Praveen this really awesome... I have also a plan to cover many places in india which requires lot of time... Time factor is the main probs after work i don't get much time...

Anyways ur really lucky...

Starider: you are the man. I mean THE MAN.
Hat and helmets off to you man.

Je le apni zindagi (go..live your life )

PS: How do you manage so much leaves ? What company ? are they recuriting ?

Yeah praful, out of manipur and currently in Kohima. Long rides have been done many times by people just that i am posting here

Thanks Ravi and Abhishek.

Binoy: Time and Money are mutually exclusive

Gautam: Thanks man. But am a R Rider now, Star ride is at home. Btw i have quit my job before this

To continue...

Day 43 - April 20 - Aizwal to Aizwal!

April20 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Got up thinking would reach Imphal today. was welcomed with a thunder storm outside pretty misty and all. Got going by 7.30 after the rain abeted, thinking its going to be just 200 kms for the day. Take a few pix of for a panorama of the city on the mountains. Riding in the city with fresh rains on the steap roads with the rear wheel slipping a bit. Actually kinda used to Michelin grip and this is not as good. Will have to make do with it. Make my way slowly make my way out of the city and ride some 35 kms kms toward Seiling and take a deviation to the left towards Darlan and stop for breakfast. Hardly washed plate, flat poories made god know when, and some kinda donut and thats what they had nothing else. Well gotta have something. Just then a guy on a scoot asks where i was going, on saying Imphal he laughed and shared it with the hotel hosts. Who also laughed thinking i was joking. But they dont know hindi enough to explain me. All he had to say was its very very far and no idea of distance. Also said that Darlawn was like 100 kms while the eicher map said its 45! What is all that about??

The road gets narrow but pretty good. Nice early morning ride and i take time stopping for pix and all. Pass by a few villages. Even see the Flintstones! They have this cart with steering and breaks which they actually drive when going down hill. Keep seeing ZMA's even in small villages. And as i go north. I see people with camouflaged military dress but were dressed shabbily, some just pants, some wearing the shirt and some with guns. And i thought may be there are UGs. UG as in UnderGrounds, thats what the militants are called around NE. Thay certainly din look like the army guys. The road gets twistier and lot of riding up and down the mountains. Typical. My 11 i see that my progress is pretty slow and i have not even reached darlawn which is at the halfway to manipur border. My be the guy was right and yes he was right. But saw encouraging board saying Tipaimukh village in Manipur is 135 kms. Rode a bit fast and pass few villages. The last village in Mizoram New Verkere also. Asked if i was on the way to Churachandpur. Was given affirmative but they looked shocked when i told i wannna go to Imphal today. They like what ever go! From here the road gets even narrower. Well fine and i move ahead. The road gets even narrow and there is lot of growth on either side of the road. Hmmm...i press ahead and i see grass growing in the center of the road, and as i go ahead it gets weirder and weirder. At one point it got really scary. with no soul around and i could see mountains and mountains, this small narry road and plants kinda pouring onto the road and all sorts of forest noice. Was wondering if i was on the correct road. but rmbr missing out any road and went ahead a bit only to increase the creepiness of the place. Plus compounded with the fear of UGs it was feeling like getting out of there. No person are vehicle in sight. A lil ahead i see a hut with three people and asked for CCPur and they said its the right way and it will take me two days cos CCPur is like 250 kms after crossing into Manipur border.! Its already 12.45 and i was hoping to get into Imphal by 5 PM! WOW i had already travelled 150 kms. Wasnt ready for the shocker. Pestered the guys with lot of questions. Only one guy could speak a lil hindi and struggled to explain me that its a real long long way to CCPur. If so i may not have fuel even to reach CCPur and dont remember seeing any fuel bunk all the way from Aizwal. A part of me starting saying get back to Aizwal still as i can. The good roads also ended and it was like still 10 kms for Thipaimukh.

