The Plan
India, in its vastness, encapsulates many different cultures, captivating destinations, and not to forget, richness of culinary delights.
India's geographical diversity is a haven for road trip enthusiasts. The Great Himalayas span from the North to the Northeast, offering breathtaking mountain views and adventures. the vast desert In the West captivates with its stark beauty. The central regions are adorned with lush forests and the scenic Western Ghats, add to the country's natural splendor. Along India's long peninsula to the south, Lovely beaches beckon with Sun, Sand and Sea.
This is an account of our Longest Road trip so far which we did in December 2023.
Annually we drive to our home town Tenali from Noida. A distance of 1850kms. Only this time we decided to make a detour via the incredible Rajasthan.
The dream of driving to the border outposts at Tanot and Munabao in the heart of the Thar Desert had long been on our bucket list. But making this detour expanded the scope and logistics of our journey exponentially.
Planning & Preparation
A month to go - We got back to drawing table to plan for the detour. We studied & made changes to our route. Next we decided & made a list of places to visit and prepared a fresh day wise inteneary. We did extensive research on the possible stay options and booked the accommodations enroute.
This was the final route we decided.
Noida - Jodhpur - Jaisalmer - Tanot - Sam - Munabao - Sanchore - Patan - Modhera - Ahmedabad - Aurangabad - Hyderabad - Tenali - Hyderabad - Nagpur - Jhansi - Gwalior - Agra - Noida
A Week to go - Car was prepped with a complete checkup at the service center.
Tyres were checked and topped up with nitrogen.
A Day to go - Luggage was packed, loaded & arranged into the car boot the night before. Dry fruits and other ready to eat snack items were arranged & kept inside car for sudden hunger pangs.
Went over the plan for Day 1 with possible breakfast & break stops.
At last We were ready to embark on an adventure like no other.
Ride - Kia Carens DCT
Team of 3 - Myself, My Father and my Cousin
Day 1. December 8, 2023: Noida to Jodhpur (652km, 10hrs 18mins)
Excited and with butterflies in the stomach we started our journey at 03:58am. We headed towards Jaipur and experienced the new Delhi-Mumbai expressway section till Dausa. It was definitely better than the old highway to Jaipur, but I thought it didn't quite live up to the hype. In fact, It was bumpy at many places and surface rough, junction points near bridges were not smooth. Definitely not for 120kmph speed limit. As the day broke, we took a break for 15 mins, at one of the nice spacious rest areas and had coffee from our kit.
After Bypassing the bustling cities of Jaipur and Ajmer, the traffic thinned out. Jaipur Bypass was so far away that we did not see the city itself.
Jaipur - Ajmer was as usual mad with traffic. Needed to drive patently through the many trucks and crazy car drivers. Had breakfast to re energise and proceeded.
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| Aloo Paratha with Curd |
Relief came as soon as we crossed Beawar town. Immediately we witnessed quite a drop is traffic. Road had become smoother and we were cruising effortlessly at 90kmph thorough the beautiful landscape of rural India. We tuck a turn towards Jodhpur at a town called Bar. The road became even better, smooth as butter. With Less Traffic and a beautiful road ahead made this part of the drive a pleasure.
Arriving in Jodhpur at 14:16hrs, we checked into the Sri Ram International hotel, a satisfying experience in itself after a long drive. Good large rooms, nice hospitality and vast parking.
Mehrangarh Fort - Jodhpur
We let the car rest at the hotel's parking where it felt proud to be beside two vintage cars.
Took an auto riksha which is the best way to explore this city. Although expensive, it freed us from looking for parking space and from navigating through the narrow lanes.
As we took a turn we spotted the Mehrangarh fort. Perched majestically atop a steep hill, it was awe-inspiring. Took us nearly 3 hours to explore this incredible fort. We took a lift to the top most point which offered incredible panoramic views of the city way down below.
There were original canons of the past era preserved as they were overlooking the entry points to the fort.
Day 2 December 9, 2023
Our plan was to depart for Jaisalmer after lunch, but not before taking a picture of the car with the fort in the background. So we left with sunrise to avoid traffic and to find a perfect photo point. And we found it.
