Hyderabad to Gandikota - Camping

[sagar]

Hyderabad to Gandikota drive meet and camping - Republic Day drive report (Jan 26, 26 - 2019)

 

When: January 26th, 27th  2019

Where: Belum caves and Gandikota gorge

Distance: ~400 Kilometers

 

Objective :

A small gathering with all the 'India-drive' members at the Gandikota gorge for an overnight camp under the beautiful night skies.

 

Destination description:

 

Belum Caves:

Belum caves, supposedly the longest caves in India after Borra, is about 80 kms from 'Orvakal'. Belum Caves have long passages, fresh water galleries and siphons. It is a natural underground cave formed by the constant flow of underground water. The caves reach its deepest point of 150 feet known as 'Pataalaganga'.

 

Gandikota:

The name Gandikota was acquired from the picturesque gorge formed between the Erramalai hills. A deep valley with massive boulders of red granite resembling the Grand Canyon surrounds the fort. The Penna river flows between the gorge which is ~100 meters below the western and northern sides of the fort.

 

Cover picture:

 

 

Participants:

1) Volkswagen Polo - Abhishek

2) Volkswagen Polo - Suhas

3) Fiat Punto - Rajesh

4) Baleno - Prabhu

5)Tata Tigor - Maroti

6) Ford Aspire - Ankit
7) Ford Ecosport - Anand Singh
8) Mahindra Scorpio - Dushyant

9) Renault Duster - Vineet

10) Hyundai Creta - Rajesh
11) Hyundai Creta - Sagar 
12) Mahindra XUV 500 - Rahul Sharma

13) Jeep Compass - Shivanand 

14) Ford Endeavour - Sridhar

15) Volvo D40 - Ashwin

16) Audi Q3 - Bhargav

 

[sagar]

January - 26 (Day -1)

 

Around 5 30 AM all the 'India-drive men' started off from various prescribed start points to reach a re-group point at the 'Food Pyramid' on the Kurnool highway which would be the only stop until we reached the destination.

 

We have reached the breakfast point by 7 30 AM to meet all the members attending the drive meet. After a short gathering and post breakfast, we started off to drive down to our first destination i.e. Belum caves

Sharing a few pictures shared by the members which were shot at the Belum caves

 

Unlike the Borra Caves in Vishakhapatnam the Belum Caves have long passages and spacious chambers.

 

Muted lighting adds up to the mystery and the beauty of these carves were formed by the flow of underground water.

 

Only point in the cave where the sunlight creeps in is this entrance

 

Few glimpses captured after the cave walk.

 

 

After a tiresome photo-walk inside the caves, we moved out to recharge ourselves with the Rayalaseema delicacies for lunch at the Harita Resorts.

Post lunch, we resumed the drive and steered towards the Gandikota camp site to sight the gorge during the sunset time.

We had reached the camping area by 5 PM, picked up the pitched tents and settled for the next few hours sighting at the fabulous view this place had offered.

 

All the members got involved in some enthusiastic conversations while few others settled themselves comfortably getting acclimatized to the weather conditions. 

 

It's always fun to hang around with the like minded enthusiasts. One doesn't really have to introduce himself when they share a common topic in interest.

 

Every enthusiast got busy getting involved into interesting discussions on current affairs, travel goals and car culture. While a few others got busy capturing pictures on the west.

 

The place looks beautiful as always expect for a lot of littering done by the regular campers.

 

The next gen and the most youngest 'India-Drive' members have a ball of time in their own space.  

 

@Dushyant and crew enjoying their own time sighting at the gorge.

 

 

A small glimpse of the super enthusiastic crew who have made it for the drive and made the event a grand success. We were able to manage and get these shots before the light dimmed out. A huge shout out to the whole crew.

 

[sagar]

Day - 1 (Contd.. )

 

All the members were set to explore the place by foot and capture the best of views at the campsite

 

 

 

The huge red boulders added to the magnificent background and the landscape looked majestic.

 

We have pitched our tents at our own private space overlooking the view of the Penna 

 

 

There were a lot other campers who have reached out to the same place. Disadvantages of being here during a weekend  

 

It was a pleasure to have the Fiat guys

 

@Asher  @prasadduggirala  @ksa171983 tried their level best to make this pic look candid. Did I just spill out the beans guys?  

 

A few captures of the whole group before I had shut down the shutter on Day - 1. This was followed up by a long session of interactive session besides the Bonfire until 1 AM in the night  

 

 

This click is worth the memory of a lifetime to sac in

 

[sagar]

January - 27 (Day - 2)

 

All of us were up by 6 AM and were set off to a short trek on to the surrounding cliffs to explore more of this place while a few others joined us late after their late morning chores  

 

The place looks absolutely peaceful and away from the usual city lights. Nature can be felt best in silence between the mountains   

 

 

Customary photo freaks are never to be missed and @prasadduggirala is proud to be claimed as one as always.  