Thought would atleast go till the village and think about options. And what do we have here, puddles of water getting deep on the path with no more black top but mud. And ofcourse it had rained and the path looks slippery. Now getting tensed. Fighting the mind to get back and on the other side not to give up. I push ahead bit and find another hut with people and they hardly new hindi. Now i was in a fix as to what to do, one of the guys suggested that i ride a bit ahead crossing a long puddle of slushy water to the next hut and he may speak hindi. I sign to them that if i go my bike will fall. This one of the lads gave me a tutorial as to how to, by, riding on the cycle in the center and royally slipping too. But my heavy bike is not as easy to control. Now i stop in my tracks and muscles freeze thinking what to do. Dont want to go back all the way to Aizwal but by common opinion CCPur looks impossible today. Really did not want to give up on yet another interior route. Here sumos are faster then the bike obviously on bad roads and and they take 2 days it seems. I just stood thinking to the extent that the hut people where laughing at my expense. To add to all this it started to rain. Gottto do something now. Just turned back. Its like two guys fighting in my head, if i listen to one guy the other guy takes over and pushes to do the other way round. Road back like a KM and got really frustrated about ditching the route. Dunno what got into me just turned back and wanted to ride till the last possible point. Passed the hut and even rode past the long slush puddle. More mud and more slippery puddles. But Adrenalin got me going with out thinking. At one point when i took a left turn, could see quite some path going steadily down hill. It was all slush path with valleys of sumo tracks. All wet and slippery. Then it was the safety guy that took over and i just turned back disappointed. Funnily i remembered the words of the Oracle "You have already made the choice, you just have to understand it!" Well i picked the conventional alternative unlike Neo. Just did not want to do all the clutch burner uphill incase i have to return back. Kinda thought i can as well carry on come what may and try to borrow petrol and stay in some village in Manipur. But i am not that adventurus and turned back acompanied by rain. Cant believe i am going back the second time and that to a long way back. It was really tough feeling.

Get to Verkere village and. asked an elder about the road and he said like it was 250 kms to CCPur after crossing to the manipur border. And that my bike wont go as it had rained a lot couple of days back and the water is flowing over the bridge! No vehicle has come from manipur today else many would have come by now. Man every day in delay is messing my schedule now. Missed out the NH44A because it rained just one day before i got there! Guess what that house was selling petrol at a premium and he even offered me to stay there for the night and see if the river is crossable tomm. That does it. I its bettor to get back to Aizwal and make it to Imphal the next day via shilchar. Bought a couple of liters of petrol and turned back. Was real upset about the return. NE is really getting tough on me. Just then heavens opened up with a windy thunder storm. I kept going and as i rode past the rain, the scenery was beautiful just like morning. The Whole 150 km ride was a pleasure in the morning and now i am just ripping through back blaring the horn at every blind corner. Was already 3 when i started back and though the road is awesome, even with full ripping and shoe scraping round the narrow corners, 35kmph avg is all i can maintain riding continuously. Which i do and not even a pee break till i reach Aizwal. see the city lights on the mountains and fog covering the central part. Thought of one night and this is going to be third night in AIzwal. loosing lot of days in this. Just as i enter the city realize it was not fog but a rain cloud, pouring heavily in the city. Kinda first rains of the season and i come just a few days late for a dry weather. It got to real shitty rains as i enter the city and water flowing down on the narrow roads. No luck at the Tourist lodge again. With no choice go back to hotel millennium who luckily had room empty. Back to square one. Tired of eating the crappy food at the hotel down stairs went out to a multiquisine restaurant. It turns out that the owner is from Imphal and has travelled NH150 3 times in sumo.

So if any one wants to travel NH150 from Aizwal to Imphal this is what they have to do:
People have to stay in one of the villages mostly Khudunse for the night and leave early next morning like 5am. So once they cross over to manipur border the road widens up but its a mudtrack for like 4 hours! and then from Thanlon roads are good and may reach Churachandpur by 4pm and takes an hour and half or less to Imphal from there!

Wow now i get all the info!! Now this lightens me up a bit as in i have not wasted any time in starting in the morning and couldnt have made it to Imphal the same day any way. Leave the further decision for tomm to morning and doze of.


Wake up to the rain...




City on the mountains...




The pretty road towards Darlawn...


Who needs land when you can build houses in air!


This is the cart with steering and people actually drive it on down hills.


Meet the Flintstones


Real nice ride...


Sleepy villages..