Jaswant Thada - It was a very quite place which offered panoramic views of the fort and its surrounding hills.
Umaid Bhavan Palace - Strikingly impressive Palace. It is partly open for tourists and rest is converted to a luxury hotel with a Royal experience. Of course we skipped the royalty and took the economy route which was restricted to a museum. The architecture and grandeur was awesome.
Jodhpur - Jaisalmer. 281 km 5hrs 53 mins
With a heavy and delicious buffet breakfast at the hotel under our belts we decided to skip the lunch and and started our journey westwards at 11:35. The roads after Jodhpur were even better, making the drive smooth and enjoyable.
We soon passed through the town of Pokharan, the heart of India’s nuclear test site. Although the site was inaccessible, we felt a sense of pride as we crossed it.
Just before entering Jaisalmer, we spent an hour at the Army War Museum, a must-visit. It featured captured enemy tanks alongside our own victorious ones, among other airforce, army exhibits.
There was also a unique cafe called “Bunker Cafe“ & a souvenir shop, both managed by army. Coffee & sandwiches we had were good.
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| Captions on Table & chairs were unique. |
A short drive into town & we arrived at our hotel Golden Haveli at 17:30. It was a comfortable place to stay. The rooms & interior had Rajasthani touch.
We were recommended a vegetarian restaurant, Desi Aroma, which had a great ambiance with open-air seating and live music.
10th December - Jaisalmer Fort and the ghost town of Kuldhara.
Jaisalmer town was a disappointment. It was very unclean, giving the impression that the municipality didn’t exist. The fort, despite the popularity didn’t meet our expectations either. Its one of the rare forts where people still live inside. Gadisar Lake is something you can skip. We had a quick lunch at Shree Jee, a pure vegetarian restaurant.
Kuldhara - a heritage ghost village.
Since we had the whole afternoon, we drove 18km to this intriguing village. There are many theories about why this village was abandoned overnight and became known as a ghost town. Definitely not because ghosts live here and roam around waiting to chat with tourists. It was a fascinating visit, and we spent over an hour walking among the ruins. We returned to the hotel had light dinner and called it a night feeling excited for the next day.
11th December 2023 Jaisalmer- Tanot - Longewala - Sam
314Km, 8hrs 8mins 06:57 to 15:05 hrs
Today was the most productive day. Most satisfying day.
Today was the day our long-held dream of visiting the Indo-Pak border at Tanot was realised.
This was the reason for which this road trip was originally conceived.
Today was the day we drove on the best roads of the entire trip. Border Roads Organisation had done a fantastic job. These were better than the expressways.
We bid farewell to Jaisalmer as we checked out at 06:57 and drove North west towards Tanot.
The 120km drive was an absolute pleasure with butter smooth Roads. Car was flying over the black Tarmac which was cut through the spectacular Desert landscape.
Upon reaching Tanot, We had a brief meeting with the Border Security Force post incharge. He himself signed and gave the passes required to go further 15km to the actual border. Thanked him and moved ahead westwards.
The landscape was spectacular. The road cut through the flat desert land, went between high sand dunes. We could see for miles on either side and hardly any vehicles.
Reached the Border post and had the privilege of walking up to the watchtower (BOP 609). Had a brief interaction with the BSF Lady soldier manning the post near the border fencing.
It invoked a sense of pride and reverence to be at this place. We climbed on a viewing tower from where we could see Pakistan side of the border and their guard posts. Spent some quality time there and started back towards Tanot.
Tanot - Longewala 37.8km, 32mins
At 11:33 we headed towards Longewala.
The Location of 1971 war with Pakistan. The route was stunning. The smooth black road was contrasting to the arid, golden sand dunes covered Landscape. We drove slow to take in the view as much as possible. Driving at speed limit of 80 Kmph was like slow-motion.
Reached Longewala at 12:05 and explored the battlefield where a small army of 100 soldiers defended the outpost against 3000 enemy soldiers and many tanks for a whole night till airforce backup arrived. We remembered the movie Border based on this war.
The destroyed enemy tanks and now unused bunkers were preserved. We explored walking in now ankle deep sand for an hour and had our packed lunch before proceeding towards Sam desert camps.
