Tuesday, 9 July 2019
Sunday, 28 April 2019
FIRST FAMILY CAR TRIP MUSTANG VALLEY NEPAL FROM INDIA.
MUKTINATH
THROUGH THE WORLD’S DEEPEST GORGE
AN
815cc. 4 WHEELER VENTURE
FIRST FAMILY
CAR TRIP MUSTANG VALLEY NEPAL FROM INDIA.
Route
– NAIHATI TO MUKTINATH (INDO NEPAL)
Organized
By: SUJOY MONDAL & FAMILY (Self drive, self car)
“REPORT”
SUMMARY
DAY SCHEDULE
21st October: Started
from Naihati at 3 am. Reached Muzaffarpur (Bihar) at 8.30 pm..
22nd October: Left
Muzaffarpur at 7am. Crossed Raxaul-Birgang border (Indo-Nepal) and Reached Hetauda
at 8 pm.
23rd October: Started
from Hatauda at 8am. Reached Pokhara at 6pm.
24th October: Stayed at Pokhara for permission for Mustang
valley and Muktinath.
25TH October: Started
from Pokhra at 7am. Reached Typliang at 5pm.
26th October: Started
from Typliang at 7 am. Reached Kobang at 4pm.
27th October: Started
from Kobang at 8am. Reached Kagbeni (Upper Mustang) at 2.30pm.
28th October: Started
from Kagbeni (Upper Mustang) at 8.30am, reached Muktinath at 9.30am, spent
3hrs. at the Mandir. Came back to Lete at 4 pm.
29th October: Started
from Lete at 8.45am and reached Beni at 5 pm. Then reached Pokhara at 9 pm.
30th October: Stayed in
Pokhara for car wash and rest.
31st October: Started
at 10 am. Entered India at 6 pm. Reached raxual 8.30pm.
01st November: Started
from Raxual at 3 am. Reached home in Naihati at 11.30 pm.
MEMBER LIST:-
·
SUJOY MONDAL. (Leader
& Driver)
·
SUJOYA GOSWAMI MONDAL. (Manager )
·
SOHAM MONDAL. (Photographer & Navigator)
OUR
ROUTE MAP
CAR USED: HYUNDAI EON
DLITE+
REG. NO.: WB 24Y 7058
ROUTE: Naihati-Durgapur-Dhanbad-Bodhgaya-Jahanabad-Patna-Muzaffarpur-Motihari-Raxaul-Birganj-Hetauda-Bharatpur-Pokhara-Beni-Tiplyang-Kobang-Kagbeni-Muktinath-Lete-Pokhara-Raxaul-Naihati.
TOTAL KILOMETER COVERD: - 2579 K.M.
STATE CROSSED :- WESTBENGAL – JHARKHAND – BIHAR
COUNTRIES CROSSED :- India – Nepal .
FIRST FAMILY
CAR TRIP FROM WESTBENGAL.
FIRST FAMILY
CAR TRIP MUSTANG VALLEY NEPAL FROM INDIA.
DETAILS REPORT :
21ST October 18: We are three family members ie. Sujoy
Mondal (Leader CUM Driver of this venture), Sujoya Goswami Mondal (Quartermaster
cum Manager of the team), Soham Mondal (Photographer cum Navigator of this team).
Three of us started from our home town, Naihati for Muzaffarpur at 3.30am in
the morning. The route we followed was through Kalyani exp.way, then crossed Ishwar
Gupta Setu, drove through Magra-Gurap road. At Dhasghara, we took Durgapur Expressway
which was followed by NH 19. At 5.19am we crossed Palsit Toll Plaza. At 6.15am,
we crossed Banskopa, at 8.07am we crossed Beliyad, at 10.43am Ghanghari, at 11.56am
Rasoiya, and then Muzaffarpur section at 20.03 pm. Finally we took shelter in muzaffarpur at
9.00.pm. Upto Bodhyagaya we followed NH2,
also called NH19. It was nice and was 4 lane highway. After that, NH22 was a single
lane road. Somewhere, construction works were going on for 4 lane. Road
condition was not good in this stretch. We covered a total of 696 km. We spent
17hrs. on road, including rest, breakfast, lunch, tea, road jam etc.
