[mah45]

Originally Posted by HighRevving

Drove to Goa and back last week in the 330i:

Route taken:

Onward journey - Bangalore - Mysore - Mercara - Mangalore - Karwar - North Goa. I know it would have been better to take the Belgaum route as my final destination was North Goa, but we had to take this route as I had some work on this route.
[list][*]Bangalore - Mysore expressway then had some bypasses pending, which I believe are open now. Nothing much to complain other than the service roads and their speed breakers (more on BLR-MYS thread).
[*]Mercara - Mangalore is good too, the ghat has some surprise potholes and bad patches but those are few and easily avoidable. The last 10-15 KMs are under construction and will layer your car with some dust.
[*]Mangalore - Ankola is good with 4-lane highway. Though there are no potholes or bad patches, the road has enough roughness and undulation to keep your speed under check. I would suggest 70-80 KM/hr is what you could continuously coast at, anything more and you'll have some bouncy experiences. Then again, depends on your car.
[*]Ankola - Karwar alternates between 4-lane and 2-lane.

• Ankola - Yellapur Road is in very bad shape.
  
• Yellapur - Hubli Road - this stretch is more or less good with no nasty surprises.
  
• The road as we approach Tumkur has a lot of potholes and pits. You've to be careful especially if you have low profile tyres. The Nelamangala - Bangalore road is also worn out substantially and needs to be driven carefully.

Please avoid the Haveri-Sirsi-Ankola route, for more details check the Bangalore - Gokarna thread. The best route is what I have mentioned above - Hubli - Yellapur - Ankola and then go down south to Gokarna.

Thank very much all for all the detailed notes as always.
Planning one of our longest road trips this summer, and thinking about a drive from Chennai to Goa

Onward we were thinking of going via Mangalore to South Goa, just to enjoy the Scenic coastal route
Apologies if some of these are already answered, but these are some basic queries I had as a first timer

1. From Hosur/Bangalore to Mangalore - do we need to go via Mysore road ? Which is the best route in terms of road conditions

2. One of the major restrictions for us is that we would like to avoid ghat sections especially very winding ones as much as possible - this is due to motion sickness for HM.
I know this is not possible to avoid entirely but are there routes that have less ghats.

3. From Mangalore, we were planning to go to Murudeshwar and also visit couple of scenic beaches like Gokarna - any recommendations for less crowded and pristine beaches please.

4. On the way back we were thinking of taking NH48 but reading your post I see that even here there are some ghat roads and very bad road conditions.

5. In general while returning, is it possible to do Goa - > Hosur in one stretch without maintaining crazy speeds - how long on an average does this take if we drive via Hubbali route.

Thanks once again for all your replies and updates which is what I am going to use for the entire planning.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by mah45

2. One of the major restrictions for us is that we would like to avoid ghat sections especially very winding ones as much as possible - this is due to motion sickness for HM.
I know this is not possible to avoid entirely but are there routes that have less ghats.

It is not possible to avoid ghats. You have to take it slow if you are driving with someone with motion sickness.

5. In general while returning, is it possible to do Goa - > Hosur in one stretch without maintaining crazy speeds - how long on an average does this take if we drive via Hubbali route.

Should be a breeze. We did Bhogwe-Hosur in 13 hours (1045 am to 1130 pm) with a long lunch break at Sankam with speeds at most at 110.

[HighRevving]

Originally Posted by mah45

Onward we were thinking of going via Mangalore to South Goa, just to enjoy the Scenic coastal route
Apologies if some of these are already answered, but these are some basic queries I had as a first timer

1. From Hosur/Bangalore to Mangalore - do we need to go via Mysore road ? Which is the best route in terms of road conditions

2. One of the major restrictions for us is that we would like to avoid ghat sections especially very winding ones as much as possible - this is due to motion sickness for HM.
I know this is not possible to avoid entirely but are there routes that have less ghats.

