A 5,500 km excursion from Shillong to Nepal in my Renault Duster

This is my most memorable post in Group Bhp. However I have been a customary peruser of the entry, I was as of late propelled to officially join and post my encounters, following my encounters during my new excursion from Shillong to Nepal, subsequently to Delhi and back to Shillong. Dependable direct encounters and course ideas were difficult to obtain. The ones that were there online were either old or questionable. We learnt on the way. A piece of the issue was the locale where I reside North East India. Relatively few course warnings are accessible online from these pieces of the country. I depict my encounters in regards to the course and the genuine driving (course, street conditions, licenses and lawful circumstances) conditions pervasive at the hour of composing the post to direct planned travelers on this course. This isn’t a depiction of our exercises or inn stays. Street conditions and lawful prerequisites are quickly changing in India as well as in Nepal and the equivalent ought to be represented by any traveler.

Our vehicle was Renault Duster AWD 2017. Me and my better half had made arrangements for a long-forthcoming excursion to Nepal and Delhi from our home in Shillong. Our course was additionally arranged relying on accessibility of featured/top of the line lodgings. The course we covered over a time of the following one month was:

Shillong-Guwahati-Siliguri-Kathmandu-Pokhara-Lumbini-Lucknow-Delhi-Gorakhpur-Patna-Siliguri-Kokrajhar-Shillong.

We consumed 350 lit diesel worth roughly Rs 30,000 over a distance of 5500km. I portray our experience during every leg of our excursion.

Shillong-Guwahati:

We set out from Shillong on 29th Nov 2023 night for Guwahati. Time might be consumed while passing on Shillong because of the horrifying traffic circumstance in the city. We removed our typical course from Shillong, through North Eastern Slope College Mawlai Sidestep GS Street course to arrive at the principal interstate (GS Street). When we crossed Umiam lake and arrived at NH 6, it was a smooth four-laned freeway till Byrnihat, past which lies Khanapara and Guwahati. It’s a pleasureable drive with a lot of food choices and fuel stations. Refueling in Meghalaya (Byrnihat/Jorabat/Khanapara), not long prior to entering Assam is suggested. This was the least expensive fuel we got on our whole outing (Rs 85/lit). In opposition to famous discernment, Nepal was the most costly at ~Rs 100 for diesel in INR. We did this short portion since we have a home in Guwahati as well. Else, Shillong to Siliguri is feasible in one day. It could require around 12 hours. Shillong to Siliguri is an outing we embrace all the time, and thus the experience portrayed depends on different excursions throughout recent years.

Guwahati-Siliguri:

Course taken: Guwahati-Rangia-Barpeta-Srirampur/Barobisha-Madarihat-Binnaguri-Mal Bazar-Sevoke Scaffold Siliguri (NH 27)

We began at 6:30am. However the excursion requires around 10 hours, a promising beginning is suggested considering the continuous street extending flyover/underpass development deals with the stretch up to Jalukbari, which when swarmed during school/available time, could postpone you by quite a while. From Jalukbari, we took the NH 27 by means of the Dooars. This course has variable street conditions up to Srirampur on the Assam-WB line. However it is a four-laned street and the surface is generally great, street broadening/flyover development work is happening at different places and bottleneck regions change. Flyover development is occurring upto Bongaigaon as of now. Eating joints are galore on the way up to Bongaigaon. It is prescribed to have a feast before Bongaigaon since there will not be such a large number of good food joints till Madarihat in North Bengal. Past the Alipurduar crossing point, the course is a well metalled twofold laned street since this course goes through different natural life safe-havens of the Dooars. It’s a pleasurable drive through rich vegetation.

The elective course that might be taken is the Guwahati-Azara-Dudhnoi-Goalpara course, which converges with NH 27 preceding Bongaigaon. However it is longer and more slow yet it is a well-metalled course, there are relatively few weighty vehicles here. While traveling around evening time, it is smarter to continue from Hashimara towards Siliguri by means of Dhupguri-Jalpaiguri course regardless of weighty vehicle traffic on the grounds that the course we took is abandoned around evening time and elapses however natural life asylums. We arrived at Siliguri easily by 5pm.

Siliguri-Kakarvitta-Kathmandu:

Our course plan to Kathmandu from Siliguri was the most questionable. Every individual we requested direction had an alternate course idea. We were joined by our companion, Siddharth from Kalimpong for our excursion. We remained for 3 evenings in Siliguri, and left for Kakarvitta at 6am on second Dec. On crossing the Panitanki line, around 30 min from Siliguri, we were coordinated by Nepal police towards the Bhansar (custom) office for getting the vehicle license. The Bhansar office was open when we arrived at there at around 7am. Here the accompanying focuses should be dealt with:

The main reports you would require for section with vehicle are Unique RC (copies simply will not be acknowledged, however they could hold a copy with them-convey a few copies of all records) and an Indian ID card. We took the grant for 15 days for 9000 NPR or 6000 INR. Indian rupees were acknowledged here. The time expected for this custom is thirty minutes. There was no provocation as of now. No pay-offs are requested nor are required to have been paid.

