[RedTerrano]

I will need to travel Pune - Karwar and I am wondering what is the recommended route.

Google maps shows Pune - Kolhapur - Belgaum - Dandeli - Karwar.

Any other recommendations or feedback on the road conditions? I would prefer a highway route as far as possible. The Terrano is not good on twisty turns.

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by RedTerrano

Any other recommendations or feedback on the road conditions? I would prefer a highway route as far as possible. The Terrano is not good on twisty turns.

Pune - Kolhapur - Belgaum - Hubli-Dharwad Bypass- Right turn on Hubli-Dharwad bypass to join NH63 - Kalghatgi - Yellapur - NH17 - Right turn after you join NH17 (near Ankola) - Karwar.

Cheers,
Vikram

[Zappo]

Why not run through Goa? Once you exit Goa you will enter Karwar. By the way, out of curiosity, what is wrong with the Terrano on twisty turns?

[RedTerrano]

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

Pune - Kolhapur - Belgaum - Hubli-Dharwad Bypass- Right turn on Hubli-Dharwad bypass to join NH63 - Kalghatgi - Yellapur - NH17 - Right turn after you join NH17 (near Ankola) - Karwar.

Thanks Vikram. I think this is the same route Google suggested. I will go for it.

Originally Posted by Zappo

Why not run through Goa? Once you exit Goa you will enter Karwar. By the way, out of curiosity, what is wrong with the Terrano on twisty turns?

Goa == traffic == time! Besides I cannot speed up in the city limits!
Compared to the WagonR (my drive before the Terrano) I find on twisty turns, I need to drastically drop my speed. I suppose thats because of the higher center of gravity. Also my head is literally one finger thickness away from the roof. Unfortunately the Terrano is not designed keeping tall people in mind. So the rear view mirror is at my exact eye level, effectively creating a big blind spot on the left hand side for me . Not safe for high speeds.

[vrprabhu]

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

Hubli-Dharwad bypass to join NH63 - Kalghatgi - Yellapur - NH17 - Right turn after you join NH17 (near Ankola) - Karwar.

I regularly travel on this road (Mangalore to Pune by KSRTC Airavat; occasionally by car). Conditions will be good - from Yellapur to Ankola it will be twisty.

The route which you stated is actually shorter. It is actually Belgaum - Haliyal - Yellapur. No need to go to Dharwad and Hubli (or upto Dandeli for that matter).

Since my (car) trip will entail night drive in this section, I prefer KSRTC. Roads are pretty isolated in the night.

Originally Posted by RedTerrano

Google maps shows Pune - Kolhapur - Belgaum - Dandeli - Karwar.

Any other recommendations or feedback on the road conditions? I would prefer a highway route as far as possible.

There is a route from Dandeli to Karwar, but I am not too sure. Try to PM 'Ampere' - he is likely to have more info.

Happy driving!

[Zappo]

Originally Posted by RedTerrano

Thanks Vikram. I think this is the same route Google suggested. I will go for it.


Goa == traffic == time! Besides I cannot speed up in the city limits!
Compared to the WagonR (my drive before the Terrano) I find on twisty turns, I need to drastically drop my speed. I suppose thats because of the higher center of gravity. Also my head is literally one finger thickness away from the roof. Unfortunately the Terrano is not designed keeping tall people in mind. So the rear view mirror is at my exact eye level, effectively creating a big blind spot on the left hand side for me . Not safe for high speeds.

Actually, the Dharwad route adds close to 75 kms extra. I was not very sure whether the slight drop in speed really offsets that much extra distance.

You must be really tall to have experienced that problem with Terrano. I am assuming that this problem of almost nil headroom persists even with the seat being at its lowest height. I have not actually felt this problem even at very high speeds but then again I am not very tall to begin with.

[RedTerrano]

I eventually ended up taking the original route I mentioned above, viz. Pune - Kolhapur - Belgaum - Dandeli - Karwar

My experience:
Road condition:
Pune - Satara patch is still messed up. I remember it being this way since December 2013. Most probably it dates since before. Lot of diversions, construction work going on, unpainted speed breakers on the diversions, missing road/lane demarcation lines.
The moment you cross Satara going towards Kolhapur, the condition drastically improves!
As a Maharashtrian, I am ashamed to say, the roads are much better maintained in Karnataka. Well done Kannadigas (hope I got that right)

Toll I ended up paying a total of ₹912.00 Totally not worth it.

Traffic and speed
Post Satara it is an enjoyable drive. Till you reach Belgaum. Unfortunately there is no city bypass so crawling through the traffic is the only option. Speed is possible post Belgaum till you start approaching Dandeli. Then it is all hills and twists and turns. Road conditions are still good and the views around Dandeli region are spectacular. Unfortunately I could not enjoy them much while driving as I had to concentrate, however I do remember one smoke stop on an old bridge over the river (it was quite wide so no safety issues in stopping over it). All I could hear when I stepped out was the river water and the birds. Serene and bliss would probably be the perfect words to describe it.
Dandeli region is absolutely beautiful. A definite recommendation for nature lovers.

Eating
Stopped at hotel Sai International. Very clean and hygienic. I found the food a bit on the blander side, but it was delicious.
Another place which I highly recommend is a small restaurant just before Bison Rafting in Dandeli. Sorry, don't remember the name, it is just a shed with plastic tables and chairs. But it is literally surrounded by trees. While we were waiting for our food (had the most amazing kanda poha and home made butter milk) I was admiring the supari/pofli (betel nut) plantation. Best place to hang up a hammock and curl up with your favourite book!

