[prabingade]

Hi Ranjit,
Expecting this response from you

There are 2 reasons:
1. Want to avoid driving through the Sawanthwadi to Mabor stretch which is high traffic.
2. On the diwali day, need to leave mabor early morning and reach Mahubnagar for evening crackers. Thought if I take the same route while going, I will have a better understanding of the road conditions and drive time so that I can plan my return accordingly.

Also, just exploring Bijapur to Hubli. I know Hyd-Bijapur is excellent. How is Bijapur to Hubli conditions? I have never taken it and hence seems more interesting that your favorite route though it is 40 kms extra than via Raichur.

Any suggestions?

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by prabingade

1. Want to avoid driving through the Sawanthwadi to Mabor stretch which is high traffic.

Ankola-Karwar-Madgaon is equally dense,so not much of gain on traffic terms.

Originally Posted by prabingade

Also, just exploring Bijapur to Hubli. I know Hyd-Bijapur is excellent. How is Bijapur to Hubli conditions? I have never taken it and hence seems more interesting that your favorite route though it is 40 kms extra than via Raichur.

Hubli-Bagalkot usually is not great-nothing alarming(no recent updates though).Bijapur onwards via the state highway to Homnabad is great.But you would have the same problem with stay and isolated roads on this sector as well as these are not highways which see much of night traffic and hardly any hotels worth mentioning at any of the towns enroute.I would still go with Solapur route for a night drive,if it was a day drive then the bijapur option would have been good.

Wonder when would we see some good roads for hyderabadis to reach Goa.Bangalore people are blessed to have the NH4-NH63-NH17 combo,such an easy drive sigh!

[prabingade]

A quick question in case I take the Bijapur way (very tempted as I haven't driven on this road).

Isn't the default and good road is Hyd-Homnabad-Gulbarga-Jevargi-Bijapur?

GM shows another route from Gulbarga to Bijapur if I do a Hyd-Gulbarga search and hence the curiosity.

[Night_Hawk]

Originally Posted by prabingade

A quick question in case I take the Bijapur way (very tempted as I haven't driven on this road).
Isn't the default and good road is Hyd-Homnabad-Gulbarga-Jevargi-Bijapur?

In case you take Bijapur way,

IMHO, Hyd- Humnabad-Gulbargah-Jevargi - Bijapur should be the default and the good road

cheers!
NH

[spadix]

Originally Posted by prabingade

GM shows another route from Gulbarga to Bijapur if I do a Hyd-Gulbarga search and hence the curiosity.

When I searched just now, GMaps showed me the route via Humnabad only.

I think you may be seeing a turn-off at Zaheerabad. That should be fine as well.

Regards,
spadix

[prabingade]

Thanks NH.

Spadix - In GM do a Hyd to Bijapur query. From Gulbarga to Bijapur, it doesn't show via Jevargi i.e. NH 218. Instead it shows some other route and connects back at Sindgi. Hence I had posted the query...

[kkr2k2]

Originally Posted by prabingade

....
There are 2 reasons:
1. Want to avoid driving through the Sawanthwadi to Mabor stretch which is high traffic......

Just now there was a discussion at home on route to Goa from Hyderabad for someone. Our neighbor chipped in with information which in turn he got it from his relative in Belgaum.

Here is the route:
Hyderabad(NH9) - Zaheerabad(NH9) - Humnabad(NH9) - around 3km take left onto NH218 - Gulbarga(NH218) - Sindgi(NH218) - Bijapur(NH218) - leave the NH218 - Jhamkandi - Mudhol - Belgaum - Ponda(NH4A) - Panaji.

A total of around 750 KM.


Note: We were told that its better to avoid Nippani(our neighbor's in-laws place) route if you want to save your vehicle's suspension and yours too!!!
Also to be avoided is Sankeswar and Sawantwadi route.


There is an option of by-passing Belgaum as per google maps which saves around 40km but I do not have any feed-back on it.

After Mudhol, dont head towards Belgaum instead go towards Murgod - Ponda - Panaji. Created google maps directions for it:
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India to Panaji, Goa, India - Google Maps

As per the google maps is around 710km.

[vnabhi]

I am not sure of present road conditions, but the road from Bijapur to NH 4 via Jamkhendi , Mudhol, Mahalingpur and Gokak was the worst road we'd driven in in our entire lives in Oct 2009.

I'd stick to Bijapur--Athani--Kagwad--Chikkodi--Sankeshwar--Gadhinglaj--Ajra--Amboli--Sawantvadi--Goa.


