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Delhi - Ramnagar Road Review |
Last weekend, I drove to Corbett and I discovered few new things and thought that a quick road review would benefit fellow ghumakkars.
Delhi - Ramnagar (Corbett is just a little beyond Ramnagar) can be divided into following stretches.
1. Delhi - Hapur (NH 24)
2. Hapur - Garh - Gajraula (NH 24)
3. Gajraula - Moradabad bypass end (NH 24)
4. Moradabad - Thakurdwara - Kashipur - Ramnagar (NH 121)
I actually drove further and went to a place called Marchula which is about 30 KM away from Ramnagar. For Marchula you go straight till Mohan Barrier and then take left and keep left.
Ok, so this may not hold true if you are reading this beyond 2008 Summers as by that time NHAI would have started work on other sections and probably finished off the current section where they are currently active but I guess this review will work for at least one more year.
Stretch 1 is cream. Its about 60 odd KMs and you wont take more then an hour for this. The beauty here is the fantastic Hapur - bypass which was a Indo-Japan collaboration project. This buypass is there for quite some time, may be as many as 5 years or so but is still very good.
Stretch 2 is pain. So time your drive to avoid this part in dusk or just after dawn when visibility is mixed. There are villages where everyone has put a speek-breaker in front of their house then Garh can be killing. This is about 60-70 Km as well and would take you an hour and a half.
Strech 3 can be a good one or a real bad one. In this stretch most of the part has been four-laned and its all new NHAI tar which can take a 100+ very easily but there are bottle necks in between. If its raining or if there is some accident then it can easily suck more time but overall this stretch is better then the previous one. Moradabad bypass is good, dont know that why they can’t take the toll at a single place instead of asking to stop twice, they used to do that in the begining. Also, if you are driving post-siesta you would notice a few folks squatting on the side railing and wonder that what the hell they are doing here, well they are the cattle-baby-sitters and are over-seeing the cattle. Also, one other small thing which I noticed, at the point where there is a elevation (say a bridge starting point) vehicles sort of get that little bump, you might notice lots of house-sparrows ,probably they are there to hunt for grains and other stuff which get out on each such bump from trucks/tractors. interesting.
Stretch 4 is sheer beauty. Its not a big highway so no rush, damn neat roads and all is amazing. This is the first time I drove on a god road between Moradabad and Thakurdwara.For last 6 odd years, I have been measuring this road and this section was so pathetic that we used to wonder whether we should drive at 5 Kmph and avoid pot-holes or drive at 60 KMPH so as to drive over them (in air). :).
Total Driving Time - An Avg of 5 hours. If you dont stop and get a clear way then may be 4 hours. It took me a little less then 5 hours with a re-fueling stop and top speed not going beyond 100.
There is an A1 plaza at Gajraula, serves good hot food then there is a Meriton as well and of course you have those special ones like Bhajan Ka Dhaba a well. I recently saw ‘Giani’ as well, not sure whether its the same Giani of Dharampur fame or some new one.
So that was it. So take your car out and head towards Corbett.Do comment if you discover things on this route and happy driving.
September 5th, 2007 at 8:24 am
When I saw this post, I thought that this is something which will be of no interest to me. I just went quickly through it. It turned out to be very interesting. Esp. the observation about house sparrow.
February 12th, 2008 at 10:42 am
I am back from a refreshing weekend trip to Corbett.
My parents were visiting and we were undecided between Haridwar and Corbett. The call of wild took precedence :-)
I had a printout of this page as my navigation guide. The only missing point, distance between places; I got from another website.
This was my first driving trip, so with the angst and nervousness, we set out from Noida at 9.30am on 9th Feb.
I was using NJ’s timings as benchmark.
Enroute called up Kostubh Pandey (0-9837092025) for help with accommodation. He was extremely helpful and booked our stay and safari. Got Kostubh’s reference from ghumakkar. Never realized a blog-reference could actually help me with an entire trip. Thanks NJ and Kostubh!
Wild Crest is recommended. 1.75K per double room all meals inclusive. Courteous staff, great food and very personalized service. They had set up private bonfires for every group visiting. Food, though buffet, was custom made. I have not seen this kinda service in resorts… May be because they are new. Only time will tell how good they are in the long run :)
http://picasaweb.google.com/thejungleguide
This link also has pics of the elusive Tiger @ Corbett that many/most of us have not been able to spot despite numerous repeat visits :-)
We did the Jhirna safari on the 10th morning. No tiger sighting. No surprise. EXTREMELY cold and foggy, but fun experience. I have done this multiple times, but it was a first timer for parents and wifey. They enjoyed thoroughly.
If you want to do a 2 day weekend, print NJ’s blog and head out!
