After Kontiki’s epic London-to-Mumbai road trip in 2016, the trusty motorhome was parked at our home in Eru, Navsari quietly resting after its grand adventure. Then came March 2017, when my brother Raj, his wife Pushpabhabhi, their son Pratik, and daughter-in-law Meera arrived in India and stayed with us at Kshitij Bungalows.
Pratik had a dream — to drive Kontiki on Indian roads before it was shipped back to the UK. He was eager for Hansa and me to join him and his parents on a journey that would make that dream come true. So, about a week later, we packed our bags and set off for Goa.
Day 01 16 Mar 2017
We left home around 10 in the morning, passing through Bhilad, crossing the Gujarat–Maharashtra border, over the Vasai Bridge, onto Ghodbundar Road, past Panvel, and briefly onto the Pune Expressway, where we stopped near Lonavala for a short break.
From Pune, we continued past Kolhapur. By nightfall, we started looking for a decent hotel to stay in, even though Kontiki itself offered every comfort we needed. Eventually, we stopped at a highway hotel called Akash Palace. It was nothing special, but good enough for the night. Fortunately, the hotel had a small restaurant attached, where we enjoyed a satisfying meal before heading to bed.
The next morning, we were surprised to discover that Pratik and Meera had swapped their hotel room for a night inside Kontiki. Despite having a spacious room, they preferred the comfort and charm of the motorhome
