PHOTO:

Dandali, Karnatka: https://picasaweb.google.com/112046714466411554404/Karnatka_Dandali

Maharashtra Costal: https://picasaweb.google.com/112046714466411554404/Maharashtra_Costal

Mahabaleshwar & Panchagani, Maharashtra: https://picasaweb.google.com/112046714466411554404/Maharashtra_Mahabaleshwar_Panchagani

Aurangabad, Ajantha & Ellora, Maharashtra: https://picasaweb.google.com/112046714466411554404/Maharashtra_Aurangabad_Ajantha_Ellora

RIDE DURATION/DATE: 8 Days, 30-Oct-2010 to 06-Nov-2010

PARTICIPANTS/Rider: Udhaya Kumar.V & Balaji Anand in RE Thunder Bird

EXPENSE: Rs.12,500 (Rs.5,790 for Food, Stay, etc + Rs.6,710 for Petrol), Per head.

ROAD MAP:

Day 1, 30-Oct-2010: Bangalore-502km- Dandali

Day 2, 31-Oct-2010: Dandali – Belgam – (171km)Amboli – Sawantwadi – Vengulra Beach – (111km)Tarkarli Beach – Malvan Beach (297 Km)

Day 3, 01-Nov-2010: TarkarliBeach-212km- (Londa -> Ponda -> Dicholi -> Maneri -> Banda -> Sindhudurga) Ratnagiri Fort -56km- Ganpatipule Beach

Day 4, 02-Nov-2010: GanpatipuleBeach-219km- Mahabaleswar

Day 5, 03-Nov-2010: Mahabaleswar -24km-PanchganiTableLand-Aurangabad-(361km)Ellora – Ajantha

Day 6, 04-Nov-2010: Ajantha – Buldana – Sultanapur – (155km)Lonar – Jalna – (152km)Aurangabad

Day 7, 05-Nov-2010: Aurangabad-475km- Kolapur(Pune High Way)

Day 8, 06-Nov-2010: Kolapur(Pune High Way) -630km-Bangalore

DISTANCE: 3,190 Km (Round trip – Bangalore- Dandali – Maharastra Costa – Aurangabad – Bangalore)

PLACE VISITED:

Karnataka
1.Dandali
2.Syntheri Rock

Maharashtra
1.Amboli Fals
2.Vengurla
2.Tarkarli
3.Malvan
4.Ratnagiri Fort
5.Ganapatipul
6.Mahabaleshwar
7.Panchagani (table Land)

8.Aurangabad
9.Ajantha
10.Daulatabad Fort
11.Bibi ka Maqbara
12.Ellora
13.Lonar Crater

LOG:

Day 1, 30-Oct-2010:

05:00 AM: We started from Bangalore towards Dandali.

01:00 PM: We reached DANDALI @ Karnataka and checked in Government forest bungalow. We got this stay through one of the reference.
Place to Stay: You can find some of the jungle lodge and resorts in this place. Jungle Lodges and Resorts will be the famous one and there is no low budget hotel/lodge in this area for stay.

One of the very biggest forest area in Karnataka, where you won’t find much tourist or commercial things. This place very famous for water rafting, trekking, Bird Watching (we seen more Hornbills birds), Jungle Safari and Kayaking. Water sports will be available based on the water availability in kali river(Dam will be opened specific day/time only), So better you can check-it up while planning for any water sports in this place.

Place to see: This is not tourist place other then forest and river. But you can see some place like SYNTHERI ROCKS (Main Tourist Attraction), CROCODILE PARK and WATER RAFTING. All you can see forest … forest … birds !! Be with nature, you can go to this green place.

Day 2, 31-Oct-2010:

07:00 AM: we started towards Maharastra costal and decided to bypass Goa.

09:45 AM: We reached Belgam, We traveled through NH121 its full of mountain ride. Its green .. green route.

11:30 AM: We reached AMBOLI & its just passing way only. Its very beautiful valley and small falls in this place, we stopped some time in this place . This is not place to stay or any activity in this place, just passing valley.

