[The Great]

Originally Posted by RandomExplorer

Thanks for the inputs The Great.
Would you know how is the Nashik Saputara route these days? Any recommendations for the choice of route? thanks in advance.

The Mumbai Nashik highway is a drivers paradise. Both the MUM-Nashik-Saputara or the MUM-Gujarat-Saputara are great to drive but in my opinion the Nashik highway is a bit more scenic.

The sad part is the 60 odd kms from Nashik is not maintained properly and it is really bad but the grape vineyards are a treat to watch.

[arun_112]

Thane to Saputara can be done via two routes. One via Nasik, and other via Vapi.

Nasik-Saputara has very bad roads although it is 232 Km and takes about 5 hour 45 mins. CNG is not available on this route. Limited food options on this route.

Vapi Saputara route is excellent, 270 Kms, 5 hour 45 minutes. Plenty of CNG stations on way, the first one at Vapi and last one at Dharampur, just 90 Kms before Saputara. Lot of food options on the way.

From Thane again there are two routes.

One is Thane, Vapi, Nana Ponda, Dharampur, which is 270 kms, takes 5 hours 45 minutes. This is not advisable as it has narrow, winding roads and goes through villages as soon as you take the state highway from Vapi to Dharampur. Lot of village motercycle traffic is a disturbance. This route will have toll of Rs 70 + Rs 60.

Other one is Thane, Vapi, Atul, Valsad, Dharampur, Saputara, which is 284 Kms, takes 5 hours 42 minutes. This is the best route and faster as the ride is on wide highways with excellent road condition and plenty of CNG options and restaurants. This route will have toll of Rs 70 + Rs 60 + Rs 70.

Hence, you can see that the Thane-Vapi-Valsad route is 52 Kms longer with additional toll of Rs 70 as compared to route vis Nasik. But this comes at a luxury of driving on butter smooth roads, keeping your vehicle safe from very bad roads and you can have best restaurants on the way. CNG is expensive in Gujarat by Rs 2, while petrol is cheaper by Rs 9.

Here is the log for Thane-Vapi-Nana Ponda-Dharampur-Saputara route

000 Start fromVasundhra Enclave (near Vasant Vihar)
045 First toll Rs 70
093 Second toll Rs 60
149 CNG at Vapi
183 Nana Ponda Circle
203 Dharampur CNG station
270 Sharp right turn
288 Club Mahindra
294 Saputara Lake Parking

Here is log for Saputara-Dharampur-Valsad-Vapi- Thane route

000 Start from Saputara
092 Dharampur CNG station
114 Join NH 48 at Valsad
130 First toll Rs 70
227 Second toll Rs 60
275 Third toll Rs 70
320 Vasundhra Enclave, Thane

Saputara is a very small town, nothing much to do and see. Boating and Paragliding are main attractions. Sunrise point is worth seeing. Sunset point is also good and gets crowded in the evening.

For best vegetarian food you can go to Patang restaurant adjoining Saputara Lake parking. The rates are reasonable, ambience excellent and food is the best in town. It is so neat and clean restaurant that it can be compared to 3 star property. 6 Km away from Saputara is Club Mahindra and they have the best buffet breakfast for Rs 750 between 8 am till 10.30 am. There are plenty of food stalls around the lake. Food is reasonably priced.

[subhro1988]

I am planning to drive down to Saputara from Powai this weekend and am confused whether to go through Vapi-Valsad-Dharampur or through Nashik.

Any idea of the current road condition after the rains? (both Valsad side and Nashik side)

[Kartik Kumar]

Originally Posted by subhro1988

I am planning to drive down to Saputara from Powai this weekend and am confused whether to go through Vapi-Valsad-Dharampur or through Nashik.

Any idea of the current road condition after the rains? (both Valsad side and Nashik side)

Did you go to Saputara? Which road did you take and how was the condition of that road? Planning to drive to Saputara from Chembur in December so I want to decide on the Vapi route or the Nashik one.

[subhro1988]

Originally Posted by Kartik Kumar

Did you go to Saputara? Which road did you take and how was the condition of that road? Planning to drive to Saputara from Chembur in December so I want to decide on the Vapi route or the Nashik one.

Yes I did go to Saputara in the 1st week of September. I went through the Nashik route and came back through Gujarat NH48. The Nashik route was quite bad with lots of post monsoon potholes and uneven roads. Additionally there was some work going on at Kasara-Igatpuri ghats leading to slow moving traffic.

