[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by ashokbh

But on the NH4 route (subsequently NH4A as advised by the pros), where would I have to negotiate the ghats?

After Belgaum before Mollem.Anmod Ghat section ends at the Mollem Sanctuary.

Originally Posted by ashokbh

Another question: Can I do Baroda to Margao in one day, bypassing Mumbai? Baroda will be my stopover on the way out from Delhi. I shall drive the night out from Del and reach Baroda around 10 in the morning. If I started around midnight or about 1 a.m. from Baroda, is it possible to reach Margaon by sundown the next day (having skipped Mumbai)?
Thanks much in anticipation.

There is no way to bypass Mumbai.baroda-thane-panvel-mpew(expressway)-pune bypass-new katraj tunnel-satara-kolhapur-nippani-uttur-ajra-amboli-sawantwadi-goa border-panjim-madgaon would be your route
Baroda-thane:6hrs
Thane to MPEW:60-90mins
MPEW:90-120mins(anything lesser is asking for trouble)
Pune Bypass:90mins
PuneBypass End - Kolhapur:3-4hrs
Kolhapur-Madgaon(via Amboli):4hrs
Kolhapur-Belgaum:1hr
Belgaum-Madgaon(via Miller):3-4hrs.if you are arriving after 6-7am at Belgaum you would have to negotiate town traffic as well as ask around for the road to Khanapur(if via NH4a) or for Chorla road

[Sawyer]

On second thoughts - it isn't that all the ghat roads are a bhoot bangla at nights! Just that lack of traffic means breakdowns can be a problem.

You can skirt that issue even if you get to pass Kolhapur before 6 pm. Instead of leaving NH4 at Tawandi, stay on it and leave it a little later at Sankeshwar to go to Amboli via Gadhinglaj - Ajra. The Sankeshwar route has enough traffic on it for back up if needed. I have done the Amboli ghat coming up from Goa often at 5 am, and there is enough truck traffic on it even at that time. I find ghats easier at night because on coming traffic is easily picked up via their lights. This way you will also avoid Belgaum traffic which can be a pain.

[Ertigiat]

Originally Posted by ashokbh

Also, I have the same question about the road from Belgaum to Margao. What would be the easiest and safest road to travel - the Chorla, or Mollem road? I do not want too much hill drive, given the fatigue factor of having driven from Delhi?

Hello Sir, Let me help you with few suggestions. I would recommend you Mumbai – Pune – Belgaum – Khanapur – Ramanagar – Anmod- Margao route.

Reasons for suggesting the route,

• NH4 from Mumbai till Belgaum.

• Mumbai Pune expressway - Nothing major to worry about, End of expressway to Satara – Six lane work in progress. It is 80% complete but still numerous diversion. Satara to Belgaum - Absolute breeze to drive. Belgaum to Margao (NH4A) – Excellent road till Margao barring Road widening at same places (Out skirts of Belgaum & few patches before Ponda).

Reason for not recommending Chorla Route - Your destination is Margoa & NH4A is wider + shorter route to Margao. Chorla was an alternative to reach Margao when NH4A was in Pathetic condition. But NH4A has been completely re-laid & is as good as any other 2 lane National Highway.

Reason for not recommending Ajara-Amboli-Sawantwadi route – Again your destination is Margao & you do not want navigate through dense traffic between Mapusa & Margao. Especially at few locations in Panjim (New bridge construction site over river Mandovi).

Originally Posted by ashokbh

Another question: Can I do Baroda to Margao in one day, bypassing Mumbai? Baroda will be my stopover on the way out from Delhi. I shall drive the night out from Del and reach Baroda around 10 in the morning. If I started around midnight or about 1 a.m. from Baroda, is it possible to reach Margaon by sundown the next day (having skipped Mumbai)?

Yes you certainly can do Baroda - Margao without halt. I read you would be reaching Baroda by 10 AM & would want to start by midnight. But I have taken liberty to change your start time from Baroda & have drawn an tentative itinerary so that it can be done in one go.

• Start from Baroda - 6 PM

• Reach Mumbai outskirts (Hotel fountain) – 11 PM

• Reach Pune outskirts via Thane – 2 AM

• Reach Belgaum – 7 AM

• Reach Margao – 10.30 AM

Another major reason for altering your timing is, because you certainly want to avoid End of Mumbai-Pune expressway till Satara during daytime. Trust me, it will tiring to negotiate through slower & heavier traffic, frequent traffic jams at various diversions after good 7-8 hours of nights drive. The journey is planned in such a way that you would be avoiding spots which are prone to traffic congestion.

In my opinion driving close to 16 hours at one go would be too much considering your 1.5K drive a day prior. I would recommend to follow the same itinerary but take a break at Kolhapur. You should reach Kolhapur by 5 AM. Take a break. Sleep till well past noon. Have sumptuous lunch & start for Goa. Even if you start from Kolhapur by 2 PM, you should reach Margoa by 7 PM.

Well I am based at Margao. Do ping me in case you get stuck at something or write in this post.

[abhi3284]

Originally Posted by Ertigiat

Hello Sir, Let me help you with few suggestions. I would recommend you Mumbai – Pune – Belgaum – Khanapur – Ramanagar – Anmod- Margao route.

