Our primary destination was Pondicherry. So we booked our hotel in advance. For the remaining hotels, we decided to book as we proceed.
BHPian Red Panda recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
History has it that to rescue Sita from the captivity of Ravana, lord Rama ordered Lord Hanuman to build a bridge which could carry his army across to Sri Lanka. And it is from Dhanushkodi that he crossed India.
It is believed that to date, the bridge a.k.a Ram Setu exists underwater. Though there are many theories and debates regarding this matter, let’s not divert ourselves. You may find several facts and articles about ancient Ram Setu all over the World wide web.
Dhanushkodi, an abandoned town at the south-eastern tip of Pamban Island of the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is also the last point, where the driveable road ends. A dream run for many driving and riding enthusiasts. It was also on my wish list for many years.
Finally, my wife and I made up our minds that we will drive to Pondicherry and Dhanushkodi during Durga puja. The year was 2022 and it was now or never.
Started with the planning process, with ten days in hand, and came up with a doable itinerary. I familiarised myself with the entire route and made the necessary hotel reservations. Our primary destination was Pondicherry. So we booked our hotel in advance. For the remaining hotels, we decided to book as we proceed.
Our route map
After our Kolkata to Goa trip in the year 2017, we did Meghalaya, Zuluk, Gangtok, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Bara Mangwa, Puri trips over the years. But this 4000 kms round trip is our second. If you have not read the Kolkata to Goa or the Kolkata to Meghalaya travelogues, click the links below.
Ok, so let’s carry on with the remaining journey.
Day 1, 28th September 2022: Kolkata to Vizag
Total Distance: 871 km
Excitement, Anticipation, and Anxiety, all kicked in like the Avengers. A silent beauty sleep before the trip disintegrated into thin air. However, I tried to sleep/calm down myself with whatever little time I had but that was not enough. With our luggage, water bottles, food bags etc. loaded, we managed to start our journey from Kolkata by 9 pm, hoping to reach Bhubaneswar early in the morning.
Heard from fellow travellers and also read in travel groups, about the bad road surface and diversions that lie ahead en route to Bhubaneswar. I was mentally prepared but driving at night was a different ball game altogether. It was exhausting, to say the least. The road condition improved after Bhadrak and so did my mental state.
Day 2-29th September: Vizag
Drove through the night and reached IOCL Coco Badachana at the break of dawn. Took a much-needed halt and refuelled for the next part of the journey.
The first sip of morning tea
The weather was beautiful and we proceeded towards Vizag following NH-16. Our drive was uneventful. Stopped occasionally for much-needed bio breaks and refreshments along the way.
Beautiful Andhra Road welcomed us.
We reached Vizag at around 4:00 pm. freshened up, had late lunch from a nearby restaurant and slept till late evening. There is an excellent fast food joint named Sai Ram Parlour near the Diamond Park area. The quality and taste of the food are very good. The filter coffee… just amazing. The only drawback is that there are no seating arrangements, but it is highly popular. I am sure there are many more famous restaurants and takeaway joints nearby, but we didn’t explore much. This place was the closest to where we were staying for the night.
In the evening, took a stroll around, ate dinner and went to bed early. Vizag to Chennai was a whooping 815 Kms drive and as per Gmap, it would take us 15 hrs. It took almost 17hrs.
Day 3-30th September: Vizag to Chennai
Total Distance: 815 km
We started around 3 am. Topped up and cruised through the highway. Roadwise, no issues were faced. Driving on Chennai-highway was phenomenal.
Somewhere on Chennai highway.
Though we were very excited and thrilled to drive on this stretch of the highway, we kept our speed under constant check. After a second refuelling somewhere near Nellore, we stopped for a late lunch at a restaurant. CR Family Dhaba if I remember correctly. Nothing spectacular, but the quality and quantity of the food were satisfactory. With almost 147 Kms remaining and a Google map showing an ETA of 3hrs, post lunch drove nonstop to reach our hotel in Chennai. Finally reached our hotel at 8:30 pm, navigating through chaotic traffic.
We booked Zaras Inn for the night, which is located very close to Marina Beach. Tired after a very long day of driving, the only thought echoing in our mind was to hit the bed as soon as we can. During dinner, we planned our next day’s schedule and called it a day.
Day 4-1st October: Chennai to Pondicherry
Total Distance: 149 km
Slept like babies and woke up later than usual since Pondicherry was not far from Chennai and we were much more relaxed about it. Got ready, checked out by 9 a.m. and on our way, stopped by Marina Beach for a quick sneak peek.
Easy going breakfast
Enjoyed the cleanliness of the beach and organised parking. My wife and I both took turns driving through East coast road (ECR) and visited Mahabalipuram.
