VOYAGE - A DIARY OF TRAVELLER

Mumbai to Hyderabad: Ladakh Road Trip Last Day - Day 16

2015-09-07T04:07:00.001-07:00

Date: 18^thMay 2013

Distance Travelled: 750 KMs

Highlights of the Day: Mumbai – Pune Expressway,

States Entered: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh

Last day of our Bangalore to Ladakh road trip and we were in Mumbai outskirts. We started our final lap of journey at 10:30am towards Pune. By the time we crossed Mumbai and took Mumbai Pune Expressway it was 12 in the noon.

Mumbai Pune Expressway is amazing and it took us 2 hours to reach Pune. There are number of tunnels on Pune Expressway and the route is full of beautiful sights. At 1:50pm Mumbai Pune expressway ended and at 2pm we were in Pune.

It took us one and half hour to come out of Pune, as we stuck in traffic on several places. At 3:30pm we were out of Pune and started for Sholapur. By the time we reached Sholapur it was 7 in the evening. Now there was nothing much left in our journey and only thing that was in our mind was to reach Hyderabad as soon as possible.

At 10pm we entered Karnataka for half an hour and at 11pm we were in one more state Andhra Pradesh. Road was not in good condition due to which when we reach Hyderabad it was already 1am in the night. We haven’t had dinner, so started our search for dinner in Hyderabad and got Biryani parcel.

After getting dinner parcel we went to our hotel which was already booked. This was last night of our long Ladakh road trip. Tomorrow i.e Day 17 we handed our car to my friend’s father. One of my friend went to his hometown and one stayed in Hyderabad with his parents and two of us started for Bangalore on 19^th May by bus.

Jodhpur to Mumbai: Ladakh Road Trip - Day 15

2015-08-20T04:10:00.003-07:00

Date: 17^thMay 2013

Distance Travelled: 1000 Kms

Highlights of the Day: Om Banna Temple, Ahmedabad Vadodara Expressway.

Road Condition: Jodhpur to Gujarat roads are in decent condition except few places.

From Gujarat to Mumbai roads are in excellent condition.

States Entered: Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra

After being in Jodhpur for 2 nights and 1 day, it was time to say goodbye to my hometown. It’s always difficult to leave your home and parents. We started from Jodhpur early in the morning at 6:30am, so that we can cover maximum distance. We were on the road from last 14 days and by the time we will reach Bangalore 3 more days will go.

At 8am in the morning we were in the Pali and had Kachori near the temple of Om Banna also known as Bullet Baba. At 9am we were in Sanderao and by 9:30am we entered Shivganj. We had our breakfast at 10:30am somewhere near Sirohi opposite to Pava Puri Dham.

We entered Gujarat via Abu road at 11:45am. The road was in excellent condition and we were going at pretty decent pace. 1pm we were in Palanpur and at 3pm we were on the Ahmedabad to Vadodara Expressway.

Gujarat roads were in excellent condition and were one of the best roads we drove in our road trip. At 4:30pm we entered Vadodara and from there we target Mumbai as our destination. We were regretting our decision of travelling through Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra when we started our Journey. We could easily save couple of days if we had gone for Hubli – Pune-Mumbai – Vadodara – Jaipur – Delhi route.

After having lunch on our favorite place “Highway Dhaba” at 5pm we started our journey towards Maharashtra at 5:30pm and at 9:30pm we entered Maharashtra.

Around 11pm were in the outskirts of Mumbai and decided for night halt as we were travelling from last 16 hours. We stayed in a hotel near Thane which was around 45kms from Mumbai. Tomorrow was last day of our Ladakh road trip.

A Day in Blue City- Jodhpur: Ladakh Road Trip - Day 14

2015-07-27T22:52:00.001-07:00

Jaipur to Jodhpur: Ladakh Road Trip - Day 13

2015-07-16T06:21:00.001-07:00

Date: 15^thMay 2013

Distance Travelled: 380 Kms

Highlights of the Day: Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh Fort, Amber Fort, Jal Mahal and Hawa Mahal.

Road Condition: Jaipur to Jodhpur road is in good condition, except near Bar where some construction was going on.

It was day 13 of Ladakh road trip and we were in the land of royals – my own Rajasthan. We were in the Pink City - Jaipur and two of ours hometown is Jodhpur so we decided to go home. But before going to Jodhpur we went to see famous fort of Jaipur, not Amber Fort but Nahargarh Fort.

At 11am we started from our hotel for the Nahargarh fort which got famous after Masti Ki Pathshala song of Rang De Basanti movie. On the way to Nahargarh Fort we crossed some old markets and buildings of Pink City.

As there is one more fort near Nahargarh Fort which is known as Jaigarh Fort, so we decided to visit first Jaigarh Fort. On the way we had also seen famous “Jal Mahal” of Jaipur. Far in the lake there is a palace in middle of water so it got its name as “Jal Mahal” or “Palace of water”.

At 12pm we reached Jaigarh Fort and hired a guide. You can take your vehicle inside the fort. There is a world’s largest canon in the fort known as “Jai Van”.

Click here to read more about the Jaigarh Fort.

We took some beers from the Jaigarh Fort and went to see Nahargarh Fort. We haven’t seen the actual fort but instead went on the place where “Rang De Basanti” movie song was shoot. After spending an hour at the Nahargarh Fort it was time to go home.

Click here to read more about Nahargarh Fort.

We started from Nahargarh Fort at 2:30pm for Jodhpur. On the way we had also seen “Hawa Mahal” from the road but did not went inside. Weather became pleasant due to clouds and it started drizzling. We had our lunch at 5pm on a highway Dhaba after Ajmer.

After lunch we headed straight towards Jodhpur. We got stuck in traffic jam for half an hour at Bar. At 8:45pm we were in the Jodhpur and it was time say hello to our parents.

Day 14 I was at my home to spend some time with parents while my friends went to explore the Meharangarh Fort of Jodhpur.

Rishikesh to Jaipur: Ladakh Road Trip - Day 12

2015-07-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

Date: 14^thMay 2013

Distance Travelled: 580 Kms

Highlights of the Day: Bungee Jumping and Flying Fox.

Road Condition: Rishikesh to Meerut road is in good condition. From Meerut to Delhi road is average and from Delhi to Jaipur excellent road condition.

States Entered: Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Rajasthan.

Day 11 of our Bangalore to Ladakh road trip and we were in the Rishikesh, sleeping in our tents on the banks of Ganges. We woke up at 7am when we heard the noise outside our tents. It was the employees of Samsung company who came there for team outing.

It’s hard to describe that feeling when you woke up in morning and river Ganga is flowing in front of your eyes and your ears can hear the chanting sound of bells far in the temples.

After having shower and breakfast we started from our campsite to the office of Jumpin Heights. We decided to go for Bungee Jumping and Flying Fox in Rishikesh. So first we went to the office of Jumpin Heights which is in Rishikesh city, from there we came to know that jumping site is at different location near Mohan Chetti.

Bungee Jumping site is around 14kms from Ram Jhula and you there is a ghat road. We reached office of Jumpin Heights at 1 pm and book our slots for Bungee Jumping and Flying Fox.