22nd October 18: We started from Muzaffarpur at
8.00am. We crossed Parsoni Toll Plaza at 8.41am. We reached Raxual at 1.00am
but we had to face huge traffic jam of three and a half hrs. near Birganj
border. So we finally got permission at Raxaul-Birganj border for Nepal at 14.27
pm. After entering Nepal we had our lunch at Birganj. We took permission for our
car for 12 days in total. The fee for 12 days was 5424.00 INR from Customs Office
near border. After that, we followed Tribhuban highway, then east-west highway.
We took shelter at 8 pm at Hetauda. Bihar roads were horrible up to the border,
after crossing the border 5km was bad road in Nepal with huge traffic, then it
was better.
23rd October 18: We started for Pokhara at 8 am
from Hetauda. It was a nice sunny morning with nice roads. We went through some
Nepali tribal villages, we crossed Parsha Wildlife Reserve’s forest, nice dense
forest. Its green environment will give you peace of mind. Then we crossed dense
Chitwan National Park. We got to see two deer in the forest from the roadside.
We took pictures and enjoyed the silence of dense jungle. Finally we reached Pokhara
at 5.30pm. We took shelter at Holly lodge near the Phewa lake. We got welcome
tea and we felt fresh with the landlady’s pleasant warm reception, unforgettable.
Hotel had its own parking so that was nice for us.
24th October 18: It was a busy day for us at Pokhara.
At 9am we had our breakfast and then we took the car for a checkup at a local
garage before the final off-road conditions after Beni. At 12pm we reached the
Nepal Tourism Board’s office in Pokhara for individual permissions for Mustang
Valley. If you are Indian, you need 1000
rupees per person for the permit for Mustang Valley. We got our id card cum
permits and entry receipt from there. You need 4 copies of passport size photo, and your
photo id proof. Within 3pm we completed all the formalities. Afterwards we took
local food from a local roadside shop for lunch. And then we were back to
lakeside. We witnessed the beautiful sunset at the Phewa lakeside. It was
magnificent. We spent some time at the lakeside market buying souvenirs and
other things.
25th October 18: At 7am we left our hotel. As per
information, for the next 100km the road was metalled. Then, after Beni, off-road
starts. We had no definite plan for our destination for the day. As it was off-road,
how many km we would be able to cover we didn’t know as our car was also a low
clearance, 2 wheel drive city car. So we decided after Beni we would go slowly
as per road condition and before sun down we will take shelter wherever we
reached. Pokhara to Beni is mountain roads with ups and down and bends. At near
about 1pm we reached Beni. Beni has the last petrol pump enroute Muktinath
although you can get fuel from local shops in bottles after Beni. So we had our
lunch and also filled full tank with petrol. Now off-road started. I cannot
explain how intimidating it can feel to drive off-road. You have to be careful
with the littlest of factors to drive safe. Our car is a low clearance car.
Here only high clearance SUVs are running fine like the Bolero or the Scorpio.
Also our car is low in power. So today at 4.30pm we reached a small village
called Typliang and stayed here for the night. Started from Beni at 2:30pm and reached
typliang at 5.30pm; so it was 3hrs of driving and I covered only 35 km.
26th October 18: We started from Typliang at 9am.
The hotel owner told me that it is quite impossible for my car to cross even Tatopani.
