[ampere]

Originally Posted by Fauji

c) Bangalore - Dharwad - Haliyal - Dandeli

I don't mind drving extra KMs if the road is good. Pls give your recommendations.

On the way back we plan to come via Sirsi - Sagara - Tirthahalli - Shimoga - Bangalore.

Any update on the road between Dandeli - Sirsi - Sagara will be helpful.

- Options are crystal clear! All the way to Dharwad on 4L and another 60km to Dandeli,
You need to do some off-road (rather a kuchha road drive) to get on to the Haliyal SH from the Dharwad by-pass.
(I think its still like that. There is no exit from the Dharward by-pass to this SH, though one exists for the SH to Alnawar.)
You would notice a road going under the 4L, but with no access. That is the Haliyal SH. You need to go a bit further after the underpass,
take right near a Mango farm, join the SH (via the kuchha road) and then go below the 4L.

- Dandeli-Haliyal-Yellapur road is a bit broken (esp Haliyal-Yellapur). Beyond that I think its decent all the way.
Others can provide a more recent update. I am not aware.

[Fauji]

Originally Posted by ampere

- Options are crystal clear! All the way to Dharwad on 4L and another 60km to Dandeli,

Thanks Ampere. Now i am clear about the route and will wait fro update on the Dandeli - Sirsi - Sagar stretch to take a call on return journey.

[flycatcher]

Hi all,
I am planning a trip from Bangalore to Dandeli in the last week of December. Would like to know the best road to take. Would be travelling there in a ANHC/Linea.

Apart from the options which Fauji has mentioned below. I was also thinking of the following route. Any idea on the road conditions for this route
Bangalore - Davengere - Rannebennur - Bankapura - Yellapur - Dandeli.
I had done the Yellapur - Dandeli about a couple of years back. I dont remember the road conditions though since we traveled in night. All I remember was we drove through a forest.

Originally Posted by Fauji

We are planning a trip to Dandeli in first week of Nov. Which is the best route to take?

Following seems to be three options

a) Bangalore - Shiggaon - Tadas - Kalghatgi - Haliyal - Dandeli

b) Bangalore - Bankapur - Mundgod - Kalghatgi - Haliyal - Dandeli

c) Bangalore - Dharwad - Haliyal - Dandeli

I don't mind drving extra KMs if the road is good. Pls give your recommendations.

On the way back we plan to come via Sirsi - Sagara - Tirthahalli - Shimoga - Bangalore.

Any update on the road between Dandeli - Sirsi - Sagara will be helpful.

Hi Fauji,
Did you undertake this trip? Would be great if you can update on the latest road condition.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by flycatcher

Hi all,
Apart from the options which Fauji has mentioned below. I was also thinking of the following route. Any idea on the road conditions for this route
Bangalore - Davengere - Rannebennur - Bankapura - Yellapur - Dandeli.
I had done the Yellapur - Dandeli about a couple of years back. I dont remember the road conditions though since we traveled in night. All I remember was we drove through a forest.

The fastest route via Dharwad/Haliyal.
It depends if you want to reach Dandeli at the earliest.

The Yellapur option is more scenic. But then if you want to take Yellapur, you can also go all-out on that route via Jog/Sirsi.

[Fauji]

Originally Posted by flycatcher

Hi all,


Hi Fauji,
Did you undertake this trip? Would be great if you can update on the latest road condition.

Hi Flycatcher,

No we didnt make the trip. However, i was advised by Motorpsycho who travels regularly on this route to take Bangalore - Haliyal - Ganeshgudi - Dandeli which is the best route, very picturesque and the road is also good.

[mallumowgli]

Originally Posted by Fauji

Hi Flycatcher,

No we didnt make the trip. However, i was advised by Motorpsycho who travels regularly on this route to take Bangalore - Haliyal - Ganeshgudi - Dandeli which is the best route, very picturesque and the road is also good.

From Haliyal there is no need to go to Ganeshgudi, if the destination is Dandeli. Haliyal to Dandeli is a direct road.

Road condition from Dharward to Dandeli is very bad for most part. I think the repair work may start soon

[flycatcher]

Thanks a lot mallumougli, Fauji and ampere for your inputs. I will update the road conditions once I am done with this trip.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

From Haliyal there is no need to go to Ganeshgudi, if the destination is Dandeli. Haliyal to Dandeli is a direct road.

Road condition from Dharward to Dandeli is very bad for most part. I think the repair work may start soon

That road I think is bad all the time. Even a decade back it was the same!
But its still better than the Dharwad-Alnavar-Ramnagar SH.

[Ragul]

Hi Guys

I am planning to drive down to Goa tomorrow morning and wondering if this route can be avoided for some more fun National Highway 4 à Goa, Inde - Google Maps

Like this one via Forest road and Kadra Dam reserve? National Highway 4 à Goa, Inde - Google Maps

will I need a forest permit to take that road?

I can tolerate moderately bad roads (in a Gypsy) as long as speeds don't come down to 20kmph to navigate the stretch.

Thanks
--Ragul

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Ragul

Hi Guys

I am planning to drive down to Goa tomorrow morning and wondering if this route can be avoided for some more fun National Highway 4 à Goa, Inde - Google Maps

Insead of diverting from before Hubli, you can try the following:

Hubli-Dharward-Haliyal-Joida-Kumbarwada-Kadra-Karwar-Goa.
(At Kadra you ca drive to the dam to have a look).