Green number plate referenced in many posts isn’t presently needed. No further documentation is expected till Kathmandu.
The receipt and Bhansar record in unique should be held all through the stay in Nepal to be given over to the line actually take a look at post on exit.
Digilocker isn’t viewed as a substantial record in Nepal.
Lawful prerequisite for one more grant for each area @Rs 500 every day exists, yet isn’t thoroughly executed. We needed to take that grant just while entering Pokhara.
It is unlawful in Nepal to be in control of INR 200 or more category money notes. The equivalent might be seized. Kakarvitta is the main town where Rs 200 and Rs 500 notes are acknowledged. Past this, main Rs 100 and underneath are legitimate. INR might be traded for NPR in Kakarvitta.
Indeed, even harmed NPR money notes are adequate.
Google maps are not solid in Nepal. It is fitting to continue to ask local people/plan course ahead of time. Individuals can figure out English and Hindi to a sensible degree.
Driving after utilization of liquor is a wrongdoing in Nepal and police are severe in Kathmandu and Pokhara about this regulation. We didn’t contact our vehicle in the wake of having any measure of liquor. Vehicle might be seized and the proprietors should show up in court to recover it.
It is critical to recall that Nepal is a different country with its own regulations. Nepalese resent any clue in any case.

We had our morning meal in Kakarvitta and withdrew for Kathmandu. We took the accompanying course, avoiding the one proposed by Google maps:
Kakkarvitta-Itahari-Chhatara-Upper Sapta Koshi Scaffold Ghaighat-Katari-Bhiman-Bardibas-Sindhuli-Dhulikhel-Banepa-Kathmandu.

Some other course could prompt streets that are under development or in a run down condition. Streets are continually being redesigned in Nepal and favored courses might change rapidly. We distinguished this course after a ton of exploration and furthermore ideas by our colleagues in Nepal and continuous Indian travelers to Nepal among our companion circle. This was another course that has been opened up and was firmly suggested and as it should be. However, the streets are all around great and very much cleared, however just twofold laned (the Nepalese call them four laned). The right turn at Itahari for Chhatara is unnoticeable and can be not entirely obvious. Ask local people for the course to Chatara/Saptakoshi Extension and Kathmandu, or search for Saptakoshi span on Google maps. The slope street begins past Itahari. The Nepal wide open is a welcome sight fields and vegetation as far as possible, with curious towns and houses made in conventional style, corn left to dry in the customary way. The ascension is steep past Sindhuli, before the street slips into the Kathmandu valley. The excursion from Kakarvitta required 12 hours and we arrived at Kathmandu just at 8:30 pm. Looking back we took a larger number of ends than we ought to have, subsequently dialing us back considerably. Be careful with the trucks and transports. They can be careless. There are a lot of eating joints on the way. Refueling is proposed prior to leaving Itahari. Fuel quality may be an issue in Nepal and thus refueling just in significant towns is better. Bhat-Bhateni in Itahari is a decent spot to eat and shop prior to continuing ahead.

For those not ready to make the excursion in one day, breaking the excursion in Hetauda is prudent. Hetauda isn’t on the course that I have portrayed above, yet is the main spot that offers nice lodgings. It is additionally vital to remember that the last 20 km from Banepa to Kathmandu are infamous for monstrous jams, that can hinder you by hours.

Pokhara-Lumbini:

Course taken: Pokhara-Waling-Palpa-Butwal-Lumbini.

Google guides may not be solid to choose the course on this fragment. This course is completely a slope street up to Butwal. Street conditions are agreeable besides in patches. This is a tight street dissimilar to Kakarvitta to Kathmandu or Kathmandu to Pokhara.

We left Pokhara at 9 am on twelfth Dec and arrived at Lumbini by 3 pm. There are a lot of dinner choices on the way. Lumbini is in the fields and just 10 km away from the Indian boundary in Uttar Pradesh. Butwal is the significant town here and most inn choices are additionally in Butwal. Lumbini is just a meagerly populated journey town. Inn choices are restricted. We remained in Buddha Maya Nursery having a place with Kathmandu Visitor House bunch and was a fair, agreeable choice. Investigating Maya Devi Sanctuary complex in Lumbini, except if you are on a journey, requires only a couple of hours.