bhutan Hyderabad to Bhutan RoadTrip

[sbhamidi]

With being a part of the India-Drive family, i started thinking of exploring the driving and did my first Ooty trip, alas i could join the India-Drive family but the planning was all done and hence had to go in advance.

The enthusiasm has prompted me to plan a road trip to Bhutan and started of on the planning phase with route and hotels and sightseeing.

 

Route-map from Hyderabad to Bhutan:

Day 1: Hyderabad – Vishakhapatnam (~650kms/ 11hrs) Start from Hyderabad in the morning with a breakfast break at Suryapet, Lunch at Vijayawada and finally rest for the day at Vishakhapatnam

Day 2: Vishakhapatnam to Bhubaneshwar (~441kms/8hrs)

Day 3: Bhubaneshwar to Kolkata (~440kms / 9hrs)

Day 4: Kolkata to Siliguri (566 kms / 12 hrs)

Day 5: Siliguri to Thimphu, Bhutan (322kms / 15hrs) Need to check the time taken at International Border for permits and other documentation and revisit the time duration.

 

One additional feature i ended up exploring in google is you can find and pin the sightseeing locations in the area that you are going to: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1RucFJlvuB_MN--0t-ZsJJ1cMZMc&shorturl=1&ll=27.203132919431468%2C90.41887550000001&z=7

 

 

 

Well these are the initial thoughts with which i started and jotting down my ideas, any suggestions, most welcome...

 

[Gowtham]

Excellent planning.

I had similar plan in mind, but the destination is Sikkim, I'm planning to go in November/December.

Route you picked is perfect. 

I would suggest the following change.
 

19 minutes ago, sbhamidi said:

Day 2: Vishakhapatnam to Bhubaneshwar (~441kms/8hrs)

Instead of Bhubaneshwar, I would suggest you to stay at Puri.
Puri is a beautiful place, beach resorts are too good to be ignored.

Start early in the morning on Day-2, You will reach Puri by lunch time. 

 

Any idea about how many days will it take to explore Bhutan?

[sbhamidi]

Thanks for the suggestion.

 Makes sense, why don't we plan a India-Drive trip to Bhutan in December.
Would love to go with the family.
 

[Gowtham]

17 minutes ago, sbhamidi said:

why don't we plan a India-Drive trip to Bhutan in December.

Can be done with limited cars. 
If we rope in too many cars, co-ordination will increase the travel time.

Getting a 15 days vacation is going to be an uphill task.

I'm still contemplating whether to take my own car, or take a flight from Hyderabad to Kolkata and take a self drive from Kolkata.

But driving a own car from Hyderabad to Bhutan is going to be a memorable one. 
 

18 minutes ago, sbhamidi said:

Would love to go with the family.

 

Road trip is always a good idea for family travel.

For me that is the only quality time I get to spend with my family. 

 

[sbhamidi]

December last two weeks should be lean.
That's a positive aspect I am banking on.

[sbhamidi]

If you actually want to explore, try different treks easily 15 days is what we would need....
Bhutan is divided into 3 zones.

 

 

 

[sagar]

Excellent planning @sbhamidi .. I have been carrying this same thought since 2 years and couldn't do it because of the number of leaves given at work wouldn't compensate enough to explore Bhutan. I am looking at the sandwich holidays which would help me accumulate more days for this trip. I've been waiting for the right time since long. I think a good 3 to 4 days would be sufficient  to explore this undisturbed beauty.

[sbhamidi]

Excellent planning [mention=716]sbhamidi[/mention] .. I have been carrying this same thought since 2 years and couldn't do it because of the number of leaves given at work wouldn't compensate enough to explore Bhutan. I am looking at the sandwich holidays which would help me accumulate more days for this trip. I've been waiting for the right time since long. I think a good 3 to 4 days would be sufficient  to explore this undisturbed beauty.

Great buddy, let's try to plan this drive in Dec if you think last two weeks and first week of Jan sounds good from a break standpoint... I would love this trip...


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[sagar]

@sbhamidi I wish I could .. I can get a leave of maximum 5 days in a row at work which wouldn't sum up to more than 10 days. Doesn't look possible in my case to do this trip. Like wise the holidays in Sept. last week to Oct 1st week, I am getting holidays of about 14 days. Planning to do the Iceland circuit. You are welcome to join the drive.

[Gowtham]

My Plan-B was taking a flight till Kolkata and hire a self drive(Fortuner)
But I got the following information,  we cannot take self drive to Bhutan, vehicle owner should be present in the car.

 

[sbhamidi]

Great information... Thanks Ranger


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[vivek]

Kudos to you plan sir! I am not a avid road tripper but I love to travel. So, planning a flight till siliguri or kolkata and by road from there on.

[sai86]

This is my dream trip, even I am thinking of doing this for the past 1 year. Again getting leave for 15 days is a big challenge at my work place.

[sbhamidi]

True leave would be a challenge..... Tried bargaining with my boss for Dec, he is ok for now...


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[Ashwin]

Maybe put own car on a truck and pick it up at Kolkatta and drive into Bhutan and put it back on a truck. Not sure how much that will cost and about damages?


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[sagar]

That should probably be the best option to work on if we wanted to save on a few days. There are many truck transport services in the Balanagar area in Hyderabad. I am not sure about the pricing and the policies incurred in this though.

[Gowtham]

25 minutes ago, Ashwin said:

Maybe put own car on a truck and pick it up at Kolkatta and drive into Bhutan and put it back on a truck. Not sure how much that will cost and about damages?

Personally I would suggest to avoid it.
Too much of a head ache.

Best options:
1. Drive from Hyderabad
2. Take a flight from Hyderabad to Kolkata and Hire a self drive from Kolkata.

Sadly, myles is not available in kolkata.
 

[sagar]

I guess, there is a rule that, rental cars aren't allowed beyond the country. One is supposed to take his own car as per the car's registration name.

[Gowtham]

I guess, there is a rule that, rental cars aren't allowed beyond the country. One is supposed to take his own car as per the car's registration name.

Yeah
That is a road block.
Owner should be present as per the rules.

[sagar]

In that case, hiring a cab isn't possible to drive down to Bhutan. Shipping your vehicle until Kolkata would be the best possible option when you fall short of leaves.