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

In search of the elusive Snow in Spiti Valley | 6800 km, 24 day road-trip in a Fortuner

 Last few years with our travel restricted to India , long road trips has been a pressure relieving system from the monotonous routine , Team BHP travelogues has been my treasure trove. This travelogue is an altruistic act to give back to this community.

Place Like these



Yes we did see snow



Solitude

The Plan: KA-AP-TS-MH-MP-UP-HR-PB-HP - A nine state trip to see snow in Spiti HP. It was in Dec 2021 we did the 4800KM road trip to Rajasthan with the Covid situation improving for the better we knew it was a matter of time before the offices open and life goes back to the grind. Before that we wanted to login another trip.



For the kids snow has been elusive they had only read about it or seen it in the movies, for us the adults we have had our fill of snow when we worked/stayed in other countries and we thank every day for the tropical weather of our country! We decided to make a trip to Spiti, read up all the travelogues on TeamBHP on this subject from a decade back. Also with the advent of Vlogs you can put together the plan very easily. Now we needed sufficient time to drive at the same time work cannot be ignored so we decided to make it a workcation, kids had summer vacation so for them it was easy. The plan was we will drive during the weekends , weekdays we will take up AirBnB with good broadband and work , also short visits to must see spots in the afternoons and evenings. For Spiti we took an entire week off.



Kaza dhoor nahin

Elder daughter had started with history in her school she was keen on visiting Jalianwala Bagh so we decide to bring Punjab into the fold. Amritsar was a natural stop now we had Golden temple and Attari-Wagha border also added to the itinerary. Shahabad we wanted to give kids a genuine farm stay experience so added that as another pitstop. Chandigarh was included to visit some friends and the Rock Garden, also I grew up there in the late 70's but have no memories as I was very young. Financial Year end and Shimla stay coincided , we had some deliverables so we needed a place with two rooms and a steady broadband, AirBnB was a boon we got good places to dwell and work.

The Preparation:

1. Car serviced though it wasn’t due for another 1500km I got the 10K service done prior to the journey
2. Ad Blue topped up ( it lasted for 8K in the first fill).
3. Bought Mi Air Compressor 1S ( did a few trial runs on my cycle, didn’t get time to test it out on cars)
4. Dug up our winter clothes ( in BLR they go for deep hibernation given that we never get to use them)
5. Spotify offline music
6. Gifts for kids we will meet in Spiti (Crayons/Pencils/Sharpener/Coloring books etc. It's always appreciated, we have been doing this for our travel to the mountains from the Andes, Sierra Madre, Himalayas….would encourage others also, the more remote the place the more appreciation for the gifts)

The Machine: Toyota Fortuner 2021 4x2 AT Diesel



The People: Me , Wife, 2 Daughters

The Toilets: ( during road journey) A clean toilet is an oxymoron , it's also my pet peeve but nothing to be done especially when it comes to the female gender. Some of the restaurants/dhabas along the way did have a clean option but they are very few and far between. We did consider a dome tent but that was close to our travel dates so skipped it. We continue to look for a solution.

DPF: We had no issues with DPF through our journey. Once thing I noticed the DPF was auto triggered usually between 150-170KM in the plains. In the hills it was triggered every 100KM that was also because of the road ( or no road) conditions where it was all stones/rocks /mud roads. Also the DPF usually lasted 5-7min but in the hills it took a good 15min to complete. (less Oxygen?).

Some numbers to digest upon :


There are many travelogues in this forum which detail the places you should visit at each location, I don’t plan to describe them here in great detail, the fun in such road trips also include the planning -reading up the travels of others. I will list all the places we visited and some tips so it's helpful to others .

Onward Drive BLR to PUNJAB - This is a fairly easy and straightforward one . We took 2 nights stay as we wanted the kids to have enough break and enjoy rather than it be an ordeal. The onward and return route were the same. BLR-HYD-NGP-SAGAR-JHANSI-GWALIOR-AGRA-DELHI-KURUKSHETRA-AMRITSAR . For Onward we took Agra Expressway. We could start only by afternoon from BLR due to some work engagements, so we decided to stay in Hyd for the first night. From HYD our idea was to stop at Sagar but we realized we could easily reach Jhansi by 10PM so we decided to push ahead . From Jhansi we stopped at our first pre-determined stay at the farm house in Shahabad. From there we went to Amritsar-Chandigarh and finally to Shimla.