He declared that after Tatopani you cannot go further. It was a mental pressure
to me and so were every negative comment about us being able to make it to
Muktinath on our car. Another problem that arised is that there was an unusual
sound coming from the engine. I was a little tensed. So I asked a local driver
to examine the situation. He drove the car for a test and told me to go slowly
and carefully. The sound was of the release bearing, may be it needed to be
changed. But he also encouraged that the car can go if driven skillfully and
given it the time it needed. At Jomsom as there is mechanic shop, I had the
option to change it. So I started carefully and faced the off-road. I didn’t
know the road condition, so tried to go carefully. Had to cross various nalas
and streams, some being more than knee deep. All roads are non-metalled and
full of boulders, all naked. Its harmful for low clearance car like mine. Any
time rocks could hit our oil tank or engine portion or engine oil tank; so
every rotation of the wheels had to be calculated. Anyways I crossed the ups
and downs very carefully. Sometimes I crossed the hurdles without the members
in the car. Sujoya and Soham sometimes had
to walk the severe patches of roads as I made the car climb them up. This was
no problem for me. I saw Scorpios also emptying for some patches of road.
Bolero drivers also told their passengers to empty the vehicle to cross the
patch. It was full of dust and slippery boulders. At 4.30pm we called it a day
and stayed at Kobang coz we were very tired. In addition to such road conditions,
high altitude and cold winds are a problem in this region. I crossed only 40
km. today within 8 hrs. Only 1st and 2nd gears used for
today’s climb. So engine cool down is necessary for a healthy drive.
27th October 18: We started at 8am after having
our breakfast at Kobang. Road was too tough; we also crossed Marpha valley. Its
semi arid beauty is unexplainable. Its breathtaking beauty mesmerizes and fills
you with happiness. Its landscaping is different and unique in itself. I had
seen the moonland in Ladakh. Here also I saw similar features of landscape.
Same colure of mountains. It is indescribable. Anyways I crossed the ups and
downs of its naked boulder roads very carefully. Sometimes my wheels free rotated
in roads and slipped in dust and on boulders or moraine. This was the most
thrilling adventure for me full of excitement and enjoyable driving on the
off-roads. The winding boulder filled paths give you a different pleasure of
off-road driving. It’s a significant experience of off-road driving. Today we
reached Kagbeni at 2.30pm after covering 30km within 6 hrs. We took shelter
over there and enjoyed the Upper Mustang Valley. Its beauty is unexplainable.
28th October 18: This was the most thrilling day
for us. Our dream to reach Muktinath with small car was very close to us, so we
started at 8.30am for Muktinath. It was a nice metalled road for the final 12km,
with a high gradient. So only 1st gear & 2nd gears
used for the upward drive. We reached at the last mile stone stating Muktinath
0km. and this was a great pleasure to us. We finally reached the dream place.
Mission accomplished. From that point the actual temple complex was a 2km trek
away. We parked our car and walked to the mandir, we spent few hours for puja
and rituals. Then back to Kagbani hotel, had our lunch and got down to Lete
through that off-road again full of patience. We reached Lete at 4.30 pm.
29th October 18: We started from Lete at 8.45am and
reached Beni at 5.00pm. It was off-road and full of loose boulders with moraine
filled dust roads. At Beni, we saw again the metalled roads and were so happy.
Finally we were back to Pokhara at 9pm.
30th October18: Rest day for car wash and mental
and physical rest. And we celebrated our safe return to Pokhara.
31st October18: Now the time to go back home had
come. So we started at 9.45am after having our breakfast. We crossed border at
5 pm. Entering India again and at 8.00pm we reached Raxaul and took Shelter for
few hrs.
01st November 18: Finally we reached home. Today
we started early at 3.00am and safely at home at 11.30pm. We covered a total of
760km. On the way we had our breakfast, lunch and tea break too. We crossed Parsoni
toll plaza at 4.57am, Hajipur at 7.18am, Rasoiya at 2.20pm, Ghangari at 15.25pm,
Beliyaj at 18.14pm, Banskopa at 19.41pm, Palsit at 22.00 hrs. All the toll
plaza slips are attached in page 2.
Thanking you.
Sujoy mondal
9830290830/9477150743
Sujoy mondal
9830290830/9477150743
Tuesday, 5 March 2019
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