Longewala- Sam desert camps. 115 km 1hr 47mins
From Longewala, we continued towards the Sam desert camps, an exhilarating drive through the heart of the desert. The road, winding amidst towering sand dunes, offered a surreal experience, devoid of any human habitation. Arriving at Sam at 15:05, we were welcomed by the Rojani Resort, our sanctuary amidst the vast expanse of sand.
Checked into our tent at Rojani Resort. It was a large tent with double bed and an extra bed, attached washroom and ofcourse fitted with air conditioning. We were smack in the middle of sand dunes. Parked the car under a tree.
After a bit of rest we went to Sunset Safari which was an open air jeep. It took us for an off-roading ride up & down the sand dunes. It was fun and scary at times. Jeep stopped at a place which resembled a carnival. There were sand buggy rides. Moto glider, camel rides, jeep safari. We opted for moto glider flight. It was a good experience and surprisingly not scary. The 5 min flight gave an incredible birds eye view of the desert.
We watched the Sun go down behind the sand dunes and came back to our Resort
Dinner was basic but excellent, after a short cultural show.
Our adventure continued at the break of dawn, with another exhilarating Jeep Safari to witness the sunrise. The spectacle of the golden sun ascending over the desert horizon left a lasting imprint on our souls, a fitting conclusion to yet another remarkable chapter of our journey, and a brilliant start to another day of Adventure.
12th December - A terrific Drive - Stuck In Sand - Munabao - Sanchore
Departure Time: 08:55.
Sam to Munabao -172.8 km - 4hrs 9mins
We Left after breakfast and hit the Bharat Mala highway towards Munabao. Road was incredibly smooth and the desert Vistas awesome. The drive for 50km was great, then abruptly the highway broke down to a narrow dirt track. For the next 1 hour it was horrible. Both sides it was desert wilderness with occasional shrubs between sand dunes.
After an hour of slow patient driving and just 200 meters short of the highway, we hit sand and our CAR GOT STUCK. Heavy sand had blown over the road which was no where to be seen. I changed to manual and pushed, it didn’t move.
A Lucky Break
Out of the blue sky over the sand dune a tractor appeared & came down towards us. They suggested to reduce air pressure in the tires and try. I reduced the air pressure from 32 to 18 and then wriggled the tires and floored the pedal, the car Lunged forward, moved sliding ahead for 100 meters and then got stuck again. I reduced the air in all tyres to 8psi, Wriggled the tyres and pushed the pedal flat. The car moved ahead picked up speed and cleared the sand & back on hard surface. I stopped short of the highway entrance relived. Got down and removed a ton of sand from the underbody. Luckily the car was not damaged.
Thanked the tractor guys and refilled the air from our inflator back to 33psi & continued cautiously ahead. The highway was again back to being fantastic. After a while of smooth driving we reached Munabao at 13:04.
Munabao experience
Our Ids were checked at a BSF checkpost & we arrived at Munabao Railway Station. The last station towards Pakistan. Thar express used to go across the border few years ago. Not exactly a tourist place due to its remoteness and is a far cry from the popular Tanot border. We were the only people there.
We parked our car at the entrance to the humble railway station. Surprised to see a car a young station master rushed out and greeted us. Initially was in shock to see that someone would drive all the way just to see his station, but later was elated that we are railway enthusiasts and came all the way to see the last railway station of India at this side. He was kind & took upon himself to show us around. He mentioned that there is just one train per day so any guests are welcome to break his monotony.
Barmer - Sanchore
The road from Munabao to Barmer was in a bad shape & was a tough drive till Barmer. Then it was a good 4 lane road although with some traffic till Hotel Kaushal international, Sanchore at 18:48hrs. An excellent hotel right on the highway. Large rooms and nice restaurant, good parking. Recommended stay if you are around this area.
13th December - Patan - Modhera - Ahmedabad.
Total Distance: 260km. Total Time: 8hrs 4mins
Departure Time: 05:23. Arrival Time: 13:27
Rani ki Vav, Patan - 128.5Km - 2hrs 43mins
Day 6 of our drive. A New road, a new destination, a new experience to look forward to. New Places to explore in Incredible India.
