[hydtraveller]

The road from Mahaboobnagar to Shakti Nagar (Raichur Thermal Station) is in excellent condition now (90%). For those going to South Goa this is now a good alternative to the Hyd - Gulbarga - Bijapur - Hubli route. Raichur to Gangavati is fairly decent and if the 4 laneing of Koppal - Gadag - Hubli is complete this will be the fastest route to Hubli. It is the shortest route too.

[dpkbehera]

Originally Posted by sachinkgogia

As FlashMustang mentioned in above update that if heading to South Goa, via Hubli is the preferred route. My travel to south Goa is planned for April 17th. I will be taking this route https://goo.gl/maps/Ttq5aBDy36ACvFZGA

Thanks FlashMustang and sachinkgogia..This seems to be the preferred route for South Goa i.e. Zaheerabad - Humnabad - Gulbarga - Vijayapura - Hubli - Yellapur - Ankola - Karwar - South Goa. Am Planning to travel sometime later this month. Would appreciate any latest updates on this route. Also it seems that only vaccination certificates for adults and rtpcr for kids is required (For both Karnataka and Goa). Also no epass is required. Please let me know if this is not the case.

[FlashMustang]

Originally Posted by dpkbehera

Also it seems that only vaccination certificates for adults and rtpcr for kids is required (For both Karnataka and Goa). Also no epass is required. Please let me know if this is not the case.

As far as I was able to gather, RT-PCR tests are required for entering Goa even if one is fully vaccinated. So, if would be best to carry your RT-PCR negative reports taken within 72 hours of entering Goa.
This has been mentioned on the Bangalore-Goa thread.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route...eries-345.html (Bangalore - Goa : Route Queries)

I also verified this information on the official website of Goa:
https://www.goa.gov.in/covid-19/
The document "Order - Curfew Extended Till 30th August- Restriction ,Prohibition & Advisory for Strict Compliance On Following Things Under Section 144 in South Goa District" dated 22nd/23rd August, 2021 mentions this requirement for travelers from other states. Vaccination certificate without RT-PCR report is accepted for residents of Goa and workforce of Goa.

Cheers and safe travels.

[nitinralli]

My friend from Bangalore went to Goa two days back. He only showed his vaccination certificate at border, NO other report required.

[Dadi Bhote]

Would appreciate updates on Hyd to South Goa via Raichur route conditions.

[Dadi Bhote]

Originally Posted by hydtraveller

The road from Mahaboobnagar to Shakti Nagar (Raichur Thermal Station) is in excellent condition now (90%). For those going to South Goa this is now a good alternative to the Hyd - Gulbarga - Bijapur - Hubli route. Raichur to Gangavati is fairly decent and if the 4 laneing of Koppal - Gadag - Hubli is complete this will be the fastest route to Hubli. It is the shortest route too.

Any update on this route conditions please

[FlashMustang]

I drove from Hyderabad to Hampi along part of this route (till Gangavathi) on September 10, 2021, so, I can probably help you to an extent.

Hyderabad till Bhuthpur is in excellent condition (NH 44).

Beyond this, watch out for speed breakers while nearing villages (this is true about the alternate route through NH 50 and NH 52 as well).

From Bhuthpur till Raichur, NH 167 was good in stretches, but, there are some bad patches (roads disappear for a few meters at certain places where there's road construction - examples: flyover construction at Devarakadra, culvert expansion near Mathkal, and at a few more places. The riding surface of the bridge over Tungabhadra river is worn out in multiple patches, with the underlying steel reinforcement bars exposed.). On the good stretches, I was able to maintain good speeds of around 80 kmph.

From Raichur till Sindhanur, the road is a mixed bag. There are certain patches where the top surface has eroded due to recent rains. The route is quite scenic and enjoyable to drive, but, watch out for these rough patches. I had to slow down more frequently to go over the eroded patches. I mostly stayed around 60-70 kmph to make the drive less tiring.

From Sindhanur till Gangavathi, the road surface was better compared to the Raichur - Sindhanur section. Good roads with minimal road surface erosion. I was able to maintain speeds of about 70-80 kmph except when nearing villages.

I thereafter went towards Hampi, so, I'm unable to help you on the road conditions beyond this point towards Goa.

Take care and have a wonderful trip! Happy driving!

[adimicra]

All,

The revenge tourism bug has hit us and we are planning to travel to a resort in South Goa this October. (My wife, daughter and myself).

As I can see, there are 2 routes - one through Gulbarga- Bijapur - Belagum and another via Mahbubnagar-Raichur-Hubli.
Better quality roads are preferable rather than shorter distance. But, more than that, the biggest factor for us will be availability of clean restrooms and food.

One of my colleagues recently traveled to Goa (Panjim) through the Gulbarga- Bijapur - Belagum route and was relatively satisfied with the route. He also suggested breaking the journey into 2 days, considering it is a 14 hour drive. However, I am not still sure about this and would like to know recommendations of fellow bhpians.

Looking forward for your suggestions.

[FlashMustang]

I'm sharing my two cents. More experienced BHPians who've traveled this route more frequently might be able to help you better.

Originally Posted by adimicra

As I can see, there are 2 routes - one through Gulbarga- Bijapur - Belagum and another via Mahbubnagar-Raichur-Hubli.
Better quality roads are preferable rather than shorter distance. But, more than that, the biggest factor for us will be availability of clean restrooms and food.

