Are you a tea lover? What is the craziest thing you have ever done just to get a good cup of tea?

I am sure all of us have our own stories. Comparing them would probably not do justice to the effort that goes into finding that perfect cup.

But this story is not really about tea. Tea is just one of the many things that became part of a much bigger journey.

If you travel often, you probably know that some of the best journeys are the ones that are not planned too much. This was one such trip. What started as an idea to explore North East India turned into a long road journey through several states, unexpected stops, good food, new friendships and plenty of stories.

The idea was simple. We wanted to drive.

I had been living in Bangalore for around 14 years and had already travelled through many parts of South India, including Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Goa.

This time we wanted to explore North East India. But there was one condition.

We wanted to drive all the way.

On 29 November 2019, early in the morning, Avijit and I started our journey towards Sikkim. Just the two of us.

Two brave souls.

At least that is what we told ourselves at the beginning.

We had made a simple rule for the trip. Start as early as possible every morning and stop driving by around 6 or 7 in the evening. The rest of the journey would take care of itself.

Day 1: Srikalahasti

Our first major stop was Srikalahasti in Andhra Pradesh.

The town is well known for Kalamkari, the traditional art of hand painting and block printing on cloth using natural dyes. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant maintained by the Andhra government, where we had a simple and tasty traditional Andhra meal.

After lunch, we wandered into a handloom attached to the restaurant. There were beautiful sarees, paintings and handmade toys. Everything looked surprisingly affordable.

While we were there, one of the workers suggested that we visit the Shiva temple in town.

We almost ignored the suggestion.

From outside, the temple looked fairly ordinary. We assumed it would be another temple stop before getting back on the road.

We were completely wrong.

The moment we entered, the place changed completely. The temple was built around rock and the walls were covered with intricate carvings. The architecture was magnificent.

I have visited many temples, but this one left a lasting impression on me. Unfortunately, cameras were not allowed inside, so I could not capture the place.

If you ever find yourself in Srikalahasti, spend some time here. And if you have an interest in traditional Indian textiles, do not miss the local sarees either.

When a hotel booking means nothing

By then it was already afternoon and we still had a long way to go.

After driving for several hours, we were exhausted and decided to stop at Ongole for the night.

There was only one problem.

The hotel we had booked had been taken over for a wedding. Despite having a booking, they simply did not allow us to stay.

After some running around, we finally managed to find another hotel.

It was not exactly the kind of travel experience we had imagined, but road trips rarely follow the plan.

Odisha, a wedding and an unexpected stop

The next morning we started early again and drove through the day. By evening we reached Srikakulam.

On 1 December, we reached Berhampur in Odisha, where a friend had family and his brother was getting married in Gopalpur.

Gopalpur is a small coastal place with a lovely sea beach. We spent some time there and I bought a Shankh for myself.

It was also in Gopalpur that I met Dadaji, Durga grandfather.

He was an army man and was 84 years old at the time. But honestly, he seemed stronger and more energetic than all of us.

He was cheerful, independent and full of life. Some people simply have that quality about them. Age does not seem to matter.

Durga also managed to arrange a guest room for us at Berhampur University. It turned out to be a lovely place to stay.

We spent two days in Berhampur before getting back on the road.

And if you ever visit the university campus, try the food there. The poori and idly vada were particularly good.

Bardhaman and a different kind of travel experience

We were getting closer to the hills, but there was one important stop before Sikkim.

We had to pick up Avijit friend Sumit and his younger brother from Bardhaman.

On 3 December, we reached Bardhaman and I met Sumit and his family.

I have had close connections with Bengali culture for a long time, but this was my first opportunity to actually stay with a Bengali Brahmin family.

It was a wonderful experience.

What stayed with me was not really the food or the culture, although the Bengali meals were excellent. It was the feeling of familiarity.

We often think that language, region and culture make people different. But when you spend some time with people, you realise how similar we all are.

The important things are the same. Family, friendship, food, laughter, curiosity and humanity.

