So last year we planned a road trip from Vizag to Puri via Barakul. I along with my family (my dad , my mom and my brother ) packed the essentials and were ready to head to our first destination Barakul. The city of puri is located in the southern region of Orrisa along the Bay of Bengal. The sandy beaches of Puri is crowded throughout the year.
NOTE: People not from Vizag can also get a perfect getaway itenary . So please enjoy reading.
DAY- 1: VIZAG TO BARAKUL ,
8 hrs.(including breaks): 345 km.
We started the trip early at 5:00 am in the morning so as to dodge the morning traffic we reached the 4 way lane highway of NH-16 and zoomed our way towards our first destination .the road to Barakul was quite scenic ,with trees by the road side . We halted for breakfast on the way for an hour . By afternoon we reached our hotel ''Panthanivas OTDC -Barakul'' the tariff was moderate(ranging from Rs.1200 to Rs 3200) and rooms were spacious and clean. we freshened up and had our lunch,took a shot nap and took a stroll by the CHILIKA lake (you can take a boat ride to the KALIJAL TEMPLE ,the boat can accommodate 6 passengers at a time and can cost you around Rs.280 bucks .) and walked our way through the small bazaar set in the entrance.
we had spend a splendid evening in Barakul. Now for the dinner ,you can have the dinner in the hotel itself or head out to a nearby restaurant ''CHILIKA DHABA" for some mouthwatering sea foods (the prawn recipes are to die for), they are quite delicious . The first day of our tour couldn't have ended better than this.
DAY-2 : BARAKUL TO PURI,
3 hrs. ,107.5 kms.
Next day we woke up to the scenic sunrise by the lake , took a cold shower and got ready to leave after the breakfast at the hotel and headed for our final destination Puri, after a 3 hr drive through the NEW JAGANNATH ROAD .You can take the other alternative through Bhubaneshwar road. We reached Puri by 12:00 noon and checked in to ''Panthinavas OTDC-Puri''. The rooms are again quite spacious and clean. The beach can be reached by the route in front of the hotel.The tariff of the hotel ranges between Rs.1200 to RS. 3000 .
NOTE : There are other hotels available according to your budget.some of them are-
FOR BACKPACKERS :Hotel Reba Beach Resort , Other OYO Hotels etc.
FOR LUXURIOUS TRAVELLERS: Mayfair Heritage Puri, Mayfair Waves Puri etc.
After having lunch took a short nap and headed to the beach in the evening ,and then to the nearby beach market to buy some souvenir .We came back to the hotel by 9:00 then had dinner and ended our first day at Puri.
DAY -3 : KONARK SUN TEMPLE , JAGANNATH TEMPLE.
Today we were to visit Konark Sun Temple which is a scenic drive through the lush greens on both side of the road.It took us about an hr. drive to reach Konark. The wall paintings and the carvings on the wall of the temple is worth a visit to this wonderful place.
NOTE: You can hire a cab to reach Konark by road.on the way you can also visit the Chandrabagha Beach on the way. And also take a speed boat ride on the way back to Puri.
After the Konark visit it's time to visit the crowded and most important part of the city the Jagannath Temple .After coming out of the temple we headed back to our hotel for lunch. The evening was left a leisure .
NOTE: Towards the market place there are a lot of sweet shops and souvenir shops .Don't forget to get some of them back home with you.
DAY-4 : PURI TO VISAKHAPATNAM.
11hr. , 451 km. via NH -16
Today we had to return to our home (vizag) . So woke up early as it was a long journey back .
We started early after having breakfast and prepared for the long journey ahead . Started our car and left the beautiful place of Puri ,with lot of memories with us . The sun was getting harsher towards us as the day progressed with two halts before the lunch , we were almost on time . We had our lunch in a roadside dhaba , and continued our journey . We reached vizag at arond 8 in the evening , reached home . It was tiring but good to be back home.
NOTE: Every time you travel by road make sure to carry enough water, food, essential things ,songs for the car. We went in Honda City ,the roads of NH -16 were smooth and fun to drive.