First we went for the Bungee Jump which cost us Rs. 2500. This is India’s first permanent Bungee Jumping platform located in the midst of forest. Height of the jump was 83 meters.

Out of four of us I was the second one to jump. Everything was normal till I reach the edge of jumping point. Suddenly heart started beating fast and that feeling was like committing suicide. In next few seconds I was hanging like a bat in middle of sky.

You can read the complete experience of Bungee Jumping in Rishikesh here.

After Bungee Jumping we went for the Flying Fox which was at different location. We paid Rs.1500 for Flying Fox in Rishikesh. It is Asia’s longest Flying Fox with a distance of 1 km and maximum speed you will reach is 160kms/hr. Flying Fox was not that thrilling compare to Bungee Jumping but it was good experience of flying like a bird.

Click here to see video of Flying Fox.

After both the activities we collected our certificates and video CD’s from the office of Jumpin Heights. You need to pay extra money for the video recording. At 3pm we started from the Jumpin Heights office to Rishikesh and from there we reached Haridwar at 4:30pm.

We were in Roorkee at 6pm from there we entered Meerut at 8pm. It was nonstop journey from the Rishikesh to Jaipur. We reached Delhi at 10pm and from there we reached Jaipur late night at 1pm. After reaching Jaipur we took a hotel and went to sleep at 2pm.

Day 13 was the day of home coming (Jodhpur).

Ambala to Rishikesh: Ladakh Road Trip - Day 11

2015-07-07T01:50:00.000-07:00

Date: 13^thMay 2013

Distance Travelled: 220 Kms

Highlights of the Day: IIT Roorkee, Haridwar, Ram Jhula and Laxman Jhula, Rafting in Rishikesh, Camping and Bonfire on the Banks of Gnages.

Road Condition: Ambala to Uttar Pradesh boarder road is in good condition.

Uttar Pradesh to Uttarakhand: Road is in bad condition for one hour drive

Roorkee to Rishikesh road is in good condition.

States Entered: Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand

Day 11 of our Ladakh road trip started at 9:30am from Ambala and ended in adventure capital of India – Rishikesh. After driving on amazing roads of Haryana we got worst stretch of road before Uttar Pradesh boarder which continued till we entered Uttarakhand.

At 11:20am we were in Uttar Pradesh and paid a tool which was as per the condition of roads; Rs.5 and seen the board of” “Welcome to Uttar Pradesh”. We had to drive for more than an hour on the worst roads of U.P passing villages, railway crossing, overloaded trucks and tractors.

When we entered Uttarakhand it was already 12:45 in the noon. In next 15 minutes we were in Roorkee, which popularly known as IIT Roorkee. City was small but clean. We also passed by the famous IIT campus of Roorkee.

After Roorkee we reached Haridwar at 2pm. Haridwar one of the holiest cities of India, was full of temples and ashrams. We crossed number of temples built on the ghats of Ganges, Ashrams and Dhams of different saints as we were passing by the roads of Haridwar.

It took us one hour to reach Rishikesh from Haridwar. At 3pm we were in Rishikesh which recently emerged as adventure capital of India. Rishikesh: A city which is famous for its temples, Yoga Ashrams and Evening Ganga Aarti on Ghats.

We were in Rishikesh to experience the adventure side of it, so we headed to Shivpuri the centre of all the camping and water based adventure activities. After enquiring about the rates of rafting and camping, we got a decent package for Rs.1300 per person including swiss tents, dinner, and breakfast and rafting of 13kms.

We parked our car in a parking area near Ram Jhula and boarded the Tata Sumo of our tour operator and headed to Shivpuri which is 14 kms from the Ram Jhula.

After reaching the rafting location we washed our legs in river Ganga to purify our soul. We got the instructions from our rafting instructor of do’s and don’ts while rafting. Our rafting adventure started with hymn of “Har Har Gange”.

Next two ours we were rafting over the challenging rapids of Ganges. While rafting we crossed Laxman Jhula and after crossing Ram Jhula our rafting adventure came to end. We reached same place where we parked our car.

Click here to read Rafting and Camping Experience in Rishikesh.

We took our car and went to our campsite at Shivpuri. After Sun went down into the horizon, we sat on the banks of Ganges with our drinks. It was very dark there and sound of flowing water of Ganges was breaking the silence of night. Around 11pm we had our dinner and went to our tents to sleep.

Day 12: Rishikesh to Jaipur

Adventure in Gulmarg - Day 09 of Ladakh Road Trip

2015-03-13T01:52:00.001-07:00

Date: 11^thMay 2013

Distance Travelled: 120 Kms

Highlights of the Day: Pony Ride, Kashmiri Kahwah, Skiing and Sledging at 14000ft, Deserted Indian Army Bunkers near LOC, Snow Fall, Golf Course, High Altitude Military School and Gulmarg Ski Resort.

It was 8:30am in the morning when we checked out third time from our hotel. As we had cancelled our plan of going to Leh, so we decided to visit Gulmarg and from there our plan was to start for Rishikesh. Morning was cold and full of clouds. It started drizzling when were having our breakfast on the way to Gulmarg.

We reached the entry point of Gulmarg at 10:30am, where you need to pay entry fee of Rs.30. The place was full of tourist vehicles and in next few minutes we were surrounded by the local guides. We parked our car and talked to one person who showed us his identity card as he was Government approved guide.

Our guide name was “Jamshed Bhai” and he will be in his late early thirties. We agreed to pay him Rs.500 and he promised us to take till the second stage of Gondola ride (Cable Car). Our guide told us clearly it won’t be easy to get a ticket of Gondola ride, there will be a long queue and they will close the counter if all slots are booked.

Our guide told us first we will try for the tickets and if it is full then he said he will kept his promise and will take us to the second stage of Gondola by Pony; which will be even better experience then Gondola ride.

There are shops at the entry point from where you can get the shoes and jackets on rent. Our guide asked us to take them as we will need them to walk on the ice and also to bear the temperature of zero degree. After taking shoes and jackets we started for the Gulmarg in our car with our guide.

Our guide was briefing us about the place and showed us a video of Kashmir. He was telling the names of the movies whose shooting took place in the Gulmarg. He also told us about the situation of Kashmir and presence of army in valley. Kashmiri people are amazing and very friendly. It was great talking to him and within few minutes he became friend of us.

When we reached Gulmarg we found that tickets are full sold out. Our guide “Jamshed Bhai” suggested us to go for Pony ride instead. We agreed for it and he promised us to take to the mountains which will be full of snow. He arranged 4 Ponies for us and after bargaining we agreed to pay Rs.1300 for each Pony.

We started our Pony ride in Gulmarg crossing pits, streams, mountains and jungle. It was an awesome felling of riding a Pony in Gulmarg with such a beautiful weather which was changing continuously. You will hear this term commonly from the people of Kashmir about its weather “Mumbai ka fashion aur Kashmir ka mousam, donon ka koi barosa nahin”. Means you can never trust the weather of Kashmir and Mumbai’s fashion.

