East Himalaya Rally
October-November 2022
This adventure-rated rally was the first international classic car rally in the North East Indian States of Assam and Meghalaya, and the first international classic car rally in Bangladesh.
16 classic cars and 2 classic motorcycles from 8 different nationalities set off from Kolkata, heading North to Sikkim. A variety of models from a 1934 Lagonda M45 and a Bentley Speed Six Alpine from 1950 to a Mercedes 220A from 1952, Austin-Healey, Jaguar XK 150, Mercedes Pagodas, Volvo Amazon, an Aston Martin DB6, 2 Porsche 911, and 2 BMW R80 motorcycles passing the tea plantations of Siliguri and Darjeeling, before entering the former Kingdom of Sikkim to Pelling.
Some of the roads were difficult due to the heavy monsoons last summer. Tricky and technical would be the best description of those one lane roads. Forest, lush green jungles were all part of the journey. One of the motorcycles gave up just before the Bhutan border. A spare part was brought in from Europe to allow it to continue. On Day 9, we entered Bhutan, a driving paradise. Quiet and peaceful, the winding roads of Bhutan were a charm to ride on. This also allowed for 2 days of loops around the cities of Paro and the capital, Thimphu. A good way to discover the local Dzongs, palace fortress and the famous Tiger’s Nest, a monastery stuck on the mountain. The donation from the rally at a school for orphans was certainly a highlight.
After visiting the amazingly beautiful town of Punakha, and its Dzong between two rivers, we headed down an amazing road to the border with India. Meeting a local classic car club in the state of Assam and spending 2 nights in Kaziranga Ntl Park was a delightful rest, before climbing the road to Shillong with its British colonial past.
On Day 18, we drove down to the Bangladesh border, one of the most difficult damaged roads of the whole rally. The bad feeling over the condition of the road, quickly dissipated as we arrived at the border… a fantastic welcome with a marching band, flower lei and coconut juice in addition to all the local press and dignitaries. A border Celebration! As the First International Classic rally in Bangladesh, where normal rule forbids foreign cars in the country, this was one of the best welcome ever. Most participants discovered Bangladesh for the first time and were amazed by the beauty of the villages, the friendliness of the people lining up on the side of the roads to wave at the cars passing. On Day 23, we went through the border between Bangladesh and India to make our way back to Kolkata for our grand finale at the Hyatt hotel.
A memorable rally through three different cultures and religions—Hindu, Buddhism and Islam.
For more on Destination Rally visit destination-rally.com
