[MorePower]

Originally Posted by ampere

- Start by 4AM drive till Belgaum on the 4-lane.
- Take the Chorla route to North Goa
- To eat : Kamat near Rannebennur for breakfast (320km)
- Sankam for early lunch at Belgaum

Which route would you recommend for going from Electronic city to Dabholim airport in South Goa? Need route help for a colleague of mine.

Bangalore-Hubli-Ankola-Karwar-Dabholim
Bangalore-Hubli-Alnawar-Ponda-Dabholim (through Dandeli forest)

Google maps shows the 2nd route as the best option.

My colleague plans to leave Electronic city by 5 am tomorrow.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by MorePower

Which route would you recommend for going from Electronic city to Dabholim airport in South Goa? Need route help for a colleague of mine.
Bangalore-Hubli-Ankola-Karwar-Dabholim
Bangalore-Hubli-Alnawar-Ponda-Dabholim (through Dandeli forest)

NICE road - Hubli - Ankola - Karwar - Goa.

Without doubt the best road for south Goa. Dandeli option is only if you need some fun in the forests. If you need good roads, nothing beats Hubli-Yellapur-Ankola.

[MorePower]

Originally Posted by ampere

NICE road - Hubli - Ankola - Karwar - Goa.

Without doubt the best road for south Goa. Dandeli option is only if you need some fun in the forests. If you need good roads, nothing beats Hubli-Yellapur-Ankola.

Thanks Amp for your quick response as always. But just curious, is Dandeli route shorter than Ankola? Map shows Dandeli route to be almost 1 hour shorter. It ofcourse won't know the road conditions.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by MorePower

Thanks Amp for your quick response as always. But just curious, is Dandeli route shorter than Ankola? Map shows Dandeli route to be almost 1 hour shorter. It ofcourse won't know the road conditions.

Yes it is shorter. But then twists and turns through the ghats and the road conditions take up their own time. As against, while driving Hubli-Ankola, you won't even realise that you cut through western ghats to reach the coast!

[itwasntme]

Did Hebbal - Candolim - Hebbal last week via the recommended Belgaum-Chorla-Mapusa route.

Took around 10.5 hours total with a 1 hour lunch break at Hotel Sankam Residency at Belgaum. Return was via the same route non-stop in 10 hours with unusually heavy traffic between Tumkur and Mekhri Circle.

Ampere and others have already captured the main stuff. Some inputs from me:

1. Definitely leave BLR as early as possible!
2. Tumkur-Chitradurga & Dharwad-Belgaum are dream 6 laners
3. Other sections have mixed surfaces; watch out for the sudden waviness/ruts caused by overloaded trucks which can catch you out on high speed corners.
4. Noticed a speed-gun interceptor on the Davangere bypass but wasn't in use (luckily)
5. Speedbreakers are few and far between but clearly marked.
6. Use GMaps to locate the Sankam Residency turnoff at Belgaum. Not very apparent to newcomers. Happy to confirm that the hotel served good fresh food in a pleasant restaurant with clean toilets :-)
7. Budget minimum 30 minutes to navigate through Belgaum
8. Belgaum - Chorla (KA side) is a beautiful but somewhat narrow road in the pre-ghat section. Tempts one to speed but watch out for the sudden trucks/buses which are equally speeding! The ghat section is in okay condition but the rains will definitely create havoc.
9. KA Excise checkpost is at Kanakumbi where most KA vehicles are flagged down on the way back to ask/inspect for liquour smuggling ;-)
10. Non-Goa cars have to pay 250 bucks as entry tax on the way in
11. Be patient when driving to Goa as the last 100km is on winding and narrow heavily inhabited roads and (for a tired driver) with a much higher chances of accidents.
12. Similarly, be very careful between Tumkur and BLR as the LCV traffic is very rash and the number of 2/3 wheelers suddenly increase bent on committing suicide under your wheels
13. Budget minimum 1 1/2 hours from Sanquelim towards the coast. Do not rush!