The cycle was completely custome made mainly of wood. These kids are very camera shy. They keep staring at you and the moment you pull out the cam, they run away!!


After the last village in Mizoram the road got a lil narrower... thats fine..


A lil more narrower... still ok...


Then a lil dirty...


This is NH15o!



It can be 10s of KMs like this!!


Cant ride KMs and Kms in that!! Had gone much ahead of this but was so disappointed that din feel like taking pix...

Day 44 - April 21 - Aizwal to Jiribam

April21 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Wake up and 5 am and lot of brain storming as to what to do. Should i skip Manipur/Nagaland and head to arunachal, If manipur should i go back the same way and hope the bridge crossing is possible and brave the slush ride or go to silchar and get to Imphal via Jiribam.

Finally decided to stay at Jiribam, the border town in manipur for the day. Get my tooth fixed and this takes time and i start by 11.15 am. It takes 5 hours to silchar and prolly a couple to Jiribam. Man again i am cutting it tight. Gotta push today. In the Aizwal streets Neola calls on to me. He canceled his ride to Guwahati as there is election in Assam, re-enforcing my decision to head to Manipur. Now i am gifted with rain and i ride continuously towards. Just one picture till silchar no breaks or stops. Its raining in Assam as well. It so happens it raining only today and dry previous days! This road under construction offers me lot of slippery slush crossings. Take all without complaining, Pathetic taking the shilchar road again. Crossing the roads and the slushy towns was quite a night mare. Not a very pleasurable days ride. All this missing out the interior NH150. Rains getting ahead of me all places just by a couple of days!!

Get into Silchar and pic the road towards Jiribam. A traffic cop says, roads are awesome and in bike may not take even 1 hour and its 4.45 pm. Encouraging but disappointing later. The road is under construction for most of the 40 kms to Jiribam and more then 10 kms of slow slush riding. Man o Man never ending slush. The roads is proper black top just 10-20 kms from the border. There is an armed escort to the border by 6.30 but bikes can go in daylight it seems. I waste no time and as soon as it get out of town, though the road is wide and smooth, the growth of plants and trees and the mountains around gives the same fear'y feeling like experienced yesterday. The flora growth in manipur is quite thick on either side. The narrower the road the more you feel claustrophobic.

Finally get into the Manipur border town Jiribam. Now i am in manipur. cant believe it. Go straight to the Hotel Dreamland suggested by Shreekumar. I get into my smallest room so far which is just about bigger than the bed itself. will take it not much choice either. Go to the police station to inquire about the road condition regarding possible hurt by UGs. For which i was assured nothing would happen. Have crappy dinner in the near by hotel slept pretty early for the day at 8.45 pm! My bike was put inside the hotel owner's provision store. Saying that people can lift the whole bike itself in night.


Not many pix as there was nothing but slush roads to click!




Kinda thought this was the bridge between Assam and Manipur. But the actual bridge was pretty crowded and did feel like taking out the cam...

Day 45 - April 22 - Jiribam to Khungsong

April22 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Start out at 6.30 and was thinking of making to Imphal early so that i can visit some places around the same day. Start with no food as nothing was open that early and thought of having food at Barak. The road was beautiful two laned twisties. But also heavens opened up like any thing. Just like somebody throwing water from above. Stopped to wait out the rain, but thought that bettor to keep on moving so could avoide the damages ahead cos of the rain as much as possible. But not so easy the road is under construction and lot of slush crossing in store. The very things i wanted to avoid. But no choice.

Moved on negotiating each slush section. At one point there was a wide uphill path for around 150 meters and couple of truck had stuck in the slippery mud paste. A truck wala guided me through the right track of tire marks from the trucks. Even held my bike till i cross the slush path. But more and more and it took me like 3 hours to do 70 kms. Had food at small hotel in Barak. Munipuries also looked like friendly people but never know who is involved with wat. Then on again ride through the construction of the road. All the while i keep seeing Army javans patrolling the streets by walk.

