Bhopal-Bhimbetka;Jalgaon-Ajanta;Aurangabad-Hampi

fisher

First, I have a question about forum rules. All I can find on forum rules concerning multiple posting is this:

"No Multiple Postings (1 point for 10 days): Find the board you want your post in and post it. Posting the same message in multiple forums is not allowed."

By no means am I trying to be legalistic, but it would seem that this would allow a thread on, say, the Bhopal area and another on, say, Ajanta-Ellora to Hampi. And another one on...... They would not be multiple threads in the sense of being "the same message," cited in the rules. Even if they were on the same itenerary. Could the rules be made a little clearer?

I am new here and trying to figure out the ropes, but it would seem that merging the Bhopal and Ajanta-Hampi threads would be fine only if everything is read by everybody. But if people generally scan titles and then read only what they think they can be helpful on, there could be a problem.

So, with trembling fingers, under the red ax, so to speak, I type a new thread. The alternative is posting this at the bottom of my three merged posts that were then merged with my wife's post on general itenerary questions. A Bhimbetka post would then be buried under a pile of discussions on garam masala and how northern India's view on alcohol is similar to American prohibition. You know, gina has her own studio, and I have my own room for writing and for tying flies.

Coming from Jhansi to Bhopal, you can stop at Sanchi, and according to the guidebooks, can stay there. The next afternoon, on to Bhopal by train, 45 minutes. One site says a little over 40km from Sanchi to Bhopal, for about two hours on bus.

* 1 If we went to Bhopal from Jhansi, slept, and then did Bhopal-Sanchi-Bhopal the next day, this would mean four hours on bus for the round trip, versus a slight 45 minutes on to Bhopal after staying Sanchi.

Just as rich is better than poor, 45 minutes by train is better than 4 hours by bus. Especially if it is four hours to cover 80km. But guide books don't tell us this sort of thing very often.

I have been unable to find Bhimbetka on any map. Does anyone have any info on time by taxi or bus? By the way, it is, according to LP, about 6.5km southeast of Obaidullanganj. Google doesn't like the term "Obaidullanganj."

* 2 Should we really use Jalgaon as a base to see Ajanta, as LP suggests? We'd like a couple of slow days for Ajanta, but a three hour (round trip) from Jalgaon to Ajanta and back to Jalgaon to sleep and then 1-1/2 hours back to Ajanta the next day seems, well, excessive.

* 3 On to Aurangabad for a couple of days at Ellora, then to Hampi. Seems that Aurangabad to Manmad by train (two hours, good for cattle class experience?) and then overnight train to Guntakal is best. But for some reason I suspect there is a better way that I am not seeing. Because no guidebook suggests it at all.

Would appreciate any help.

capt_mahajan

Moderator note:

General comments first:

-Multiple posting means just that, identical (or almost identical, eg asking the same question) posts in different fora or identical posts.

-Nobody need have trembling fingers over multiple posts, unless they are spamming. A lot of newbies jump in without reading the forum rules. Hell, I read the rules after becoming a moderator.

-The moderators use the infraction system/warning as a easy way of bringing this to the newbies attention, and nothing more than that. Besides commenting publicly, we have no other way of communication otherwise with a newbie.

-State and city fora cannot be often viewed in isolation; the itinerary advice forum helps. After all, if you want advice covering a larger part of the itinerary, thats where you would logically start.

- The multiple post rule does not mean that you cannot have many posts on the same itinerary. Far from it. If you look around the site, you will see many instances, even most instances, where this is very common.

Specifically:

-Any moderator may feel that logically a husband and wife asking questions on the same trip should have the threads merged. Members take time to reply, they would have comprehensive information in one place and therefore tend not repeat themselves. And the husband and wife would have the replies in one thread, too.

Frankly, if I was in your place I would use one id to ask questions on one itinerary, simply to avoid confusion. (and not because anybody feels that a husband and wife are monolithic, in fact if you asked my wife she would scream at that notion )

If you haven't done so already, I suggest you read the 'How to get the most out of the Itinerary Section' sticky first, in this same section.


I will now leave the questions you have here for other members.

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vonkla

As I guess from your prevous questions you don't on the lowest budget. If I'm right, you also can stay a few days in Bhopal.
Hire a car for one day to visit Sanchi and the next day to visit Bhimbetka. This site is 45 km. south of Bhopal. Each day will cost you about 500-700 rs.
See this map
http://www.mptourism.com/pdfs/bhimbetka.pdf

We are also slow travellers but one day was enough to visit Ajanta. It is one hour with the bus from Jalgaon.
If you stay in Jalgaon I recommend Hotel Plaza, it is close to the station.

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steven_ber

Try Obaidullaganj.

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How to get helpful replies to your transport/Itinerary questions.



Train information.

Jorge Reverter

The name seems to be as Steven says: Obaidullaganj(37 km south of Bhopal on the road to Hoshangabad. Bhimbetka is close to Obaidullaganj but at southwest not southeast.

