[ms001]

i drove to goa (palolem) in mid january took this route

bangalore--tumkur--shimoga (Web browser and Live Maps are incompatible=)

started around 3 : 30 pm from kormangala bangalore reached shimoga around midnight, slept at a small hotel

then started around 5am towards sirsi kumta palolem (south goa)
Web browser and Live Maps are incompatible

reached around noon

roads were preety good all the way upto palolem
just one bad patch about 5kms just before shimoga
car-swift ddis
4 people on board
we took a few breaks as i was the only driver.

[condor]

ravibhat : Next day Visit Gokak Falls If its raining in that area. .

If you go to Gokak falls, I suggest you then set aside about 4 hours. Apart from the magnificent Gokak falls itself, there's also a near-by place called Godachi-malki. Max 5 km from there, but you will need to walk up. Once you get there, you can play in the water too (unlike at the Gokak falls itself which is a viewing-only spot).

[crazydiablo]

I am planning to drive down to Goa in about two weeks time. I dont know which route to take and considering it might be raining I am not.

Considering the low ground clearance of the baleno and alloys, i want to know which is the best route to goa? Please help.

[ravibhat]

I suggest take Bangalore - Chitradurga - Hubli - Dharwad - Londa - Pananji, this is best route according to me.

Via Shimoga also there will be 30 km bad stretches, via Hubli - ankola - Karwar expect 30km bad stretch and Haveri - sirsi - Mirjan - ankola - Karwar expect 30 bad kilometers.

I don't know road condition between Dharwad - Londa area I heard 20km road from dharwad is good there after bad roads for 20km.

Regards,

Ravi.

[ravibhat]

I have travelled between Bangalore - Shimoga - Kollur - Byndoor - Ankola.

I suggest avoid Shimoga and Ankola route If you travel to Goa from Bangalore. your best best is Bangalore - Chitradurga - Hubli. From here find out which is best route. I feel best one Hubli - Londa - Panaji.

Regards,

Ravi.

[deepakvrao]

Originally Posted by condor

Why a rude shock ? The time's not too bad.

I agree - we took 14 hours on the same route in Oct last year, while we hqve taken as low as 10 hours earlier via bang-hubli-ankola-goa route.

[deepakvrao]

Originally Posted by CorsaLove

Bangalore to Goa done last week by my office colleagues. 4 in a swift.

Route taken - Bangalore - Davangere - Hubli (Bypass) - Karwar - Goa. Road conditions are awesome and it took 12 hours flat for them both ways.

Is the 4 laning work completed from Chitradurga to Hubli?

[ravibhat]

4 laning between Chitradurga - Hubli only half done, still around 100km not done and only new Governement will complete this work since year after year present UPA governement is unable to execute it.

Regards,

Ravi.

[crazydiablo]

Thanks Ravi, I think i will take the Chitradurga road as you suggested. Plan is to leave bangalore early morning and drive all the way. Any good places to have food and a rest.

[CorsaLove]

Originally Posted by ravibhat

4 laning between Chitradurga - Hubli only half done, still around 100km not done and only new Governement will complete this work since year after year present UPA governement is unable to execute it.

Regards,

Ravi.

Even though the four laning is not completed, the diversions are pretty well marked and you dont even have to slow down to divert (except for some streches).

The Karwar route is the best bet now as the londa route is completely spoilt for about 25-35 KM. This is an update from one of our truck drivers who came that way last week.

Bangalore - Chitradurga - Hubli - Karwar - Goa is good. As i have indicated before, avoid the hubli - karwar route in the night as the ore trucks dominate it at night. Day it is peacefull and you can average 90 KM+/HR.

Have a safe trip!

[ravibhat]

About food I suggest try Kamat for breakfast in the morning 5km before 2nd toll plaza between bangalore and tumkur.

After Tumkur near Sira there is one more hotel (its Kamat too) which is good.

For lunch I feel you can try Madhuvan/Panchavati in Sirsi. I didn't find any good hotels for lunch break while travelling from Bangalore side.

In Haveri there is one good hotel near corporation or canara bank.

Near Ankola Kamat hotel near IOC Bunk is quiet ok.

I guess you either take haveri - sirsi - ankola route or haveri - hubli - Ankola (looks like this is best route in day time) both seems quiet good ones then.

In Kumta I suggest hotel Panduranga International.

Regards,

Ravi.

[ravibhat]

Latest update on NH4 road status by website. NHAI

Welcome to NHAI

It appears only 28 km stretch is under implementation, Rest all seems ready between chennai - Mumbai.

Regards,

Ravi.

[RufRoc]

Travelling to Goa from Bangalore on Wed morning (3 AM). Have done these routes quite a few times but looks like there's been a lot of updates since the last time I accessed this thread .

Was planning to go either,

Bangalore -> Tumkur -> Shimoga -> Sagar -> Siddapur -> Mirjan --> Ankola -> Karwar --> Goa

or

Bangalore --> Chitradurga --> Haveri --> Sirsi --> Mirjan --> Ankola --> Karwar --> Goa

Any suggestions or nasty surprises (road condition due to the monsoons) around the corner?

As always, will update you guys as soon as I'm back. Btw, my final destination is Calangue in Goa. Would it make more sense to take the route via Hubli or Belgaum in this case?

[ravibhat]

Its raining heavily non stop in these areas! Good time to visit Goa and drive in rains and watch water falls like Jog.

Any route has at least 50km as bad road with potholes.

According to latest update I have NH 17 is in very bad state between Karwar and Mangalore (at least 200km bad out of 300km drive).

SO if you take via Shimoga expect 10km bad road between Bangalore - Shimoga. 10km bad road between Shimoga - Siddapura. 5km bad road between Siddapura - Sirsi - Mirjan. 30km bad road between Mirjan - ankola - Karwar (nh17).

If you take via Haveri expect 40km bad road between Bangalore - Haveri. 25km bad road between Haveri - Sirsi. you have update from Sirsi onwards towards Goa.

If you drive further from haveri to Hubli - ankola - karwar I am not sure about hubli - yellapur - ankola road condition, but i feel with mine trucks road might not be good at least for 30km.

Going via hubli and NH4A or belgaum I don't have road update!

I suggest : Bangalore -> Tumkur -> Shimoga -> Sagar -> Siddapur -> Mirjan --> Ankola -> Karwar --> Goa (around 50km bad roads). This is most scenic road with less traffic.

Make sure you turn right after Talguppa towards siddapura and don't go striaght after talguppa which goes via honnavar where lot of bad road you have to encounter because Talguppa - siddapura - sirsi - devimane ghat - mirjan road is good with max. 10km bad stretch.

Regards,

Ravi.

[lohithrao]

Originally Posted by ravibhat

I suggest : Bangalore -> Tumkur -> Shimoga -> Sagar -> Siddapur -> Mirjan --> Ankola -> Karwar --> Goa (around 50km bad roads). This is most scenic road with less traffic.

So true, loved this route during scroching summer, am sure now it would be a treat am tempted to go again....