3. From Mangalore, we were planning to go to Murudeshwar and also visit couple of scenic beaches like Gokarna - any recommendations for less crowded and pristine beaches please.

4. On the way back we were thinking of taking NH48 but reading your post I see that even here there are some ghat roads and very bad road conditions.

5. In general while returning, is it possible to do Goa - > Hosur in one stretch without maintaining crazy speeds - how long on an average does this take if we drive via Hubbali route.

Thanks once again for all your replies and updates which is what I am going to use for the entire planning.

Reply to #1 - Mysore Road will be longer by about 50-60 KMs. I took that route primarily to explore the road as I had a lot of time in hand and I didn't mind driving at all.

The best route to take would be Hosur - NICE Road Hosur Road entry (The NICE road has some repair work going on, so it won't be the usual smooth experience on NICE, especially in the evenings) - Nelamangala exit - Hassan - Belur - Mudigere - Charmadi - Mangalore.. From there it is pretty straightforward with one coastal road taking you all the way into South Goa. Honestly, Chennai to Mangalore is too much to do in one go. I would suggest you stay near Belur for a night - it will also make your ghat section journey less stressful. Try something like this. If you stay here overnight, you can drive to Udupi/Manipal and stay there - Mangalore has limited accommodation options and is generally overpriced compared to Udupi/Manipal.

Alternatively, if you want to go through Mysore, you can take the same route I have posted before. You can plan to stay somewhere around Kushalnagar/Madikeri for a night. This route would have more ghat section driving, first to Madikeri then Sampaje ghat.

#2 is covered above.

#3 Many beaches along this coast are nice, but there is a dearth of good stay options along the beach. If you are going to Gokarna, avoid Om beach as it is too crowded - Kudle beach is better but try to stay in a good property as most of them don't have great beds and bathrooms. I recommend this as I have stayed there before (tad expensive, yes).

#4 Manageable as long as you don't have a heavy foot. Just take it easy between Ankola and Yellapur and you will be fine.

#5 I would say, Goa to Bangalore itself is a 9+ hour drive with adequate breaks, if you take the city or the NICE road to exit at Hosur Road, you will again encounter the repair patches which will drain you out after such a long drive. Doable? Yes. Recommended? No.

[mah45]

Originally Posted by HighRevving

Reply to #1 - Mysore Road will be longer by about 50-60 KMs. I took that route primarily to explore the road as I had a lot of time in hand and I didn't mind driving at all.

The best route to take would be Hosur - NICE Road Hosur Road entry (The NICE road has some repair work going on, so it won't be the usual smooth experience on NICE, especially in the evenings) - Nelamangala exit - Hassan - Belur - Mudigere - Charmadi - Mangalore.. From there it is pretty straightforward with one coastal road taking you all the way into South Goa. Honestly, Chennai to Mangalore is too much to do in one go. I would suggest you stay near Belur for a night - it will also make your ghat section journey less stressful. Try something like

#2 is covered above.

#3 Many beaches along this coast are nice, but there is a dearth of good stay options along the beach. If you are going to Gokarna, avoid Om beach as it is too crowded - Kudle beach is better but try to stay in a good property as most of them don't have great beds and bathrooms. I recommend this as I have stayed there before (tad expensive, yes).

#4 Manageable as long as you don't have a heavy foot. Just take it easy between Ankola and Yellapur and you will be fine.

#5 I would say, Goa to Bangalore itself is a 9+ hour drive with adequate breaks, if you take the city or the NICE road to exit at Hosur Road, you will again encounter the repair patches which will drain you out after such a long drive. Doable? Yes. Recommended? No.

Thanks a lot again for the specific details.

If I look at GMaps for the route from Bangalore to Mangalore, it goes via Sakleshpura and Puttur.
Are you suggesting the Belur route as a better route due to road conditions ?

Yes, I wasn't planning to drive all the way to Mangalore on the first day, was planning to halt at some place anyway.
So thanks for your inputs about the place of stay in between, this really helps.

