3000 km Road-Trip in a Fortuner | Bengaluru to Bhubaneswar

 

Odhisa -India's best kept Secret ( official tagline) - it's been missing from our list for some time. Dussera vacation for kids gave us the small gap to fit it in , but given the short time window we were not able to extensively cover it in one go. So decided to do the highlights ( Eastern Golden Triangle) for now. In the next road trip to the North-Eastern States we will cover the other areas.

With Odhisa done, we have taken the Fortuner to 16/28 states and 4/8 Union Territories, Plan is to cover all states in India, It will take a lifetime to explore each state minutely ,the plan is to do the highlights.. As the car was bought specifically for road trips we are trying to maximize its usage. It's done 40k+ KM across these states in the last 24 months.

States travelled with Fortuner in over 25 months

Source: https://www.mapchart.net/india.html

Machine : Toyota Fortuner 2021 4 x 2 ,

Again reliability wins over everything else (comfort/electronics etc.) for us in a car , Toyota has always kept us happy in that department over the years. We use it as a 4 seater so that gives us ample space for people and bags. No travel fatigue so far and we have done max of 1100 km/day in our earlier trips, in this trip we did a max of 770 km/day.

Fill It Shut It Drive It

Preparation: Nothing for the vehicle see the point above, the meter reading had touched 37k so after the trip will take it for the 40k service, topped up the AdBlue as it lasts only 7k for us. The usual snacks etc. for the road. Network was very good and reliable all along the route, in fact even took a few work related video calls with no buffering at all.

People: Wife , Daughters and Me

The people

Executed Plan:


Onward/Return Journey

We took the same route BLR/TIR/VTZ/PURI/BBI/VGA/TIR/BLR both ways the only difference was stay at Vijayawada instead of Tirupati while returning. Onward we could start only by 5PM due to school and work engagements, so we stopped at Tirupati instead of doing one long drive to Vizag.

I complement the "State of Roads" every time we do a road trip in India , we are second to none in that department now. Yes there are scope for improvements in terms of disturbances/irritants on road , as it does require more alertness as compared to road trips we have taken outside India.


Country Roads Take me Home

As a rule I avoid night driving but this time we broke that rule to witness Brahmotsavam festival in Tirupati the last day of our journey. The "Aswa Vahanam" procession was from 7-9 PM so we could start the journey only after 10PM towards Bangalore.

Day by Day itinerary

( Request: For all the travelogue writers please always put this in , this helps us a lot in planning. We always use this as a start point before adding/deleting based on the days/likes )


Travel Itinerary

Road Trip by the numbers:

1.39 Cost per KM (INR) for Toll
54.00 Number of Toll Gates
87.66 Diesel price (INR) Minimum in KA
110.96 Diesel price (INR) Maximum in AP
235.00 Diesel Consumed (L)
3220.00 Distance Travelled (KM)
4491.00 Toll (INR)

This should ideally be a trunk route for Tourism , lots of details are available in this forum itself including state of the roads ,will list a few tips / places we enjoyed.


Miles of Paddy Fields all along our journey

Visakhapatnam: Our first impression this is not very different from Rio De Janeiro (ok minus the samba ,party vibes and carnival ), we had the mountains next to the sea, long sandy salubrious beaches, impressive hotels and restaurants, Beach side eateries. Clean as compared to Bangalore , we need to market these cities more and more firstly within India itself, domestic tourism can become a mainstay economy. Had my quota of Andhra meals for the year. The three museums on the beach road don't miss it. Dolphin's Nose Lighthouse can be avoided ( the lighthouse itself was too crowded ) but the place can be visited for some beautiful views of the city.

Do visit Thotlakonda (Natural Arch) , Bheemili (Mermaid Statue) beaches hardly 30min away from the city and drive along the Dr. NTR Beach road (the PCH / H1 of AP), wish they could extend it all the way to Odhisa.

The hotel we stayed was right on the beach road and a good view of the sunrise from the rooms and restaurants


Vizag an eye opener for us


View from the Dolphins Nose Lighthouse


The beauty of Vizag


Never Ending beaches of Vizag


Natural Arch Thotalakonda Beach

Chilika: Stayed at Swosti resorts on the west side of the lake , its an ok place but there are not many options to choose from. They do a have a jetty area right behind the resort so you should be able to hire a boat from the resort or any of the union boats. Price is fixed so just take any boatsman who comes to you first and go to the islands. We hired the boat for 2.5 hours ,went island hopping and also got to see the sunset from the boat.