We stopped at a place which was full of horses and food stalls. We had hot Maggie and Kashmiri Kahwah (tea) to heat up our cold body. I don’t think there will be any better place than the Gulmarg to have Maggie, as temperature is very low. Kashmiri Kahwah (tea) was one of the best things I had in this trip. It was hot, full of dry fruits and delicious. When in Kashmir don’t out miss the Kahwah.

We also asked for skiing but price they were asking was very high. We started our ride again in the remote areas of Gulmarg and reached a place where people were doing the skiing. It was the last stop and after that Pony’s will not go due to snow.

We found few local guys who told us that they will take us to the place which will be full of snow and we will be doing the skiing there. We fixed the price at Rs. 1200 for skiing in Gulmarg. Now after 2 hours of Pony ride we had to trek to reach the height of 14000ft which is also the second stage of Gondola ride in Gulmarg.

It was an amazing experience of trekking on the snow covered Himalayas. As snow was fresh our legs were going deep inside the snow and our shoes were filled with the ice. After a trek of couple of hours we reached the place which was fully covered with the snow and no one else was there. Our skiing guys asked us weather we want to go further but we said no as we were really tired of trekking on snow covered mountains.

Temperature was around minus 3 degree there and rain was falling down in the form of snow. We were just one mountain away from the LOC. Far in the snow we had also seen the bunkers of Indian army. We did two rounds of skiing and after that sledging on the snow. It was an amazing experience of skiing at the height of 14000f near the LOC where temperature was freezing and snow falling down.

After skiing in Gulmarg we went to the bunkers of Indian army which were deserted. Maybe due to snowfall they left the bunkers or they move further ahead near the LOC. We salute the brave soldiers who are guarding our borders in such harsh conditions.

After playing with the snow we went down the mountain by doing sledging. We paid to our skiing guide and went down where our guide “Jamshed Bhai” and Ponies were waiting for us. It was freezing cold out there and thanks to our wonderful guide who arranged bonfire for us as soon as we came down.

We again sat on the horse back and started riding down. At 6pm we reached the central part of Gulmarg which was covered with grass. There is a Golf Course, High Altitude Military School and Winter Skiing Institute in Gulmarg.

The Gulmarg was covered with the sheet of green carpet but our guide told us it will be full of snow in the winter and the skiing institute will be active at that time.

We started from Gulmarg with our guide and asked him where we could get the good mutton. He went with us to the restaurant from where we took our dinner parcel. We said goodbye and thank you to our guide with a promise that whenever in future we will come to Kashmir, will definitely call him. He also told us next time we have to stay in his house which was under construction.

From Gulmarg we again went to Srinagar to the same hotel at 8pm. The hotel staff again got surprised to see us 4^th time. Since last three days we were checking out in the morning and checking in the night. Tomorrow our journey way back to Bangalore started but with new adventures.

Read: Day 10 Srinagar to Ambala.

Srinagar to Ambala: Ladakh Road Trip - Day 10

2015-03-08T00:31:00.000-08:00

Date: 12^thMay 2013

Distance Travelled: 700 Kms

Highlights of the Day: Jawahar Tunnel, Driving in Clouds and amazing Chicken and Mutton in Punjabi Dhaba.

Road Condition: Srinagar to Samba road is in good. From Samba to Ambala road is in excellent condition.

States Entered: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana.

After being in Kashmir valley for 3 days it was time to say good bye to the most beautiful place in India. It was day 10 of our Bangalore to Ladakh road trip, a day to begin our return journey. We checked out from our hotel in Srinagar at 7am and this time it was final check out.

We started for Udhampur from Srinagar and at 8:30am we reached the place where we had taken toll for entering the Kashmir valley. Again we had to take the exit toll of Rs.70. The weather was cloudy and cold breeze was blowing in the valley. Military convoy was there on Srinagar Jammu highway for our company.

At 9am we had seen the board of “Thank You for Visiting Kashmir Valley” and crossed the Jawahar Tunnel. We said good bye to Kashmir which has given us so many memories to cherish for lifetime. It started raining heavily at 10am on the way to Ramban. Due to rain and fog visibility was very low. Military vehicles were making the drive very difficult. We were driving above and between the clouds.

We stuck in traffic jam near Ramban. Rain stopped after we crossed the Ramban but weather was so cold that we have to take out our blankets in the car. At 2pm we reached Udhampur and from there started for Samba. Also we had to go through the police check post in between.

When we reached Samba it was 4:15pm. Around 5:30pm we entered Punjab by Lakhanpur. In the meanwhile we came to know that we also entered the boundary of Himachal Pradesh when we got the roaming message.

Like last time this time also we had our lunch in the evening in Punjab. This time we wanted to try authentic Punjabi Butter Chicken. Hunt for Punjabi butter chicken came to an end in the outskirts of Hoshiarpur. We found a nice Dhaba owned by Sardar Ji in a small town. We told him that we came all the way from Bangalore and want to have famous Punjabi Butter Chicken.

Sardar Ji showed amazing Punjabi hospitality. We had delicious chicken and mutton cooked in Handi. We have to literally plead him that our stomach is full and we can’t eat more, then only he stopped. To our surprised he charged us only Rs. 300 and the amount of mutton & chicken we had must be around Rs.1000 to 1200. Before leaving Sardar Ji also gave us Banana’s to eat on the way. “Welcome to Punjab”.

After an amazing lunch we entered Hoshiarpur city by mistake and after that took Chandigarh Bypass. We reached Ambala around 11pm and gave a halt to our journey.

Tomorrow we drove to Rishikesh for some of the amazing adventure activities.

Srinagar: Ladakh Road Trip - Day 08

2015-03-07T05:15:00.000-08:00

Date: 10^thMay 2013

Day 08 of our Ladakh road trip was not that happening. We woke up at 9am and two of my friends went to Maruti Service Centre. After giving car to service centre we were in our hotel room till 4pm discussing the plan.

We also inquired about hiring a SUV from Srinagar to Leh and its cost. But we cancel the plan of hiring a SUV as it was too expensive. We also calculated if we go by our car how many extra days we will need. After taking into consideration all the elements we decided to cancel the plan of travelling to Leh with broken hearts. We drove all over the way from Bangalore just to see the Leh & Ladakh but unfortunately after coming so close we have to cancel the plan.

At 4 in the evening we went to take our car from the service centre. First we travelled in a local city bus and then in Tata Sumo till the service centre. After reaching service centre we got a bill of Rs.5000 as car’s clutch plate was burnt.

After taking our car we had our lunch at 7pm; Chicken and Kashmiri Lavasa. After lunch we went to see Dal Lake and its surrounding markets. Dal Lake was looking beautiful in the lights, as it was shinning with the lights of houseboats.

Dal Lake in Night

We roamed till 9pm in the surrounding area of Dal Lake and while coming back army personnel stopped us at the check post near Dal Lake. We told them we came all the way from Bangalore to see Kashmir and they asked us to go with a smile.

While going back to our hotel we took the dinner parcel from the roadside restaurant. After coming back to our hotel we decided to see Gulmarg tomorrow, so our road trip will have at least some adventures and stories to tell.