01:00 PM: We reached VENGULRA BEACH, its very small beach and no activity, no people other then some local people. We spend little time in this beach and decided to move towards MALVAN/TARKARLI Beach.

Stay at VENGULRA BEACH: There is MTDC (Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation) hotel, But I don’t think any sense to stay in this beach. Better you can move to MALVAN or TARKARLI Beach.

04:00 PM: We reached TARKARLI BEACH and checked-in MTDC hotel. Tarkarli and Malvan very active beach’s comparatively, its attracts more tourist, again this both beaches in very nearby only. So you can stay where every you want and spend time in this beaches.

In Malvan, there is Shivaji Fort and you can reach this place through local boat. Its nice place to spend some time. We seen plenty of fishing boats in this area.

Amazing things to see in this place, people driving there motorcycle/car in this sea shore to reach malvan town.

Stay at TARKARLI Beach: We stayed at MTDC Hotel, but you can see more hotels in this place. MTDC very near to beach.

Day 3, 01-Nov-2010 :

06:00 AM: We planned to start, after we realized one of our bullet was puncture. We fixed our self and it took one hr. Good !! Puncture was happened at beach !! no need to worry much.

09:00 AM: We started driving in costal road.

02:00 PM: We reached RATNAGIRI FORT. There is no fort in this place other then compound. Top of this small hill there is Shivaji Temple. Nothing much to see in this place other then have very good view point(sea) from this place.

05:30 PM: we reached GANPATIPULE BEACH and checked in. Its more active and beautiful beach in complete Maharashtra costal compare with other beaches.

Its very small town and we visited to ganpatipule temple its in Sea shore itself.

Day 4, 02-Nov-2010 :

06:15 AM: We started riding towards MAHABALESWAR.

12:00 PM: We reached MAHABALESWAR and checked-in MTDC hotel. This is one of the famous and beautiful hillstation in Maharashtra.

There is two thing we can do In this place 1. VIEW POINTS – There is 12 view points(Lodwick point, elephant Head point, Savitri Point, Arthur’s seat, etc) in this hilli region where you can see complete place. But out of this, “ARTHUR’S SEAT” view point looks great. 2. VENNA LAKE: I am sure everybody who visit to Mahabaleswar, will visit to this lake. Its very bigger lake where plenty of all type of the boating happening. Other then this, Horses ride very famous in place. I am seeing people love to do this horse ride in this place, again no matter men, women.. kids … every body going for this horse ride.

Stay at Mahabaleswar: We stayed at MTDC hotel. But you can find plenty of the hotels in this place. Its typical tourist place & no worry about stay.

Day 5, 03-Nov-2010 :

06:40 AM: Started riding towards Panchgani to see TABLE LAND. Its very near from Mahabaleswar. Panchgani is very famous for boarding school in Maharashtra.

07:15 AM: We reached PANCHGANI TABLE LAND. Its flat land on the mountain & looks good. Some tourist place to see in this are will be Table Land, Sydney Point, Parsi Point, Mappro Garden and Sherbaug. Nothing great to spend time in this place, So we decided to move towards Ellora.

Route – From this place, we have to reach pune high way, from there we need to go towards Ellora. But we decided to go in state high way which will be the short route to ellora. But after started riding in this road, we realized we took very bad decision. We seen most of this state high way very badly maintain, its very very bad roads. Better you can go to National High way and reach Ellora, instead of using state high way.

04:00 PM: We reached ELLORA and spend our time. I am sure, its wonder & everybody must see this place.

08:30 PM: we reached AJANTHA and checked in MTDC hotel. There is two MTDC hotel in this place.

Day 6, 04-Nov-2010 :

09:00 AM: We reached AJANTHA and spend our time, Its amazing work. Its series of 30 cave temples, but out of this 15 not complete one.

