Road Trips in India
Thanks to the amazing national and state highways across the length and breadth of India, while exploring road trips in India, along with the availability of high-quality vehicles, almost every Indian today wants to embark on a road-based travel route.
Whether young or old, able to drive or unable to drive, affluent or middle class, the road trip manages to cut across all divides. What’s more, not only does the journey make you feel satisfied, but it also creates an appetite for more.
If one dissects a road trip from the start to the end, these are the elements one is likely to find:
Unpredictability
One of the most common vagaries on Indian roads these days is to land up in an area using Google Maps and not be able to find one’s destination. Apart from this, one also has to be prepared for animals or random people crossing highways and village roads, as well as the huge number of trucks. At the higher reaches of the Himalayas, road conditions are extremely variable- there’s rain at one minute, snow on the other, and of course, the unforgiving terrain.
The temperature may also be just as different near the destination as at the starting point. While one climbs from Manali to Leh, places with higher and lower altitudes occur in random sequences, often leading to rain and snow in one area and sun in another. These elements of nature are what make the mountains so pretty.
Building relationships with travelers
If you are traveling with your spouse, there are certain behaviors you will be familiar with. It always helps when you have that special someone to share your adventure with. At the same time, if you are out on an adventure with a new group of friends, a car trip is instrumental in forging new relationships through amazing conversations. In fact, these bonds are items that are memories that you will surely cherish for a long time.
Understanding and admiring culture
India is admired for having a myriad of cultures, some of which change in as little as 50 km. For example, food cooked in desi ghee, including home-cooked sweets can be found in Haryana while the use of red chilies and bright colors is visible in Rajasthan, which is just across the border. Apart from the food, dresses are also quite different. What’s more, I even found the driving manners of one state different from the other.
Road conditions and terrains
These days, normally, before embarking on a particular road trip, we do complete research on the Internet to find out overall road conditions and specific places to visit. However, what we may not realize is that road conditions are often subjected to sudden changes, and this is what makes the trip all the more exciting. For example, before approaching a high-altitude pass in the Himalayas such as Sach Pass, there may have been a landslide on the way, leading to complete blockage. In many places across the Himalayas, one is often aware of terrain being difficult, but it is the exact degree of difficulty that makes it intriguing and challenging.
That feeling of conquering the terrain
Whether it is a particularly difficult stretch such as a deep water crossing during a car trip, being able to change a punctured tire on inhospitable terrain, or it is about reaching the summit of a trek, getting to the end of a difficult stretch comes with an unbelievable high. This is the stuff that virtually every road trip is made of.
Enjoyment is part and parcel of every road trip, but we also must remember to act responsibly on the way. Unnecessary honking and littering places with garbage are what cause nuisances to the locals and environment, and should be avoided at all costs.