By 12.30 i have just covered 100 kms and i still have 110 kms to go !. Buy this time i meet a soldier, who happens to be kananadiga. tells me about how delicate teh situation is and if i have not already seen then i may expect a few UG cash collection agents. Then geared up to rip a bit so that i can reach Hotel nirmala. I see a jeep stop by and it was Major Chaco who was driving the jeep him self. Knowing about my long travel, invited me to have lunch with him. Was bit concerned about reacing Imphal. He said would join me in short time. I was thinking of riding away as can save some time with this. By the time i reached the Assam Rifles check post, two of the army guards came up to me and said that Major had radio'ed them about me and told me to wait. With so much hospitality i waited and here comes Major. He offers me to stay with them tonight and rest as i looked tired. Me accepted the invitation and it was a VIP treatment. Major Chaco very down to earth person. Was real cool when talking to me but had this stern authority in the voice when talking to the soldiers around. He needs to be like that to command authority. Major Chako mentions about a retired soldier who passed this way couple of weeks back. He had one hand and half of one foot cut. And he was doing All india cycle tour. I keep hearing about this person in the last three states. Prolly i may get to meet him in Arunachal. It was nice experience to know how these tough soldiers live in the hills in the disturbed area. He even shared experiences with me, as like once when they had gone to patroling over mountains. It rained and leaches came out. So how much ever they were tired, they cannot sit cos of the leaches. And also once when he had to drink his own sweat being desperate for water.

We have dinner together and Major gives me quite an insight on the situation around. The UG operations are quite deep routed than i tought. And i retire for the day hoping for a starting early and covering some distance.


Wake up the rain in Manipur. Rain started only couple of days earlier it seems!


My smallest room so far...


The Dream land hotel...


Nice approach to the mountains...


Had lot of these small bridges and slush on either side...


A rain soaked Manipur Hut...




Blasting rains. Should have taken the pic in sports mode...



Small suspension bridges...


This was a major road block. Trucks were stuck... If not for a truck wala could not have crossed it...


More of it...


After crossing the section...








water falls beside the road...


At the hotel in Barak...




My room at Assam Rifles...

Day 46 - April 23 - Khungsong to Imphal

April23 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Up and ready by 6 am. Have the morning tea with Major Chaco. He says its ok to take pitures and i was at it. Just then a platoon arrived and we had a group. Bid farewell with thanks and i get moving. Quite tough life these soldiers have in these hills. But every one seem pretty motivated in the service. Got ready for another grueling sessions. But the roads were lot bettor this side. Of course had to ride through thunder storm if not a shower at the room. Then one it was a beautiful ride. Stopping at will to take pix. Pity that hardly any people come to experience the beauty of manipur. The road was pretty busy with troop movements though. Take around four hours to cover 100 kms this time only delayed by fotosessions. Thought of continuing till Kohima. But then i here the sounds from the front wheel. Yes the disk pad has worn out. Its bee 8k kms and time to change.

Manipur has a pleatow in the middle and this is where Imphal is situated and unlike what i expected its a city on flat ground. I descend tot he planes and as i approach the the city felt it very crowded and dusty. Was pretty hungry and din know where to look for a restaurant in that chos. So asked around for the Hotel Nirmala which i heard is good and safe and found it after some time. It had a regular restaurant and Alu parathas after a quite a few days. Suffered with food in the last week and so had tummy full and then went to the HeroHonda service center. Yes there is one here. Get the pads changed, bike washed, oil change and some minor things. By now i was becoming a celebrity. Bike was attended to earnestly and the cost of engine oil was taken. Mr Roshan, Area manager from Hero honda was pretty impressed with the travel and advised me to ask directions only from the army people around and not locals. It was 1 pm when i was free. Kohima was like 140 kms and i was not sure of the road conditions and how much time it would take. Din wanna get to Kohima post 5pm. So decided to stay in Imphal for the day. Luckily found room at hotel Nirmala itself and after dumping things, went to check out the Loktak lake.

