The Great Driving Challenge | User Application

George Panakal & Rohini Ghose-Panakal

Total Vote(s) : 46 | Total Testimonial(s) : 1

We are George and Rohini Panakal, currently residing in Mumbai. I am a solutions consultant in the learning and development function. Rohini (friends call her Ron) is a fraud and risk management professional, and we’ve been married about five years now. But for the need to earn a living, we would’ve been gypsies :) We simply love to travel and eat! Ron shares her dad’s passion for nature and has been on numerous treks with him. I am lagging behind them by miles in terms of the miles they’ve trekked and the fauna they’ve seen. My dream is to see all of India by the time I’m 60, and now I feel I’ll have to extend that by at-least five more years :( Together, Ron and I have done numerous trips and never been on a package tour. We prefer to drive and plan our trips by ourselves. From short overnight trips with a gang of boys from work, to long retreats in the hills, we’ve tried them all and then some more.

We are the best candidates because...

Our travels are not just about the places. The people we meet and the food we eat on our trips are an integral part of our travels. Between us, we speak most Indian languages, so we’ve been able to mingle with the locals and often enter their kitchens . We visit most places that are not on the general tourist circuit and that is where the soul of the region is. Adventure is another reason we travel. We’ve slept in our car, tents, boats, guest houses, hostels, hotels… We also seem to have friends in most parts and that adds to the warmth of the place! We prefer exploring on two wheels and never rush the itinerary. I we’ve failed to see a couple of places, we do the trip another time. Simple.

Our Travel Plan

We would love to do the North-East circuit. It has all elements of a great trip – bountiful natural beauty, mouth-watering cuisine, the sweetest people, and a kicking music scene. The Darjeeling – Pelling – Ravangla – Gangtok – Nathula – Kalimpong – Lava – Gorumara – Buxa – Manas – Shillong – Kaziranga drive has been calling to us for ages, but we have never been close to doing it. God and GIDC willing, this drive would be scenic, challenging, and educating. There is so much about the region which is still a mystery to most of us, even those who stay in India. So many of our friends have been there and have returned enchanted. We would love to experience the magic of the seven sisters given the time.

Our Travelogue

Though we’ve been overseas, it has been on work, and never together. Ron has always wanted to go to Santorini, and we would love to do that. Our travels together have been mostly in the South, North, and West of India. While we were in Delhi, we used to frequent Rishikesh/Shivpuri for rafting and Letibunga (off Nainital) for leisure. We’ve traveled extensively in Kerala and make at-least two trips a year to Goa. We’ve also done most weekend drives from Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Cochin. While most people have seen the Dutch village in Fort Cochin, they miss the magnificent Srambi Church near Thycattusserry. We’ve driven on hills, ghats, coasts, beaches, plains, plateaus, and even barges  Some memorable drives have been: Delhi – Agra – Fatehpur Sikri Hyderabad – Bangalore – Cochin Delhi – Haridwar – Rishikesh – Shivpuri (multiple times) Mumbai – Goa Hyderabad – Goa (multiple times) Delhi – Nainital – Letibunga (Multiple times) Mumbai – (Lonavla, Pune, Kashid…) Hyderabad – Bhavani Islands (off Vijaywada) Cochin – Cherthala – Kumarakom (multiple times) Hyderabad – Pune – Mumbai And of all places, Goa has been very special to both of us. We feel homesick as soon as we start the engine for the trip back. We’ve explored most of Goa and then some more :)

13th July 2009

anupama datye

13th July 2009

Testimonials

Tony JM

common.. bhaiya and bhabhii U sure can digg it!!!!!

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