In general, is the Ghat road only between Belur and Mangalore or
You would find Ghat sections even on NH66 from Mangalore to Goa ?

Rough plan as of now
Day 1 - Early start from Chennai and drive until Belur or so and halt for the night
Day -2 Drive via Mangalore or even Udupi depending on which road has less ghat sector and visit couple of places - a beach and Murudeshwar and halt the night near Gokarna or so
Day -3 drive down to South Goa
Day -4, 5,6 Stay at Goa
Day -7 take NH 48 and drive down to Hosur -halt at Hosur
Day -8 drive down to Chennai

Based on yours and our own Madras Route-u thala @narayans80 (no offence meant, I am actually very very thankful and in awe of his knowledge of each and every route, that's why I said Thala ) it looks doable ?

[HighRevving]

Originally Posted by mah45

In general, is the Ghat road only between Belur and Mangalore or
You would find Ghat sections even on NH66 from Mangalore to Goa ?

Belur to Mangalore, then again a few twisty roads around Karwar and some in South Goa. There are no ghat sections between Mangalore and Karwar and definitely no hair-pin bends. Surely nothing that can cause sickness.

Your most ghat-ish section will be the Charmadi, an hour before is when you should ask your family to pop some motion sickness tablets.

And by the way, it is not Mangalore or Udupi, you have to take Mangalore - Udupi - Kundapura - Murudeshwar - Honnavara - Gokarna - Karwar - South Goa.

[pravarag]

Hi all, I'm planning to visit South Goa coming Wednesday and have planned to take the following route which I've always preferred:

Bangalore -> Davangere -> Mundgod -> Yellapur -> Karwar -> Benaulim

Any idea about this stretch? I'm particularly interested to know how's the road now from Mundgod to Yellapur which I guess covers lot of forest route as well.

[mah45]

Originally Posted by HighRevving

Belur to Mangalore, then again a few twisty roads around Karwar and some in South Goa. There are no ghat sections between Mangalore and Karwar and definitely no hair-pin bends. Surely nothing that can cause sickness.

Your most ghat-ish section will be the Charmadi, an hour before is when you should ask your family to pop some motion sickness tablets.

And by the way, it is not Mangalore or Udupi, you have to take Mangalore - Udupi - Kundapura - Murudeshwar - Honnavara - Gokarna - Karwar - South Goa.

Thanks once again

When I search for Charmady it shows very near to Dharmasthala, and my wife was just mentioning yesterday about her experience traveling to Dharmasthala - Sringeri etc long ago, she was saying the roads were quite winding as well as were narrow those days.

Not sure whether these are expanded in the last 10-15 years.

My newest drive is a low GC sedan, so need to be mindful of that as well I guess.

Yes, when I meant Mangalore or Udupi, I was asking whether I should reach Mangalore first to take the coastal road, or should I join NH66 directly in Udupi (just to avoid more ghats if that's the case)

But I understand it doesn't make much difference, have to anyway traverse the Western ghats in any case.

[Bailey]

Originally Posted by pravarag

Hi all, I'm planning to visit South Goa coming Wednesday and have planned to take the following route which I've always preferred:

Bangalore -> Davangere -> Mundgod -> Yellapur -> Karwar -> Benaulim

Any idea about this stretch? I'm particularly interested to know how's the road now from Mundgod to Yellapur which I guess covers lot of forest route as well.

You would be better off going further and taking the turn to Kalaghatgi before Gabbur as mentioned in many of the posts above.

Many regulars on the route claim this is a better option to Yellapur rather than via Mundgod

[thirugata]

Originally Posted by HighRevving

And by the way, it is not Mangalore or Udupi, you have to take Mangalore - Udupi - Kundapura - Murudeshwar - Honnavara - Gokarna - Karwar - South Goa.

