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-   -   Bangalore to Dandeli : Route Queries (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-travel-queries/31303-bangalore-dandeli-route-queries-5.html)

Oops, my bad. Actually just wanted to know the current road condition.

Yup, JLR is the one I was talking about too. Was wondering if there were any better alternatives.

Narrow road (Idgundi - Kaiga), rather single road. Hardly any vehicles, if your vehicle breaks down, you will have to wait for hours before someone can pass by. But this road is much better then Anshi ghat.

Cannot comment on scenic, as I was ridding (RE 500) in the night.

Dharwad to Dandeli is about 60km of decent SH. Dont expect great roads. The road has pot holes. But over you should cover the same in about 1 to 1.5 hours.

JLR is the best one there. At least I am not aware of any thing else.

A bit of Google gave these ones:

Hornbill Resorts
Bison River Resort and Wildlife Resort, Ganeshgudi

Dharwad - Dandeli road had never been great (past 20 years) and hoping it will be one fine day. But always feels good to ride there.

As per my experience, no one stopped for permission. May be because I was ridding back at 3am.

If you are returning from Kaiga to Idgundi you will have to go way checkpost (its on right side) (left leads to Kaiga nuclear plant & right to Idgundi). There you can enquire and proceed accordingly.

From top you can see entire Kaiga nuclear plant.

Mod team note: Back to back posts, please use Multi Quote (Quote+) instead. Thanks

Have stayed at the Hornbill Resort (on two occasions) and a different property of JLR called the Old Magazine House (Ganeshgudi). Both are good in their own settings.

If you want a completely secluded and relaxed experience go for the Old Magazine House. This property is managed by JLR as well (and costs much lower than the Kali Adventure Resort). Lot of birds in the vicinity (btw, our trip was primarily for birdwatching, hence this suited us best).

The Hornbill Resort too is very good, but more crowded and commercialized. The settings are wonderful, especially if you manage to book the tree house. They have 2 tree houses overlooking the kali river. If you are interested in Hornbill sightings, we sighted quite a few of them resident in the property. Further, there is a small island (10 mins by boat) that they take you, where water flows to form a natural Jacuzzi. Worth experiencing.

Our blog link of this trip - Dandeli – Birding into the new year « …those magnificent flying machines

Another option if you are open is Kulgi Nature Camp. Operated by Forest Department, is a very VFM option, if you get a booking.

I would be driving from Ankola to Ganeshgudi and then on to NH4 (Hubli-Dharwad bypass). The two options I came up with are:

a) Ankola - Yellapur - Haliyal - Ganeshgudi - Haliyal - NH4 (after some acrobatics around a mango farm)

b) Ankola - Karwar - Sadashivgarh - Joida - Ganeshgudi - Haliyal - NH4 (after some acrobatics around a mango farm)

Any tips on which one is better? Distance-wise, both are more or less the same.

Thanks in advance...

If you plan to drive to Ankola via Hubli/Yellapur, then I would suggest to take the Karwar/Kadra/Anshi/Kumbarwada/Joida/Dandeli route.
But be aware the Anshi route is pretty bad. But the drive is worth it. At Joida you get a turn to Dandeli, while the road straight would lead Ramnagar/Londa.
Take that road till Ganeshgudi. If you can get to see the dam, that would be nice.

Turn to Kadra/Anshi would be after you cross the bridge on Kali river.

As Amp says, beware of route b). I'd probably not do it given my experience with the route through Anshi.

Ankola - Yellapura - Bhagavathi - Kesarolli Cross - Ganeshgudi is what I would do ( and it's hardly longer than route b ). I did this November and was doable. You still get to pass through some thick forests.

Another route c) would be Ankola - Yellapura - Bhagavathi - Ambikanagar - Ganeshgudi ( although am not sure of the Bhagavathi - Ambikanagar stretch state )

Pardon my ignorance but is this same as route 'a' as mentioned in my post?

Yes, almost, except that you don't have to go into Haliyal to go to Ganeshgudi from Yellapur : you take a diversion at Kesarolli cross and head towards Ganeshgudi.

@cool_dube
As @Ag mentioned, you branch off from the Yellapur-Haliyal road at Bhagawati.
You then need to take the Dandeli road via Ambikanahar.

You would be going through the Kali tributaries (Tattihalla and Bommanahalli reservoirs).

Thanks, Amp. Just to add : what Amp mentions is the route c) in my post. Amp : is the Bhagavathi - Ambikanagar road in good condition ?

The road I did : I didn't branch off at Bhagavathi : I headed straight from Bhagavathi in the direction of Haliyal, a few kms before Haliyal, at Kesarolli cross, took a left towards Ganeshgudi. ( that's the route b on cool_dube's post with a minor modification ).

Also, just fitting in the other road updated thread I posted here : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...a-kannada.html

No @AG never took that route but used to always see the marking to Ambikanagar at Dandeli.
It was always Joida-Dandeli-Hubli for me.

Guys - thanks much for your inputs. As I understand it, the route to be taken is as given below, with point 'A' being Kesarolli Cross and point 'B' being Handali checkpost. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Ampere - I believe it makes sense to take the Bhagavati - Ambikanagar route if the destination is Dandeli. If I am going to G. Gudi, the route given below makes more sense, IMHO. Please correct me if I am wrong. Also, as much as I'd like to do the Anshi route, I would avoid it given the road conditions around Anshi.

Perfectly valid.
If end point is G-Gudi, then the route you mention makes sense.