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How is the road condition from Cuncolim to Zambaulim? Thanks in advance for your help.

I went this route during dec-2010. No issues at all. Take this route as you will save a lot of time, traffic and distance.

Hi All,

I wanted to visit Goa for a trip to Sri Damodar Samsthan, Zambaulim. After reading through the reports on this forum regarding various route options, decided to take the Bangalore-Hubli-Yellapur-Ankola-Karwar-Margaon-Zambaulim both for the to & fro journey.

Started on Saturday, 23rd April 2011 at 1.30pm and reached Sri Damodar Samsthan, Zambaulim at 1.30am. Total distance on the ODO was 661kms. The travel time taken is with a break of approx 1.5 hours in search of Benne Dosa in Davanagere. Finally managed to find one Hotel which serves this delicacy and had a sumptous quantity of the famous Davanagere Benne Dosa. Slept in the car till dawn and then took a room in the Temple. After freshening up, had darshan of the Lord and after breakfast took a nap for couple of hours. After the noon Pooja, had lunch in the temple and started back to Bangalore at 1.15pm. Encountered heavy rains in the ghats just before Yellapur all the way till Kalghatagi. Went inside Hubli city to buy the famous Dharwad Peda from Babu Singh Peda shop near the railway station. Started from Hubli at 6.15pm and as soon as it was time to switch on the headlights, observed that high beam on the left head light did not function. As a result had to drive slowly and cautiously since visibility was an issue due to no high beam.

At 8.30pm reached Davanagere and went inside the town for Benne Dosa. The shop where we had during the onward journey was closing up, but managed to find another on the same street which was open. Had stomach full of Benne Dosa and started the journey again. Tried to find out if any automobile shop was open for the head light bulb, but being a Sunday had no such luck. Decided to continue as it is. Took a break for coffee at Kamat Upachar near Tumkur and reached home at 1.30am. Distance on the ODO - 681kms (this may be due to the travel within Hublic city to buy Dhaward Peda's).

Was able to go to office as usual. No journey tiredness and should compliment the Toyota Innova for this. Will have to fill up Diesel to work out the mileage details. Will update soon.

I did Bangalore - Goa last friday and came back just yesterday. I took the following route:

Bangalore - Tumkur - Sira - Chitradurga - Haveri - Hubli - Ankola - Karwar - Margao - Panaji. Total distance from my residence at Basaveshwaranagar to Panaji is around 681 kms. It took me 12 hours to reach Panaji with 3-4 coffee breaks and lunch break (started at 5 AM from Bangalore and reached 5 PM the same day to Panaji). few important points i would like to highlight on this route:

1. Roads from Bangalore to Chitradurga is breeze. you can easily maintain average speeds of 120 Kmph. I could not find decent restaurants on the way except for Kamat Upachar and CCD.

2. After chitradurga until Haveri the driving is not a breeze since you can find lot of diversions on the road due to ongoing road laying work and couple of Railway crossing you find on the way. Also you can find many idiotic Tractors, Tempos, Autos coming on the wrong side of the highway hogging the fast lane which is extremely dangerous. I saw a completely smashed Swift Desire on this stretch. This may have happened because Swift was overtaking on the fast lane and he must have been taken by surprise with the tractor coming from wrong side on the fast lane.So BEWARE. Again I could not find a single decent restaurant on this stretch except for unhygienic Highway side Dhabas

3. Once you reach Hubli the toll road ends. Technically you pay the toll only until Hubli. After hubli its a two lane relatively narrow road right up to Panaji. Driving experience is definately enjoyable but you cant drive fast the way you could do between Bangalore and Hubli (6 lane roads)

4. The only decent place where i could have lunch both while going to and on the way back was Kamat Upachar on the Ankola bypass

Overall on this stretch right from Bangalore to Goa the roads are potholes free and driving was a real enjoyable experience for me clap:

I drove my wagon R with AC off throughout the journey and i got a fuel economy of 18 kmpl. :thumbs up

Lastly i enjoyed the drive so much that i am looking forward again and again to do such wonderful drives between Bangalore and Goa whenever i get chance.

To both the guys above. Have the rains spoiled anything on the way?

Also how is the heat on the plains. After Hubli? while coming from Goa? Especially lazybrain how did you manage without AC? This section it is really very humid and hot.