Mandatory scary part of the journey
On my way back, by the time I reached Kolhapur, it was already dark. The road was relatively good. So here I am, doing 90-120. I am in the right lane. A blind curve ahead. I start passing the blind curve...and my eyes are blinded by some f****** moron coming right at me on his two wheeler with his high beam on.
Night time, two wheeler with high beam on, coming right at me, on the wrong side, on a national highway!
A quick look at my RVM and I was fortunate enough to see there was nobody immediately behind me and I could move over to the lane on my left.

That's not the scary part. The real scary part is this has happened before too! Exactly similar incident, in Dec 2013. I wonder if it was the same guy.

In general I am not a vindictive person, but I hope this guy just dies somewhere on his own. Else he will die, but some poor soul would end up in jail for killing an as***le.

</engine-off>

[Chewbacca]

Originally Posted by RedTerrano

I eventually ended up taking the original route I mentioned above, viz. Pune - Kolhapur - Belgaum - Dandeli - Karwar

Thanks for replying to my query in the other thread.

Was Dandeli just a food halt or you stayed there?
Which route did you take to proceed to Karwar? Was it via Joida > Kumbharwada > Anshi > Sadashivgad > Karwar?

My first destination is Ganeshgudi and then planning to proceed to Karwar on above route. Any idea on the road conditions and safety of this route?

[RedTerrano]

Originally Posted by Chewbacca

Was Dandeli just a food halt or you stayed there?
Which route did you take to proceed to Karwar? Was it via Joida > Kumbharwada > Anshi > Sadashivgad > Karwar?

Yup. It was only a food halt.

Route taken was Ganeshgudi - Joida - Through Anshi National Park - Karwar
Google maps: https://www.google.co.in/maps/dir/Pu...14.8184812!3e0

The Bison Rafting resort mentioned above
https://www.google.co.in/maps/place/...8a7661facdf207

Please check my earlier post for the road conditions.
Short version: Barring Pune - Satara (both ways), roads are good

[chipsnchops]

Hi there,

I had recently travelled from Pune to Karwar. Started late in the evening. Excellent roads till Belgaum. Well marked roads. So very good for night driving as well.

Stayed at Sankam Residency as per recommendation of fellow BHPians here. Excellent hotel to stay. Clean rooms and they have a lovely breakfast as well. Very happy with the place.

Next morning, I took the route Belgaum - Londa - Dandeli - Joida - Karwar. Its a two lane highway, but roads are very good. It narrows down at certain places. Thats all.





You will come across a railway crossing as well.



The route is excellent for people who love to drive, but could be a nightmare for people sitting behind, especially if they suffer from motion sickness. If you take this route, be sure to carry some tablets for motion sickness. There is no escape for it.



Almost the entire stretch is like this...



There are some rare Volvos also that ply on this route. The way they go makes one pity the travellers...

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by chipsnchops

Hi there,..

Thanks for this update. Is it necessary to go via Dandeli while travelling from Londa - Joida? I thought there was a road via Ganeshgudi too, which is a shorter way to Joida.

Cheers,
Vikram

[chipsnchops]

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

Thanks for this update. Is it necessary to go via Dandeli while travelling from Londa - Joida? I thought there was a road via Ganeshgudi too, which is a shorter way to Joida.

Cheers,
Vikram

Yes, you are absolutely right. I had taken Ganeshgudi route. Putting Dandeli was a mistake. Thanks for pointing it out !

[baskarv90]

I did Belgaum to Karwar via Ganeshgudi last week. Road condition is really good at all places. There are signboards indicating road closure/diversion around Khanapur area.
This is due to the on going 4 laning which requires tree cuttinh and clearing. You may encounter one or two blockage, but these are simple ones that will be cleared within 15-20 minites time.
Just be prepared with half to one hour of buffer time, which is like the worst case scenario.

[Happysmiles]

Pune -Belgaum - Ganeshgudi -Anashi Ghat -Karwar.
Did this on couple of months ago on bikes. Good roads.
Had lunch in Ganeshgudi and stayed in Citrus Hotel in Karwar city.

[chipsnchops]

I did Pune to Karwar on 30th. Started early by 4 and reached Karwar by 2. Had couple of brief stops. Thats all. Early morning from pune means a lot of trucks on the road and they do not follow any lane system. So progress is pretty slow. Normally I stop at Sankam for breakfast, but decided to skip this time.

The road from Belgaum to Karwar is very good. Now they are doing four laning of the route but it doesnt cause any delay. The road is very scenic and I drove at times with my windows down. Dont try to speed up on these roads. Just enjoy the view and the drive. Some pictures are attached.









The most famous seafood restaurant at Karwar is Swetha Lunch Home. It does not have any AC and is not an upmarket kind of place but the food is delicious. Thali is great.

We also visited Amrut couple of days later. I found this restaurant really great. Ideal for a family. They have done up the place and you can expect waiting for about 10 to 15 mins during lunch. Dishes are delicious and you can go with the recommendation of the server there. Sometimes the owner, Bharath also comes and speaks to you. He is very friendly and helpful and gave us very interesting information about why the Karwar fishes are tastier, esp the salmon because of the place being an Estuary.

If you love sea food, this place is a must visit.