Day 09 of Ladakh Road Trip: Adventure in Gulmarg

Breakdown on Srinagar to Leh Highway: Ladakh Road Trip - Day 07

2015-03-03T01:30:00.001-08:00

Date: 9^thMay 2013

Distance Travelled: 200Kms

Highlights of the Day: Dal Lake, Tulip Garden, Kashmiri Lavasa, Sonmarg, Car breakdown on Srinagar Leh Highway.

Road Condition: Pictures will tell.

Houseboats in Dal Lake

Dal Lake, Kashmir

As they say every journey has its destination and so was ours. It was time to say hello to our destination “Ladakh”. After driving more than 3100kms, from South India to North India, time had come to drive on the world famous and deadliest, 400km long “Srinagar to Leh” highway.

The Srinagar to Leh highway was opened around 15 days before we started our journey. We had heard and read a lot about the condition of the highway, so we haven’t expected it to be in good condition.

Early morning we woke up and took all the necessary items to survive on the highway if anything goes wrong during our journey. We checked out from hotel at 9 am and started for Sonmarg from Badami Cantonment. We crossed beautiful “Dal Lake” and then the “Tulip Garden” which is memorial of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

It’s hard to describe the beauty of Kashmir Valley in words. Greenery was extended everywhere; river was flowing along the road; majestic snow capped Himalayas were touching the wide open blue sky.

Along with the beautiful side of Kashmir, you can also see the other side of it. Army was deployed in every corner and street of the valley and patrol vehicles were passing in every 5 minutes. But it was the presence of Indian army due to which we never felt unsafe in the Kashmir. Because we knew that if anything goes wrong they are always there to help us out.

Kashmiri Lavasa

At 11am we had our breakfast Omelet with “Kashmiri Lavasa” (kind of Chapatti) and tea. After getting our car’s tyres checked we started for Sonmarg. As we were driving towards the Sonmarg snow was coming closer to the road. It was 1:30 in noon when we touched snow first time in our life. It was as amazing feeling as when I saw the sea first time.

Sonmarg

At 2pm we had seen the board “Sonmarg - Indian Army Welcomes You”. Sonmarg was covered with the carpet of green grass and it was full of tourists. We haven’t stopped there and continued our journey towards Leh.

Srinagar to Leh Highway

After crossing Sonmarg world famous Srinagar to Leh highway started. We were driving on the steep curvy roads which were made by cutting the Himalayas. There was lot of traffic on the highway because of tourist vehicles which were going till Zero Point.

As we were driving up; the highway was getting worse and also adventurous. On the one side there was deep valley and on the other side wall of snow. Water was flowing on the highway due to melting of snow.

We had driven around 12-14 kms from Sonmarg and to our bad luck our car got breakdown. Suddenly smoke started coming out of the bonnet and somehow we parked our car on the edge of the cliff. People tried to help us but everyone was giving the different suggestions as no one was able to identify the actual problem.

Car Breakdown on Srinagar Leh Highway

It was getting dark and we did not wanted to take any chance by driving towards Leh. We started driving down towards Sonmarg so that we can show the car to mechanic. Two of us went down around 1km and asked the coming trucks to wait so that we can take U-turn and drive down. At 4:30pm we started driving back with broken hearts but we thought of coming back tomorrow if there is no major problem in the car.
here.

Click here to read complete Srinagar to Leh highway driving experience.

Land Slide on Srinagar Leh Highway

Slowly we were coming down but to increase our problem there was traffic jam on Srinagar to Leh highway due to land slide. We had to wait for half an hour as highway was getting cleaned. At 6:30 in the evening we reached Sonmarg.

Traffic Jam Due to Land Slide

We also got one more traffic jam in valley 27kms before Srinagar. To our bad luck we found that car’s rear tyre is puncture. After filling air in the puncture tyre at 9pm we headed straight towards the same hotel and decided to end the day.

We reached hotel at 10pm and hotel staff was surprised to see us back. We told them the complete story and checked in the same room. We discussed whole incident over the pegs of Rum as it was very cold in the Kashmir. After having dinner we slept with the hope that if we get the car repair by noon we will again drive to Leh tomorrow.

Jammu to Srinagar: Ladakh Road Trip - Day 06

2015-02-26T01:18:00.000-08:00

Date: 8^thMay 2013

Distance Travelled: 300 Kms

Highlights of the Day: Mansar Lake Udhampur, Patnitop, 3^rd Bribe of the trip, Jawahar Tunnel, Kashmir Valley and Dal Lake.

Road Condition: Samba to Udhampur roads are in good condition. From Udhampur to Srinagar: Ghat roads.

States Entered: Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu to Srinagar Road

Day 06 was the day when our Himalayan Odyssey started. After getting up at 8 am we had nice breakfast in the restaurant of guest house itself. The guest house staff was very friendly and we left the place with a promise that while coming back we will again stay in their guest house only.

Mansar Lake

At 9:30 am we started from Samba to Srinagar. Till Udhampur road was in very good condition. At 10:30am we stopped at place called Mansar Lake few kilometers before Udhampur. Mansar Lake is a popular tourist attraction near Udhampur and we were there on the lake for half an hour and again started our journey to Srinagar.

Click here to read more about Mansar Lake.

Mansar Lake, Udhampur

At 11:30am few kilometers before Udhampur, far from the road we had seen first sight of snow covered Himalayas. After seeing the snow covered Himalayas we had seen first tunnel in our trip which was 14kms before Udhampur.

First Sight of Snow Covered Himalayas

First Tunnel of the Trip

It was around 12:30 in the noon when we paid 3^rdbribe in our trip to the cops. There was a police checkpost after Udhampur where cops asked for Pollution Test, which we did not had, so after paying Rs.200 we continued our journey to paradise on earth.

Patnitop

The road to Srinagar was surrounded by green valleys, snow covered mountains and river was continuously flowing with us down in the valley. We crossed “Patnitop” at 2pm and stopped at a place called Chandrakot surrounded by mountains for launch at 3pm. It was a Muslim hotel and when we asked for the chicken, attendant told us only mutton is available. After confirming once more that if it is not a beef we entered the restaurant and I had worst food of my life there. Restaurant was full of bad odor and mutton was terrible. Hardly I had 2 spoon of rice and came out of the place.

After launch we started for Kashmir valley. The road was full of beautiful sceneries. Snow covered mountains were in front of our eyes, river was flowing with the road. Everything was a fairy tale and that’s what makes Kashmir – A Paradise on Earth.

At 6pm we were asked to stop at the first check post of army. Check post was hardly a km before “Jawahar Tunnel”. After checking our car and begs they asked us to go. After check post we entered the famous 2 km long “Jawahar Tunnel”also known as Banihal Tunnel. All the vehicles were going in a row as there is no space for overtaking. It was an memorable experience of crossing such a long tunnel.

Jawahar Tunnel

As soon we came out of the tunnel we had seen the board “Welcome to Kashmir Valley”. It was whole new world. Army soldiers were present in every corner of the road. After half an hour we reached a place where you need to get a toll for entering the Kashmir.

Seeing sunset from the road side in Kashmir valley was like a dream. It was one of the best sunsets of my life as we travelled 3100kms just to see heaven on earth and truly Kashmir is a paradise.