Parking near the temple was crowded and almost full. Took some time to figure out but managed to get a shaded spot in a paid parking area.
The weather was hot and humid. After a couple of hours of roaming the place, snacked on some juice and fruits before heading towards Pondicherry. The road was good and our drive was smooth and relaxed. Reached around 4 pm.
Villa Meena in Suffren Street, White Town is where we stayed. The location wise it was perfect. Right beside a very famous restaurant, named Cafe des Arts. Tourists flocked to the place from early morning till late evening. Clicking mandatory pictures in front of their graffiti wall. We were no exception.
Entrance to Our Homestay
Upon arrival, I found out that the hotel did not have its own parking space. Most of the cars and two-wheelers were parked beside the road which was quite normal. The owner guided me to a small open space 200 meters behind the hotel, which was managed by the Municipal Corporation. With just 50 rupees per day, my parking got sorted for the next four days. As long as I carry a valid receipt, I am free to use the parking at any time of the day and night.
Spot the Panda
Day 5-2nd October: Sightseeing In Pondicherry
Our morning started with a visit to Sri Aurobindo Ashram and having breakfast at their dining room located near Bharathi Park. A very quiet, peaceful ashram, very well maintained.
The experience was humbling and rejuvenating for us.
Next, we headed towards Auroville. The place was crowded and most of the area was closed to tourists. I had high hopes of roaming the area after watching lots of YouTube videos.
But we got to see a sort of promotional video in a theatre and soon after that, we walked to the Matri mandir to get a glimpse of it from a distance.
MatriMandir
All anticipation, time and energy devoted were just not worth it. We got very tired and returned as quickly as possible. Grabbed some refreshments from the overcrowded cafes and headed straight to our car.
With our hunger satiated, we returned to our hotel, quickly freshened up and took rest for while to restore our tired feet and body. We again had our dinner at Aurobindo Ashram. One needs to buy tickets for an entire day’s meal which costs only Rs. 50 per person. It includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
After completing our dinner, the evening went by without much activity because by then, we were already preparing ourselves for another 8-hour journey to Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi.
Started exactly at 11 pm from Pondicherry. The road was good and also very much busy during that time of night. Saw lots of tourist buses. Probably all of them were headed towards Rameshwaram. Didn’t have any problems driving.
Day 6-3rd October: Pondicherry to Rameshwaram and back
Total Distance: 439 Kms One way
Followed Viluppuram, Tiruchirappalli route and drove through the night. Stopped on the Pamban bridge and like quintessential tourists, clicked selfies.
Didn’t know what to expect and to save some time, we skillfully changed to fresh ethnic attires somewhere before Pamban on road itself. Since it was very early morning, the roads were pretty much empty so we were at ease.
Brushed and freshened up for our temple visit. Kept our jeans and T-shirts aside for later. We reached Rameswaram on the 3rd of October morning and as per our initial calculations, we were more or less bang on time. Took a while to navigate and figure out the scenario. Roads were crowded and narrow to some extent but with guidance from police personnel and locals, drove to the parking area which was a large field. Ample space and parking were a no-brainer. Walked down from there towards the temple.
I was just awestruck to see the architecture of the temple from the outside as well as inside. The architectural precision was mind-blowing. With due respect to the authorities, we didn’t click a single photo while we were inside the temple. After we visited the temple, we finished breakfast, headed to the parking lot, again skillfully changed back into western clothes and drove to Dhanushkodi.
Again, we faced a massive tourist crowd with lots of traffic. Cars were not allowed to drive till the roundabout point and everyone was parking their car or bus beside the road. Luckily, I got a space wide enough for our Red Panda to tuck in.
Walked down towards the endpoint. Clicked some photos. A great sense of achievement ran down my body. At one point I was pinching myself realising how far we have come.
Satisfied with our accomplishment, we started our drive back to Pondicherry exactly by noon. The road was good, stopped once or twice to catch a break and move on. Didn’t face any setbacks during the entire journey.
We completed our to-and-fro journey successfully and reached Pondicherry on 3rd October at 9:30 pm. I was very tired but the feeling of a mission accomplished made me happy. I cannot justify my feelings in words.
Our long-pending wish to drive to the end of the driveable road of India was finally fulfilled. To celebrate, we ordered a Large Pizza from Hope Cafe just beside our hotel (sadly, didn’t click the photo). What a classic way to end the day. Lip-smacking.
With all events falling into place, we still have one last day in Pondicherry to roam around and relax before we start our journey back home. Easy peasy!
Continue reading BHPian Red Panda’s travelogue for more insights and information.
Keyword: 4700 km, 11 days & 1 Maruti Swift: Kolkata - Rameshwaram road trip