We hit the road in the early morning darkness and drove towards Rani ki Vav, an Unesco world heritage site. We reached by 8:09hrs after 2hrs 46 mins drive.
To our advantage, It was early so there were very few tourists and could experience the place in its tranquility.
Rani ki Vav was a huge deep Step Well. It was an architecture marvel. We were awed by this place and felt it was worth the detour to come here. A series of steps & ledges go down to the water. Built as an ancient water storage tank. Now an archeological masterpiece. We felt fortunate to visit this place.
Modhera Sun Temple - 42Km, 1Hr drive.
It was a short 1 hour drive to Modhera from Patan. We drove through the town to reach the Site. Modhera Sun Temple , another UNNESCO world heritage site. Another magnificent place. We explored the amazing architecture of the Sun temple and the surrounding structures. It was beyond imagination how this was constructed hundreds of years ago with out the modern machinery.
We were Mesmerised and no pictures could do justice to this incredible monument. A masterpiece.
We had breakfast at the canteen, which was good and proceeded towards Destination of the day Ahmedabad.
December 13, 2023 - Ahmedabad
December 14, 2023 - Ahmedabad to Aurangabad
December 15, 2023 - Aurangabad to Hyderabad
In Hyderabad we took the Outer Ring Road to reach my cousin’s place in Habsiguda by 4:15 PM. We had a delicious dinner idly - dosa at a local tiffin center and called it a day. December 16, 2023 - Hyderabad to Tenali
Return Journey
We started our Return trip on 13th January 2024 from Tenali to Noida and made it in 3 Days. This route we were quite used to as we had done it many times in the past. The route, places to halt were pre-decided and booked.
13th January - Tenali to Hyderabad. 345kms
14th January - Hyderabad to Sagar. 970km
This route was amazing as usual. Hyderabad to Adilabad is an excellent road. After Adilabad to Nagpur is good but some bad patches. We halted at MHKS for brunch after Nagpur ring road. A nice facility with good food options, nice parking and clean washrooms. with BP Petrol station adjacent to it is a good pitstop for car and for passengers.
We then crossed the Pench National park on Satpura hills. An excellent 4 lane highway took us over it, we drove easy enjoying the drive & the scenery.
Reached our destination for the day Sagar at 6:07pm. Hotel Deepali Sagar is an amazing place to stay. It has huge lawns and large rooms. Excellent hospitality & excellent food. We always prefer this place during our North - South drives.
15th January - Sagar to Noida 650km
The Home run. We left early around 5am. Since it was winter it was still dark as we drove north. Outside it was cold and inside we kept a comfortable 23 degrees.
As the dawn broke, fog hit us suddenly. The visibility was down to few meters. we slowed down to a crawl trying to find the way through the thick fog. A police vehicle overtook us with bright lights and we quickly started following it keeping enough distance not to loose him and enough to follow him closely. He maintained a slow but consistent speed, probably was a local. After around 30 mins he turned into a town and we were back on our own to find the way.
Luckily we got behind a truck who was doing around 30kmph and was probably able to see better than us. We followed him for an hour & unfortunately he stopped after a toll.
Again we were on our own, the fog was as thick as ever. Finally we decided to stop at a petrol station and wait it out. we had coffee in the cold morning & relaxed. After about 30 mins the fog thinned out enough for us to drive.
We hit the road and soon crossed Jhansi. At around 10:20am we halted for breakfast at Tekan Treat restaurant . A nice place with good food before Gwalior.
After 30 mins we started again, Crossed Gwalior and hit the old Agra Gwalior highway. This is a mess till Agra. Congested roads with continuous shops, residences all along which makes it difficult to maintain a pace. Added to that rash local traffic.
As soon as we hit the Yamuna Expressway after crossing through the chaos of Agra, it felt like home already. Though we had over 2hrs of drive left. But the 6 lane expressway was covered in cruise control and reached home noida at 4:45pm.
Thus concluding a wonderful road trip of 6832km.
Thanks for reading. Below video summarises the trip.
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