Long Drive

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How do you define a long drive in a country like India where the distances are as vast as Kashmir (Jammu & Kashmir) to Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) - 3617 kms and Kutch (Gujarat) to Kumki (Arunachal Pradesh)- 3494 kms?

My experience tells me that any single drive beyond 500 kms is a long drive; if not by distance, definitely by the time consumed in traversing this distance! Long Drive is one of my passions and since 1994, I’ve done many such long trips, in different states, on different road conditions, in different cars. Over the years, the road and associated infrastructure has tremendously improved however the traffic increase has kept pace with it, maintaining the criteria of defining a Long Drive intact.

In the recent years, I’ve had many occasions to drive to & fro Mumbai-Ahmedabad. Today, going by the road conditions, it would be one of the best 600km Long Drives (home-to-home) you can aspire to have. With newly-built flyovers all along the way and with an exceptional Vadodra-Ahmedabad National Expressway (NE-1), what more can you ask for?

Starting from Kharghar, once you reach the outskirts of Thane on Godbunder road, the morning view of the creek surrounded by the hills makes a great sight. It sets your holiday mood perfectly. Next 100 to 150 kms is a beautiful drive crossing ‘ghats’ and reaching the planes. The breakfast halt at ‘Kamaths’ in Munar is always a treat.

As you cross the Maharashtra-Gujarat border, the hoardings announce the significant language change. So does the terrain, which becomes little barren and dry on the way. Passing Surat and nearing Bharuch you start wondering whether you would get the narrow bridge over the river Narmada clear! By all means it remains the only bottleneck all along the way. The road from Bharuch to Vadodra can boast of being one of the finest stretches on any National Highways in India.

After a light meal (I prefer light while driving) and couple of bio-breaks (sipping water continuously helps you to remain awake), once you reach Vadodra-Ahmedabad Expressway, you are already in a mood to culminate the Long Drive fast. This helps you to type-test your vehicle on a road which arguably would be like a Formula One circuit; except for it lacks so many curves.

Entering Ahmedabad ring road is like changing back from flying to driving. You hit the reality of traffic and become increasingly aware of it with every passing kilometer. Driving on SG Highway thereafter is like entering back the real world. I think you would not like me to express how it feels when you enter the lanes to reach the final destination.

Inspite of the increasing traffic and shedding Rs. 525/- on the various toll booths, at the end of the day, this is one of the Long Drives which you will enjoy. Give it a try some day and you will remember me!

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