That is why I decided to come back through Saputara-vansda-chikli (join NH48 here)-Valsad-Vapi. That road was butter smooth except for the Vansda-Chikli section where there were some minor post monsoon potholes but I could maintain a speed of 60. Spotted at least three cars with Team BHP stickers on them on NH48.

I faced majority of the traffic near Dahisar toll naka and WE highway.

[Kartik Kumar]

Originally Posted by subhro1988

Yes I did go to Saputara in the 1st week of September. I went through the Nashik route and came back through Gujarat NH48. The Nashik route was quite bad with lots of post monsoon potholes and uneven roads. Additionally there was some work going on at Kasara-Igatpuri ghats leading to slow moving traffic.

That is why I decided to come back through Saputara-vansda-chikli (join NH48 here)-Valsad-Vapi. That road was butter smooth except for the Vansda-Chikli section where there were some minor post monsoon potholes but I could maintain a speed of 60. Spotted at least three cars with Team BHP stickers on them on NH48.

I faced majority of the traffic near Dahisar toll naka and WE highway.

Thanks for the update! Looks like NH48 is a safer bet rather than Nashik route. Also I will switch to the Thane route after crossing the Vasai Creek bridge so should avoid the Dahisar toll naka although there should be some toll naka on EE highway as well.

[pathik@2020]

Hi, I am planning to drive from Mumbai to Hatgad next week - it would be great to know if there is any improvement in Nashik-Hatgad road of late or is Vapi-Valsad-Saputara still the preferred route?
Would appreciate if someone can share a recent experience, many thanks!

[pathik@2020]

Originally Posted by pathik@2020

Hi, I am planning to drive from Mumbai to Hatgad next week - it would be great to know if there is any improvement in Nashik-Hatgad road of late or is Vapi-Valsad-Saputara still the preferred route?
Would appreciate if someone can share a recent experience, many thanks!

I finally made it to Hatgad and back ex-Mumbai and it was a fun drive. I am sharing my experience and some snaps here in case anyone is planning to drive down.

The distances have been accurately mapped by arun_112 in his earlier post. Also, important to note that mobile signal is patchy between Dindori / Dharampur to Hatgad (depending on the route you take) so it is advisable to download google maps in advance to navigate this stretch.

We started from Mumbai post lunch after completing some online meetings (vagaries of WFH) and online school. As per google map and some advice gleaned from earlier experiences shared here, I surmised that it will take us between five and a half to six hours to reach. That would mean night-fall and since I am familiar with the road till Dindori, decided to take that on the onward journey. I find the prospect of a drive both exciting and relaxing in equal measure, nothing better than the feeling of crunching miles in the company of people you love in a ride that you covet. Road trips also afford the luxury of packing in whatever you fancy, so in goes the football and yoga mat and any other game/equipment you fancy that can fit in the boot!! We also packed tea in a thermos and some snacks on-the-go to save time on the way. For those who would want a break, there are many restaurants / food courts along the highway on both sides. While going to Nashik our preferred halt is Shiv Sagar about 1.5kms before Padgha (Arjunalli) toll-plaza – has consistent & reliable Indian food options and clean washrooms. Another good option for people travelling with children is Food Hub (has McDonalds, Dominos and Starbucks in addition to regular Indian food options) at Shahapur about 18kms after the toll.

Drive out from Mumbai was uneventful only till we reached Thane-Mulund toll, traffic came to a grinding halt and frantic map searches began for alternate routes to avoid the congestion ahead on Eastern Express Highway (EEH). I took the left most service lane to explore if there was an alternate route to be considered. Google Maps obliged by showing up an alternate route via Thane railway station so, left the highway and headed out in that direction. After many bends I finally landed back on EEH near Rustomjee before the (now dismantled) Bhiwandi toll plaza. Thanks to Google Maps we had circumvented an extremely bad congestion and saved at least 45mins :-) Drive from there onwards was at a steady pace. Kasara Ghat was a pleasure to drive, the only watch-out being village traffic coming from the opposite direction. For someone not expecting traffic from the opposite direction, it can be a nasty surprise considering there are two separate carriageways in the ghat section for traffic from both sides. There is a village road that meets the Mumbai – Nashik segment in the middle of ghat and from there bikes and some vehicles ply down towards Mumbai. If one is not careful it can lead to a bad head-on collision, to be fair there are some signages warning about ‘oncoming traffic’. Our first stop was on this Kasara Ghat road, I spotted a place with lots of space on the shoulder and a decent view and I had been driving for two hours. Out came piping hot chai from thermos and some snacks. Feeling refreshed after tea and stretching my limbs, started again.