Also some of the A1 restaurants are now been run by the Kamat folks. They are fair.

I am planning to drive home - Panaji in Mid May. Thanks in advance.

From Bangalore to Goa only until I reached Tumkur it was raining. After Tumkur it was sunny and i did not come across any rainfall till i reached Panaji. On the way back I experienced heavy rains after i crossed yellapur ghat upto outskirts of Hubli


I know its very humid and hot during this time of the year in that stretch. But believe me right now its very pleasent in that part of coastal karnataka (ankola and Karwar) and also Goa. I was expecting that i will get charred in the Goa heat but surprisingly right now its very pleasant there except in the afternoon you experience little bit of humidity but still manageable without AC

The main reason i drove without AC was i wanted to test whether even after being 4.5 years old my Wagon R is still the same fuel efficient or not! :D

Spitfire,

The rains haven't spoiled anything. The roads are absolute bliss at this point of time. Did bangalore-goa-bangalore last weekend. Took the honnavar route while going but took the baga-panaji-margao-karwar-hubli-bangalore route on my way back. These roads (via hubli) were awesome. I took 10 hrs to get back. Well known bad stretches are the haveri-chitradurga stretch.

Tejas

Oh sorry I meant the other way not this part.

Around Hubli Dharwad, Rannebennur, Haveri etc. On the plains. How is the heat there?

I have a 3 year old son and he thinks he was supposed to be born in Antarctica instead of Goa.

I do travel with the AC off on my long distance travels if it is not required. Especially if its night driving. Also lowers the stress on the engine too.

That was useful. So the roads have held on. Good. I too take the same time around 11-12 hours with breaks included. Only thing I am worried of is the heat in the flat lands. That can be very very tiring driving through them, even with AC. Due to the bright sunlight.

The heat is manageable (I drove some stretches from Hubli-Rannibennur without AC). Now I am not sure how it'd be in Mid May as it gets hotter only if I am not wrong.

Tejas

Oh it goes horribly wrong. I did the stretch in a non AC 800 once in end may. It was like sitting in a microwave, even with the windows rolled down.

Either my tolerance level is too low or things have changed drastically. Some years ago I did a trip to Goa during mid-March in a non-AC KSRTC bus (Rajahamsa). We reached Hubli sometime in the middle of the night and it was like a furnace. I could feel the heat in the air and was sweating horribly.

I'm surprised how long it is taking for the road widening to be completed on NH4. Work has been on for years now.

If you drive from Bangalore to Mangalore regularly you will say Bangalore to Hubli stretch is one of the best stretches to drive within Karnataka.

Frequent deviations on the road are still tolerable after chitradurga towards hubli but what annoyed me more was idiotic local Autos, tempos, tractors etc coming on the wrong side of the highway and hogging the fast lane that too in full speed - Its really scary!

Thats good update, For Goa right now best route is what prabhusati used, thats via Hubli. Best roads :) This time I am enjoying the summer holidays here, less heat and occassional rain magic. Very good inner roads as well, Thanks to Karnataka government for building and maintaning decent roads.

Ravi.

NO Thanks to Karnataka Govt! They only build substandard roads and donot maintain roads. To experience this one has to try the 'official goa road' in a car and try to reach Goa.

I've been driving the NH4 between Goa and Bangalore almost every other week form 2007 to 2010 - the stretch between chitradurga - haveri has always been under construction. For the rest of the roads Karnataka is the state with the worst road markings (and the lack of it!)

In terms of NH4A (enroute to Goa via Anmod) in KA is usually worst than the stretch in GOA - as is easily evident then moment you cross state boundaries.

The info on TEAM-BHP has definitely helped me to take a decision on making a road trip between Pune-Bangalore-Goa-Pune. I have driven out from Pune to Bangalore with my family (wife & 2 teenage sons) yesterday & plan to travel to Goa from here on 10th morning. Have 2 days (& nights) on hand before I meet with other friends in Goa on the 12th.

Looking for suggestions for a leisurely 2 day trip between Bangalore & Goa. What are the best 2 places where I can spend the night enroute to Goa? And what are the best places to visit enroute? Suggestions on some nice hotels or homestays enroute are also welcome. Would like to take only good roads as I am driving my 6 months old (or call it new) BMW 320D. Definitely not the time to try any off-roading stunts or lunar surface roads.

Thanks in advance for the info.