Not really, Belthangady - Moodabidri - Karkala - Udupi is beautiful 2 lane twisties, if you havent tried that.
Wont recommend to people who have motion sickness. This is not ghat section, but entire route is green and beautiful.

[AltoLXI]

Originally Posted by pravarag

Hi all, I'm planning to visit South Goa coming Wednesday and have planned to take the following route which I've always preferred:

Bangalore -> Davangere -> Mundgod -> Yellapur -> Karwar -> Benaulim

Any idea about this stretch? I'm particularly interested to know how's the road now from Mundgod to Yellapur which I guess covers lot of forest route as well.

I was in Karwar and South Goa last week.

Took Haveri -> Sirsi -> Yaana route for onward journey. Just before Yaana, lot of road work is going on. The cars were fully covered with Red soil. Had to stop once as the cement mixer blocked the way. No traction down the ghat with sizeable stones all over the road. None dared to drive uphill I guess - not a single 4 wheeler coming in opposite direction - AVOID this road.

Took Ankola -> Arbail ghat -> Yellapur -> Mundgod on the way back. After Yellapur roads are narrow. With lot of tractors carrying sugarcane harvest, quite a bit of patience required to overtake them. Once you cross Arbail ghat, expect the road conditions to deteriorate - Check if you can go via Kalghatagi.

[mah45]

Hi,
We were exploring other places of interest to combine in our road trip.
Came across this wild thought if I could combine a trip to Jog falls and then join the coastal road.
I saw this route mentioned in another thread.

https://goo.gl/maps/sY47QrmE5LmqWGfx8

But what I am not sure is of course -

1. Ghat sections along this route and then when we join back to NH66 ( as compared to say Belur to Mangalore )
2. And of course is it really worth visiting Jog around Mar/Apr timeframe, if we drive all the way there it has to be to view the majestic water falls..so I doubt the timing of the year.
Please suggest. Thanks.

[pravarag]

Originally Posted by AltoLXI

I was in Karwar and South Goa last week.

Took Haveri -> Sirsi -> Yaana route for onward journey. Just before Yaana, lot of road work is going on. The cars were fully covered with Red soil. Had to stop once as the cement mixer blocked the way. No traction down the ghat with sizeable stones all over the road. None dared to drive uphill I guess - not a single 4 wheeler coming in opposite direction - AVOID this road.

Took Ankola -> Arbail ghat -> Yellapur -> Mundgod on the way back. After Yellapur roads are narrow. With lot of tractors carrying sugarcane harvest, quite a bit of patience required to overtake them. Once you cross Arbail ghat, expect the road conditions to deteriorate - Check if you can go via Kalghatagi.

Thanks for your suggestion, I took the road via Kalaghatagi and it was good except for few kilometeres which takes through few villages.

[mah45]

Originally Posted by pravarag

Thanks for your suggestion, I took the road via Kalaghatagi and it was good except for few kilometeres which takes through few villages.

Hi,
Is this the regular route if one starts from Benaulim towards Bangalore ?

If I just lookup in GMaps for the route to Bangalore, it shows via Dharwad / Hubbali, so trying to understand whether this detour is necessary. Thanks.

[chorispao]

Originally Posted by mah45

Hi,
Is this the regular route if one starts from Benaulim towards Bangalore ?

If I just lookup in GMaps for the route to Bangalore, it shows via Dharwad / Hubbali, so trying to understand whether this detour is necessary. Thanks.

The Anmod/Dharwad/Hubli route is still the fastest route to Bangalore with a 12km partial dirt track between Anmod & Ramnagar!

[dextor]

Will be travelling to Goa from Bangalore on 21st Feb. Planning to take the Hubli>Dharward>Anmod route. Want to take the quickest/shortest route.
If someone has recently taken this route please share the road feedback. I believe lot of road construction ongoing in this route.

What other route can be taken as alternative which will be faster & better from road conditions perspective. Travelling on Creta with wife & 2 kids.