EV charger. They saw us youngsters and asked for help. Neither my friends nor I had ever used an electric car or its charger before, but we were curious and tried to assist.

After about 20 minutes of trying different things, we couldn't get the car to charge at all. The owner, who looked to be around 60, called his son, and we talked to him about the issue, asking if he knew any tricks. He suggested moving the car back and forth and then trying to connect the charger again. We tried this, but it still didn't work.

After almost 30 minutes, as a small crowd gathered around the elderly couple and their non-charging car, another person came over and asked what the problem was. He said he owned a Tiago EV and would try to connect the charger. Unfortunately, it didn't work for him either. But, being the kind soul he was, he offered to help as he had a factory nearby with a charging facility and took the elderly couple with him. It was so nice of him to arrive just in time!

To Chennimalai

Then, we decided to head to Chennimalai, as Google Maps showed it was only about 75 km away. I checked and it seemed cars were allowed to the top, so we drove there, only to find out that they weren't allowing any vehicles due to some road work. We had to climb the stairs, which was almost an hour-long hike. It was about 1400 steps! Out of the four of us, only two were really fit, so the other two were a bit slower. We finally reached the temple at the top around 5 PM, had a wonderful darshan, and then climbed back down.

On our way back, something unexpected happened. A goat suddenly darted out of the bushes on the side of the road right in front of my car! A Brezza was following me closely. I'm pretty sure I could have slammed on the brakes and stopped, but I was worried the Brezza would rear-end me. So, I tried to slow down from 85 kmph to almost 55 kmph in less than two seconds. I heard a small thud, and the goat got hit in the front and ran to the other side of the road. I was quite worried and didn't stop there as there was no one around except me and the Brezza driver. After about 20 km, I stopped to check the car. Luckily, nothing seemed to have happened except for some spots of blood on the front. I've definitely decided to get a dashcam after this incident!

Finally, here are a few pictures from the trip. Hope you enjoyed reading about my little adventure!

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Prior to hitting the open roads, I put on the 3M ear plugs for insulation from wind noise.

BHPian WalterWhite recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Ride to Nelliampathi - Feb, 2024

After my last update in July 2024, here I am with another ride update. The ride itself actually happened more than a year ago. As usual, my tight work schedule and my laziness in writing things down made this post take much longer than expected. But here I am, better late than never!

Nelliampathi had been on my "go-to" list for a long time. Most of the time, other places took priority, and Nelliampathi always ended up at the bottom. But finally, it’s off my list now!

Nelliampathy is a hill station located in the Palakkad district of Kerala. It’s part of the stunning Western Ghats, known for its natural beauty. So one fine Sunday took my Akira there.

Route

Kochi -> Trichur -> Vadakkanchery -> Nenmara -> Nelliampathi

Started off at 8 AM. The traffic was mild most of the time. But once the Angamaly is over, this is where I get straight highways with less traffic. Some junctions are already equipped with flyovers, while others are still under construction. For the junctions under construction, I had to detour onto the service road and then merge back onto the highway, requiring extra caution. On the open roads, the Akira is off the shackles, and the beast comes out once I cross the 8K RPM. 8K to 13K: This is where the fun is and should be explored on open highways. Prior to hitting the open roads, I put on the 3M ear plugs for insulation from wind noise. This works like a charm upwards of 120Kmph and cuts out most of the wind noise. By 10:00 AM, I had exited the Kuthiran Tunnel and was approaching Vadakkanchery. By 10:45 AM, I reached Nenmara, the starting point of the Nelliampathy road. It took me another 45 minutes to reach Nelliampathy. The hot weather was quite tiring.

From here the uphill climb starts.

Somewhere in the uphill journey, Pothundi Dam reservoir in the backdrop

Pothundi Dam Reservoir

Almost at the top Akira posing for a side show

The Seethargund Estate entry: This is the main attraction in Nelliampathy. Providing a view stunning to the Kollengod village of Palakkad

The Seethargund viewpoint with the signature tree in the foreground and the Kollengod in the background.

A wide angle : Akira in the backdrop of the Pothundi Reservoir

The Seethargund viewpoint

The Seethargund tea plantation

The way to Kesavan Para : another viewpoint

The 10-minute walk slowly revealing the top rock formation

The view : Pothundi Dam. The heat was unbearable here.

The dry fields are begging for a thunderstorm...!

Well, overall the ride proved to be tiring because of the scorching heat. I chose the wrong season for the visit - February. The Palakkad district altogether was burning, and let alone, I went for a ride to the top. The takeaway of this ride is that I got some open stretches to unleash Akira and have a lot of fun. Went straight back to home after visiting the Kesavan Para! Maybe during monsoon or right after monsoon I will try this place again. See you all in the next update..

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