[kedar_GT]

Originally Posted by Throtttle

looking some feedback/advice/reassurance if yellapur-Ankola (and Tadas-Kalaghatgi) is tolerable, than I will be happy to take Karwar route. Or is it so avoidable that taking Dharwad-Anmod-Mollem makes more sense currently despite the Tinai ghat detour?

There is a yellow alert from AMD for 20th Nov, . TIA.

If it raining, I would advise you to drive up to Gabbur and then use the Anoka-Yellapur-Karwar road (and not use the Tadas-Kalaghatgi) shortcut. (to save 15-20min)
The Yellapur route is definitely tolerable (in my book) - but you need to be alert for potholes in case you are doing high speeds as they can catch you unawares. The problem will get aggravated if it rains since in that case, you cannot fathom the depth of these - also these stretches tend to get dark quickly due to the tree cover. I typically reach this place late afternoon (with a 6 to 7am start from BLR) and need to be attentive on these roads as you tend to pass from brightly lit areas to dark ones and you need to adjust quickly to the same.
The upside is once you clear this stretch, you can take a nice break at Karwar. At Yellapur too, there is a nice veg eatery on the main road (Shabagh hotel) [https://g.page/nvshanbhag-group-hotel?share] in case you want to fuel yourself before this stretch.

What car are you driving?

[nravindra77]

Originally Posted by Throtttle

The quoted folks have travelled Yellapur to Ankola/Karwar stretch during last few weeks. The reports had been like - bad shape, just Ok, battered roads, and some others have not reacted on road condition.

We had one Honda City with 5 adults travelled on this route.
If you are driving in any other vehicle with better ground clearance, you can drive comfortably.
The one travelled is manageable.
Other longer but scenic route is Bangalore, Chitradurga, Shimoga, Jog Falls, Honnavar, Karwar and South Goa. This is little longer and takes 30-50 minutes more as compared to Yellapur route. But road quality is much better as compared to Yellapur one. You would enjoy the drive in rainy season.

Have a nice and safe drive.

[ant_vas]

My destination is cavelossim which is relatively close to southern/Karwar border of Goa and I like/prefer karwar route over Anmod-Mollem route for southern goa, thus looking some feedback/advice/reassurance if yellapur-Ankola (and Tadas-Kalaghatgi) is tolerable, than I will be happy to take Karwar route

If you are ok with tolerable condition of the roads then this is the route for you to your destination.

[monish_m]

Completed the drive to Goa and returned yesterday. Rain filled drive both ways.

Route Taken -

Bangalore > Nelamangala > Tumakuru > Sira > Hiriyur > Chitradurga > Davangere > Ranebennur > Haveri > Shiggaon > Dharward > Alnavar > Ramnagar > Anmod Checkpost > Mollem > Ponda > Panaji > Candolim

Total 630 kms, driving time 9 hours.

Few callouts,
1) Apoorva Resorts the breakfast was good.
2) BEWARE of the stretch between Nelamangala > Tumkar (about 5-10 kms) of broken, loose stones / gravel stretch. Suffered a stone hit and a cracked windscreen. Drove on and returned safe. Drive slow and maintain safe distance from the vehicles in front.
3) Missed the Tinai Ghat stretch and went through the Anmod route, badly messed up roads - made it through though - didn't turn back.
4) Near the Anmod checkpost they check the print-outs of vaccination and let you move on, takes 2 minutes.
5) Few diversions are on the highways due to the flyover constructions.

Route while returning
Candolim > Panaji > Ponda > Darbandora-Sancordem-Mollem-Collem Road > Mollem > Anmod Checkpost > Ramnagar > Tinai Ghat > Davangere > Chitradurga > Tumakuru > Nelamangala > Bangalore

630 Kms, 10 hrs driving time.

Few callouts,
1) Apoorva Resorts the lunch was good, basic rice / dal / rasam until 1 PM and then they take orders from the menu. For breakfast didn't find any options and just packed some sandwiches and had them on the way.
2) BEWARE of the stretch between Nelamangala > Tumkar (about 5-10 kms) of broken, loose stones / gravel stretch. Drive slow and maintain safe distance from the vehicles in front.
3) Missed the Tinai Ghat stretch and went through the Anmod route, badly messed up roads - made it through though - didn't turn back.
4) Few diversions are on the highways due to the flyover constructions.
5) Ponda > Darbandora-Sancordem-Mollem-Collem Road > Mollem was a lovely diversion and google maps worked because I had saved it in offline mode.
6) The Tinai Ghat route is also beautiful and scenic.
7) Near the Anmod checkpost they stopped to check the boot for any bottled memories from Goa.

Goa, especially North Goa is packed but the fun quotient remains, stay safe, mask up, drive safe and have lots of fun.

[Safety is Param]

Originally Posted by Safety is Param

Driving to North Goa this week - Was looking to break at either Hubli-Dharwad or Belgaum.

Traveled to Hubli today.

Non-stop rain from Bangalore to Hubli.

Road stretch few kms. before & after Tumkur has gone to the dogs, or worse. You'll have to pick the pothole of your choice to put your vehicle into! Similar road surface on few other flyovers enroute as well.