At 8:40pm we stuck in traffic jam for 15 minutes. Around 9pm we reached the heart of Srinagar “The Dal Lake” and decided for night halt. We stayed in newly built hotel called “Hotel Grand Zaiba” near the “Badami Bagh Cantonment”.

The hotel staff was very friendly and when we asked where we can get the food and drink, one of the staff members went with us to show the place so that we don’t face any problem. Around 11pm we slept as it was very cold and tomorrow we had to start early for Srinagar to Leh road trip.

Click here to read about Day 07 of Ladakh road trip.

Ambala to Samba (Jammu): Ladakh Road Trip - Day 05

2015-02-18T23:43:00.001-08:00

Date: 7^thMay 2013

Distance Travelled: 410 Kms

Highlights of the Day: Lovely Professional University, Second bribe of our trip and Wagah Border Flag Lowering Ceremony, Amritsar.

Road Condition: Roads are in good condition from Ambala to Samba except few places.

States Crossed: Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir

Wine shops in Haryana opens even before medical shops

It was Day 05 of our Bangalore to Ladakh road trip which with time became The Great North India Road Trip and we were in Ambala city of Haryana. We started for Ludhiana at 11:30am from our hotel in Ambala. At 12:15pm we got the message in our cell phone “Welcome to Punjab”.

We reached Ludhiana at 1:30pm in the noon, from where we took the beers at Rs.140 per bottle. It was very hot outside and we were in Punjab, so “Beer to banta hai boss”.

Famous Lovely Professional University

After Ludhiana we reached city called “Phagwara” and our next destination was Jalandhar. On the way we had also seen from roadside famous university of Punjab called “Lovely Professional University”.

We reached Jalandhar at 2:30pm and paid second bribe of our trip. As we were not wearing the seat belts so we paid Rs.100 to the police and luckily he had not seen beer bottles in the car.

It was 4pm in the evening when we reached famous city of Punjab called Amritsar. Our initial plan was directly going to Jammu but later it got changed and we decided to see famous India Pakistan Border called “Wagah Border”.

We reached Wagah Border right on time as flag lowering ceremony was about to start. After going through the security checks we reached the Indian side of border and in front of us there was one more gate where Pakistan was return. It was an amazing and thrilling experience of seeing the flag lowering ceremony at Wagah border.

You can read the complete Wagah Border Flag Lowering Ceremony experience here.

At 6:15 in the evening we started for Jammu from the Wagah border. We had our launch at 7pm in Punjabi style on a highway Dhaba in Pathankot. After having nice launch on an amazing location we restarted our journey to Jammu at 8pm.

At 10:30 in the night we had seen the board of “Welcome to J&K” and the first town was Lakhenpur in Jammu. After sometime we had seen one more board “Welcome to Kathua”. Roads were deserted and we could see the police vehicles at some places.

Atari Checkpost

When we reached town called Samba at 11pm we decided for night halt. As we were in most sensitive state of India and it would not be safe to drive late night with Andhra Pradesh registration car. We got a decent guest house on the main road itself called “Highway Guest House”. It was more like an army bunker instead of guest house.

Our Guest House in Samba, Jammu

Day 06 was one of the best day of our trip because from this day only our Himalayan Odyssey started and we had first time seen the snow covered Himalayas.

Gwalior to Ambala: Ladakh Road Trip - Day 04

2015-02-13T01:23:00.000-08:00

Taj Mahal Visit: Main Highlight of Day 04

Date: 6^thMay 2013

Distance Travelled: 550 kms approx

Highlights of the Day:

Captain Roop Singh Stadium where Sachin Tendulkar Scored 200 runs in ODI.
Territory of famous rebel Paan Singh Tomar: Morena.

Taj Mahal, Yamuna Expressway, Buddh International Circuit, GT Road

Road Condition:

From Gwalior to Agra road is in good condition.
From Agra to Noida Yamuna Expressway is in excellent condition.

From Noida to Ambala Grand Trunk route is in good condition.

States Crossed: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi (UT) and Haryana

Morena: Paan Singh Tomar's Birthplace

Day 04 of our Ladakh road trip started at 11:30am. Due to last night’s exhausting drive we woke up at 10 am and after getting refreshed went to one of our college friend’s home in Gwalior. On the way we had seen “Captain Roop Singh Stadium” from outside where Great Sachin Tendulkar scored 200 runs first time in the history of ODI cricket, due to which this stadium got famous.

Market outside Taj Mahal

After having nice launch at friend’s home we started for Agra. As per our old plan Taj Mahal was not in the list but later it got changed and we decided to see one of the seven wonder of the world. While going to Agra we had also seen “Morena” the territory of famous rebel “Paan Singh Tomar” who was also an Indian soldier and athlete. As shown in movie the place Morena was same where he fought many fights with MP and UP police.

After crossing Madhya Pradesh we entered the boundary of Uttar Pradesh and within half an hour we were in the boarder of Rajasthan. This happened couple of times when we were in UP for 15 mins and next 15 mins we were in Dholpur of Rajasthan.

We reached Taj Mahal at 3pm and after parking our car went to see one of the most famous monuments of the world. We spent 2 hours at Taj Mahal and then started for Delhi at 5pm.

Click here to read here about Taj Mahal visit in our India tour.

From Agra we took the famous Taj Expressway also known as Yamuna Expressway, which connects Agra to Delhi. We were on Yamuna Expressway at 5:20pm and at 7:30pm we reached the Greater Noida. The Taj Expressway is superb for driving as we covered the distance of 200kms in less than 2 hours.

You can read more about driving experience on Yamuna Expressway here.

In Noida we had also seen India’s famous F1 racing ground called “Buddh International Circuit” from outside. After Noida we reached Delhi and from there we were on Grand Trunk Road. After crossing the outskirts of Delhi, we had seen another terrible traffic jam on GT Road. We stuck in Delhi traffic jam for 3 hours and in these 3 hours we hardly moved 5 kms. Later we came to know that this traffic jam was due to some idiot’s wedding.

Taj Expressway

Again we were behind our schedule plan due to traffic jam. At 11:15pm we entered Haryana. We planned for night halt at Ambala city, where we reached at 2am in the mid night. We spent half an hour in search of hotel room and finally found a decent hotel called Ashoka at 2:30am near Army Cantonment.

After checking in hotel at 3am in the night we went in search of food. We had worst dinner of our 16 days India tour on a highway Dhaba in Ambala. The chicken was half cooked so was the chapattis. After filling our empty stomach we went to our hotel room at 4 am to sleep.

Buddh International Circuit

From last two days we were sleeping at 4am in the night due to traffic jam. We were one day behind as per our schedule plan. As per our itinerary we should be in Jammu by today. But our Day 05 of Ladakh road tripwas quite good, as we had seen India Pakistan border in Amritsar and entered the most beautiful state of India called Jammu and Kashmir.

Nagpur to Gwalior: Ladakh Road Trip - Day 03

2015-02-08T23:19:00.000-08:00

Date: 5^thMay 2013

Distance Travelled: 796 Kms Via NH 69 (Approx).

Highlights of the Day:Amazing launch on the edge of canal at Highway Dhaba in MP. One hour of traffic jam on Gwalior Bypass at 10pm.