Stop at Kasara Ghat


Drive till end of Nashik was very comfortable on the highway and Nashik Freeway, that avoids all congestion of the city. After the freeway turned left towards Dindori and entered town traffic. Evening skies were clear and roads are good and a pleasure to drive. I wanted to make the best use of daylight and postpone the next break till dusk. Weather surprised us and it started raining – this coincided with our drive past Dindori and road narrowed further. As the sun set beyond clouds, we decided to take another break to polish off the tea. We made slower progress post Dindori because the roads are narrower with no median/divider. Road condition had also deteriorated slightly, slowing our progress. I had factored this into the schedule so no surprises there! However, except for about 30km where progress was rather slow because of bad roads, this was a good drive. We crossed Maharashtra RTO check-point which is quite confusing if you are not used to seeing completely barricaded roads for no reason, especially in the dark. And then you notice that there is a lay-bye with a check post which is mainly for goods vehicles, drive past it and you are back on your way. We finally rolled into the resort a good six hours after driving out of the parking lot in Mumbai.

Once in Hatgad, realised that it was a complete connectivity black-out except for BSNL which we did not have!! This was a good detox from tech and the time was well utilised in climbing up the Hatgad fort everyday. Views from the top were very rewarding.

Panoramic view from Hatgad Fort


View atop Hatgad fort


We discovered that mobile signal was very good on the hill - must have been because of the mobile towers across in Saputara. The resort was in mobile signal-shadow area, sheltered by the hill on which the fort is built. Day time was spent relaxing the resort and driving to Saputara, which is a very small town. The difference between infrastructure in Maharashtra (Hatgad) and Gujarat (Saputara) was quite perceptible. In spite of Saputara being a small town, it has well maintained & painted roads, spaces laid out for hawkers and ample parking at tourist spots. It was also very clean with no garbage or plastic waste in sight across the town. We discovered that the town had better places to eat than our resort and we partook Gujarati meals at a place called Chitrakoot. Their restaurant has a good view, good food and prompt service. Drive around the town was good and we also headed down some way on the Surat road for a short drive.

Clear blue skies in Hatgad



Scenic drives around Saputara



View from Chitrakoot retaurant


Sit-out & lawn at resort



Tolls applicable on the onward drive:
Thane-Mulund Toll: ₹ 40
NH3 Padgha (Arjunalli) Toll: ₹ 110
Saputara Entry Toll: ₹ 40 (₹ 60 for return trip, only if driving to Saputara)

On the way back we decided to take the NH8 via Dharampur and it was a pleasant surprise. The roads are much better than Nashik-Dindori but the route is about 50km longer and this only took us 30minutes more than the onward drive. This route is very scenic, tree lined roads dotted with small markets as you drive past the towns. It was a very enjoyable drive.

Caption8: Tree-lined road to Dharampur (on way to NH8)


We had started after a hearty breakfast and took a break at a road-side dhaba about 4kms before Dharampur. The place served good samosas and kutchi dabeli which was downed with chai.

Caption9: Dhaba near Dharampur


This was the only break we took on the way back. After merging with NH8 the drive was much faster and only got into a congestion after reaching Vasai Creek bridge. Dahisar toll was also a breeze and Western Express was its usual self; since it was a weekend, traffic wasn’t too bad. The drive took us six and a half hours including the break.

Tolls applicable on the way back:
NH8 Toll: ₹ 70 (Bhagwada plaza) + ₹ 65 (Charoti plaza) + ₹ 70 (Khaniwade plaza)
Dahisar Toll: ₹ 40

[Dead Head]

Hi

I have planned to travel to Hatgad this Easter weekend.

Request if some member can provide some updated information about the condition of the road and where to stop for food etc.

We are planning to go via Nasik

thanks

[Dead Head]

Just back after spending the Easter weekend at Club Mahindra Saputara.

Drove from Powai to Hatgad & back. Started at 630 am from Powai & except for one stop for breakfast , the drive was a breeze. Took the Nasik /Dindori route and we reached Club Mahindra at 11.30 am . This was without pushing hard , mostly did not exceed 80kmph . Only stretch which was a bit troublesome was between Nasik to Dindori due to the mixed traffic of two wheelers and trucks. After Dindori, the road has been newly relaid and the stretch from Dindori to Hatgad was pretty good.