Went past at least 7 to 8 accident sites - at least a couple of them were nasty. While I am no expert, they looked largely as a result of poor visibility, loss of traction and not respecting & adjusting to the weather & road conditions.

Chitradurga bypass is awesome. We had planned for a breakfast at Chitradurga, but missed it due to the new road.

There are a total of 3 diversions between Chitradurga and Hubli. The last one is easy, whereas, the first two need to be taken cautiously. Nothing to worry though.

Started from Bangalore, BSK 3rd stage at 07:10 hrs., and reached hotel in Hubli at 13:15 hrs.

Pls. drive at a speed based on how much clear visibility is available at your disposal, devoid of any assumptions.

My take on the new road surface is that you need to watch your odo frequently as you never know when you cross triple digits & start cruising at high speeds.

Will start for North Goa tomorrow morning around 07:30 hrs. As of now, will take the Anmod, Ramnagar, Mollem route.

If anyone has latest updates on the road conditions due to rains, pls. share here so that I can weigh my options (Chorla, is the only 2nd option).

Thanks in advance.

[Safety is Param]

Completed final stretch to North Goa today.

Not sure about the rough section on the Anmod ghat road, however, the diversion is no saint either and has its fair share of craters.

There is also some work going on the railway crossing that falls on this diversion, so be careful while navigating through the crossing.

Just to clarify, nothing alarming though on the diversion. It's very easy to miss though if you aren't anticipating it. Previous posts have correctly marked the diversion points and Google too shows it. Download offline Google maps if possible.

Goa is jam packed, too much crowd, and it's raining very very heavily, no traffic discipline either. Will only worsen with Thanksgiving and Christmas approaching.

Good luck, drive safe.

[chetancm7]

Completed a trip to Goa between 16th Nov to 18th Nov'21.

Route taken> Hubli> Dharwad bypass through Gokul road> Madras Bombay Trunk road(15kms)>Alnavar > Ramnagar > Anmod Checkpost > Mollem > Ponda > Panaji > Morjim

The stretch between Alnavar until Ramnagar is the best filled with scenic beauty, but there are couple of bad patches near Dudhsagar falls which is horrible cutting down the journey by almost 45 mins. After that its a breeze and Google Aunty didn't disappoint us till we reached Goa. It rained on the 1st day (16th) but for the next 2 days the weather was pleasant and we made the most of it. During the onward journey we were stopped at Mollem and asked for vaccination certificates, I showed them but were not asked for my 5 year old kid. Though as a precaution had done the RTPCR 48 hours prior just in case.

The return journey was through the similar route and the only check was for liquor bottles by the Karnataka police. The shop guys in Goa told us that 2 bottles per head are allowed, but the cops told us that no such rule exists and were asked to cough up 200 Rs. To avoid creating a scene I just gave them. But I just wanted to ask the team here is there a rule or not to carry liquor bottles from Goa, this is just my 2nd trip and was a bit unclear, will avoid completely in future if that's the case.

[aNerdyCarGuy]

We're planning a trip to South Goa on 28th November. We'll be 2 people traveling in a Sedan.

Since we're planning for South Goa, we wanted to avoid the Ramnagar - Mollem route.

Based on the feedback of roads on this thread, we plan to take the BLR > Tumakuru > Chitradurga > Shivamogga > Jog Falls > Honnavar > Karwar > Canacona route on the onward journey.

While for the return, we're planning to take the Canacona > Karwar > Yellapur > Bankapura > Haveri > Davanagere > Chitradurga > Tumakuru > BLR route.

I'll let the thread know once we're back on the road conditions on the routes we ended up taking and their situation.

If any of you have any suggestions for us, please do let me know.

[shaleenvashisht]

Need few suggestions for my upcoming trip from Bangalore to South Goa

From Haveri, i can see 2 routes as i use google maps

1. Haveri-> Mundgod ->Yellapur->Ankola->Goa

2. Haveri-> Sirsi ->Ankola->Goa


Have seen few comments about the Yellapur route. Not seeing any comment about the Sirsi route since some time. Can anyone give the feedback about the quality of the roads via either of the routes ? I will be driving sedan ( Honda City VX CVT iVtec ) and want to drive via better route even if it means driving 20-30Km extra.

When i search the map from my location, the route via Sirsi shows as shorter, quicker of the two.

Or any other route suggestions ?

[kedar_GT]

Originally Posted by Throtttle

The shop guys in Goa told us that 2 bottles per head are allowed, but the cops told us that no such rule exists and were asked to cough up 200 Rs. To avoid creating a scene I just gave them. But I just wanted to ask the team here is there a rule or not to carry liquor bottles from Goa, this is just my 2nd trip and was a bit unclear, will avoid completely in future if that's the case.

Yes - you can carry 2 bottles of the hard stuff provided you pick a permit (I think it is 10bucks or so per bottle) from the shop where you purchased it. [if you buy it from any super market, they will give you a printed receipt] If you show this, they are obliged to let you go. What happens, in reality, is anyone's guess.

