Get Set Bolt with Tata Bolt

I have been on Tata motor’s vehicle for quite some time. Let it be my Tata Safari drive to Dudhsagar falls or checking out the new Tata Bolt from Tata Motors.

So what is new about it? There is always a new car coming in the market, but hold on before you are judgmental like me. I also reacted the same way as you are reacting now about a new car in the market.

As I was informed that Tata Bolt would be at Embassy tech village for 2 days, I made sure to take time out and travel almost 30 kms to check out the car. Most of the features of the car have striking resemblance to the other cars but it did catch my attention. I will pen down few features which caught my attention at the Bolt station.

A bright red car, standing near the cafeteria of Embassy tech village could never go unnoticed and hence a huge crowd could be seen even at an odd timing between lunch and tea break. A set of 4 dynamic alloy wheels, sporty styled would make the world stop in its tracks. A floating roof could also interest those who would test the speed of the vehicle on any main road. Flame-shaped tail lamps gives the car a perfect sporty exterior and make every head turn when the car is on road.

I always need a good music system and connectivity in a car so I made sure I check the feature’s in this category. It has a touchcreen infotainment system by Harman which includes bluetooth connectivity which will help one person to access their phonebook, call logs, audio streaming, conference call, SMS’s and read out’s of the same, etc along with steering mounted with audio and phone controls for the driver to focus on the road rather than on the phone. With the advanced voice command recognition, one can make calls, change music tracks and also control AC. So the car is at your service with just a word.

For those trying a new road like me will like the feature of smartphone enabled navigation with MapmyIndia maps so no more of phone stands on the car to spoil one’s view. A fully automatic temperature control can also ease of the work for everyone to set the AC temperature, it also has its control on the touchscreen.

Let me tell you about the comfort level in car. The car has good leg space for long drives and those with long legs. Also the headrest are adjustable for front and rear seats, so no more neck and shoulder pains with this car. Well, the rear seats are foldable with 60:40 ratio to increase the boot space as and required.
Safety is a must in every car. To begin with, it has a seat belt reminder for the driver and also door open and key in reminder to ensure safety before anyone starts their drive. It also has driver and co-passenger airbags for additional safety.

With the attention Tata Bolt received at the Bolt stage in Embassy tech village, I am sure many are planning to drive this beauty home. One can also get a test drive of the same and buy a petrol or a diesel variant.

This post is a part of the Get. Set. Bolt. activity at BlogAdda

A visit to Dudhsagar falls

Dudhsagar falls, it was my first visit and I was very excited as I am very fond of fresh waters. Thanks to Tata Motors #DriveWithSOUL event, I got the opportunity to visit the falls by road. I was staying at the Dudhsagar Spa Resort which was considerably close to the falls. All I knew about Dudhsagar falls was that it was among India's tallest waterfalls. The falls is located in the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park among the Western ghats. The waterfall forms the border between Karnataka and Goa states. This waterfall was picturized in the famous Hindi Blockbuster 'Chennai Express' and having watched the movie, I knew this waterfall is going to be very beautiful.

Bloggers click a selfie before the drive to the falls

We drove in our Tata Safari to the Dudhsagar falls taxi stand which is closer to Collem station. From this point, private vehicles are not allowed so you will either have to trek till the falls or hire a taxi which could cost around Rs.400 per person, max 6 people in a taxi. They also give us life jackets which we need to wear when we enter the water as the water is very deep. It is a 12 kms trek or drive from the taxi stand to the falls. The road is rough and one will have to cross 2/3 streams and a check post to reach the falls. Around 400 taxis are allowed by the forest department. On a conversation with the driver we were informed that they get one trip on an average of 2 days. Around one third of them get business on weekend and half of them get business on weekday from November to May. As the roads are closed between June to October, the drivers need to earn their bread in the operating months and hence the rule of no private vehicles allowed to the falls.

At the check post, one has to pay Rs.30 for still camera and Rs.150 for video camera. Mobile phones are not charged. The charges on video camera are unnecessary as one can always shoot a video on any of the camera's. It was a 45 mins drive from the taxi stand to the falls, often resulting in back pain. Hold yourself tight while on the route. The driver showed us a temple, a house where a family stays, a bar and refreshment store. He wanted to pick a stranger saying he is from the forest department, but the other passenger's refused on grounds of less space.

Driver also showed us the path under the railway line which would be taken by the bikers during the monsoon season as the road would be closed as the water level will be high in the streams. Due to poor road condition, no audio system in installed in the taxi said the driver. Once we reach the falls area, there is a 10-15 mins walk to the falls. Tourist are given one hour to return to the taxi which I feel is very less. It would take around 20 mins walk to the falls as everyone would be clicking pics at different scenic locations, 10 mins walk back to the taxi, 10-15 mins at the changing shed, bio toilet etc leaving with only 15-20 mins at the falls. I feel it is very less time at this beautiful falls after such a struggle to come all the way to the falls and paying a hefty amount for the taxi and other charges. The drivers always complain of people being late as they usually take more than 60 mins to return to the taxi. They should give us 2-2.5 hours at the falls as it is unlikely for the taxi driver to get another ride, the same day.