Return Drive from KAZA to BLR - We took 3 nights stay for the return journey. The stretch from Kaza till Zirakpur was a bit of a stress as its mountain roads. After that its again the super highways and a smooth journey. For return we skirted Agra via Mathura/Brindavan and not the Yamuna expressway. For onward and return we were booking hotels on the fly based on the distance we were covering. Next stop was the same hotel in Jhansi as we liked the food at Lemon Tree. From Jhansi the plan was to stay in HYD but it was late when we started so decided to stay in Adilabad. It’s a small city/town and finding a decent place is tough. We stayed at a place called Kakaku clean and small rooms. Next day we stopped at HYD for lunch and some shopping at Ikea . By 9PM we were back home in Bangalore.



Trip Meter

The executed plan:



The restaurants we visited and worth a mention:

• Halidirams Nagpur (inside the city will lose an hour or two as it’s a diversion if you are not staying you should skip this )
• Virasat-e-Punjab Rairu-Dabra Bypass Rd, Madhya Pradesh
• Gulshan Dabha , Sonipat
• Kesar Da Dabha , Amritsar (skip next time?)
• Novelty Sweets and Restaurants, Amritsar
• Lassi near Golden temple non-descript hole in the wall type restaurant
• Himalayan Rasoi ,Shimla
• Asli Pappu Dabha on NH19
• Café 1082, Pooh, Himachal Pradesh

Places and Elevation we visited :

SHAHBAD

I had spent my early childhood in Adampur , Punjab we used to have a field day (literally!) everyday as our house was abutting a farm. We do get nostalgic about our carefree years ,wanted kids to experience that. We found this serene little place inside a village with farms surrounding it on all sides. Now for city dwellers this lifestyle in intriguing. Visit to the Ponds, a machan for some bird watching, Water pouring out from the pump sets, Channels being dug on the farms, Seeing the use of Tractors and farm equipment's. Overall a great stay with real life experience on farm.



Father Daughter Moment



A field run

AMRITSAR/CHANDIGARH

• The regular places first, we had dinner at Kesar Da Dabha not to be a spoilsport but in my opinion a bit over hyped cleanliness is questionable, need to skip some of the must do experiences that I have read about in future travels.
  
• Golden temple was crowded. Tip was to come by 4AM/5AM when the crowd will be sparse, check with locals they will know the best.
  
• Jalianwala bagh in its new avatar has taken away the sanctity of the place again my opinion, the entrance had they left it as what it was during the dreadful day the event happened, it would have had a better impact on the future generations rather than the new cheerful murals and statues ( again this is my opinion in a democracy we can all have one!). This is my third visit 1995/2004/2022 over the decades.
  
  
  
  The New Entrace
  
  
• Attari border post ( Wagha is on the Pakistan side so let's use Attari) the nationalistic fervor was oozing out of the crowd assembled there, BSF MC does a good job in whipping up patriotic passions. Parking is available right next to the border post, don’t park anywhere else, even if civilians/local cops tell you otherwise. At the parking lot you have the option to go for valet (INR 120/-) which will let you take your vehicle out easily from the parking lot.
  
  
  
  BSF Master of Ceremony
  
  
• Don’t miss the Punjab State War Heroes Memorial & Museum on the way to the border post , it has 7 halls and detailed war history, 7D show was also good especially the tank in the snowy mountain effects. Would suggest you keep 2-3 hours for the entire place.
  
• A new discovery was Sada Pind. It gives a glimpse of the rural life, folk dance, rural Olympic sporting events etc. Its worth a visit the entry ticket included a meal ( lunch/dinner)
  
  
  
  Maut Ka kuan
  
  
• Gobindgarh fort is also a good place to spend a few hours. Some of the museums inside have additional tickets would highly recommend that you buy and visit those. Both kids and adults will enjoy it. The 7D show though in Punjabi was easily understood by all of us. The sound and light show was just OK would not suggest it if you have already seen the 7D show. We left early from the Sound and Light show as the kids got bored after a while.
  
  
  
  Bangra Show at the Fort
  
  
• Gurudwara Tarn Taran sahib should be a must visit if you are in this part of the town. We reached there early morning 7AM and it was a tranquil setting.
  
• Transport we used for Golden Temple and Jalianwala Bagh was the electric auto. Find out the approximate rate from some local and negotiate with the drivers. Expect to pay a premium for the tourist that you are.
• Yes we did buy some jootis from the market, hopefully they last.

SHIMLA

• Mall road Parking place- there is a Govt. Parking lot from where you have both the lift and stairs to walk to the mall road. Would highly recommend you use that.
  
• We stayed 8KM away from the mall road purposefully. That gave us a huge backyard to hike every day. We came to the Mall road for dinner twice during our stay.
  