PS: Between a full-fledged blog with pics and this comment, I chose the latter due to lack of time. Hope I’m able to have a full blog for next trip :)
February 20th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Located in the foothills of Himalaya in the closest proximity of Ramnagar an small town. Corbett National Park ( the First National Park of India ) was established in 1936,as The Hailey National Park ( named in the honour of Sir Malcolm Hailey, the governor of united provinces ). After independence, the name was changed to Ramganga National Park in 1952 but was finally changed to Jim Corbett National Park, in 1957 named after the legendary hunter, naturalist-turned-author and Photographer who had helped in setting up the park and demarcating its boundaries. Corbett is India’s forst national park and the first santuary to come under Project Tiger in 1973 with the help of World Wildlife Fund.
Corbett Tiger Reserve today holds probably the second largest population of free living tigers in the world. The reserve is thus one of the last remaining strong holds, which holds a potentially viable population of this majestic and critically endangered felid. Nearly 600 Asian elephants ( Elephas maximums) also have a home in this tiger reserve,and can be seen wondering leisurely along its length and breadth. CTR,along with the Rajaji National Park also represents the North-western most limits of Tiger and Elephant Distribution in the Indian subcontinent.
The area is also home of about 600 species of resident and migratory birds.This amazingly rich avifaunal diversity represents nearly 6% of the total birds species represented in the world and is more then the total bird diversity of Europe. The 49 species of diurnal raptors found here are characteristic elements of this avifauna. The avifaunal diversity is at its peak during winters.
MOST PREFERRED REST HOUSES OF TOURIST ZONE OF CORBETT NATIONAL PARK
Presently, CTR (Corbett tiger reserve) has five Tourism Zones. Of these the Dhikala Tourism Zone has been the most preferred for many visitors. Entry to this Tourism Zone is Through the Dhangadhi Gate, located 18 km ahead on the Ramnagar-Ranikhet road. Access to this tourism zone is restricted to visitors holding permit for stay in one of the Tourism Complexes/FRHs in the Zone OR to visitors taking a conducted Tour organized oy CTR. REST HOUSES detail is following :-
SULTAN
This is the first FRH to lie on the Dhangadhi-Dhikala road, at a distance of 5 km from the Dhangadhi Gate.The FRH has only Two Rooms. IT is specially suited for visitors looking for solitude. Alternatively, the visitor has the option of driving to any other areas within the Tourism Zone. Catering facilities are not available. However, visitors can cook their own food in the FRH.
GAIRAL
This Tourism Complex is also situated along a bend in the Ramganga River. The old FRH with two bed rooms and the New FRH with Four bedrooms along with hutments are available. The FRH enjoys a tranquil environment of great beauty. A Crocodile Pool is situated at a short distance.
It is excellent for wildlife viewing and Bird-watching. It is also convenient for relatively large groups. Canteen facilities are also available.
SARPDULI
This FRH is located at one of the best sites in CTR, overlooking the Ramganga and a steep ridge across the river. It is well suited for birdwatching and wildlife viewing. Tiger and Elephant movement is fairly high in thearea and offer good chance of sighting these animals. A conveniently located watchtower nearby adds to the charm. Mugger can be often seen on the sandbanks while Goral are sighted along the hill slope. Catering facilities are not available. However, visitors can cook their own food in the FRH.
DHIKALA
Renowned for its panoramic landscape of breath taking beauty. The accommodation here a varied and includes the historic Old FRH- built well over a century ago, New FRH, Cabins, Hutments, Log huts and Annexe. Excellent facilities including a Restaurant and Canteen are available for visitors. Elephant rides, a well stocked wildlife library and audiovisual shows are also available. Accommodation here is generally extremely difficult to obtain.
OTHER REST HOUSES OF TOURIST ZONE
1. BIJRANI & MALANI, ENTERANCE FROM -AMDANDA GATE.
2. KHINNANAULI, ENTERANCE GATE -DHANGADHI.
3. LOHACHAUR, RATHUADHAB,& KANDA ENTERANCE GATE- DURGADEVI.
4. HALDUPARAO ENTERANCE GATE- VATANVASA.
5. JHIRNA ENTERANCE GATE -KHARA.
Note : Bring Binoculars,remain quiet and don’t wear bright colours or strong perfumes.
Best Time to Visit - Jim Corbett National Park
The best visiting season of Corbett is from November 15 to June 15. Corbett remains closed between June 16 and November 14, when the monsoons flood the river beds and cut the fragile road links. However one part of the park i.e. Bijarani opens for the public on October 15 (it also depends upon weather conditions).
For any assitance regarding Corbett Visit Plz Feel Free To Call me at +919837092025 or email at thejungleguide@gmail.com
Regards to All: Kostubh Pandey From Corbett
September 8th, 2008 at 5:34 am
Hi guys
Please inform here if anybody went on Muradabad,Bazpur,kaladhundi,nainital,how as road now,bridge is repaired or not.
ajay
September 8th, 2008 at 5:57 am
Ajay - Pramesh is just back from Nainital, even though he took the normal route but he heard good about the bridge, so should be good to go.
Also, the Delhi-Nainital review is here.
http://www.ghumakkar.com/2007/07/18/delhi-naintal-road-review/
October 27th, 2008 at 6:53 am
Dear Friends
Bridge is Ok and now this rout is only for cars,not for heavy vehicles. rout is shorter smooth and no heavy traffic.
ajay