I have not seen the falls in August but Shreenidhi, another blogger from Chennai who was with us in the journey had visited the falls on rail in the month of August and he had described us the route he had taken and the flow of water in the monsoons. We had the bottom view of this magnificent falls and also got to take a dip in this fresh water which was very cold yet the feel was different. Oh how I wish I had more time to be in the water as every second was a wonderful experience. While taking a dip, I got to interact with the other SOUL members (Safari Owners United League). Srihari and Perez from SOUL Bangalore were too much fun and also the reason for me to get into the water and swim till the falls. I got to interact with many other SOUL members at the falls, though we all stayed at the same resort. We also got to see 2 trains pass by when we were at the falls. We all were talking about the Chennai Express train, Shah Rukh Khan and the movie as we looked at the train pass by (What else do you expect with a Bollywood fan around ;) ).

Beware of the monkeys around. You can also find a ladies changing room, men changing room and a bio toilet at the falls. I was also told that one can drink at the falls area but not smoke but still could see some buds and beer cans around and not in the trash bin. So when you visit, keep the place clean. While returning, I saw some students trek to the falls and not take the taxi. Also, we requested the driver to stop mid way at one of the stream so that we could get down and take some pictures and also soak our legs in some cold running water. I had a great time at the falls. Hope you find the post useful for your visit :)

Review of Dudhsagar Spa Resort

Dudhsagar Spa resort is one of the decent accommodation near Dudhsagar falls. Yeah it is THE Dudhsagar falls shown in Chennai Express. On my visit to Dudhsagar falls, I had the privilege to stay at Dudhsagar Spa resort during #DriveWithSOUL trip.

I had reached the resort just about time for lunch counters to close. So I headed for the lunch buffet. The buffet spread was not that great, just average with respect to variety and taste. Basic offerings like sambar, rasam or curd rice weren't available, there were no much options in starters too. If you stay here then you are stuck with the resort food unless you would like to travel many kms just to get some decent food. Outside eatables and drinks are not allowed and the items at the bar is priced high (2/3 times more than MRP). my friend, Arjun ordered a bottle of beer, MRP at Rs.29 sold at Rs.100. So you end up paying the price set by the resort for your food and beverages. Fish curry was really good during the dinner buffet along with some rava fried fish (oh it had to many thorns). For dessert, either strawberry ice cream was served else Kheer but the kheer hardly had any dry fruits in it. Staying in Goa, I expected some more of sea food on the menu as the taste of chicken curry was just average, but to my disappointment I just got a chance to have fish curry. Also, there is no microwave or kitchen setup in the room like the other 2 or 3 star resorts to cook a basic dish, so the restaurant is your only hope.

Heading towards the room, the room is spacious. you can opt for a cottage or a tent. It had geyser, AC, Hair dryer, TV with a set up box, Daily supply of tea/coffee sachets and water bottle, fresh soaps and bath towel. It also had a wardrobe which had a weird stink and hence I did not prefer using it to keep my clothes. I did not get the time to have a cup of tea or coffee from the service provided. The rooms were either cleaned in the afternoon or evening and when I left my room in the morning, it was cleaned when I returned for lunch with fresh supply of bath towel. Soaps were not replaced, may be because I did not use them completely. The temperature of AC could be controlled with the remote, giving me some peaceful sleep. One challenge which I faced was with the geyser, despite many efforts I couldn't get a perfect combination of warm water, either the water was too hot or too cold. In toiletries, 2 mini soaps, 2 clinic plus shampoo, one shower cap and paper rolls were provided.

I had heard a common complaint that the resort is close to the highway which has lot of moving traffic and hence could get disturbing at night. Fortunately, my cottage was not close to the highway due to which my sleep was not disturbed or was it? I was too tired to even figure this out. So, preferably take a tent/cottage which is not close to the road so that you are not disturbed by the moving traffic.

The campus of the resort is considerably big with 2 swimming pool, a mini pool for kids and a 4 feet deep pool for others which has a mandatory dress code (one can buy pool costume from the reception), a snooker table which is not maintained well so do not expect a good game here, a spa which has many services (you could get a 10-20% discount) and a large area for adventure activities or even for a stroll. I had the opportunity to try out Zip lining activity which did give me a boost of energy when I rested at the resort.

There are many lawns in the campus with too may greenery around which I liked. The lawn near the restaurant was set up for barbeque and DJ night for Night 1 with Arambolla band performing for us so one could arrange that when they are here. It also has a small stage set up which could be a dance floor.

The resort is on the other side of the toll booth and hence, when ever you want to enter Goa, you will have to buy a toll ticket. This resort is close to the falls so it could be ideal for anyone who wants to have a weekend with a visit to the Dudhsagar falls.