 

@Vinith @pavanbandari @ksa171983 pose during the middle of their trek down to the banks of Penna  

 

@sahil joins the crew of an enthusiastic trek till the banks of Penna

 

@sahil Were you trying to clone the redeemer statue in Rio De Janerio  

 

 

 

[sagar]

Day - 2 (Contd.. )

 

We spent there for about 2 hours exploring and resting at the top edge of the cliff clicking pictures

 

A deep valley and impassable hills surrounded by massive boulders of red granite, does remind us of the Grand Canyon and probably that's why it is called so.

 

All the cheerful souls got engaged in losing themselves in the tranquillity of nature

 

Overlooking at our campsite away from a short early morning trek before we had our breakfast.

 

Few glimpses of the members who always add a festive flare to every drive 'India-Drive' does. @Varsha. and @shammy

 

@prabhum and crew always make sure about their presence being felt every time they make it to the drive  

 

@Asher never misses out to be on a drive with 'India-Drive'

 

It's always fun to have members like @Vinith who would love to volunteer and support the team whenever he makes it to the drive.

 

'India-Drive' is proud to have members like @Sridhar Tandra who is the most active member on the forum and our new moderator of the Facebook group.

 

 

We are sure that they have had a ball of time after being referred by our fellow moderator   

 

After spending a good amount of time on the cliff top and soaking in the morning sun, we descended down to reach our campsite for breakfast. Post breakfast, we were all set to explore the fort area.

 

After a last bit of exploration in Gandikota, The track was all set to get back to the base by 11 AM.

 

Few customary stops for pictures enroute, we stop by a shoulder to get our last bit of group pictures  

 

And we drove along the convoy to elaborate safety and eliminate risk  

 

The most significant 'India-drive' convoy never hits a miss during any drive meet which is quite evident.

 

Here is something that you would get used to while driving in a convoy with 'India-Drive'

 

 

Our drive continued towards Orvakal to sight the Natural igneous rock formations but a heavy downpour at the place has enforced us to opt it out and set the next stop for a late lunch at the 'Food Pyramid'

 

Before I wind-up, 'India-drive' once again would like to thank each and every member who have attended this drive and making this meet a grand success. Your support and participation throughout the event in co-ordination and knowledge sharing has been commendable and well appreciated. Looking forward to see you guys in the next drive meet.

 

Regards-

Team 'India-Drive'.

 

[Gowtham]

Excellent report @sagar

Thank you for sharing. 

Sadly, we couldn't take the pictures of entire convoy. 

I think after Koilsagar, this is the meetup has highest member gathering. 
 

Few mobile pictures from my end

Low light conditions, spoiled the overall pictures.

 

Quick break, enroute to Belum Caves

Bonfire

Early morning trek

Convoy Panorama 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[uday]

Nice report team. This is my first over night meetup with India-Drive. Two days went off so quickly. Weather was great through out the drive.
It was very nice meet you all online.  I can identify few members from the group. :)  

Had fun winning the Dumbsharads :P, after battling the Telugu pundits. 

 

Events of Duster and Volvo showing their muscle power. 

[ksa171983]

wonderful report @sagar

indeed was a fun drive/trekking/sleeping in the tent.

Lovely afternoon showers on the way back as well added to the joy.

[KSK]

@sagar @Ranger Awesome travelogue, with visually stunning pictures and details. Kudos to you guys and all the ID members for completing this successful trip.

[sagar]

44 minutes ago, uday said:

Had fun winning the Dumbsharads :P, after battling the Telugu pundits

 

Oh no! Only you should start talking about it   Wish to see you more joining us for overnight drives  

 

14 minutes ago, ksa171983 said:

sleeping in the tent.

 

Yes yes, Tell me about it  We missed you there at the Bonfire  

 

8 minutes ago, KSK said:

Awesome travelogue, with visually stunning pictures and details

 

Thanks much @KSK Waiting to catch up at our next drive meet  

[mit1682]

Wow wow and wow. Awesome travel log. You guys are giving reason to live. I missed this as we had already planned Koilsagar drive during that time. One more location added in bucket list. Happiness is flowing on people faces. Saw few families with kid, now my fear of "kaise manage karenge" vanished. Will surely join  in next trip with you all.   

[SK01]

Wonderful writeup and pictures @sagar and congratulations on making it big as usual. 

I'm always missing the drives and these writeups are making me regret...

 

I'll definitely come for the coming drives.

[ksa171983]

33 minutes ago, sagar said:

Yes yes, Tell me about it  We missed you there at the Bonfire  

have taken one vow after that miss .. will follow it in the next drive ..

[sagar]

31 minutes ago, mit1682 said:

Will surely join  in next trip with you all. 

 

14 minutes ago, Krish said:

I'll definitely come for the coming drives

 

It would be a pleasure hosting one for such drive enthusiasts. Would love to have you join us  

[prabhum]

One more memorable drive, its always like a family reunion on drives with India-Drive. Well-drafted travel-log projecting the entire trip @sagar . As @mit1682 said , and that speaks what this drive is all about ?

[Prashant]

Hats off to The ID Team for this successful drive meet and appreciations to Sagar for this amazingly perfect travelogue presentation. 

While reading thru I really felt as if I am driving & experiencing live.

Surely, I missed this awesome drive meet due to health reasons.

