Pearl of India 2025

Mumbai isone of the worlds “mega-cities”, that is one of a population greater than 10 million; only Delhi boasts a larger number of inhabitants.

Departing from what is known as the Gateway to India on the west coast, the adventure will begin with a journey inland and north to the ancient and holy city of Nashik, getting the first experience of India’s varied and beautiful rural landscape along the way.

Having climbed to 2000 feet above sea level the previous day, the second day of exploration will continue to head north and descend back down to somewhere closer to sea level once that evenings rest stop at Vadodara is reached.

The day will begin in the shadow of the vineyards of India’s wine capital, which may be one of the first secrets offered up by this land, and end on the banks of the Vishwa Mitri river.

A day that will see the route traverse across the fertile plains that lie to the south of the Mahi river. Water will form a theme of the day, as the destination for the evening, and the place of our first rest day is Udaipur, known as the city of lakes.

The route to this magical city will likely pass by many of the temples that occupy the area, as well as many waterways.

The City of the Lakes offers much to the explorer, with a rich tapestry of history just waiting to be uncovered. The ancient capital of the kingdom of Mewar, the timeline of the city can be charted back to ancient times, or more recent colonial rule by the British, to its modern time of independence.

It is also culturally rich, with galleries, gardens, fairs and festivals and has been described as the most romantic city in India.

We head into the Thar desert, but not before conquering the heights of the luscious Aravalli mountain range and the expanse of the Thar Desert.

The route will take the rally to its most westerly point to the municipal city of Barmer in the Rajasthan state, it is the closest we get to the Pakistani border and we will pass close to the 12th century Kiradu temples before arriving in the Sanchal Fort nestled in the sand dunes for our overnight halt

The golden light of the morning sees us head back into the Thar Desert and signal a change of direction as the route heads east.

The route will continue the previous days theme of adventurous driving roads, through the dunes and arid landscape in an area that sometimes only receives 4 inches of rainfall a year but, in spite of this, is home to many different species of wildlife including the much revered Thari Cow.

Leaving Jodhpur, we will cross the Luni river and begin our escape from the desert. The increasing population sees a direct correlation with an increase of roads, and our route planners have been hard at work devising a route that takes in both the best scenery and sights, as well as the best driving roads of the region. After driving all day, we will end up in Jaipur, known as the Pink City thanks to the dominant colour of most of its architecture.

After ‘Riding into Jaipur’ the previous evening a rest day will allow everyone to enjoy the city, which, as the Paul McCartney song tells us, is a delight.

A UNESCO World Heritage city, it contains numerous individual UNESCO sites, including the Amber Fort and Jantar Mantar. The city is famed for culture and cuisine, occupied by many artisans, but anyone in need of a bit of retail therapy, after a week on the road, can visit the World Trade Park, which is worth a visit for its dramatic modern architecture alone, even for those who are not really into shopping.

Time waits for no man, especially rally time, and after a day’s R+R clocks must be reset as our caravan of motorised explorers continues the journey east. Indeed, with such a plethora of culture, history and landscapes on show we could all be forgiven for forgetting that this is indeed about the driving, but with a carefully curated route through the state of Uttar Pradesh, thoughts will again be firmly fixed on the wheel. The last stop of the day is in the city of Agra, most famous as being the site of the Taj Mahal; the most recognisable Indian Icon of all.

Heading south now, away from civilisation the rally will cross several national and wildlife parks travelling through incredible forests. If the theme from previous days was one of India’s architectural wonders, day 11 will enter the domain of one of its natural wonders, namely the Tiger.

Once viciously and unscrupulously hunted, this noble animal is now protected, and the Bandhavgarh Reserve has one of the densest populations of tigers in India, not to mention leopards and deer.

The national parks and reserves are again the theme of the adventure for day 12, providing awe-inspiring driving as we travel as guests through the home of the Tiger. Indeed, the Kanha reserve is the very same forest that provided the setting for Rudyard Kipling’s, The Jungle Book.

Shere Khan and his subjects will likely be hiding, but it is awe-inspiring and somewhat humbling to be sharing their kingdom and enjoying a landscape that has ultimately inspired so many generations.

The route continues to head south from the wilds of Kanha and whilst there is still parkland to be negotiated, the trees and hills will eventually give way to metropolis once more as the day’s route concludes in Nagpur, one of the worlds fastest growing cities and according to a recent survey one of the best cities in India to live in.

Famous for its oranges, the city sits right in the centre of the Indian Peninsula, the epicentre of our adventure.

Two weeks into the trip the journey will head back into the south of the country, with the promise of a rest day on the horizon.

There is a lot of rallying to be done before retiring for the evening though, with a good stint that will take us to the city of Hyderabad and the most southerly point of the trip so far.

A large city on the banks of the Musi River, Hyderabad sits high on hilly terrain, surrounded by artificial lakes that actually predate the founding of the city itself.

As with many Indian cities, Hyderabad has many faces and which side of it one discovers will remain a mystery until it becomes time to leave. It enjoys UNESCO status, but not for its architecture or historical sites, this time it is for its cuisine and so will be of particular interest for the gastronomes.

Rested and well fed, it is time to continue on the last part of the expedition through India. After time spent amongst the busier streets of Hyderabad, the route will see us travel into more rural areas again, crossing the Krishna river and traversing the well-watered landscape that sits between that and the Tungabhadra river.

Hampi itself is a smaller town, and sits adjacent to the Hampi Temples, another UNESCO listed group of monuments that date back to the 14th century and the pilgrimage centre of the Hindu religion.

After reaching the most southerly point of the trip the previous day, the rally turns westward and onwards through the Ansi National Park and towards the famous coastline of Goa.

If, for some inexplicable reason, the driving for the day doesn’t impress, the final destination adjacent to the golden sands and beautiful waters of the tropical coast will, as the rally is welcomed by the luxurious Taj Resort and all of us can enjoy the sunset out across the Arabian Sea safe in the knowledge that there is one final rest day to enjoy upon the morrow.

You could leave the sanctuary of the hotel and venture into the Ansi National Park, or you could take full advantage of the tranquil surroundings of the magnificent hotel and spa.

After nearly three weeks of travel, culture, mysticism and history it is probably a fair bet that the beach will be calling.

The penultimate day of travel takes the rally north again, back towards its origin.

Hugging the incredible coastline and dipping into the Chandoli national park and Koyna sanctuary it will likely be another awe-inspiring and breath-taking day at the wheel, devoured with a new enthusiasm after such luxury and relaxation the previous day.

The final day of travelling and a last drive through the incredible Indian realm. The route will take in more nature reserves, parkland and varying topography, as well as passing monuments and ancient architecture that will by this point have become a calling card of this adventure.

The day may be slightly shorter, but the driving will be no less stunning, and at the finish there will undoubtedly be time for reflection on a journey that will have been so much more than the sum of its parts.