Swosti Sunrise island on Chilika Lake


Sunset Cruise

Puri: Engage a Panda for the visit to the Jaganath temple, life will be so much easier. If the right Panda you get to see the deities inside the sanctum sanctorum in peace without the push/pull from the cops. Also witnessed the flag changing ceremony. Other than the temple it’s the beaches at Puri that are famous.


Puri beach signpost


Mayfair Beach Puri

Konark: The IOCL foundations Konark Museum is a must visit, the interactive screens + the movie makes it worth the time. Do note for the Sound and Light you have to be physically available to buy the tickets an hour before the start.


At the Konark Temple

Bhubaneswar: Wow is the word, I had my idea about this city but now I am a fan. The well maintained museums with great staff , free and ample parking space and canteens was a sea change for us from what we are used to in other places we have been. The staff ( government employees!) actually came to explain the art and culture on display and all this for an entry fee of Rs.10 !! We made sure to visit multiple museums while we were there. Kala Bhoomi Odisha Crafts Museum deserves a special mention here.


Khandagiri and Udayagiri Caves


Wall Art in Open Area


Kala Boomi a must visit

Gopalpur-on-Sea: Another wonderful place, yes we were too early for the Olive Ridley Turtles but beach is always there! The place we stayed had the sand dunes to walk across to access the beach that made the trip to the sea to watch the sunset even more memorable


Sandunes Gopalpur beach

Tirupati & Tirumala: It has been over 20 years since I last visited the temple, lots of changes. The security check for entry to Tirumala is quite intense so be prepared to empty your car. As we had packed bags for 10 days taking it all through security scanners was a bit of work . Also do note the uphill journey has a minimum time you need to take to reach the top (28min) and to come down (40min), its printed on the ticket, so do take care and drive slowly uphill. As it’s crowded due to Brahmotsavam festival we decided to witness the "Aswa Vahanam" procession only . It was a good break from the long drive and much wanted exposure on the religious/devoutness side of life. Local friends helped us get a premium seating to witness the procession.


Aswa Vahanam gif


Aswa Vahanam


Bramhotsavam at Tirumala

Saw this car on our return journey somewhere after Vijayawada where we had stopped for a tea break, could not find the occupants they must have stepped out to eat. They are doing what we plan to do but at an accelerated pace.



Once again a big shoutout to all the members in this forum - we all come together to harness the magic of travel.

Cheers to another successful journey

Road Trip to Dev Bhumi (Uttarakhand) from Karma Bhumi ( Bengaluru) in a Fortuner

Road Trip to DevBhumi (Uttarakhand) from KarmaBhumi (Bengaluru) in a Fortuner

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Miles to go before I sleep….yet another milestone

It's that time of the year where Himalayas beacon you to visit it, last year we did Spiti and parts of Himachal, this year it was Uttarakhand . Kids had booked a 10 day hike to Dayara Bugiyal with Indiahikes, this is a kids only hike no adults. ( Do look it up it’s a very good learning for the kids and also will hook them up for hikes for a lifetime). The option we had was to use the chaperone service all the way from Bangalore and back but given our travel bug that was not an option we even considered! Given that we still have the flexibility to work from anywhere we decided let's just drive up and we will work from Rishikesh while the kids go on their hike. We threw in 2 days at Agra as an enticer , this would be the kids first New Seven Wonders of the World , sixth for wife and me ( Petra in Jordan is still pending), this got them hooked for yet another road trip. The plan was set, take a week off to travel the first 10 days, the work from Rishikesh for next 10 days and then travel back on a weekend back home.


Can the roads get any better


Yes they can and will


Any distance travelled would be forgotten when you see these marvels

Machine

: Toyota Fortuner , 2021 Model

The Hero Honda CD100 advertisement of the 90's "Fill it, Shut It, Forget It" is what I remember every time we take the Fortuner out on road trips, well I am not talking of the 80L fuel tank or the mileage (12KMPL which is respectable) But the trouble free car, just service it regularly every 10k KM and hit the roads, any type of roads. The car never gives any room for complaints. We use it as a 4 seater so that gives us ample space for the baggage and people. Even after a 15hour drive one doesn't feel the travel fatigue of a long drive. If you have road trip in mind just go for this vehicle. Having said that ,this car doesn't see much of Bangalore city/traffic we prefer to stick to a Maruti Celerio/Public Bus for in city errands.


