✍️By Special Correspondent
- Kolkata to witness the First & Longest International Drive in 2022
No great destination was ever achieved without enthusiasm – the same holds true for a city that replicates the exact passion in everything it integrates. Kolkata, which is one of the most happening metropolitans in the Tourism world, has added an exclusive feather onto its much glorious cap as it opens doors of ‘The Roadyssey’ which announced its biggest International Drive being organized from Kolkata to London to be held in 2022.
‘The Roadyssey’ is an endeavor that offers Life-Transforming Road Trips and Cross-Border Drives. Founded by Kolkata based Dr. Debanjali Roy and Mr. Kaushik Roy, it is an initiative for adventurous souls who are looking out for something out of the box by traveling far away destinations on WHEELS, exploring fascinating landscapes, cultures, cuisines, and history of India, and other beautiful countries and the ‘World on Wheels’.
Trans Siberian Roadyssey was launched in the revered presence of Mr. Mikhail Gusev, Deputy Consul General of the Russian Federation in Kolkata and Mr. Madan Mitra, MLA & President – Automobile Association of Eastern India. Dr. Debanjali Roy, Co-Founder, The Roadyssey and Mr. Kaushik Roy, Co-Founder, The Roadyssey were present to brief the media.
‘The Roadyssey’ announced its opening drive – An adventurous expedition to Siberia, named ‘Trans Siberian Roadyssey’ to commemorate the 50 Years of the Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation. Trans Siberian Roadyssey will have 8 people on board including a 1.5 year young kid and a doctor. It will leave for Siberia from New Delhi on 8th October 2021. The tour is from 10th October to 9th November 2021. It will cross 8 Time Zones during the tour, covering more than 11000 km from east to west.
With an aim to connect Kolkata with the World through Wheels, ‘The Roadyssey’ also announced to organize the first and a fascinating International Drive from Kolkata to London in 2022. Dr. Debanjali Roy and Mr. Kaushik Roy have a gigantic experience of driving to 36 countries over 42000km in a single trip by road from Kolkata in 2018-19. The Drive was announced by Hon Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee. The Drive also created awareness about ‘Road Safety’ under the theme “Safe Drive, Save Life’ during its journey.
Trans Siberian Roadyssey will start from New Delhi and will cover Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Belogorsk, Erofey Pavlovich, Chita, Ulan-Ude, Lake Baikal, Tulun, Krasnoyarsk, Kemerovo, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Tyumen, Kungur, Izvhevsk, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow and St. Petersburg. Some of the unique experiences of Trans Siberian Roadyssey will include – Vladivostok- Russia’s great harbour of the east, The magnificent mountain ranges of Ural, Altai and Sayan, Russia’s pride and lifeblood- The mighty Volga, The border monument between two continents, Asia, and Europe, Opportunity to get hands on the legendary AK 47, Kremlins of Moscow, Kazan and Nizhniy Novogord, Pearl of Russia- Lake Baikal, Russian cuisine and culture, and a lot more. It is a journey that even Russian adventure loving people dreams to do once in their lifetime.
Mr. Kaushik Roy, Co-Founder, The Roadyssey said, “We are happy to announce the Trans Siberian Roadyssey. We are also very excited to announce the first ever drive from the city of joy – connecting Kolkata with the World through Wheels. We will also start our road journeys to some unexplored heavens like Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur along with our neighboring destinations like Nepal, Bangladesh, Tibet (China), SE Asian countries and some big drives to Africa and Latin American countries soon. We are looking forward to a Covid free world so that everyone can live normally like before and we can embark again on our exotic dream drives covering the entire world.”
Mr. Kaushik Roy, added, “This pandemic has taught us many things. Traveling with utmost safety is the key but travelling with a doctor through the trip is like God being your co-driver. Travelling to some foreign countries needs a lot of formalities to be done, and when by road, it becomes much more complicated. It is also very important to have proper knowledge about everything regarding the drive plan someone wants to go. There will be some stretches where hundreds of kilometers without anything during this route and we will start our journey when Siberia starts hearing the footsteps of winter. With a substantial firsthand experience of road trips in India and outside India, we focus on every small detail and have contacts in almost every place as per the itinerary which is particularly essential and immensely helpful to overcome any unforeseen situation during the journey.”
Dr. Debanjali Roy, Co-Founder, The Roadyssey said, “At a time when the world is going through a crisis, it is time to look at the brighter sides of life, accept the new normal and return to life. The Trans- Siberian Road Trip aims to cover from Vladivostok in the east to St. Petersburg in the west in 30days. The destination is important, but stopping by, admiring the beauty of history, nature and culture is also what we are looking forward to experience. We have specially selected safe places to stay and all the Covid protocols will be followed for everyone’s wellbeing.”
Dr. Debanjali Roy added, “We believe the passion for driving and exploring the unknown places to be passed down to the people. At a time when the world is submerged with fear, anxiety, and crisis resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, our aim is to take people on a safe road trip to defeat this fear and accept the New Normal and Live Normal.”
The Roadyssey believes tourism is not only a part of adventure but it has an important role in building relationships between India and the World. The Government of India’s ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ initiative and ‘Incredible India’ have played an important role in building India as a Tourism Hub. India has been one of the vital markets to explore the potential for expansion. The World is looking towards India when it comes to exploring unknown and historical places. The foreign travelers continue to contribute towards the success of India’s tourism. On the other hand, the Indian travelers form a major part of the tourism industry in countries like Russia, Sri Lanka, Abu Dhabi, Israel and countries in Europe and Latin America. Majority of the Indian travelers are yet to discover the hidden wonders of the world. West Bengal is one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse states of India. West Bengal is a state rich in resources that can be leveraged for tourism. It is full up with most of the natural assets that exist in the country.
Dr. Debanjali Roy and Mr. Kausik Roy have an impressive experience of traveling 42 countries of which 36 were by road. Russia-India Cultural Exchange (RICE) is a Socio-Cultural Organization, engaged in promoting Indian culture in Russia and Russian Culture in India. They have been conducting and handling various International Cultural events like International Yoga Day, Film Festivals, Concerts, Photography workshops, and events, etc. in Russia for quite a long time on behalf of ICCR and the Embassy of India in Russia. The activities are also supported by The Consulate General of The Russian Federation in Kolkata.