We just need to travel enough to see it.

After spending two days in Bardhaman, we picked up Sumit and Rohit.

Now there were four of us.

The road to Kalimpong

Bardhaman to Kalimpong is roughly 600 kilometres. We thought we could cover it in a day.

We were wrong.

The road conditions were not great and the drive took much longer than expected. By the time we reached Siliguri, it was around 9:30 at night.

We were tired, hungry and wondering where we were going to find food.

Then Zomato came to the rescue.

That was enough for us to call it a successful day.

On the way we also crossed the Farakka Barrage over the Ganga. The view was impressive.

Although, if you have hydrophobia like me, you may want to admire it from a safe distance.

Crossing the Teesta

The next morning, 5 December 2019, we started towards Kalimpong.

This was when the drive finally started feeling like the mountain journey we had imagined.

The road climbed gradually, the landscape changed and we crossed the Teesta River on our way towards Kalimpong.

The terrain was tough in places and required careful driving. Fortunately, I enjoy driving, so this part of the journey was more fun than stressful.

Morgan House, Kalimpong

We finally reached Morgan House around 2:30 in the afternoon.

We were tired, but the place immediately made the drive worthwhile.

Morgan House is a beautiful colonial-era property surrounded by trees, lawns and a golf course. The building itself has a character that is difficult to describe unless you have actually walked through it.

The rooms were spacious and each room had a chimney. But the biggest attraction for me was the view.

From the lawn and balconies, you can get a view of the mighty Kanchenjunga when the weather is clear.

Morgan House was maintained by West Bengal Tourism and turned out to be a lovely place to stay. The weather was pleasant, the surroundings were peaceful and the breakfast was excellent.

After spending a couple of days in Kalimpong, we had originally planned to continue towards Guwahati.

But the others were getting tired.

So we took a U-turn.

Next stop: Darjeeling.

Darjeeling and the hunt for good tea

Like me, Sumit is a tea lover.

So naturally, after reaching Darjeeling at night, our conversation quickly moved towards one important question.

Where do we find good tea?

It was extremely cold. The temperature was close to zero degrees during the night and early morning.

We were not interested in the packaged tea that you usually see in advertisements. We wanted to find proper Darjeeling tea and try some of the better varieties available locally.

Darjeeling is, of course, famous all over the world for its tea. There are several tea estates around the region, including Makaibari, which has received international attention.

We ended up buying some expensive varieties, including first flush and second flush tea.

We were tea lovers.

Now we had the tea to prove it.

Tiger Hill and a disappointing sunrise

The next morning we woke up very early and headed towards Tiger Hill.

Tiger Hill is famous for its sunrise views. On a clear morning, the peaks of Kanchenjunga can appear illuminated before the sun reaches the lower elevations.

We wanted to avoid the rush, so we started very early.

Very early.

Around 4 in the morning.

It was freezing.

If you are visiting during winter, be prepared for temperatures around zero degrees.

After waiting for nearly an hour, we finally got our sunrise.

Except, it was not the sunrise we had hoped for.

The weather was not cooperating. The clouds hid Kanchenjunga and we did not get the dramatic illuminated peaks we had come to see.

At first, it felt disappointing.

But that is also part of travelling.

Sometimes you plan everything, wake up at 4 in the morning, drive through the cold and still do not get the view you came for.

You need a little luck too.

Still, standing there with friends in the freezing morning was an experience worth remembering.

And the journey kept going

The journey did not end in Darjeeling.

We continued travelling through other parts of India, including Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.

In total, Avijit and I spent around 15 days on the road.

We travelled through seven Indian states, reached the Bangladesh border and drove my car for roughly 4,000 kilometres.

Eventually, we returned home.

There were temples, beaches, mountains, tea estates, bad roads, unexpected hotel problems, great food, new people and plenty of moments that could never have been planned.

That is probably what I like most about travelling.

You leave home thinking you are going somewhere.

You come back having experienced something.