Ever Dependable machine

Preparation: Just the regular 30K servicing of the car. Knowing that we will do more than 5000 KM I took an additional 5L of AdBlue for the return journey( Call it OCD I don’t like any warning lights on the dashboard so the moment the AdBlue warning pops up I top it up)


A full House

People: Wife , Daughters and Me

Our 6th New Wonders of the World

Executed Plan:



Day by Day itinerary
( Request: For all the travelogue writers please always put this in , this helped us a lot in planning)


Onward: Don’t touch what works that's the policy we used. The onward route was straightforward we have done it a few times for our earlier trips. An early start to Nagpur covering KA-AP-TS-MH via Hyderabad . MH-MP-UP to reach Agra on Day 2. From Agra it was expressway to UP-UK to reach Dehradun. The interchange between the Yamuna and Eastern Peripheral Expressway is expected next year, looking forward to that.


Car(t) before the Horse....Who has more HP?


Return: Well why change what works return journey was the same as onward, including the pitstops (restaurants)! We did think of coming via Jaipur/Mumbai route but then we decided we will wait for the new expressway and explore that side of the country in greater detail.

The places we visited are all high tourist footfall places so not going into the description of each place. We did the usual plus some small hikes/detours , I will mention those in more detail.

• [1]Tiger Falls / Chakrata

It was my second visit , last was 20 years back in a Maruti Esteem. We had done a long hike to reach the falls but now it has changed they have a road right up to the base of the falls. One has to be careful driving on those roads large section is mud road. It was crowded but then it was a long weekend and this place is very close to Delhi. The infrastructure has improved by leaps and bounds from my last trip here in 2003 to Chakrata, there was a one way road to the top so it was usually 2 uphill trips in the morning and 2 downhill, But all that is history we have wide roads to accommodate the ever satiating love for huge vehicles!!

• [2]Moila Bugyal / Chakrata

About an hour's drive from Chakrata market the roads till Lokhandi are great then one has to move to the mud/stone roads. It's also called Moila Top. Deodar trees thousands of them all around you. Its an easy hike just to make it a bit longer and more exciting for the kids we parked our car about 4 Km before thus making it a 7km hike one way. It’s a serene and tranquil place, there is a Shiva temple on the peak, keep lots of time one can easily spend 2-3 hours exploring the peak. Jackets are a must as the clouds and sun play hide and seek. Also there a bit of a rain when we were climbing, the trees gave enough shelter so we didn’t get wet. There were many cattle's grazing peacefully. One can spend hours here just sitting and relaxing and enjoying the nature. Bonus there was a group of young girls who were making a dance video in their traditional dress, we sat and watched the graceful dance ( wonders of travel you never know what you will get!!)


Enroute Moila Top


Ascent to Moila Bugiyal


Moila Bugiyal

• [3]George Everest Peak Trek /Mussoorie

This wasn’t planned a google search on what to do in Mussoorie led us to this. It's an easy hike from the parking lot. There is also Heli tourism available here. The peak offers a spectacular view of the Himalayan ranges and the Doon valley. Yes the Himalayan prayer flags were very prominent on the top. 5km round trip , keep enough time to immerse on the peak. Lots of places offering Maggie, Bread Omelet, Tea around the start point.


With George Everest


Marching Orders


At George Everest Peak

• [4]Bhadraj temple /Mussoorie

As we were short of time and not in mood for another hike in the afternoon after the George Everest Peak hike, we decided to drive down to Bhadraj temple. We took the route through Clouds End. Now this turned out to be an adventure like our Mudh village Spiti trip! The roads were at a gradient where I had my doubts if we will tip backwards add to that loose stones making it more slippery. Finally we decided to park and walk about 2 km on a steep incline. The roads traversed through a small Jungle also. The temple is dedicated to Lord Balrama and is an all-white marble building. It offers a 360 degrees view of the Valley below. Would highly recommend everyone to drive to this place as it was adventurous.


On the way to Badraj Temple


Finally decided to stop and walkup

• [5]Kaudia Eco Park Hike/Kanatal,Chamba

Its Apr , its summer but in the Kaudia Eco park it was freezing and we were regretting why we didn’t bring the gloves! On our way back from Tehri we wanted to do a short hike and a google search suggested this place. In the end it turned out to be a 10KM long hike through the forests . One can skip the Jeep Safari and elect to just walk through the jungle at your own pace. Some of the trails are very steep so would suggest one takes the trail based on experience. Lot of eating options along the route.


