[TopSpeeder]

Originally Posted by filcord

Many thanks. I have also been told by another taxi driver that the Molem-Ramnagar route is quite good. Specifically could you describe in details the rout after Ramnagar? I have been told Ramnagar-Alnavar-Dharwad is now a toll road?

Yes, Ramnagar-Dharwad is toll road. If I remember correctly it was Rs 55, but the roads are very good. The only stretch has potholes is Molem - Ramnagar, where one has to be pay more attention.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by abirnale

I don't expect it to have changed in 10 days as I didn't see any construction activities around there So unless someone does this stretch again before you start, assume it has not changed and so suggest to go through Belgaum.

Sad that this vital link that helps bypass Belgaum peacefully hasn't been repaired as yet.

When I drove back on March 10th, they were using clay and stones to fill potholes with a not so modern equipment and aged road roller.

However, we were 4 adults and a kid in the Ertiga and my daughter was fast asleep since Sanquelim that the jolts and rocking due to bad road neither woke her up nor we faced issues with the ground clearance. We were delighted only when we realized that the last 6 kms before Khanapur got better.

So taking the Khanapur-Jamboti stretch depends on how the car and the driver are equipped to handle bad sections because we often see many complaining a small pothole while others terming it as "manageable"! I hope it gets ready sooner.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Freebird82

Bangalore - Tumkur - Arsikere - Bhadravathi - Siddapur - Yellapur - Ankola - Karwar - Palolem.

Sagar-Yellapur is decent and it goes via Sirsi. You can also add a day if you want and visit Yana.

From Goa to Coorg, again an alternate route option I can see is:
Palolem - Karwar - Kumta - Honnavar - sagara - Thirthahalli - Mudigere - Sakleshpur - Somwarpet - Kodagu.

Possible. Honnavar-Jog has some bad section during the ghat. It improves later down the line. Drive till Anandapuram on NH206.

You have a couple of options now:

Anandapuram-Thirthahalli-Koppa-Balehonner-Aldur-Chikkamagulur-Belur-Hassan-Holenarasipur-Somwarpet-Madikeri

Or

Anandapuram-Shimoga-Tarikere-Chikkamagulur-Hassan-Holenarasipur-Somwarpet-Madikeri

[abirnale]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

When I drove back on March 10th, they were using clay and stones to fill potholes with a not so modern equipment and aged road roller.

However, we were 4 adults and a kid in the Ertiga and my daughter was fast asleep since Sanquelim that the jolts and rocking due to bad road neither woke her up nor we faced issues with the ground clearance. We were delighted only when we realized that the last 6 kms before Khanapur got better.

So taking the Khanapur-Jamboti stretch depends on how the car and the driver are equipped to handle bad sections because we often see many complaining a small pothole while others terming it as "manageable"! I hope it gets ready sooner.

Thats right. None of those equipments I saw on my drive through that stretch. So assume they are gone! And the clay and stones they have laid out there is loose now with no rain and water sprinkled on it (read it as on March 23-27th duration). At one point my SX4 (close to very little tread left on tyres) had to get away from side footlane. It lost traction on those stones and a wheels were spinning for 5 seconds throwing stones underbody and creating some great drifting like mini dust storm! The stone throw woke up my 1 year old son to amusement of dust to little entertainment

The stretch is only 5 odd kms that is extremely bad like this but if you are patient and know how to drive at 5-10 kmph speeds, you can get over it

[WheelWake]

Hi Guys,

Planning a trip to Goa this Good Friday weekend. Will be staying somewhere in North Goa for 2 nights and then at Varca for other 2 nights.
So I would like to know the route for BLR (HSR Layout) to North Goa (Candolim/Anjuna) and Varca to BLR. Also, I would like to know the timings for both the route options as I will be leaving on 17th April (Voting Day) and I want exercise my Vote and leave and hence time things accordingly. Any good places to eat enroute? Quality of road if I need to be aware of?
Any recommended property in North Goa? I will be travelling with my wife and a yr old kid so want the place to be neat and close to the beach and hopefully good restaurant. (was thinking of Whispering Palms or Lemon Tree kind of as Park at Calangute doesnt seem to be upto the mark. Any feedback on Teso waterfront?)