Road Condition:Roads of Madhya Pradesh are not in good condition specially NH 69. It’s better not to take MP route on Bangalore to Ladakh road trip or else Jhansi to Gwalior via Sagar (NH 26 and NH 75) is better than NH 69.

States Entered: Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

Day 03 of our Ladakh road trip started at 8:30 am when we started for Gwalior from our hotel. We woke up early so that we can leave on time and as per our calculation we would be in Gwalior by 9 - 10 pm in the night.

After filling petrol of Rs. 2700 in Nagpur, we started for Gwalior via NH 69. The road was in terrible condition. We entered Madhya Pradesh around 10:15 am and got one more roaming message from Airtel.

After reaching the small town called Padurana we had our breakfast around 11 am. After breakfast we started for Betul on NH 69. At 1:30pm we reached Betul where we took 4 quarters of Whisky. Roads of MP are even worse than Maharashtra. The landscapes were not that good as country side was completely dry.

After reaching Sholapur we started for Bhopal which is around 130 kms from Sholapur. Our driving experience in Madhya Pradesh was not good due to bad conditions of roads, which ruined our plan of reaching Bhopal by 3pm.

We stopped for launch around 2:30pm at a highway dhaba called “Ranjeet Dhaba” on the outskirts of Itarsi. The place was located on the edge of canal, so finally we found something good in MP.

Most of the Dhaba’s in Madhya Pradesh will give you green menu because majority of people prefer vegetarian food. So if in case you need a non vegetarian food you have to ask them separately like we did and there will be separate menu for non veg items which they generally don’t give without asking.

After having a nice launch we started for Bhopal at 3:30pm. We took Gwalior Bypass at 6pm and also filled the petrol of Rs. 2500 around 8pm. After reaching Bayra we took one more bottle of whisky and continued our journey towards Gwalior.

Around 10pm we faced first traffic jam of our Bangalore to Ladakh trip. We stuck on highway for more than 1 hour. We were getting even more late for Gwalior due to traffic jam. But thanks to my friend who instead of tiring drive on worst roads of MP continued the driving.

"Traffic Jam on Gwalior Bypass"

Finally we reached Gwalior around 3am in the mid night. After reaching Gwalior we started search for hotel room and finally found a cheap and decent hotel called Induja near Railway Station. By the time we went to sleep it was already 4am in the morning.

Our next day drive was from Gwalior to Ambala via Agra and Delhi where we again got stuck in traffic jam for 3 hours.

Hyderabad to Nagpur: Ladakh Road Trip - Day 02

2015-02-06T22:29:00.003-08:00

"Beginning of Epic Journey"

Date: 4^thMay 2013

Distance Travelled: 500 Kms

Highlights of the Day: Hussain Sagar Lake, Paradise Biryani, First bribe of Rs. 100.

Road Condition:Hyderabad to Maharashtra Boarder excellent condition.

Maharashtra Boarder to Nagpur terrible condition.

States Entered:Andhra Pradesh (NowTelangana) and Maharashtra.

"Meeting College Friend in Hyderabad"

It was day 2 of our Bangalore to Ladakh road trip and we were in Hyderabad. Around 8 am we reached Hyderabad bus stop and from there we went to my friend’s home. At 12 in the noon we left our friends house and took his dad’s Swift Car for our Ladakh road trip.

Around 1 pm we went to Hyderabad’s famous Biryani point called Paradise Biryani. We also meet there one of our college friend. It was scorching heat of May and temperature was around 40 degree. After having Biryani at Paradise hotel which was not as per expectation we started our road trip to North India at 2pm after filling the petrol. To inaugurate our trip we paid bribe of Rs.100 to a police cop for breaking signal.

"With Love From Bangalore"

Road from Hyderabad to Maharashtra is in excellent condition. We were on 6 lane NH7. Before 65 kms from Nizamabad we had seen the board of our destination “Srinagar: 2538 kms”. First stop of our Ladakh road trip was Nagpur which is 500 kms from Hyderabad.

"Destination: 2538 Kms"

After 4-5 hours drive on Andhra Pradesh excellent roads we entered in Maharashtra around 6:30pm. As Soon as we got the message from our mobile service provider “Welcome to Maharashtra” suddenly highway became village type road. Road was in worst condition for next 70 kms.

"Welcome to Maharashtra"

We took Beers within half an hour of entering into Maharashtra boundary. We got socked when we heard the price of one Kingfisher beer. He charged Rs. 150 for one beer. After 2 hours drive on broken roads we reached the outskirts of Nagpur at 8:30pm.

Around 10 pm we took a hotel in Nagpur for Rs. 2000 for 6 beds and it was one of the biggest rooms in our 16 days road trip and also one of the expensive. After having couple of beers and dinner we went to sleep near 12 in the night so that we can start early next morning our journey from Nagpur to Gwalior.

"End of Day 2 in Nagpur"

Bangalore to Hyderabad: Ladakh Road Trip - Day 01

2015-02-05T23:32:00.001-08:00

Day 01: Bangalore to Hyderabad

Date: 3rd May 2013

Distance: 570 Kms

After lot of planning and waiting finally the day has come to start our Himalayan odyssey - A Road Trip to Ladakh from Bangalore. Our plan was to pick up my friends Dad’s Car from Hyderabad and from there we will drive to Ladakh.

It was 3^rdof May when we started at 7pm from our house in Madiwala to Majestic Bus Stop to catch a 9pm bus to Hyderabad. We were fully loaded with lot of bags and hired an auto for Majestic. It was the excitement of the trip that made us to travel from Bangalore to Hyderabad in Semi Sleeper bus without even proper dinner.

Majestic Bus Stop, Bangalore

Finally the first mile of epic journey begins in bus from Bangalore to Hyderabad.

Click here to read Day 02 of Ladakh Trip: Hyderabad to Nagpur

Brindavan Gardens, Mysore

2014-05-19T01:42:00.001-07:00

After visiting the Balmuri Falls we started in the evening for the Brindavan Gardens. After a ride of half an hour from Balmuri Falls towards KSR Dam we reached the one of the most visited tourist place ofKarnataka.

There is an entry fee for the garden. It was around 7 pm in the evening and the Brindavan Gardens was full of crowd. After getting the entry tickets we entered the garden and first thing which we saw was the big wall and that wall is of KSR Dam.

Brindavan Garden is very big and there are lot of colourful fountains in the garden. After half an hour in the garden we got bored so decided to go back without seeing the garden fully. At 8 pm we started for the Bangalore and reached at 9:30 pm.

Balmuri Falls, Mysore

2014-04-11T01:27:00.001-07:00

4^thJan 2014

Balmuri is a small waterfall just 3 kms before the Mysore on the road to KSR Dam. We started on Sunday morning at 9 am for the Mysore. After an hour and half ride we crossed the Srirangapatna town and reached the Ooty circle.

But later we came to know that we have to take a turn towards Coorg. So we have to come back about 10 kms. After taking a turn from Coorg Circle you need to ride 20 minutes for the Balmuri falls.

When we reached the Balmuri falls we had to pay for parking. The place was full of crowd and it was more like a picnic spot. Actually there is no waterfall as such. There is a wall, which is created to stop the flow of Cauvery River and when water flows over the wall it look like a mini waterfall.