Would love to join next meet up.

Thanks.....

[mayank]

Excellent work on the log @sagar. Feels so good seeing all the happy faces  I'm hoping to join the next drive meet. Any hint towards when would the next drive meet be.. ? 

[Sridhar Tandra]

Yay! super cool report as usual @sagar. Here are few pics from my end!! While I missed a lot of pictures with convoy, we have had super fun with the team as always. Like @prabhum said I literally feel like a family reunion when I drive with this group.

 

My beast...

 

Lone warrior!

 

Admin on the job for the cover pic!

 

Yo soy el administrador!!!

 

 

Most vibrant tents & our Greyhound guy in one of them   !!

 

 

Most awaited Sunrise view from the tents over the gorgeous Gorge!!!

 

I got a little creative here..  

 

My two little devils Yashu and Oordhva!

 

Couple of family pics I managed to click!

 

The evergreen & ever energetic @prabhum garu and family!

 

Super cool @Anand Singh

 

Now you know if it is Rio De Generio or the Status of Liberty!!   

 

 

and few more of them!!!

 

 

 

Thank you very much @sagar @Ranger for this beautiful drive, all the memories that you have given in this trip and wonderful pictures!! Yet another super awesometastically managed drive!! 

 

Waiting for the next one to come, Adios until then!!! ❤️❤️❤️ 

[Gowtham]

Beautiful pictures Sridhar.

Very nicely composed.

Any insights on how well Endeavor performed?

[Sridhar Tandra]

2 hours ago, Ranger said:

Beautiful pictures Sridhar.

Thanks @Ranger

 

2 hours ago, Ranger said:

Any insights on how well Endeavor performed?

It is a beast on our roads Gowtham, never had any issues with any kind of roads / potholes on the Betamcherla stretch. We never felt those potholes inside the cabin. noise level inside the cabin was also very less. Tried high speeding once while returning on the NAM between Orvakal and Kurnool to see how stable it is and It was rock steady even at 180 kmph and cruised without any issues. I felt a little shaky at 180 kmph and when rain started to pour while on wet roads and bought down the speeds gradually to see where the vehicle gets stability, it was around 150 kmph when I felt back the confidence on wet road.

 

Overall, Endeavor is as tough as it looks and equally comfortable inside. Last row is a little cramped yet comfortable compared to various other cars we have in the market but need to compare it with Fortuner when I get a chance. The automatic gearbox works like a champ with almost no lag around any shifts with beautiful pull over. 

 

Will have to drive Fortuner for similar amount of time to understand the difference. 

 

It returned us about ~11+ km / liter on the kitna deti hai front which I felt is impressive overall with various road conditions and speeds we drove on.

[Shekar]

@sagar and all admins who had planned and executed the trips have done a great job. Beautiful drive and well documented log. Enjoyed reading it. Hope I will join next drive. 

 

Where is this camp site. How far from Haritha? 

Have you carried the tents or there is some agency who are providing them?

Where you had dinner and breakfast. 

 

[Pralay]

Lovely report as always @sagar.. ? India Drive members are looking as soulful as ever.. ?.. Gandikota is one of my favorite places.. Gorgeous pictures!!

Could not spot @Ranger's Civic.. where was she?

[sagar]

Amazing pictures @Sridhar Tandra and too many of GAP is what I found in your pictures   Thanks for those candid shots.

I like the cute @pavanbandari picture too  

 

And Endeavour no doubt is a stunner not just on road but the drive as well. I felt a little wobble with Fortuner at certain speeds. Off-roaders for a reason  

 

On ‎2‎/‎9‎/‎2019 at 9:21 AM, Shekar said:

@sagar and all admins who had planned and executed the trips have done a great job. Beautiful drive and well documented log. Enjoyed reading it. Hope I will join next drive. 

 

Where is this camp site. How far from Haritha? 

Have you carried the tents or there is some agency who are providing them?

Where you had dinner and breakfast. 

 

 

Thanks a lot for the appreciations @Shekar. Glad to hear it from you  

The camp site is about 300 meters from the Harita resort. It will be quite evident to spot as you progress a little ahead from Harita. I was pretty surprised in fact shocked to see the number of tents laid at this place which wasn't there earlier (just an year ago). This is some drastic uplift to promote tourism. But, I felt that the place has to be more organised and kept neat from littering if the officials are looking at commercialising this place on a large scale.

 

There are multiple vendors at the place who would want to sell the slots to you at the spot. Make sure you reach the spot early to book the slots exclusively for yourself.

We have reached out to the locals and booked the slots in advance with dinner and breakfast arrangements at our campsite as we were a large group in number.

 

1 hour ago, Pralay said:

Lovely report as always @sagar.. ? India Drive members are looking as soulful as ever.. ?.. Gandikota is one of my favorite places.. Gorgeous pictures!!

Could not spot @Ranger's Civic.. where was she?

 

Thanks a lot @Pralay.

@Ranger had joined me in the same car for co-ordinating with the group  

[Gowtham]

1 hour ago, Pralay said:

where was she?

 

I joined in Sagar's Creta for the drive.