Hope this helps!

[praful]

Did a spur of the moment to Goa last weekend.

- Left home from HSR Layout @3.30PM. Took the BETL-NICE route to exit BLR. That alone is 60Kms of travel for me.
- I took the BLR-Hubli-Yellapur-Karwar-Goa(Colva) route.
- It started raining just as the sun set and it got dark, 90Kms outside of Hubli
- It rained on and off till I had crossed over to the other side of the Yellapur ghats
- Reached Karwar at 11PM, and there was barely any traffic all the way on NH17 all the way
- Reached Colva beach at 12.45 AM
- Barring the invisible speed breakers on the GA side, roads were pretty good all though

[Total Travel Time 9hours 15minutes]


For the return journey
- Started from Majorda at 9.30AM, had pretty heavy traffic till Karwar
- Reached Yellapur at 12.30PM and turned towards the Mundgod-Bankapur "shortcut" from here
- Superb roads till Mundgod and very scenic too, but beyond Mundgod it alternated between good, bumpy and non-existent. The non-existent parts were fairly small and few. But there were again a few invisible speed breakers. Took 1 hour 20 minutes to cover this 70 kms stretch of road. This does not save time over the regular Hubli route, as the distance saved is hardly 50 Kms and roads are much quicker.
- Had very strong crosswinds from Ranibennur to Chitradurga and also a short spell of rains
- Traffic started building up right from Sirsi toll gate. In fact some idiots in cars had blocked my two wheeler lane
- Post Tumkur toll gate all the way till I took the Nice exit ramp, traffic was like it was like my regular in city office rush hour commute.
- Reached back home at 7PM

[Total Travel time 9.5 Hours] - Ironically took me more time in daylight vs. night+rain riding

[Fauji]

Was in Goa this weekend. Fantastic road through out via Hubli-Khalghatgi-Yellapur-Karwar. Only change i saw - which wasn't there when we went last year - was number of road humps that have come up after you enter Goa border. You have to be very careful with these humps as the signage for the humps are placed next to them instead of 100 metres before them. If you are not alert, you will jump over them! The traffic as you enter Goa is very slow moving.

Remember you are in Goa now and just chill and enjoy!

[abirnale]

Just completed Goa trip (May 1 - 5). On both directions took Chorala route as my destination was Sanquelim. Nothing major to update except one mishap enroute.

As usual I had reached belgaum and had to take the Chorala route. Due to a small traffic block, I let MapMyIndia decide the exit route. Since it has never failed me, I didn't bother to check full route view. It took me to Kanakumbi from a completely unexplored and horrific route! It navigated through Belgaum-Ganeshpur-Golyali-Talawade-Kanakumbi! Now for people who know these villages, should know what a blunder I did by letting not use my brain

I hoped that it shall bring me back on a better route through Peeranwadi-Jamboti just like old MMI versions I had. But the "latest" update somehow did calculations that led to this most horrific, non existent roads. Through the water streams and off roading that would test my SX4's legendary ground clearance Luckily this just costed me an hour of extra time than usual and some scratches on doors due to narrow path.

So the advice to fellow drivers - use explicit way points as mentioned earlier on this thread (Peeranwadi Cross-Jamboti-Kanakumbi-Chorala-Sanquelim) if you want to enjoy probably the most fun route to lead into Goa.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by abirnale

I let MapMyIndia decide the exit route. Since it has never failed me, I didn't bother to check full route view.

It happened to me way back in Dec 2012 when I too was incidentally driving SX4 (Diesel this time) and MMI has not got the update for the Bridge at the end of Sanquelim (the same that you get when you enter from Belgaum side).

While on the Bridge, it kept asking me to "Turn right...Turn Right" and I thought since it doesn't know that the bridge is functional, it will re-route me to take a right somewhere ahead and join.

To my dismay, it suggested me to take a right into a very narrow lane soon after and looking a the lane I thought it was best to go ahead as the MMI will suggest any available next right turn to join the Chorla road.