One can also go for Coracle ride in the river. But the place was not as per our expectation. We thought there will be a proper waterfall with less number people. So we were not in mood to enter the water. We decided to go further to discover something which is less populated.

We ended up on a small resort near the Balmuri Falls and the person showed us a place where we can take bath in the Cauvery River. The place was deserted and exactly what we wanted. We spend 3 hours in the river and in the evening we went to see the Brindavan Gardens.

Nahargarh Fort, Jaipur - The Abode of Tigers

2014-04-06T05:50:00.000-07:00

Nahargarh Fort was built by the Sawai Jai Singh II in 1734 AD. The fort is located on one of the oldest mountain ranges of the world known as Aravalli Hills. The Nahargarh means “Abode of Tigers”. Initially fort was named as Sudarshangarh but later it was given name of Nahargarh Fort.

There is road from Jaigarh Fort which led to the Nahargarh Fort. After seeing the Jaigarh at 1 pm we went to the Naharagarh but we did not went inside the fort. Just before the fort there is a spot which was used in the movie Rang De Basanti.

There is a small lake surrounded the by the big walls of the fort where Rang De Basanti movies scenes were shoot. There are number of stairs and the water level was very low in the lake. After spending 1 hour at the fort, it was time to start for my home town Jodhpur.

The Unconquered Jaigarh Fort, Jaipur

2014-03-26T04:47:00.001-07:00

Jaigarh fort also known as the “Victory Fort” was built by the King of Jaipur Sawai Jai Singh II in 1726. The fort was built to protect the Amber Fort also called Amer Fort. The Jaigarh Fort is built on the hill called Cheel Ka Teela (Hill of Eagles) and you can actually see the lot of eagles flying over the fort.

Jaigarh Fort, Jaipur

The fort overlooks the Amer Fort and you can see the eagle eye view of Amer Fort from the Jaigarh Fort. The fort has world’s largest cannon called Jaivana. The cannon length is 20 feet and its weight is 50 tones. The Jaivana was fired only once with 100 kg of gunpowder that too for only testing. When fired, it covered the distance of 35 kms and it has never used again after that.

Jaivana - World's Largest Cannon

We were in Jaipur on day 12 of our “Tour De India”. At 12 in the noon we reached Jaigarh Fort and hired a local guide. First we went to see the Jaivana Cannon. You can take your car inside the fort where cannon is placed. After seeing the world’s largest cannon we went to see the other parts of fort.

In the armory chamber of fort there are big guns, swords and shields. Photography is prohibited inside the chamber. After seeing the armory chamber we went to see the kitchen of the fort and place where Rajput kings, queens and other warriors used to eat.

Armory Chamber

There is a beautiful garden in the center of the fort known as Charbagh garden. In the courtyard of the palace there was puppet show going on. After seeing the puppet show we came out of the palace and our guide explained us the water harvesting system of the fort.

Charbagh Garden

There is a big tank in the fort which was used as water reservoir. It was believed that tank contained the treasure of the Jaipur royal family. The government of India emptied the whole tank in search of treasure in 1976 but nothing was found. It is also believed that treasure was used to build the Jaipur city in 1728.

Sagar Lake

There are 3 water tanks in the premises of Jaigarh Fort and also a lake called Sagar Lake in the north of the fort. The water was used to transport on elephant backs.

Amber Fort view from Jaigarh Fort

After seeing the Jaigarh, at 1 pm we started for other fort of Jaipur called Nahargarh Fort.

Srinagar to Leh Road Trip

2014-03-13T07:03:00.001-07:00

It was day 7 of our Tour De India and the most important day of tour. After driving all the way from Bangalore to Kashmir, it was now time to reach the destination of our long journey. It was time to enter the beautiful and mystical world of Ladakh.'

At 9 am we started from the Kashmir and we filled our car with all sort of dry eatable items, water bottles and Rum and Whisky. As the Srinagar to Leh road is one of the most deadly roads of the world. Srinagar to Leh highway was opened couple of weeks back, so we went fully prepared. As something wrong happened on the Sirnagar to Leh highway at least we would have food and water for the night.

After crossing Dal Lake and Tulip Garden which is a samadi of Indira Gandhi; we did breakfast on the way to Leh. Kashmir valley was full of military, Indian army soldiers were standing with guns in every nook and corner of the road.

After coming out of the Kashmir Valley we could see the snow caped Himalayas coming closer to us. At 1:30 pm just 10 kms before Sonmarg finally we touched the snow first time in our life. At 2 pm we saw the board of “Sonmarg Indian Army Welcomes You”.

Sonmarg was full of greenery and tourists. We did not stop at there and directly headed towards Leh. As soon as we crossed Sonmarg the famous Srinagar to Leh road started. As per expectation the Leh highway was in terrible condition.

We did not expect that much traffic on the Srinagar to Leh highway. Road was full dust created by the trucks and SUV’s. We were driving slowly and carefully on the highway and after few kilometers there was traffic jam for about half an on the Srinagar to Leh highway.

After traffic jam got cleared we started for our destination Ladakh. As we were climbing up; the road was becoming narrow. First time in our journey we were scared of the road. As on the one side of road there was a big wall of snow on the other side there was deep valley.

After driving further few kilometers road became even worse. It was full of stones and pits. As snow was melting water was constantly flowing on the road. We were experiencing the road which we had only seen in the TV and heard a lot about it.

Everything was going fine but suddenly there was steep climb and our car started skidding because of the pit. My friend tried thrice but car was not moving ahead. In the meantime all the vehicles started honking crazily and in hurry one of my friends got down from the car and started pushing it. After using full accelerator in the first gear somehow our car got out of the pit.

As soon as we came out of the pit we had seen smoke from the bonnet of the car. We stopped car on the edge of the cliff and when we opened the bonnet, engine was full of smoke. We were worried about the tier puncture but never thought that some technical problem will come in the car.

We kept bonnet open for 10 minutes then again started the car but smoke was still coming out of the car. We asked couple of tourist cars to stop but none of them helped. Then we asked truck drivers but none of them able to tell us the exact problem. Some suggested us to keep the bonnet open for some time and after that we can go ahead. Some were saying there is a problem in engine due to overheat and blah blah.

We were in the middle of nowhere. Our car was parked on the edge of the road. In front of us there were mighty Himalayas full of snow. Temperature was going down and down we could see the flowing river. We always dreamed of Himalayas but not like this.

When we asked for the nearby mechanic shop they told us we will get the mechanic in Kargil. Now we were in dilemma whether to go ahead or to go back. We were closed to Zero point and Kargil was very far from there.

People told us that road is better after zero point but we don’t want to take any risk as it was already 3 pm. Finally we decided to go back to Sonmarg so that we can repair the car. We stayed there for one and half hour. At 4:30 pm when traffic on the Sringar to Leh highway reduced me and my friend walked down half kilometer and asked the truck drivers to wait so that we can take our car down.

Truck drivers were very humble they had no problem in waiting. So slowly my friend took the car down from the breakdown point. We started for Sonmarg but after few kilometers there was traffic jam due to landslide.