Route : link

So you break over night at Hubli, and drive to Goa next through this route in the morning.
This way you enjoy the scenery as well.

Like this one via Forest road and Kadra Dam reserve? National Highway 4 à Goa, Inde - Google Maps

Will I need a forest permit to take that road?

I can tolerate moderately bad roads (in a Gypsy) as long as speeds don't come down to 20kmph to navigate the stretch.

This option was closed some time back (Yellapur-Kaiga) not due to Forest, but because of Power Plan at Kaiga.
I hear this has opened, but road not sure of the road condition.

What I would suggest is the former option. While at Kadra dam, you can ask folks there about the status and decide the same while returning if its good.

[Ragul]

Thanks Ampere. I eneded up taking this route without touching Dharward:
http://g.co/maps/6n9m7

Once you skip the right fork that makes an underpass below NH4 to Kalghatgi after having bypassed Hubli, a few kms down, one will see (if you look out for it) a right turn into a dirt road that has a rectangular railway crossing style metal arch to prevent tall vehicles from taking that path. The dirt road is about 100m possibly not doable by regular cars in rainy season, it touches the road to Haliyal where effectively one makes a right U turn (where the dirt track meets the road) and crosses under NH4 to make ones way towards Dandeli beyond Haliyal. Wonderful drive narrow winding roads for rally style driving @about 80-90kmph in a Gypsy. Roads are not too bad although not perfect - almost good I would say. This way you can skip Dharwad and enjoy a wonderful forest road to Dandeli and onwards to the Ghat descending from CastleRock with nothing but dense wooded forests and bird calls to enjoy for atleast a few hours of driving. Apparently this patch has become pleasantly doable after the illegal iron ore mining was stopped last year and the trucks are off the road - according to a local.

One can get a wonderful view of Supa reservoir on the way at a view point and Chandewadi has a wonderful tall and lonely bridge in the middle of the jungle over a stream, that deserves a 15 min break for a dekho. At CastleRock, one can take a right to hit the railway crossing to NH4A or a left to pass through a narrow tunnel under the railway line which is more like a giant sewer pipe laid out for vehicles to pass. It is clean, not a gutter.


The return journey I made via Karwar, Karnataka, India to National Highway 4 - Google Maps
About 8 kms of bad roads from Yellapur to Tadas otherwise decent. Ask for the Sri Gayatri Tapobhoomi temple and soon after that is the underpass to hit NH4 on the Bangalore side. One can also skip hitting Hubli on the way to Goa by keeping an eye out for a medium sized SriGayatriTapobhoomi temple sign board in the centre divider on NH4 a few 100 metres before the exit to SH1 on the left - take a left U-turn to hit Tadas, Mundgod and Yellapur directly. It will save between 50 to 100kms it looks like.

Both going and coming took 12 hrs with one food break and a few 10min loitering around breaks at scenic spots. From Banaswadi to Panaji, started at 8:15am reached at 8pm'ish. Coming back started at 11:30 and reached around midnight. It was a solo drive both ways

NH4 is easily doable at a speed of 100kmph all the way to Hubli and back, both day and night - if you have auxilliary headlights, else one will have to restrict speed to 80kmph max.

HTH
--Ragul

[airguitar]

You didn't have to go through Dandeli town unless you had some work there.. ( the road from Handali to barchi and from there to Ganeshgudi is good )

I tried that mud road that connects the NH to the SH and it was very very cratery and scraped my car's bottom : since then I've always gone through Dharwad city even if it means a few minutes more ( and I get to buy my mishra pedha by going into the city ). Not sure if the stretch has improved.

Any information on the Idagundi - Kaiga - Karwar road condition ?

[Ragul]

Originally Posted by airguitar

You didn't have to go through Dandeli town unless you had some work there.. ( the road from Handali to barchi and from there to Ganeshgudi is good )

I tried that mud road that connects the NH to the SH and it was very very cratery and scraped my car's bottom : since then I've always gone through Dharwad city even if it means a few minutes more ( and I get to buy my mishra pedha by going into the city ). Not sure if the stretch has improved.

Any information on the Idagundi - Kaiga - Karwar road condition ?

Thanks. Actually I don't recall having touched Dandeli town but possibly took the upper route.

Planning to do the Idgundi Kaiga route next time...

--Ragul

[AdrenalinJunkie]

I'm planning a road-trip to Dandeli on the 19th Jan [this Friday] for 2 days. Will be driving from Bangalore to Dandeli and back. Now i need suggestions on a few things,

1. Route to Dandeli from Dharwad?
2. Best resort to stay? [I was considering Kali adventure camp]
3. Tree-house - good option or not?

I own a santro and the group might be 4-6 people.
And finally tips and suggestions from people who might have recently made a similar trip.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by AdrenalinJunkie

1. Route to Dandeli from Dharwad?

Look at #54. The turn from Dharwad is clearly mentioned.

2. Best resort to stay? [I was considering Kali adventure camp]
3. Tree-house - good option or not?

I own a santro and the group might be 4-6 people.
And finally tips and suggestions from people who might have recently made a similar trip.

I am not aware of anything other than JLR. Thats the best place you can get.