Catch the NH 150 ride with a good pace in the flats and was shocked to see the board saying Tipaimukh village 305 kms. So Imphal to Aizwal is like 475 kms in this route! This is definitely not shorter then the 440 kms route via shilchar. Ride some 30 kms and see the Loktak project board to the right and was told the way tot he lake was the left and as i went in it was a narrow road and trees on either side and pretty isolated. Did not know if it was ok to come here alone as recently some encounters of UGs were made near the loktak lake. So turned back and went further south towards Moiran where i heard there is a army stationed and is near the lake as well. Pass through the crowded villages and got of the highway into the Moirang town. It was like chaos in there. Quite a few fully kitted soldiers walking around. Find my way to the Netaji Subhas Chandra bose statue and that was the base of the soldiers. On inquiring was told i have to go further and the lake is not so scenic and the area is pretty sensitive. One of the soldier was from karnataka and wondered why would people come to tour in such disturbed area. was also told that can get to the lake where i tried first as army is stationed inside.

It was already 3.30 and is was like 50 kms away. So was time to head back. Again went into the detour towards the lake and at the end i saw mud track goin in with a sign board saying prohibited area. Well i dont was any more slush fight so took pix os what lil water i could see and headed back to the hotel. The city was not really inviting for an evening walk and i settled for TV and lappy for the day.

The storm clouds approaching from over the mountains...




Fantastic morning ride in Manipur Hills...




The camera shy school kids just run away when i pull out the cam...




Some fields in the valley floor...










Have to deal with these every now and then...


The straight road to Imphal in the planes below...


The poser bike...




Manipur is not all hills...


Street opposite of Nirmala Hotel..


My bike being pamperd and Mr Roshan from HeroHonda on the right...




Some wide roads too...


Road to Loktak...


This is all i get to see...

Day 47 - April 24 - Imphal to Kohima

April24 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

143 Kms. Trip meter 8152 KMs

was thinking whether to head to Dimapur or stop at Kohima or continue into Assam. But found that i hardly had energy despite having proper food yesterday. Well its the toll of the previous week where i skipped lunch for few days and what lil food i had for not so good and i used to have very little cos of that. So thought we just ride down to kohima today. Some rest and would be like staying a day in this state also. Dimapur was again a flat city on the Assam border so thought of spending the evening in the cool hilly city.

Started at 8 am. Ride past the HH show room and catch the road to Kohima. Boy or boy do trucks ply here. The road all potholed and dusty. No rains here but i still wore the rain gear thinking may be raining in the hills ahead, and i do not want to stop in the sensitive areas for wearing the rain gear. No rain today and just dust bath in store. There is no let of from trucks and start the climb to the hills. The roads only got to stones. The only saving grace was that it was wide as two laned road! I have never experienced so many trucks overtaking and dust coating me! Have to go pathetically slow else the panniers my get damaged. I get out of the rain gear as it got too hot. There seems to be no rains around here for few days so its all dusty. A good 60-70 kms of this torture tiring me ever more. Lot of traffic jams happens in small dust coated towns, half the road occupied by crpf vehicles. The road gets to new black top nearing Naganland. But in patches.

Then i see a dilapidated arch saying thank you visit again. Knew will be entering Nagaland soon. I survived manipur and now in Nagaland also with some issues. A colleague of my friend's brother had been kidnapped for ransom when he rode into Nagaland. Hmm... let see. I see this traditional arch with Naga symbols on it. 6ht of the seven sisters i am riding into. The roads got all bettor in Nagaland and suddenly all felt so clean. The forest beside the road looked conventional now. The hills looking pretty as well. Traffic here is pretty decent and hardly any one overtakes unless you are very very slow. Now that i am thinking of being put up at kohima, i ride very slowly soaking in everything. There are lot of memorials erected every now and then beside the road. Before a few KMs from Kohima city, i see the Nagaland Heritage park to the left. Went in and there was hardly any one. It was just me clicking away at the traditional replica huts of various Naga and cokkie tribal huts. It was pretty impressive. It would sure be great to visit an actually traditional village. But not happening in this trip. As i have already spent quite some time in NE and still have to visit Arunachal pradesh.

Reach kohima city sitting pretty on the hills. Ride through the streets and every thing except the medical facilities are closed. Its a bandh today it seems in protest of some person getting killed. May be bandh tomm also it seems. Glad that lodging hotels are taking in guests. Settle for Hotel Fira which was reasonable and also had private parking. Guess cannot visit the famous Keeda market(Insect market) due to the bandh. There is nothing in lunch but rise as the market is closed and they cant get nothing! Guess will just realax in the room for the evening.


Imphal city waking up...