Thanks a lot for your help.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by WheelWake

Thanks a lot for your help.

- 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

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by WheelWake

Also, I would like to know the timings for both the route options as I will be leaving on 17th April (Voting Day) and I want exercise my Vote and leave and hence time things accordingly.

Appreciate your eagerness to vote, however - if you cast vote and leave around 10am approx, you will end up having a very long day of travel. Is that ok since you have a 1 year old child?

[condor]

@WHeelWake, booths open at 7.00 AM. If you go by this time, you can be out by 7.15-7.30.

[filcord]

Originally Posted by WheelWake

Hi Guys,

Planning a trip to Goa this Good Friday weekend. Will be staying somewhere in North Goa for 2 nights and then at Varca for other 2 nights.
So I would like to know the route for BLR (HSR Layout) to North Goa (Candolim/Anjuna) and Varca to BLR. Also, I would like to know the timings for both the route options as I will be leaving on 17th April (Voting Day) and I want exercise my Vote and leave and hence time things accordingly. Any good places to eat enroute? Quality of road if I need to be aware of?
Any recommended property in North Goa? I will be travelling with my wife and a yr old kid so want the place to be neat and close to the beach and hopefully good restaurant. (was thinking of Whispering Palms or Lemon Tree kind of as Park at Calangute doesnt seem to be upto the mark. Any feedback on Teso waterfront?)
Thanks a lot for your help.

I'm doing Goa-vellore via B'lore on the 12th April which is incidentally voting day in Goa. Will be skipping casting my vote unfortunately as we plan to leave very early, perhaps 0400 hrs.
After plumbing many sources of information on this forum, as well as taxi drivers, have plumped for Ponda-Molem-Ramnagar-Alnavar-Dharwad. From there it's NH4 to points south,etc. I will try and update this thread on the 13th as to my experience.

If you are with family, try Marinha Dourada at Baga. They have lovely and extensive grounds and a small private lake with fishing possiblities, etc. apart from the usual pool. Also there are plenty of good restaurants within 5 minutes walk in case the in-house food is not to your liking. Very relaxing place.

[rajivtelang]

Visiting south Goa and back in a week's time. Please suggest the best route to take.

1. Bangalore-Shimoga-Honavar-Goa
2. Bangalore-Haveri-Sirsi-Kumta-Goa
3. Bangalore-Hubli-Ankola-Goa
4. Bangalore-Dharwad-Ramnagar-Goa

Will be traveling with my elderly father. Expectation is route with minimal shocks and jerks

[WheelWake]

Thanks guys for the suggestions. So as I can read it through the thread,

For BLR - Candolim:

HSR -> NICE Road->Belgaum -> Chorla -> Candolim
(Or is it Tumgeri -> Chorla -> Candolim?)

If I take Belgaum then do I have to drive via city traffic and any turn that I need take care off?

Eateries that I can note on this route are Kamat before Rannebennur (Breakfast) and Sankam near Belgaum (Lunch)

For return Varca - BLR:

Varca - Karwar - Ankola - Yellapur - Kalghatgi - Hubli - NH4

Also, I expect both ways to take 10 hrs each. Please confirm If I got it correct?

NH4 in general will have food options?

Thanks

[ampere]

Originally Posted by WheelWake

For BLR - Candolim:
HSR -> NICE Road->Belgaum -> Chorla -> Candolim
(Or is it Tumgeri -> Chorla -> Candolim?)

Belgaum-Jambotti-Chorla

If I take Belgaum then do I have to drive via city traffic and any turn that I need take care off?