[kedar_GT]

Originally Posted by shaleenvashisht

Need few suggestions for my upcoming trip from Bangalore to South Goa

From Haveri, i can see 2 routes as i use google maps

1. Haveri-> Mundgod ->Yellapur->Ankola->Goa

2. Haveri-> Sirsi ->Ankola->Goa


Have seen few comments about the Yellapur route. Not seeing any comment about the Sirsi route since some time.

Or any other route suggestions ?

Fantastic road from Kumta to Karwar. Can't say the same for the Kumta - Haveri connection via Sirsi. Narrow roads in some sections via 1 or 2 ghat sections. I ended up taking this once when I missed the yellapur diversion. [Disclaimer - I don't the road conditions after the recent spate of rainfall] But I would rate this stretch better than the Mundgod <-> Yellapur one - just that is this one is around 130km long. If you are ok with fine to 'bearable' road conditions, you can take this since the road after that would be fun (post Kumta and onwards to Canacona).

[Jaguar]

Returned from Goa yesterday

Tumkur bypass is a mess but not as bad as Bangalore city roads. The leftmost lane (in either direction) is the safest option with the least number of potholes. But slow-moving trucks will test your patience and you will end up moving to the other lanes for overtaking.

Took the Anmod-Ramnagar stretch at the suggestion of a cop and chaiwala at the Anmod check post. As per them, the road has improved compared to the past couple of months Since it was daytime and I was fresh at the start of the journey, I managed without scraping the underbody. Won't recommend this section during the dark or tired at the end of the journey. There are no roads and the short concrete sections end up in ditches. IMO they should just stop all vehicle traffic through this section.

There are some new flyovers in Panjim, which help avoid city traffic. But there are big craters in the middle, so one has to be careful.

Originally Posted by Safety is Param

Completed final stretch to North Goa today.

Not sure about the rough section on the Anmod ghat road, however, the diversion is no saint either and has its fair share of craters.


It's very easy to miss though if you aren't anticipating it. Previous posts have correctly marked the diversion points and Google too shows it.

If you reach the dysfunctional toll booth, then you know you have missed the Tinai ghat turn-off. Just backtrack one km and take the turn.

Originally Posted by chetancm7

The shop guys in Goa told us that 2 bottles per head are allowed, but the cops told us that no such rule exists and were asked to cough up 200 Rs.

We had one 500ml bottle and were let go without any issue. The shopkeeper said he can issue a pass only for bigger bottles and we said the same to the cop when he asked for a pass.

[victoriacc]

I am a bit confused after reading the last 5-6 pages about the various route options & road conditions for Goa to Bangalore. Would really appreciate if anyone could simplify it for me.

I am travelling solo in a sedan. Flexible about starting point : can be either mid-Goa (Margao) or South Goa (Benaulim / Palolem). I am not fussed about saving travel time : 30-60 mins additional drive for better roads is very much fine. Not intending to drive to Bangalore at one stretch - rather planning to take a night's break somewhere in between (probably Davengere - getting to try out the Benne Dose from its actual place is a side attraction )

The options I understood from the last 5-6 pages are-

1. Via Karwar-Ankola-Yellapur-Mundgod-Bankapura-Haveri-Davangere
2. Via Karwar-Ankola-Yellapur-Kalaghatgi-Gabbur-Davengere (without going to Tadas and rather taking a longer route towards Hubli)
3. Via Karwar-Ankola-Yellapur-Kalaghatgi-Tadas-Bankapura-Haveri-Davengere (Is this Tadas diversion a recommendation to avoid bad roads on Mundgod route?)
4. Via Ponda - Mollem - Anmod - Ramnagar - <<NO diversion to Tinai Ghat>> - Alnavar - Dharwad - Haveri onwards
5. Via Ponda - Mollem - Anmod - << Diversion to Tinai Ghat >> - Ramnagar - Alnavar - Dharwad - Haveri onwards
6. Any other option I may have overlooked?

Which is best amongst the above five options (or may be more) to choose if I were to keep my tenets as the ones mentioned in the previous paragraph? Better roads, safety, reliability etc is the primary criteria in a nutshell - and NOT travel time or starting point (South vs Mid Goa).

Also, if the recommendation is to choose #4 or #5 - please share the actual Google maps as I can see multiple references here on people actually missing out the intended diversion, so I'd like to pre-empt that risk.

Thanks in advance.

[shaleenvashisht]

There is one additional route that i am exploring- it is via Karwar->Kumta->Sirsi->Haveri->Bangalore.

Please see my question as above

[Mnjdnght]

Originally Posted by victoriacc

5. Via Ponda - Mollem - Anmod - << Diversion to Tinai Ghat >> - Ramnagar - Alnavar - Dharwad - Haveri onwards

I recommend route 5. This is what I took while returning from Goa on 23rd Nov. Took me only about 9.25 hrs. Ghat section is smooth. The diversion via Tinai Ghat has some bad patches but not of much concern. There are a few bad patches on the Ramanagar - Dharawad section but not of much concern too. About 6 Kms of highway approaching Tumkur has more potholes than road but can manage with some care.