Going towards the hills...


Dusty bad roads for 50-60 kms...


Traffic jams in dust...


Was getting overtaken by trucks and had to eat the dust by the tonnes!


The Nagaland Arch...


Roads improve in Nagaland...





Kohima city...


The Nagaland Heritage park...


Bamboo mall it seems!




With the traditional hut...


There was complex of many tribal huts...


The kuki hut...

hey boss.... 5 days added in the log!!!

all the pics are cool.... many new interesting roads... it's time to read the log...

Bro, was trying to track you live yesterday thru your Blog... but the link was broken...

@PRAVEEN:now my day starts with checking with this thread.whether praveen had posted something or not.and wow what a bonus for a Sunday.5days triplog in one go and pic.WONDERFUL
Tough i have a complain isnt pic are getting fewer as the day passing.is it because of net connection?

Thanks archister, But the Track me link is working. Prolly should refresh the page.

Glad to keep you interested Nabendu, Last few days have been just ride throughs, so not much photos

all hail the tourer god

*Helmet Off*

No words to say. Just a pic says it sall.



This is for something which you are doing currently and 99% of us wont ever think of doing it in lifetime.

All the best and on behalf of xbhp... I can say that... We bikers are proud of you.

Thanks guys

Inflammble: Feel flattered man. Thanks for the wishes. I never thought of this ride before. Just that things happened and got right suggestions at right time

To continue...

Day 48 - April 25 - Kohima to Kazianga

April25 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Was thinking of heading towards Mokhochong, but i have kinda spent too many days around south north east. So heading directly to Arunachal Bomdila from here. Thought of taking NH36 to Nagoan and then Tezpur so that i can get permit for Bomdila. Called up Koushik for suggestions. He suggested NH39-37 which was safer route. Plus will reach Tezpur in the evening and Offices are closed for Sunday tomm. So he suggested checking out kaziranga in the mean time which falls on the way. So Kaziranga it is.

All this decision making got me delayed till 9:30 to start. Have to hurry up to Kaziranga before the forest office closes else will not be able to get elephant safari tickets.

Was thinking roads all through Nagaland is good but was disappointed. The road to Dimapur was competing with roads in Manipur! Plus the cone set adjustment was real screwed up give the forks a lot of play. Was real irritating riding on the bad roads with the misaligned cone set. Din really wanna stop in the middle of the road and do it myself. Not in Nagaland i thought. Thankfully after a few Kms the road gets to new ones. Two lane twisties for a change. All the while getting down the mountains towards the planes.

Reach Dimapur and fuel up. Expected a dusty crowded city but it was a nice Highway town. Din go into the actual town. Saw a mechanic shop and thought of getting the cone set adjusted. It had lot of play and he had to tighten it quite much. The chain seems to be loose again just in 150kms. On checking the chain is worn uneven and loose and tight at places. With it getting unreliable i decided to chain sprocket set replaced. Used up the spare i had brought alone. This takes a good one hour and its One pm when i am free. Looks like getting early at Kaziranga will be difficult. Soon i am out of Nagaland and in Assam. Yeppie i made it alive out of Manipur and Nagaland will all my things with me. yeah i know i am still in NorthEast! The roads on the Assam planes were just awesome. Was riding at 110+ in no time. Felt good to talk to wind again. Been almost a month since riding those speeds. soon got tired of facing the winds and slowed down to 90s. The roads was pretty awesome which was really unexpected considering the roads of south Assam around silchar. Just when i was settling in the GQ mode, the roads got bad. Knew it was too good to be true. Few kms of bumby road and the road got good again. This time it was pretty on either side as well and passing through a forest and then through the tea estates. The path on either side of the road was like green lawn. Beautiful road though. Make it to Namolighar by 3 PM in not time and take left on NH37 towards kaziranga. Nice roads continue.

Reach Kohra and to find the Forest office close by 3PM! Came to know the elephant rides are conducted by a private operators also at Bagori 10 kms west. Settled in a highway resort kinda place Chikuni Bhavan and booked the elephant safari tickets for tomm's Five am slot. Walking on the dark highway for food from the resort was fun.


Looks like Bandh today also in Kohima... Had to literally eat what they had, cos anything i asked they would say market bandh. Duh'haa!