I've not taken the Belgaum route, so, I wouldn't be able to comment on that.
I've taken the Raichur route till Gangavathi recently for my trip to Hampi, and I wouldn't recommend this route to you if the availability of food options and clean rest-rooms along the way would be a big factor for you. While the route is scenic, there weren't many good food and rest room options en-route.

Given your requirements, I might suggest the route that I took in March 2021 as an option. I had shared my experiences on this post (Hyderabad - Goa : Route Queries) in this thread.
I had also added a few suggestions for good food stops (which can double up as good rest room stops as well), as well as an option to halt for the night at Hubli on this post (Hyderabad - Goa : Route Queries). These might help you.

This route is longer (it was about 780 km from home to our resort), but the driving time was about 14.5 hours (we took about 16.5 hours including good long breaks along the way). Here's the exact route that I took.

Originally Posted by adimicra

One of my colleagues recently traveled to Goa (Panjim) through the Gulbarga- Bijapur - Belagum route and was relatively satisfied with the route. He also suggested breaking the journey into 2 days, considering it is a 14 hour drive. However, I am not still sure about this and would like to know recommendations of fellow bhpians.

The decision to break up the journey or to complete it in one go would depend on your comfort level with covering the distances, and your family's comfort level with sitting in the car for such extended hours.
For example, when I was out of touch with long distance driving with a hiatus of about 6 years, I struggled a bit with covering about 550 km in a day. But, once I did the first drive, I regained my confidence and comfort level with long distance driving and soon after, I'm good with covering about 800 km in a day comfortably, and I did the drive to Goa in a day, because I preferred resting at Goa rather than having a stopover at Hubli for a night.

Based on your previous posts, I gather that you drive a Vento TSI Highline Plus with DSG gear-box. Given the car's characteristics (great performance, low slung sedan with great handling without body roll), I believe you might be able to comfortably make this trip in a day.
But, please take a call based on your and your family's comfort level with long distance road trips.

Hope this helps. Cheers and happy driving!

[adimicra]

^^
Thanks a lot for all the details. This is extremely helpful.
I have done 800+ km in a day multiple times and so, that's not a problem for me if there are decent food options and relatively clean restrooms along the way.
My preference is to start early and reach goa by evening, but need to consult with family.

Any recommendations for which beach and resort in South Goa? Last 2 times, I stayed in Chub Mahindra (Varca beach) and Holiday Inn (Cavelossim beach). Both are very decent places with direct access to beach. I am looking for something similar but a different beach. Some of the beaches I am considering are Benaulim/Agonda/Palolem. Any recommendations are welcome.

[FlashMustang]

Happy to be of help! With your driving experience, you should be able to cover the distance in a day.

Originally Posted by adimicra

Any recommendations for which beach and resort in South Goa? Last 2 times, I stayed in Chub Mahindra (Varca beach) and Holiday Inn (Cavelossim beach). Both are very decent places with direct access to beach. I am looking for something similar but a different beach. Some of the beaches I am considering are Benaulim/Agonda/Palolem. Any recommendations are welcome.

We really liked a couple of recommendations from another thread. We plan to stay at these places in some of our future trips.

The Cape Goa (Indian Hotels at one-of-a-kind locations)

Cabo Serai (Indian Hotels at one-of-a-kind locations)

We finally stayed at one of the beach cottages of The Bay Agonda on Agonda beach (they have both river side as well as beach cottages, so, it's important to book specifically). The rooms were rustic, with an open air bathroom, but, with creature comforts, such as comfortable mattresses and air conditioning.
There was not a lot of footfall in the Agonda beach, and we liked that. Being right on the beach meant that we were able to head to the waters both morning and evening almost every day.

The other places on our shortlist were (additional candidates for our future trips):
Sobit Sarovar Portico - Palolem beach
Beleza by the Beach - Betalbatim beach
Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort - Cavelossim beach
Radisson Blu Resort Goa Cavelossim Beach

Hope these are helpful. Take care and happy driving!

[IndianNomad]

Planning to do Hyd - Humnabad - Gulbarga - Bijapur - Bagalkot - Belgaum - Goa.
Using the very same route since couple of years.

However, for the last leg between Belgaum to Panjim, unable to decide which one to take, Chorla or Anmod. At the beginning of this year was told Chorla was not in good shape, so took Anmod both ways. Only issue was with road condition between Khanapur to Anmod which goes via Bhimgad Wildlife Santuary.

Any latest updates as to which route is best is appreciated.

[adimicra]

I have a similar question as well. Is it advisable/safe to do these ghat sections in the evening? If I start from Hyderabad from morning, then I will probably reach Anmod ghat section in the evening. Also, I read somewhere there are some time restrictions on going through the Bhimgad sanctuary. Please let me know if you are aware

[RoadTiger]

Chorla ghat has mostly been repaired other than minor patches in between and should be the preferred route now vs anmod.

To the other question, the anmod route passes through bhimgad sanctuary twice - and is closed for vehicle entry after 6 pm. Anyone planning to do hyd-goa in a day needs to start very early morning to not risk missing entry. Another reason to prefer chorla route now.

[dpkbehera]

I have always found the Belgaum to Goa via Chorla a better option. Anmod Ghat comes into play only when you are going further south of Benaulim. Usually split my itinerary between North and South Goa. Usually itinerary looks like Belgaum-> Chorla -> North Goa-> South Goa-> Anmod Ghat-> Belgaum. This time will be trying South Goa-> Hubli-> Bagalkot->Hyderabad on return. Also would advise night stay at Belgaum while going and Hubli/Vijaypura on return. Best to keep the trip relaxed.