[swiftnfurious]

Hey guys, am just back from Goa. HORRIBLE "to" Goa trip and a good "from" Goa drive! Took Mangalore - Udupi - Ankola - Yellapur - Ramnagar - Calingute while going and Calingute - Mapusa - Sawantwadi - Amboli - Belgaum - Hubli - Chitradurga - Tumkur - Bangalore. Will have a detailed travelogue posted by weekend with pics.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by arin_12

Original plan was
Bangalore-Shimoga-Ankola-Karwar-GOA.
Actual was. 100 KM extra with some really bad patch becos of the Mining truck.
Bangalore-Shimoga-Ankola-Yellapur-Dandeli-Ramnagar-Molem-Goa.

From Dandeli there was a route which join to Dandelli too.

The ramnagar-Molem-Goa does not exist as a route since a long time.It has been discussed on this thread earlier as well.NH4A(Belgaum-Londa-Molem-Panjim) to Goa is doomed and is just not recommended at all.Even the mining trucks cannot traverse this route

Belgaum-Amboli-Panjim is a good route.

[nityanand.s.s]

I drove from Hyderabad to Goa on the 27th and was in Goa till the 1st morning. Then went to my hometown Kumta on 1st .. On 3rd most of the roads near Koppal, Raichur had washed away, so decided to drive to Bangalore.. Drove thru Honnavar, jog, Shimoga and Tumkur. Roads narrower on the Gersoppa ghats.Small patches here and there.. But still managed to drive within 8.5hours and I had heavy rains from Kumta to Shimoga.
Now I am flying to Hyderabad this evening. Leaving my car at Bangalore for some days

[deutscheafrikar]

@Swiftnfurious, How's the condition of the Haveri-davengere-chitradurga part? What's the distance from amboli to belgaum and is this portion of the road wide.
@ranjitp! any idea if this amboli changad belgaum section is better than amboli-ajra-tawandi ghat section? big difference or not so much?

[swiftnfurious]

@deutscheafrikar - Haveri - Davengere - Chitradurga is pretty ok from my opinion. I finished the entire 550 kms from Belgaum to Bangalore in 8.5 hours with a 30 min break. Amboli to Belgaum is also quite decent - you may hv bad stretches for around 10 kms max [when i say bad roads, my swift's under body didn't scrape at all]. I have not travelled the Shimoga route, but if I have to travel to Goa next time, I will take the same route via Belgaum - Amboli.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by deutscheafrikar

@Swiftnfurious, How's the condition of the Haveri-davengere-chitradurga part? What's the distance from amboli to belgaum and is this portion of the road wide.
@ranjitp! any idea if this amboli changad belgaum section is better than amboli-ajra-tawandi ghat section? big difference or not so much?

Hi DF,I guess you meant Chandgad.Belgaum to Amboli via Chandgad is around 75kms.This is the Belgaum-Sawantwadi Road.

Distance wise:

Tavandi Ghat to Belgaum turn off for Belgaum Sawantwadi road is approx 85kms.Belgaum-Amboli is around 75kms.Total of 160kms.

Tavandi-Amboli via Nipani-Uttur-Ajra is approx 75kms.

I would still recco the Nipani route vis-a-vis the Belgaum-Chandgad,its too much of a round about route,an extra distance of almost close to 70-80kms(Tavandi-Belgaum-Amboli forms a perfect equilateral triangle).For people coming from Blore/Hubli side the Belgaum-Chandgad route is reccomended,not for the Mumbai/Pune people,unless there is a compulsion to visit Belgaum or the call for exploring a new route.The Nipani route is not a bad route,a friend travelled the same route and he says its perfectly ok except for a 10kms stretch which is rough tarmac not potholed.

[deutscheafrikar]

Yes Ranjitp1, You're correct. I was only exploring the options. I think it's better to go the nipani-ajra route than the belgaum ajra route. Thanks

[litesaber]

Wow! Thanks! This is good news. I am planning on a trip to coastal maharastra in two weeks. Will take the Blr-Belgaum-Amboli-Sawantwadi-Malvan route. Planning to spend the whole week along the west coast and then another week in Mumbai.

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Hey guys, am just back from Goa. HORRIBLE "to" Goa trip and a good "from" Goa drive! Took Mangalore - Udupi - Ankola - Yellapur - Ramnagar - Calingute while going and Calingute - Mapusa - Sawantwadi - Amboli - Belgaum - Hubli - Chitradurga - Tumkur - Bangalore. Will have a detailed travelogue posted by weekend with pics.

[arin_12]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

The ramnagar-Molem-Goa does not exist as a route since a long time.It has been discussed on this thread earlier as well.NH4A(Belgaum-Londa-Molem-Panjim) to Goa is doomed and is just not recommended at all.Even the mining trucks cannot traverse this route

Belgaum-Amboli-Panjim is a good route.

We didnt had any choice buddy. We was stuck at Ankola due to the road blockage. Then we took the diversion towards Yellapur. Till Ramnagar it was fine with some bad pathces. But after that around 20-30 KM was really horrible due to the mining truck...

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by arin_12

We didnt had any choice buddy. We was stuck at Ankola due to the road blockage. Then we took the diversion towards Yellapur. Till Ramnagar it was fine with some bad pathces. But after that around 20-30 KM was really horrible due to the mining truck...

haha I can empathise with you cos I did the same route from Belgaum to Panjim and horrible is an understatement,disappearing light,well-sized craeters,the last thing is to have a car breakdown or a flat tyre there..phew

[Agastya_Drifter]

Hi folks,

I have planned my road trip on this route Bangalore-Goa. I will be rolling out on Wednesday night next week that's the 14th of Oct. I know the routes but I'd like to know from someone who has travelled on this route within the past week or so.

I suppose the shimoga and yellapur routes are ruled out. how about sawantwadi route?

Because as we know that there have been torrential rains lately. And after reading so many experiences and opinions and suggestions from various people i am a bit confused.

Thanks,
Agastya

[techn0l0gist]

Anyone know the current condition of the Bangalore - Goa route via Kittur ? Would like to know if its drivable or not ! Normally It would take 9 hours non stop , how much does it take these days with the bad roads?

I've stopped my BLR-GOA-BLR weekend drives since the roads got bad after the rains and have been traveling by flight so I'm clueless !

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by Agastya_Drifter

Hi folks,

I have planned my road trip on this route Bangalore-Goa. I will be rolling out on Wednesday night next week that's the 14th of Oct. I know the routes but I'd like to know from someone who has travelled on this route within the past week or so.

I suppose the shimoga and yellapur routes are ruled out. how about sawantwadi route?

Because as we know that there have been torrential rains lately. And after reading so many experiences and opinions and suggestions from various people i am a bit confused.

Thanks,
Agastya

the best route for you in the given conditions would be BLR-HUBLI-BELGAUM-AMBOLI-SAWANTWADI-PANJIM.Roads are good from Belgaum to Sawantwadi,it is a distance of around 75kms.I saw a post from you on a diff thread that you are contemplating taking the Londa-Ponda route,the road does not exist anymore fr a stretch of 25kms between Londa & Molem.

[Agastya_Drifter]

thanks Ranjit. Your note should give me a lot of courage now. how about the stretch between chitradurga and belgaum, any idea if it is really bad?

[hrag]

Please stick to Bangalore - Chitradurga - Haveri - Hubli - Dharwad - Belagavi (Belgaum) - Amboli - Sawantwadi - your destination in Goa.

I have been travelling regularly on NH4 since 2007 and the Chitradurga to Haveri stretch has changed only very slightly after the recent rains. Just ensure you don't attempt to set speed / time records on the bad patches.