Love driving and exploring? These road trips are not just serene but will also test your driving capabilities. Check out.
When we think of going on road trips with our favorite people, we imagine the fantasy images of driving through Scotland's North Coast 500 or USA's Route 66. But India is no less in terms of stunning roads. It is considered as one of the most diverse countries in the world with captivating landscapes and weather. In this country, not only these views are breathtaking but every destination has different and unique culture. Due to its cultural values, every traveler is welcomed with open arms and warm heart.
If you are a driving enthusiast who loves exploring places then here are the 7 road trips that you can take in India for an indelible experience.
Manali to Leh
Manali to Leh route is one of the most famous stretch in India. This journey grants travelers with a new sense of self which is truly indescribable. This route also has adventurous tracks especially when driving the notorious Rohtang Pass where risk of avalanches and landslides hang in air. This pass is located at 3978 meters; therefore, don't dare to ride this pass if someone has acrophobia or fear of heights.
In Ladakhi language (i.e. the Tibetan language spoken in the Ladakh region), the Rohtang Pass means 'pile of corpses' referencing to the number of travelers died on this road. It is very easy to get distracted by the beautiful sceneries but safety comes first so keep both the eyes on the road at all times. Don't let this forbidding pass to discourage from experiencing this road trip. It generally opens from early June to mid September.
This road trip is 478 km long and comfortably allows travelers to stop and rest for a few nights. There are plenty of stopover points like Khoksar with beautiful sceneries and where locals cook delicious cuisine. It’s true that for weak hearted this road trip is not recommended but these lofty white peaks are so attractive, this feeling and experience is just indescribable.
Bangalore to Munnar
The road trip from Bangalore to Munnar is a 485 km long and 10-hour road trip along the Udumalpet Route. It is a very scenic drive along the NH 44 and 48. There are plenty of stopovers points including Chandira Choodeswarar Temple and Hogenakkal Falls. The road may be curvy but you can drive without any difficulty.
It is recommended to make a trip during the monsoon season because at that point in time nature is brimming with life. Don’t get distracted by the attractive greenery which is enhanced by the many numbers of waterfalls. This route helps travelers to experience nature at its peak. When we arrive in Munnar, the tiredness from the road trip will be more than worth it because Munnar is the destination where 3 streams of mountains i.e. Nallathanni, Mudrapuza, and Kundala meet.
The natural beauty of this place attracts many tourists from around the world, especially in May when the weather is most appropriate. It is a road trip everyone should drive at least once, because it is at the Top Most Hill Station destination over passing the Western Ghats and we can witness nature at its finest in this place.
Pamban Bridge to Rameswaram
Sometimes, shorter trips have greater significance. It is a twenty minutes of pure pleasure. This engineering marvel bridge is a 100-year old railway bridge surrounded by calming green and blue waters. It has gone through many struggles and one of them was surviving a large-scale cyclone which completely destroyed the port of town Dhanushkodi in 1964. Though there are not enough trains on this route but if planned carefully and got lucky then anyone can catch the trains which cross this bridge and even the bridge opening for passing ships can be seen.
There is an average of 10-15 boats and ships which pass beneath this bridge each month. One top tip is to ensure that do not cross this bridge during peak travel hours or rush hours because traffic on the bridge slows to a small halt. This happens because this bridge is the only way to Rameswaram. Once crossed the bridge and entered into the holy town, just visit the divine Rameswaram Hindu temple which is devoted towards Lord Shiva.
Ahmadabad to Kutch
This beautiful journey is 400 km with an estimated time of approx to 10-11 hours. The best part of this journey is to drive through the translucent white beauty of the Rann of Kutch. The meaning of ‘Rann of Kutch’ in Hindi language is ‘desert’ and it is considered as world’s largest salt desert. This popular spot of western India is very popular to witness eye-catching sunsets and sunrises.
There are plenty of sightseeing places in Kutch like visiting Aaina Mahal’s with mirrored interiors and breathtaking Vijay Vilas Palace. Anyone can visit widely acclaimed UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Wild Ass Sanctuary in Gujarat to stopover during this journey. Where you can see endangered Indian Wild Ass and also contains around 2100 animals. The warning is given to the travelers to choose travel time wisely because Rann of Kutch is a sealine desert where constant flooding occurs during the monsoon season which lasts for the period of one month.
Therefore, it is recommended to avoid travelling between June and September instead travel on this route between November and February. At this time, it is possible to attend Rann Utsav festival and dive into the diverse culture and beauty of the Kutch under the light of full moon.
Kolkata to Digha
The simple and pleasing route which runs between Kolkata and Digha offers flat roads where you can drive on high speeds. It is a 180 km long and 3-4 hour drive with lush greenery experience. This highway is in the prime condition and without any potholes where drivers can feel relaxed at the wheel while looking enjoying the lush scenery.
While enjoying this trip if time allows we can even extend our road trip by visiting hidden beaches which lie outside the Digha. If someone is hungry while travelling, there are plenty of dhabas or roadside restaurants and Bengali sweet shops on the way where we can rest for a while. Digha is a very beautiful and glorious seaside resort town for sightseeing and relaxing for a while. At this place we can walk along the sandy beaches and Amarabati Park and even locals will also along with us to explore this paradise.
Mumbai to Goa
Goa is very beautiful. Period. The road trip from Mumbai to Goa is the correct example of popular saying that destination doesn’t matter but route for the journey taken to reach it only matters. There are two famous routes for this road trip i.e. via the NH 4 or the NH 66. The route via NH 4 with an average of total distance of 590 km ensures to get paradise in simpler form because the road along the NH 4 is flat as a pancake with optimal conditions.
It takes 10- 10 ½ hours without stopping to reach Goa. There are plenty of dhabas on this track but local recommendations being the dhabas at Kolhapur and Satara are best. This route is for people who want to enjoy some nice and easy driving and can relax from troubles in their urban lifestyle. The route via NH 66 is even longer than previous with total duration of 12 hours without stopping. The benefit of this route is we can stopover to visit Karnala Bird Sanctuary and the Ganpatipule Beach.
Delhi to Agra to Jaipur or the Golden Triangle
It is considered as one of the iconic road trips in the world. This route is nicknamed as the Golden Triangle because not only these 3 destinations make a triangular shaped course on map of India but also have rich cultural heritage present in each of these vibrant hubs. The distance between each destination is around 200-250 km. many locals recommend that 10 days trip is the most appropriate and perfect amount of time required to complete this trip of Golden triangle.
The Delhi is the Indian capital with a vibrant culture which exists within the bazaars, heritage sites, and malls. As we know Agra is famous for Taj Mahal which is the most breathtaking and extravagant memorial and considered as one of the 7 wonders of the world. And Jaipur has incredible monuments and red-washed buildings and even a little bit of this can’t be missed. Each city takes roughly 4-6 hours driving time.
There are plenty of dhabas and restaurants alongside this track. The best time recommended to travel this road trip is from August till March.
That was all about the 7 memorable road trips that you can take in India. Do let us know which one is your favorite pick.