HOLIDAY DETIAL:
Ajantha – Monday Holiday
Ellora – Tuesday Holiday

PLACE TO SEE @/NEAR AURANGABAD:

Ajanta: 107km from Aurangabad City. Dating from 200BC, these caves were excavated in two distinct phases and reportedly took more then 800 years to complete. They comprise Chaityas(Shrines) dedicated to lord Buddha and Viharas(Monasteries) used by buddhist monks for meditation. The paintings and sculptures depict incidents from the life of the Buddha and various Buddhist divinities with the jataka tales,illustrating stories of Bodhisattva, being the most famous.

Ellora: About 30km from Aurangabad are the world renowned Ellora caves, known for their Buddhist, Jain and Hindu cultural influences. There are 34 caves containing shrines, monasteries and temples. The Buddhiest caves were carved during the period 200BC to 600AD. These were followed by the Hindu caves (500 – 900AD) and finally the jain caves(800-1000 AD).

Daulatabad: About 15km from Aurangabad, one of the way to the ellora caves, is the hill fortress of Daulatabad. This magnificent 12th century fortress was the capital of the Yadava rulers.

Bibi-Ka-Maqbara: in 1679, Aurangzeb’s son build the inspiringly beautiful Bibi-Ka-Maqbara as a tribute to his mother, Begam Rabia-ud-Durani. A replica of the Taj Mahal of Agra.

Panchakki: This is 17th Centrure water mill exemplifies the engineering ingenuity of that age. The mill which runs on water channelized from a river 6km. away through an earthen pipeline, was used for grinding food grains for the community kitchen.

Ghrishneshwar Temple: About half a kilometer from Ellora.

Khuldabad, Aurangazeb’s Tomb: near Aurangabad.

01:30 PM: We started riding towards LONAR. We need to go in local road to reach this place. Its really bad road in most of the places.

04:30 PM: we reached LONAR and spend some time. I am not seen any outside people visiting this place, Even local people not aware of this place. There is MTDC hotel, but its closed because of no tourist.

LONAR: Its situated on the outskirts of Lonar town in Buldhana District, the lonar crater was first discovered in 1823 by J.E Alexander and is written about in ancient scripts like the Skanda Puran, the Padma Puran and the Asina-i-Akbari. Its distinguished by the fact that it’s the world’s third largest crater formed nearly 50,000 years ago, when a 2 million-ton meteorite impacted the earth to create a depression 1.83 kilometers in diameter and 150 meters deep.

Near By: You can see Daitya Sudan Temple and Gomukh Temple.

05:30 PM: Started riding towards Aurangabad

09:30 PM: We reached Aurangabad and checked-in MTDC hotel. Yes offcourse its bigger city and you can get all the facility.

Stay at Aurangabad: You can see plenty of the hotels, but we stayed at MTDC hotel.

Day 7, 05-Nov-2010 :

09:00: we went Aurangabad local visit. Yes there is some of the good places. We visited to DOLADABAD FORT, temple, etc.

01:30 PM: Our trip is over and riding back to bangalore via Pune.

10:00 PM: we stayed at KOLAPUR.

Day 8, 06-Nov-2010 :

05:30 AM: Started riding to Bangalore. On the way, one of our bullet had issue and went to Hubli to fix the bike. We was there 4+ hrs.

08:00 PM: Reached home at Bangalore.

OVERALL SOME POINTS:

1. Ajantha & Ellora – Must see in your life time.

2. GANPATIPULE BEACH – Its beautiful and active beach, compare with other Maharashtra costal beaches

3. Fort at Maharashtra Costal – It’s not worth to visit any fort. You can see only compound and some temple.

4. Roads – DON’T select any local or state road. Try to be on High way as much as possible. Local roads poorly maintained.

5. Hotel – You can find MTDC (Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation) hotel in most of the tourist places for stay, but it looks little costly. All the MTDC rooms start from Rs.1,100, Its costly compare with other India state government tourist hotels cost.

By Udhaya Kumar.V, Udhaya@udhaya.com