Land cruises: Roads that will take your breath away
From mountains and valleys to coastlines and deserts, these roads will take your breath away
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Rajasthan has some of the best roads in the country: Fast and smooth. This 300-odd kilometer stretch down NH15 will have you drive through the thick of Rajasthan where you can experience its local cuisine and culture at every rest stop along the way. There are also a variety of forts, havelis and temples worth visiting, as well the region’s famous sand dunes. This trip is mostly about soaking in the beauty of Rajasthan while driving down its smooth and thoroughly enjoyable roads
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Rated among the best roads in world, the Munnar-Ooty route is 240 km of tarmac that winds its way through lush Kerala and into Tamil Nadu before beginning the ascent to the queen of the Nilgiris. The experience involves driving through some lovely forests, often accompanied by rain and a nip in the air. The roads throughout are narrow and winding. Part of the experience is having to keep an eye out for the infamous, maniacal Kerala bus drivers!
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Most of the roads on this list are up in the mountains, but as the name suggests, the Great Ocean Road hugs the Australian coastline for nearly all of its 243-km distance. Speed limits make this more of a relaxed road trip where you can get to see some amazing natural rock formations, and marvel at the pristine beauty of Australia’s legendary coastline
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A must-do on any enthusiast’s wish-list, but a gruelling drive; not for the faint-hearted. The road is open only for a few months in the year, and conditions vary from super-smooth tarmac to absolutely no road at all. The severe cold and high altitude only makes this more of a challenge. But what puts this 900 km, four-day journey on our list is that it offers some of the best views of nature anywhere on this planet. Prepare to be overcome with awe for the scale and majesty of the Himalayas when you make this trip. It’s a feeling that never quite fades away, no matter how many times you return
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The USA has some legendary roads, but our favourite is Pacific Highway 1. Like Australia’s Great Ocean Road, it hugs the coast, this time in California, and is largely about the scenic vistas. The road begins in Monterey and takes you through a collection of cliffs, the beautiful Bixby Bridge, and state parks, and is peppered with iconic eateries along the way
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This may come as a surprise, but Oman has some of the finest driving roads on this continent. The region is not only mountainous but also on the coast, and features long ribbons of race-track smooth tarmac. The roads are unpredictable and leave no room for error, with large boulders strewn in along the way, which only adds to the challenge. The 90-km stretch from Khasab to Ras al Khaimah is particularly beautiful as it hugs the fjords along the Omani coast, and has the sea on one side and a sheer cliff on the other
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Many associate Romania with Count Dracula, but to us, it is the home of the fantastic Transfagarasan. This 90-km stretch of tarmac winds its way through the mountains, and was originally built as a military route. Today it joins the regions of Transylvania and Wallachia and traverses some of Romania’s tallest peaks. The road’s collection of tunnels, viaducts and endlessly varying corners of different camber and elevation make this drive a fitting addition to your bucket list
