#roadtripchronicles: Need for Speed on the Autobahn with fashion model and Big Boss Season 6 finalist Niketan Madhok
Niketan Madhok is a top Indian fashion model and a well known face in the fashion & lifestyle celebrity circuit. He has worked with some of the best designers in the country and walked the ramp for Lakme Fahion Week and numerous Indian & international brands. He featured in the 2004 hit music video ‘Bheegi bheegi raaton mein’ (with Anupama Verma) and subsequently did major print & television campaigns for brands like Raymond, Sony mobile and Limca (with Sushma Reddy). His stint as one of the finalists on the reality show Big Boss Season 6 made him a household name in 2012. In this edition of #roadtripchronicles Niketan shares his thrilling experience of driving across Europe during the 2006 FIFA World Cup; specifically on the Autobahn.
Where: Drove across Germany, France and Austria. Later flew down to Spain and drove around Ibiza.
My Drive:Mercedes Benz during the first leg and then a Citroen in Spain.
Distance covered: About 3000 km
No. of Days: 3 weeks
When: During the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. It was summertime and we had great weather all throughout, with daylight till about 8-9 pm.
The terrain: Autobahn!! We drove through mountains, flat out roads, black forest, stunning lakes, small towns, big towns and many picture perfect villages.
Driving experience: A Merc on the Autobahn….doesn’t get any better, does it?
Highlights:Speed!! And driving at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg – the motor racing circuit that hosts the German Grand Prix, situated in the Rhine valley.
Memorable moments: The thrill of cruising way above 220 km/h legally. Seeing signs that mean ‘No Speed Limit’, and then setting Max on the Speedometer & RPM Meter.
Gourmet delights: Remember having loads and loads of beer.
Places to stay: We stayed with friends and a few hotels on the way. Thanks to my friend’s official contacts we got some crazy deals on hotels.
Splurged on: Don’t remember much since it’s been many years. But yes, we got some great deals on car rentals & hotels, so it was worth it.
Pro tips:When abroad, learn and observe traffic rules and way to drive. Don’t get behind the wheel straight away. Indians need to adapt a lot and be disciplined. And yes, voice activated GPS helps.