There is one option :
- Exit 4-lane at MK Hubli
- Take the road to Khanapur and there on to Jambotti
- At Jambotti you join the Chorla road.
- Route Link

But wont advise this. If you are on to it first better take the Belgaum option. And if you go via Belgaum, you have no other option but to go via City. In this case:
- Exit 4-lane at Hotel Sankam
- The road along Sankam is the Chorla road.
- Route Link

Eateries that I can note on this route are Kamat before Rannebennur (Breakfast) and Sankam near Belgaum (Lunch)

If you start by 4AM, my take is you might be early at Belgaum for lunch (say 11/12). But makes sense to break here, because you wont decent hotels beyond this point all the way to Goa.

Varca - Karwar - Ankola - Yellapur - Kalghatgi - Hubli - NH4
Also, I expect both ways to take 10 hrs each. Please confirm If I got it correct?

That's correct.
- Its 10 hours of drive time.
- Add breaks to it. Also note you start late from Goa (and not like early morning 4).
- So traffic would have picked up at the start and when you are reaching Bangalore. Please add those times as well.

NH4 in general will have food options?

- Ankola has a Kamat on NH17. To reach this hotel, you should NOT take the right to Yellapur/Hubli on NH63. This turning comes before Ankola town.
- Drive about 2-3 km on NH17 towards Ankola and you should see this hotel on your right
- On NH4, after you cross Hubli bypass, there is a Kamat on your left.
- Ranebennur Kamat you already know. But thats on your right
- Sira has a Kamat. Its located just after end of Sira bypass while driving towards Bangalore.
- Dobbaspet has a couple of Kamats and CCD.

[filcord]

Originally Posted by rajivtelang

Visiting south Goa and back in a week's time. Please suggest the best route to take.

1. Bangalore-Shimoga-Honavar-Goa
2. Bangalore-Haveri-Sirsi-Kumta-Goa
3. Bangalore-Hubli-Ankola-Goa
4. Bangalore-Dharwad-Ramnagar-Goa....

I've just done a Goa-Vellore trip on the 12th April. The route was Mapusa-Ponda-Molem-Anmod-Ramnagar-Alnavar-Dharwad bypass then onto NH4. We left Mapusa at 4.45 a.m. The Goa roads are all smooth but one cannot touch triple digit speeds because of twisty roads even though they were empty at that time.
From Anmod check post to Ramnagar, there are some unexpected potholes. You will average 30 kph for this section of around 20-odd km. Ramnagar onwards the roads are super good.
We were at Nelamangala toll booth around 2.30 pm and then took NICE road from there to Electronic city. We landed at Vellore at 6.45 pm exactly. I drove all the way and we took our own sandwiches, coffee and soft drinks, etc so we avoided stopping for extended breaks. There are practically no decent joints all the way almost to Nelamangala, so this was a good decision in retrospect. We did stop at a fairly decent and new-ish, but basic, wayside place before Tumkur, around 12 noon, where we were quickly served some excellent fluffly rotis and dal. At Krishnagiri we stopped at a MacDonalds to the delight of my son, but preferred to take-away rather than eat there.
I highly recommend the Ramnagar-Dharwad route.

[patron]

Originally Posted by rajivtelang

Visiting south Goa and back in a week's time. Please suggest the best route to take.

1. Bangalore-Shimoga-Honavar-Goa
2. Bangalore-Haveri-Sirsi-Kumta-Goa
3. Bangalore-Hubli-Ankola-Goa
4. Bangalore-Dharwad-Ramnagar-Goa

Will be traveling with my elderly father. Expectation is route with minimal shocks and jerks

Since South Goa is the destination take the Bangalore-Hubli-Ankola-Karwar-Goa route. Excellent roads all through.

[MOHAN_99]

Originally Posted by rajivtelang

Visiting south Goa and back in a week's time. Please suggest the best route to take.

1. Bangalore-Shimoga-Honavar-Goa
2. Bangalore-Haveri-Sirsi-Kumta-Goa
3. Bangalore-Hubli-Ankola-Goa
4. Bangalore-Dharwad-Ramnagar-Goa

Will be traveling with my elderly father. Expectation is route with minimal shocks and jerks

Route 4 would also be a viable alternative, but route 3 would be more comfortable. You could use route 4 as a plan B.

Mohan.