The next right turn came in after at least 4-5 kms and the road turned out to be of good surface but only very narrow (almost that of a car's width).

With no habitation around and my hopes that it will soon join the main road, I kept driving for a very long distance only to find a herd of Buffaloes lazily relaxing right on the road and would not even move its head upon honking.

My Dad gets down, gives a few pat on a couple of buffaloes with few shouts and they wake up to make way!!

Those were the days (yeah, I was too late to get a phone with GPS then) I was using a Nokia E63 which only had AGPS and would often show me in some other parallel road that would confuse me to rely on it too.

[manojgautham]

I am at Hampi at the momemt. Will be travelling to Goa from here on 9th May. After I get to Hubli, which would be best route at the moment to reach Candolim. Thanks in advance
Regards,
Manoj

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by manojgautham

I am at Hampi at the momemt. Will be travelling to Goa from here on 9th May. After I get to Hubli, which would be best route at the moment to reach Candolim. Thanks in advance
Regards,
Manoj

Option 1:
Hubli-Alnavar Exit-Khanapur-Jamboti-Chorla-Sanquelim-Old Goa-Panaji-Candolim

Bad Patches: Around 6-7 kms of the 15 kms stretch between Khanapur-Jamboti is not in great shape, else the roads are fantastic

You will have very less traffic all the way till you cross Sanquelim.


Option 2:
Hubli-Yellapura-Ankola-Karwar-Margaon-Panaji-Candolim

Bad Patches: None if I recall

This road will have moderate traffic and will multiply soon after crossing Karwar all the way till you reach your destination

Option 3:
Hubli-Belgaum-Jamboti-Chorla-Sanquelim-Old Goa-Panaji-Candolim

Bad Patches: Absolutely none

The only grouse is crossing Belgaum City which can be irritating after driving on fast stretches and entering the chaos.

[speedsatya]

Plan is to go to Bambolim Beach, Siridao. Google maps suggests this

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=P...ra=ls&t=m&z=10

Any idea on NH4A conditions ?

Also , what about Bankapur to Yellapur if someone wants to drive via NH63

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by speedsatya

Plan is to go to Bambolim Beach, Siridao. Google maps suggests this

For Bambolim which is closer to Panjim, you are better off with the Belgaum-Jamboti-Chorla route.

Else in case you want to take NH63, the usual Hubli Bypass exit approach is better compared to Bankapur turn off.

Any idea on NH4A conditions ?

Not at all good from Khanapur all the way till Goa. Had driven this route in March during my onward journey and it has very huge potholes. Avoid this if you are looking for good roads.

Also , what about Bankapur to Yellapur if someone wants to drive via NH63

Quoting below Praful's post on the same stretch and reading his report I suggest not to take that as it hardly is a time saver:

Originally Posted by praful

- Reached Yellapur at 12.30PM and turned towards the Mundgod-Bankapur "shortcut" from here
- Superb roads till Mundgod and very scenic too, but beyond Mundgod it alternated between good, bumpy and non-existent. The non-existent parts were fairly small and few. But there were again a few invisible speed breakers. Took 1 hour 20 minutes to cover this 70 kms stretch of road. This does not save time over the regular Hubli route, as the distance saved is hardly 50 Kms and roads are much quicker.

[manojgautham]

Thanks a ton Parag. I'll go with option 1. Will update the road conditions after I return to Bangalore.

[sachinayak]

Not traveling to Goa, but rather to Kumta. Need advice on the best route. Want to avoid single roads hence not keen on the Shimoga route.

1. Bangalore > Haveri > Sirsi > Kumta - Shortest route
2. Bangalore > Hubli > Yellapur > Ankola > Kumta - Guaranteed good roads, but over 100km extra
3. Bangalore > Bankapur > Sirsi > Kumta - Recommended by some KSRTC bus driver.

Any updates on the road conditions specially from Haveri to Kumta via Sirsi? Traveling with 2 kids, thus driving at moderate speeds and would prefer safer/better roads.