Kaudia Eco Park

• [6]Chicham Bridge/ New Tehri

What's there to say about this bridge, not be banal and using the Nike punch line "Just Do It" . When our Hotel manager suggested we go there in the evening after it gets dark we had our doubts , another hanging bridge won't be an awe inspiring one for us. But with nothing else to do than gaze at the sky we decided why not. We reached there before the sun was setting and stopped at a Dabha few Kilometers away to sip the tea and enjoy the view of the Tehri Lake/Bridge/Floating Hotel. Then the magic happened after sunset they turned on the lights!! This was an awe inspiring view. Let the photos do some justice to the view, I would highly recommend this if you are visiting Tehri!


Chicham Bridge Early Evening


Chicham Bridge - At its Full Glory


Tehri lake

• [7]Koteshwar Mahadev Temple /Dagar, UK

Go here for the views, Bhagirathi River meanders here , this temple a short 500m walk from the tar road. This is on the road from Devprayag to New Tehri. The good part of this route is almost zero traffic plus you get to see the Koteshwar Dam and Tehri Dam, in fact you drive over one dam and go parallel to another. We took this route to Tehri instead of the highway so got to appreciate UK much more.

• [8]Kimono A Tranquil Hideaway / Chakrata

Why is a hotel being mentioned here , take a look at the view. This too was a sheer accidental find. As the hotels we wanted in Chakrata were all full a good 4 weeks before our travel, one of the owners seeing my disappointment and also the fact that I was driving up all the way from Bangalore, he shared a number and asked me to check if the place is available. We booked it without seeing any feedback/snaps. The drive to it along the mountain cliff just off the main road and the room has the best view of the mountains. We also had a swing and a see saw for the kids to play. A dining table + fire place in front of the room. A hospitable staff to make our stay comfortable.



Restaurants worth mentioning:

1. Deepali in Sagar MP: Good place to stop for food. The folks were very friendly in fact they remembered us on our return journey and threw in dessert as a celebration of our travel.
2. Virasat-e-Punjab ,Rairu - Dabra Bypass Rd, MP turn on NH44: A restaurant 1800KM away from we have already visited it 6 times in the last 12 months! We haven't done that many visits for places in Bangalore also.
   
   
3. Original Dasaprakash , Agra UP: Well it happened to be next door to the Hotel in Agra and we wanted some South Indian food to tickle our palates , great service good food.
4. Rajasthani Sweets Mishthan Bhandar, Rishikesh UK: This was our go to place every day evening for dinner. We timed it so that we are there before/during the Ganga Aarti then its less crowded. Order anything on the menu , you wont be disappointed.
5. Bison, Pench MP: About 100KM from Nagpur, great place good food, slow service so go there to get a long break from your drive. Folks are very hospitable the owner spoke to us both times and also mentioned when it’s a good time to sight animals.
6. Vital Kamat, Nagpur, MH : Newly opened on NH44 20Km before Nagpur. Yummy food and a clean place on the highway. This has been opened recently haven't see this in the earlier trips.
7. UP15 Meerut, UP : Ah the modern day dabhas, these are a marked change from my road trips in the late 90's. DO visit this if you are travelling on that route.
8. Pappu Lassi Rishikesh,UK: One of the best lassis I had in the recent past. Crowded ,narrow lanes to reach but you are rewarded when you get there. This is near Triveni Ghat.
9. Chacha Sip 'N'Dine Restaurant and Home Stay, Dandasali Dakshani, UK : We had pahadi food here, they have a good variety of traditional and local food on their menu. The team is friendly and they make you feel welcome right from the word Go.
10. Murgan Café, Koti,UK: Not many options near Tehri Lake. Food is good, fast service and view is worth anything else they lack!

Road Trip by the numbers:

1.49 Cost per KM (INR) for Toll
12.18 Fuel efficiency in KMPL
83.00 Number of Toll Gates
88.35 Diesel price (INR) Minimum in KA
99.14 Diesel price (INR) Maximum in AP
472.00 Diesel (L)
5747.00 Distance Travelled (KM)
8565.00 Toll (INR)
43380.00 Fuel cost (INR)

If someone has read this till here, I know you are into road trip but for those who are sitting on the fences. Indian Highways/Expressways are now second to none when it comes to road infrastructure, this is coming from someone who has driven extensively across the world and India starting from late 90's. Bovine population is a concern especially in Central India but expressways take away that worry also. Its predictable with speed limit of 100 & 120 kmph miles can be crunched easily and yes you can have lunch at your favorite restaurant 500km away !


A Mural close to the Triveni Ghat area we stayed

And lastly you need to be flexible to travel :-)
Flexible to food, culture, geographies, weather, people and yes to all sort of driving style!


Again a big shoutout to all the members in this forum - we all come together to harness the magic of travel.


Creating Memories


Creating Memories