Found this guy crossing the road.


Typical BRO signboard...


Finally some good roads...


A fresh land slide being cleared!


Its bye bye Nagaland. Boy they really want people to come!


The new and the worn front sprokets..


Bike on racing stand!!


Beautiful Assam roads...




Checkout the lawn on either side...


Some riding between the tea estates...








Reached the Kaziranga Tourist complex...




wanted to check out this path for the 'Mah miri Ting' but turned back as it was isolated and din wanna get mugged!...

Day 49 - April 26 - Kaziranga Elephant & Jeep safari

April26 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Got up at 4am and get myself to Bagori by 4.45 am. Elephants already lined up to take the people around. Was just wondering with the slow moving elephants, how much deep will we go and what Rhinos will we see. Since i was a lone person had to wait for adjustment to hop on with some others. And did so on the last elephant. While the rest of them had left a lil while earlier. So missed taking pix of the group of elephants in the safari.

Sitting on the elephant is anything but stable. Very hard to take photos while its walking. I use flash in the day light so that the cam captures instantly. Manage a few pix like that. soon we walk in between the tall Elephant grass. which came up to as high as the elephant. The grass is generally burnt in the jan feb by the forest guards. Now the new shoots are sprining up due to the rains. But still there are quite a few stubs of high grass. Soon we find Rhinos. Many of them. They are quite comfy with elephants around. Even saw a group of 3 Rhinos roaming together. The path kinda roughly parallel to the highway. And all the animals are freely roaming around here. The wobbly ride on the elephant getting to people. Din really feel like going deep into the forest the whole day on the elephant. Not that we could. The early morning outing was pretty refreshing. The sun already getting to get hot. Good that i insisted for the first ride. There was a second batch after this but i guess they would be feeling the heat. By now all the cars came through the road to a point where the elephants congregated to take people back. Now i had to find myself a lift till the main gate to get to my bike. Find a sumo and i get back to the bike.

Get back to the room to catch up on the sleep. Thought of going to the after noon jeep safari, which was supposed to be bettor for animal spotting. Get to the booking counter by 1pm and had to wait quite some time for the adjustment again. Else had to pay 1000 bux if i hired the jeep alone. Finally got into one kinda unofficially as i was asked to pay 200 bux to the driver, so that he would take me as his person. This way i got to sit beside him in the shade Whole groups of jeep started together. It was a bumpy ride through the forest. Not many animals seen. The Rhinos were pretty far. Deers are easily spotted. The elephant ride in morning was much bettor. It kinda got boring and was waiting for it to get over. Funny how we build up ideas of a place and when we get there it may not meet the expectations.

That was it for the day. Mainly ate properly and relaxed to build up on some energy reserves which i had lost in the last few days. Thought boring compared the the places i have been so far. But feel kinda relaxed after riding in some sensitive areas. Of course no place is completely safe. After all our experience is just a sample in the statistics. So in a indivigual's point of view, its 50 50 every where.



Elephants lined up for the Early morning safari. Its 5am.




Its the common composition. People ignore the background and concentrate fully on the person, zooming in. Man!






The ride starts in the misty morning...


Try to catch the sun riding bumpy walk of the elephant...


The elephant grass is so tall that its touching my foot while i am sitting on the elephant. Its even taller around November...


The elephants wading through the tall grass.


Ok its me...


Crouching Rhino, Running Buffalo!




One of the elephant's calf accompanies the safari...


Not sure the name of the deer species...


Rhino's spotted upclose...






They are having a chat...


The three armed soldiers!!


cars coming to take the people back...


Mirror mirror, whose the prettiest of all ?




Again! wanted pic of me on the elephant, but the guy just frame's me! They just dont get it. Their argument is that the person should be visible screw the background ! hehe.


Nice walk to the tourist complex through the tea estate...


A brave goat!..


Get on the boring jeep safari...


The best shot one could get in the jeep safari....


Muddy trails...


Those are wild btw...




A nervous kitten in one of the forest watch tower...






End of the jeep safari...


The elephants venture into the forest in the morning to collect grass. Guess they get to see much more...

This is an experience of a lifetime. Great going.