Edit: I know that Google maps shows a short cut to Bijapur via Sindgi. But please stick to the Homnabad--Gulbarga--Jevargi--Sindgi outskirts--Bijapur route. We averged 100 kmph on this route. The only hitch was the Gulbarga bypass---an area of 200 metres near the railway crossing (overpass was under construction) was very bad, and we bottomed out 3 to 4 times in water pools on that stretch.

[ranjitp1]

Mudhol road is perennially bad,unless something has changed drastically now.Stick to Venu's suggested route via Chikodi.

[prabingade]

Finally the route plan for this Thu trip to Goa is set (based on personal interest, evening drive, wifey's comfort etc.)

Onward Route:
Hyd-Homnabad-Gulbarga-Bijapur-Hubli-Ankola-Karwar-Mabor

1. Be in Narsingi-Pathancheru ORR before 2pm.
2. Overnight in Hubli (Expect to reach by 11pm and check into hotel).

Need suggestions on Gulbarga and Bijapur bypasses. Is it required that I enter into these 2 towns or are there bypasses?

thanks for the help.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by prabingade

Finally the route plan for this Thu trip to Goa is set (based on personal interest, evening drive, wifey's comfort etc.)

Onward Route:
Hyd-Homnabad-Gulbarga-Bijapur-Hubli-Ankola-Karwar-Mabor

1. Be in Narsingi-Pathancheru ORR before 2pm.
2. Overnight in Hubli (Expect to reach by 11pm and check into hotel).

Need suggestions on Gulbarga and Bijapur bypasses. Is it required that I enter into these 2 towns or are there bypasses?

thanks for the help.

Please read the posts above. I 've already mentioned that Gulbarga has a bypass, and it was horrible for 200 meters or so in Oct 2009.

Assuming you are taking the Bagalkot road to Hubli, you hardly need to enter Bijapur. The left turn towards Bagalkot is on the outskirts of Bijapur only.

I wonder if you checked on the road condition to Hubli from Bijapur. I've not seen anybody posting on that route so far.

[prabingade]

Oops, my bad vnabhi. I should have mentioned that I read your post that the bypass in Gulbarga was bad and hence wanted to know if that is still good to go or are there any alternatives to consider.

Thanks for your suggestion on the Bijapur bypass.

The Bijapur to Hubli is based on suggestions from Tindrums on his Hyderabad Manipal adventurous trip:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ml#post2434823

[MDe]

Originally Posted by kkr2k2

Here is the route:
Hyderabad(NH9) - Zaheerabad(NH9) - Humnabad(NH9) - around 3km take left onto NH218 - Gulbarga(NH218) - Sindgi(NH218) - Bijapur(NH218) - leave the NH218 - Jhamkandi - Mudhol - Belgaum - Ponda(NH4A) - Panaji.

A total of around 750 KM.

@kkr2k2 : I am planning on driving to Goa this weekend. Do you think it will be possible for a single driver to do this route in 1 day. I plan to start early in the morning around 5-6AM. I am trying to understand the options of drive or else will have to book a last minute flight.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by MDe

@kkr2k2 : I am planning on driving to Goa this weekend. Do you think it will be possible for a single driver to do this route in 1 day. I plan to start early in the morning around 5-6AM. I am trying to understand the options of drive or else will have to book a last minute flight.

Hyd to Goa is a 15hour drive any which route you take at the moment.Leaving Hyd at 5-6am is too late if you want to cross the ghats into Goa during daylight.Nightime crossing Amboli/Phonda/Mollem (any of these ghats) is not a very pleasant experience.I would suggest that you leave atleast around 330 to make it to Goa by 7 in the evening.If you have a feasible option of flying to Goa,then do that,as you would be able to use up the extra days in going around Goa.Just my two cents.

[MDe]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Hyd to Goa is a 15hour drive any which route you take at the moment.Leaving Hyd at 5-6am is too late if you want to cross the ghats into Goa during daylight.Nightime crossing Amboli/Phonda/Mollem (any of these ghats) is not a very pleasant experience.I would suggest that you leave atleast around 330 to make it to Goa by 7 in the evening.If you have a feasible option of flying to Goa,then do that,as you would be able to use up the extra days in going around Goa.Just my two cents.

Thanks Ranjit. This is what I was trying to understand. Now, I have a clear picture. A drive this way might require a night stop somewhere which will be a waste of time again as I am the only one to drive. So might drop the plan to drive and take flight