  
  
  Our Daily Morning and Evening Hike
  
  
• Jakhoo hill and temple is an easy hike from the Mall road, watch out for those monkeys
• Roads are narrow so one has to be careful. There is parking available at all the tourist locations do your research before you go.
• TIP - top up your vehicles fuel tank in and around Shimla before heading to Kaza.

SPITI

• Tanni Jubbar Lake might seem like a deviation but take it, it will be worth the time. The lake itself will be a welcome break, there are small hikes around the temple/lake. As an additional bonus you will also drive through the Apple farms at Thanedar.
  
  
  
  Hike at Tanni Jubbar Lake
  
  
• There was military training going on at the Khab confluence (Madras Sappers) we were allowed to watch it but no cameras, what made us jump was the blank machine gun firing which we were not expecting ,it shattered the sound of silence in the mountains. I have had my share of firing range during my NCC days but this was something else.
  
• Do stop at Café 1082 the wet canteen run by the BRO at Pooh, we had a friendly chat with the soldiers who runs it and shared notes on our travels and civil life.
  
  Pooh Wet Canteen Cafe1082
  
  
• Kalpa the Rollingrang Hotel team was above and beyond. The view from their balcony of Kinnaur Kailash is worth the stay there
  
  
  
  Kinnaur Kailash Night Photo you can see the snow mountains
  
  
  
  
• Don’t follow google maps blindly it suggests roads where cars cannot go. Check it before and consult locals.
  
  
  
  My Car barely made it through this road it brushed the apple trees
  
  
• Tabo monastery if closed just wait for some time , once the monks see you they will open it. Please keep sufficient time the monks will also explain the paintings. Walk around the Tabo village and appreciate the stine architecture
  
  
  Tabo Village
  
  
• Dhankar lake trek (4140msl) is in the easy-moderate category. We took 45min to climb up ,we do hike regularly so it was an easy one for all of us. Keep at least an hour at the lake and enjoy the beautiful place. There was lot of snow and half the lake was frozen when we visited it in second week of APR 2022. I have seen some folks getting discouraged in doing this hike thinking its difficult I would encourage them to just go for it.
  
  
  
  
  
• Mudh Village don’t miss it, the drive to the place and the majestic view of the snow clad mountains from your hotel makes it worth it. Some of the roads are narrow and my car just fit in . The snow was melting and the roads had washed away at some places.
  
  
  
  Yak Ploughing the Farm
  
  
  
  
  View from our room
  
  
• Make sure you have someone in the car to help you move some stones on the road if needed we needed to do that a few times in the Pin Valley road towards Mudh village.
  
  
  
  
• The Mud Village famous bridge looks very safe but the vertical gaps between the cables to hold is a kept at a distance. Didn’t realize this when the kids walked across on their own, return we made sure the adults were there to accompany them. From my experience with mountain rivers the currents are very strong and even as an expert swimmer I have struggled when we go river rafting. Would suggest you accompany the kids on all the hanging bridges.
  
  
  
  Mudh Bridge See the gap kids can easily pass through
  
  
• Do Kaza-langaza-Komic-Hikkim-Kaza in that order.
  
  
  
  
• One needs time when you are here in Spiti its both about the journey and the destination.
  
  
  
• Driving is easy if you have driven in the hills before . Roads are OK, what gave me confidence was cars like Celerio and Alto easily gliding across the "kachha" roads, they were all driven by locals.
  
  
  
  Celerio Zooming past
  
  
• Keep your ego aside and let the local vehicles pass they have more experience on the local roads. Most of the bigger vehicles trucks/buses/tractors pulled aside to let us pass wherever possible. One honk or appearing in their rear view mirror is sufficient
  
  
  
• Also our idea is to stop frequently and immerse ourselves in the beautiful landscape. Park carefully and don’t hinder the traffic. (Chicham was chaotic so we moved ahead to the village and came back when the crowd had dispersed)
  
  
  
• We didn’t face any roadblock in this entire journey
  

I need to put in BOLD saw some out of state vehicles on the Hill roads that had no clue what they were doing. Always give way to the drivers coming uphill whenever it's possible. If needs be you should reverse until you reach a location where both vehicles have enough room to pass. Locals always followed this rule.

The learning from these trips is a lot both for the adults and children. Will conclude with two snippets:

Elder Daughter to me : Is there a non-combat role in the military? ( This is the first time she has seen so many military folks in the places we traveled from Amritsar to Spiti, Attari-Wagha border was also an inspiration! )



At the Attari Integrated Check Post


Notes from my younger daughters journal see the last line:



Yes we got some snow to put on the car for the snap




And lastly you need to be flexible to travel :-)