Jorge

fisher

Thanks, guys, all cleared up.

Vonkla, yes, at this time in our lives we live a life of "frugal comfort," so within reason, budget is not a problem. I'm just not used to the idea that in some places of the world you can hire a car and its associated human being for US$15 a day. Cars will now become a standard option to consider in our travels. Spread the wealth around, eh?

Steve and Jorge, thanks for the correction. Spelling has never been my forte, and when the number of letters surpasses a dozen, my batting average really goes all to hell. Especially if there are half a dozen vowels. I sometimes wonder if I'm a late-blooming dyslectic.

vonkla

For a short recent discussion about hiring a car see also this thread

How does this whole car thing work?

JuliaF

Fisher, you seem to have decided on staying in Bhopal and doing Bhimbetka from there, but for others reading this....

Another option would be to stay in Hoshangabad which is closer to Bhimbetka and get the bus from there. As I recall, Bhimbetka is a few km (walkable) off the Hoshangabad-Bhopal road.

I wasn't hugely taken with Bhimbetka but I really liked Hoshagabad - it's a smallish town on the Narmada river,very pleasant, with ghats. On the outskirts there is a really interesting Quaker centre. It seems there had been for many years been a thriving community of Indians and foreigners, practising organic farming, running health clinics, schools etc. But when I was there -in 2001 - it seemed neglected and declining, quite sad.

But generally Hoshangabad especially the Narmada / ghats area was great.

fisher

No, Julia, not set in stone yet. Your suggestion, not offered, it seems, in the guidebooks, is the type that makes indiamike so valuable. Thanks.

Saee

Julia,

do you know of any stay options in Hoshangabad?

Saee

JuliaF

Hi Saee

I know of two hotels in Hoshangabad - Hotel Krishna and Hotel Hazuri.

I stayed in Hotel Hazuri in December, it's a building of about 3 storeys around a central courtyard. The rooms are small and simple but clean, with bathroom (but I can't remember whether there was hot water). It was ridiculously cheap - something like 180 Rs for a double - but like I say really just a room to sleep in, not a place to hang around relaxing. Friendly enough place though.

Hotel Krishna was full when I was there last but I stayed there about 6 years ago, I remember it as being slightly more upmarket but don't have recent information.

The two are very close to each other. If you're arriving at the state bus stand, the Krishna is directly opposite, you go through an archway and then up stairs on the left.
For the Hazuri you come out of the bus stand and turn rught, pass some juice stalls and a restaurant on your left and then come to a wide (but not very busy) roundabout. The Hazuri is sort of diagonally opposite, it's a tall building so you'll see it.

From the private bus stand you just have to walk in the direction everyone else is going (towards town) and after about 5 mins you come to the state bus stand on the right and the Krishna on the left etc.

Hope this helps, sorry I don't have phone numbers for these hotels.

Julia

Saee

Julia, that's will be really helpful. thanks a ton!

steven_ber

Great info Julia.

Can you tell us why you weren't too keen on Bhimbetka? (I've spoken to 2 people about the caves and both thought they were fascinating).

I nearly got to visit the caves last November, I bought a train ticket from Varanasi to Hoshangabad (arriving at 9 in the morning) and another ticket from Itarsi to Tirupati (departing at midnight), however, my train from Varanasi was over 9 hours late, so I just stayed on the train till Itarsi.

Is Hoshangabad train station close to the hotels or bus stands?

For others, there are no reliable train options from Vidisha, Sanchi or Bhopal (or Hoshangabad0 to get to Obaidula Ganj (closest to Bhimbetka), the only trains come from much to far away to be reliable.

There is one useful train in the other direction though, train 1355 (Itarsi-Jhansi passenger) departs Hoshangabad daily at 18:35, then Obaidula Ganj at 19:32 and gets to Bhopal at 20:45, Sanchi at 21:50 and Vidisha at 22:00, the train only has unreserved 2nd class and I have no way of knowing how busy the train will be, but if I had to take a wild guess, I'd say that the train wouldn't be crowded, but would probably fill up in Bhopal, and when a passenger train fills up, it really fills up.

JuliaF

Hi Steven

I find it hard to say why I wasn't so keen on Bhimbetka, and it's totally subjective anyway. Different strokes for different folks ...
I certainly wouldn't want to discourage anyone from going there, but I would encourage people to spend a little time visiting Hoshangabad too!

And sorry but I don't know where the station is in relation to the bus stands. It was just never convenient to arrive or depart by train. Last time I arrived into Itarsi on a different line and it would have been too long a wait for a train to H so got the bus. Less than an hour if I remember right (but not sure). In Itarsi you come out of the station and turn right for the bus stand (not too far to walk)
The bus from H to Bhopal is about 4 hours (there are jeeps too), it's a bit of a drag but I remember being advised that the morning train to Bhopal gets extremely full with people going to work.

I've been through Hoshangabad loads of times on the North-South line, I'm sure you have too, you might have noticed people praying and chucking flowers etc out of the window as the train crosses the Narmada.