The highway was blocked because of heavy land slide. So we had to wait for half an hour. There was heavy landslide on couple of points and we were relaxed as we did not go ahead. After highway got cleared we came down to Sonmarg at 6:30 pm.

Then we thought instead of showing car to local mechanic it’s better to show car in Maruti Service center which is in Kashmir. So we again came back to same hotel in Kashmir at 10 pm.

Trek and Cave Exploration at Antargange, Kolar

2014-03-05T07:41:00.000-08:00

Antargange is just 60 kms from Bangalore, situated in the Kolar district of Karnataka. Antargange is one of the famous places for cave exploration near Bangalore. It was Sunday afternoon, when we suddenly decided to go for a short in the outskirts of Bangalore.

As I had been to Antargange Caves previously on a corporate outbound, so my other friends also wanted to visit the place. We started at 2:30 pm from Silk Board and took the Outer Ring road. After ride of 45 minutes we reached the resort Confident Amoon which was only landmark in my mind for Antargange Caves.

After riding for 20 minutes from Confident Amoon resort we followed the GPS and it took us inside the village of Kollar. I was pretty sure that this is not the route which we used last time when I came for the cave exploration in Antargange.

After following GPS and asking locals about the caves we reached the place where there is a one big temple and also a mosque. The place was looking like a tourist destination but our destination was not this. So again we asked for the route and somehow we came out of the village on a right route.

There is a small ghat road while going for the caves of Antargange. Now that was the actual place where I had been to. On the way; there were few ruins structures of Tipu Sultan Era.

After a drive of 10 minutes we reached the top of the mountain. There is a small hamlet there and also a mosque. We parked our bikes under the Banyan tree and headed towards the Caves. I knew the route for the caves but after crossing ancient graveyards, I got confused and we ended up on wrong route.

The route to caves is full of confusion, so it’s better to come with a local guide. The area is full of big stones and due to mining now these rocks become caves. You can go inside the caves but you need to follow the right path otherwise there are chances of getting lost in the caves.

There are no snakes and other animals in the caves except for bats, so it’s not dangerous. But only thing is that you need to know proper entry and exit point of the caves. We ended up climbing stones and entering into small caves.

It was getting dark, so we decided not to enter into the caves. We thought of coming next time with proper preparation and early in the day. So we would have enough time to explore the caves and there are also plenty of options for trekking in Antargange.

At 6:30 in the evening we came down from the caves and started for Bangalore.

Mansar Lake, Udhampur

2014-02-25T01:52:00.001-08:00

It was Day 5 of our Tour De India and we started for Srinagar from Samba at 9:30am via Udhampur. Mansar Lake is situated at a distance of 40 kms from Udhampur. We reached lake at 10:30 am and the place was looking like a picnic spot. There is a big park on the side of lake and it surrounded by lush green hills.

The Mansar Lake is full of fishes. When we went to the lake we were surprised to see thousands of fishes on the edge of lake. You can feed the fishes and you will find children’s selling maize flour in the garden. We took maize flour and went down on the banks of lake.

As soon as we threw flour all fishes came on the edge of the lake. You can even touch the fishes and feed them in their mouth. After feeding fishes we started for Srinagar at 11:30 am.

A Memorable Drive on Yamuna Expressway (Taj Expressway)

2014-02-17T00:35:00.004-08:00

It was day 4 of our Tour De India and after seeing the Taj Mahal, we started from Agra for Delhi. At 5:40 pm we came out of the Agra city and took one of the famous highways of India – “The Yamuna Expressway” also known as The Taj Expressway.

The Yamuna Expressway connects Agra to Delhi and you can cover the distance of 200kms in 2 hours. The Yamuna Expressway is a real piece of beauty. It is 165kms long and connects Agra to Greater Noida. It is a 6 lane highway and there is also speed limit for the vehicles which is 200km/hr.

There is a petrol pump on the highway and also hospitals and restaurants. Police patrol vehicles is also there on the highway. We were hitting the speed of 140km/hr and this was the smoothest drive of our road trip.

It was evening time and sun was going down behind the hills. Seeing the sunset from the Taj Expressway was memorable. Long stretched road was in front of us and barren fields on the sides of highway. We took a break of 10 minutes on the highway. Vehicles were moving with electric speed and it was looking like a car racing ground. After seeing sunset we started again our long journey.

On the way to Noida we had also seen India’s famous F1 race course “The Buddh International Circuit”. It is famous for hosting India’s first Formula One Grand Prix in 2011. Thanks to the Yamuna Expressway we reached Noida at 7:30 in the evening.

"The Buddh International Circuit”

Wagah Border Flag Ceremony, Amritsar

2014-02-03T00:15:00.000-08:00

It was day 4 of our Tour De India and we were in the land of Punjab. We started from Ambala in the morning and in noon we reached Amritsar. Our plan was to see the Golden Temple but when we came to know that we are close to Wagah Border so we thought of going there first and then Golden Temple.

Around 4 pm in the evening we reached the Wagah Border. I had heard a lot about the flag ceremony and my excitement was at its best as I am going to see the border of India and Pakistan. When we seen the board of “Lahore 23Km” on the road it was like we were entering into Pakistan.

After parking our car when we headed towards the border we had seen the crowd of thousands of people walking towards the boarder. Before the entrance we had to go through the army checking and they had thrown our cigarettes and lighter in dustbin. Security was very tight on the boarder and there is a separate line for men and women for checking.

I had never got the feeling of being an Indian but as I was heading towards the boarder first time I felt proud to be an Indian. There is a separate gate on the boarder for goods transportation and the trucks from the Pakistan side were entering into the India.

We reached the “Swarn Jayanti Dawar” and we could see the Pakistan on the other side. Mr. Jinah’s photo was there on the Pakistan boarder gate. Indian side ceremony ground before the gate was full of crowd and the patriotic songs were making the whole environment like a war. Women and kids were dancing on the gate of India and Indian’s were chanting “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”.

We were not able to enter into the ground so we had to see the whole flag ceremony from the “Sawarn Jayanti Dawar”. Army official was motivating crowd to cheers for Indian soldiers who were doing march on the boarder gate. After a round of parade finally India and Pakistan’s gates were opened and the atmosphere was filled with noise of Indian patriotic slogans.

There were only few people on the Pakistan’s side and both side’s officers march towards the boarder kicking their legs in the sky as high as possible. Obviously Indian’s kicks were far better and higher than Pakistanis. Their eyes were full of fire and it seems like they are going to kill the Pakistani’s.

After opening the gate both side’s officers were showing there kicking skills and I think that these are the highest kicks one can throw. Atmosphere was not less than war and we were continuously chanting “Vande Matram” as loud as possible.

At last it was time to take the flags down. Both the sides flag were slowly coming down and they fold the flag in 3 -4 steps. One Indian officer came down from the top of gate holding folded flag in his hands. The way he was holding the flag was enough to tell us the importance of the tricoulor.

Folded flag just passed near to us and we felt like to salute it. Two officers were there on the horses and they escort the officer who was holding the flag. Finally both the gates closed again. Next morning they will host the flag with same ceremony. Every day in morning and evening this ceremony is happening and every day you can see the thousands of Indian’s going to see the ceremony and cheer for India.