There were entry restrictions into Gujarat but as we had RTPCR certificates, we could enter without problem.

For the return leg, I wanted to take the Gujarat route but my better half did not see sense in travelling the extra two hours. We checked out the route for 10 kms beyond Saputara and the route is truly very appealing visually - winding ghat sections with lots of greenery. Next time hopefully Boss will agree to take that route.

The return journey was uneventful, drove direct from Hatgad to Powai without a stop , 4 hours by the clock. Entry into Mumbai did not have too much traffic as it was a Sunday.

It was a great experience to use Fastag at all the Toll stations. Crossing these was a breeze and the Fastag worked seamlessly. This definitely is a good initiative which will cut down travel time on highways.

[SSD2122]

Fellow team bhpians,

I am planning to travel from Pune to Hatgad via Nashik or bypassing Nashik as per inputs from Google Maps. The distance it shows is around 292 kms or so. 5 of us are travelling in my Tjet which includes my parents, both 70+. We would be travelling in the last week of May. I need some inputs please on my queries as below,

1. Starting Pune at 7:00 / 7:30 am, what would be a good place for breakfast and lunch with clean and hygienic washrooms especially for ladies?

2. How is the road condition from Pune to Nashik? Are there any major road works etc. happening. I would be using Google Maps still inputs are most welcome to know the current status.

3. Recommendations on any good petrol pumps on the way and back are welcome as I have had an incident with bad petrol playing spoilsport few years back. Usually I use BP petrol pumps.

Any other suggestions are also most welcome!

[dpat17]

Originally Posted by SSD2122

1. Starting Pune at 7:00 / 7:30 am, what would be a good place for breakfast and lunch with clean and hygienic washrooms especially for ladies?

2. How is the road condition from Pune to Nashik? Are there any major road works etc. happening. I would be using Google Maps still inputs are most welcome to know the current status.

I will try and answer two of your queries.

1. For breakfast consider Akash Misal House and Pure Veg Restaurant. It is located on left side of road towards Nashik immediately after end of ghat after Rajgurunagar (Google Maps would help). Place has clean washrooms.

2. Road is good all along till Nashik.

Suggestion: Please leave do not delay your departure beyond 7.30 otherwise you will get caught in traffic till Rajgurunagar.

[SSD2122]

Few days back I had asked queries regarding travel from Pune to Hatgad via Nashik.

Travelled today and updating my details below which can be of help to fellow teambhpians.

Used GoogleMaps all the way. Below I have noted the travel timeline

6:15 am - Left Pune.

7:45 am - Breakfast and Washroom halt just after crossing Manchar. Hotel Ravi Kiran - Pure Veg. Clean and hygienic washrooms for gents and ladies. Good play area for kids. Spacious area.

There are quite a few hotels along the way and good fuel pumps as well.

10:30 am - Reached Sinnar for Tea and Washroom break.

Since I left at 6:15am, I was able to cross Chakan, Manchar, Rajgurunagar etc without much traffic.

The road to Nashik has undergone a welcome transformation. Most of it is a 4 lane highway and was a breeze to drive.

Road from Nashik to Hatgad too is without any potholes and again beautiful to drive.

1:15 pm - reached Hatgad Club Mahindra.

[INJAXN]

Originally Posted by SSD2122

Few days back I had asked queries regarding travel from Pune to Hatgad via Nashik.

Thanks for this info.
We are also planning to visit Saputara in first/second weekend of July.

What else did you do there? Any specific attraction ?

[SSD2122]

Originally Posted by INJAXN

Thanks for this info.
We are also planning to visit Saputara in first/second weekend of July.

What else did you do there? Any specific attraction ?

I stayed at Hatgad resort of Club Mahindra and visited Saputara for only half a day.

There is a museum at Saputara which was closed when we went (not able to recollect the day though).

A cable ride from one point to another connecting 2 hills. Steps garden, rose garden and a lake garden with construction going on. It has boat rides though water level was quite low. Overall I found it ok. It has a good number of hotels.

Since you are going in July, with rains it would be way better than when I had been there. Enjoy!

Useful tip: Fill up your tank to the full at the pump just after crossing over from maharashtra. Way cheaper!

Word of caution : I filled up my tjet with premium petrol not wanting to take any risks on adulteration etc as it is always crowded. Faced no issues.