Reasons for suggesting the route,

• NH4 from Mumbai till Belgaum.

• Mumbai Pune expressway - Nothing major to worry about, End of expressway to Satara – Six lane work in progress. It is 80% complete but still numerous diversion. Satara to Belgaum - Absolute breeze to drive. Belgaum to Margao (NH4A) – Excellent road till Margao barring Road widening at same places (Out skirts of Belgaum & few patches before Ponda).

Reason for not recommending Chorla Route - Your destination is Margoa & NH4A is wider + shorter route to Margao. Chorla was an alternative to reach Margao when NH4A was in Pathetic condition. But NH4A has been completely re-laid & is as good as any other 2 lane National Highway.

Reason for not recommending Ajara-Amboli-Sawantwadi route – Again your destination is Margao & you do not want navigate through dense traffic between Mapusa & Margao. Especially at few locations in Panjim (New bridge construction site over river Mandovi).

I am driving from Pune to Goa on 24th May and was still in a fix whether to take the Chorla Ghat Route or Anmod - Mollem Route since i will be staying in Benaulim in South Goa. Your Post did ease my doubts a bit. Though Anmod- Mollem is a shorter route, i wanted confirmation of the Road Conditions. Now that you have confirmed that it's relaid, i might prefer this route. I had drive through Chorla 3 Yrs ago and found it very good and scenic.

Thank you...

Originally Posted by ashokbh

Also, I have the same question about the road from Belgaum to Margao. What would be the easiest and safest road to travel - the Chorla, or Mollem road?

When are you traveling to Goa ? Would appreciate a fresh update on the Road Conditions of whichever route you take before i pack my Bags to Goa on 24th May.
Have a Happy and Safe Trip...

[Kameshwar]

^^ well, if you do decide to take amboli, here are my two bits. I just got back to Pune from Goa today. Nippani-amboli-sawantwadi-goa route is fine. Small patches of bad roads but overall the road is fine. I was comfortably able to keep high(er) speeds on the Duke than last time when I went March end.

Just watch out for the speed breakers which are yet to be removed at the diversions before satara due to road works.. I counted 6 on the way to Goa and around 5-6 unmarked ones on the way back.

I took some videos on the go pro, if you're interested to actually see the road conditions. Search my name on YouTube and you'll find the playlist. Alternatively PM if you want the link..

[Ertigiat]

Since there are lot of questions popping up regarding road condition between Belgaum & Goa, I thought I will pen down my recent travel on this route. Not very often but I drive at least twice in a month on this route.

Onward Jouney

Date of Travel – 29th April, Friday

Destination – Pune

Route – Margao – Anmod – Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary – Khanapur – Belgaum – Nippani – Satara – Pune.

Vehicle/s – Ertiga Till Nippani, Scorpio from Nippani till Pune

Start time – 5.35 AM

Break – Reached 8.40 AM at Nippani (Included a power nap break for around 15 mins).

Vehicle Swapping – Scorpio needed a thorough wash as it wasn’t used for 10-15 days. I almost lost close to 1.5 hours in cleaning it, filling fuel, checking tyre pressure etc.

Start after break – 10 AM

Reached Hinjewadi – 1.35 PM.

I prefer early morning start as I face relatively lesser traffic enroute. Route till Anmod is breeze. After Anmod check post took immediate left for Khanapur through Bhimgad wildlife sanctuary. This route is open only from 6AM to 6PM (Very apt decision as you can sometimes come across Jackel, Bison & Snakes. Time restriction should help wildlife at fall). One can also continue on NH4A towards Khanapur via Ramanagar. But route through Sanctuary saves me good 20-25 kms. Sanctuary road is fairly good barring few patches where top layer is disappeared. It becomes narrower when you enter Belgaum district & sometimes you have to get off the track to accommodate oncoming vehicle (Read Truck). I maintained speed of around 80-90 Kmph till I crossed Belgaum. Road between Belgaum & Nippani is excellent where I was cruising at around 100-110 Kmph. Somewhere between Belgaum & Sankeshwar I parked vehicle in parking bay & took a break for quick power nap (Whenever I feel sleepy I prefer parking vehicle aside and taking a power nap instead of tea or any form of caffeine). Reached Nippani at around 8.40 AM.

I started the journey again around 10 AM in Scorpio. The speed of Scorpio is infectious but I hate its rideability. Cruised at around 110-120 Kmph only to reach Pune (Hinjewadi Bridge) by 1.35 PM. I did not take any break during journey except one for getting the Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate after Khed Shivapur toll. Though there were numerous diversions between Satara & Pune, at none I faced traffic jam.

Return Journey

Date of Travel – 30th April, Friday

Destination – Nippani

Route – Pune – Satara - Kolhapur - Nippani

Vehicle – Scorpio S6+

Start time – 6.00 PM

Nippani Reached – 10.30 PM

Most probably this was one of the most torturous drive, I have done till date. I wanted to start by 2 PM so that I could reach Margao for a sleep. But couldn’t complete work before dusk. Started from Hinjewadi at around 6 PM. Till Satara came across umpteen traffic jams at various diversions. It was really tiring to negotiate through absolute heavy traffic. It wasn’t traffic that was tiring me but lane discipline of other vehicles. Everyone was in hurry to outrace others. In doing so there was no respect for lane following. Couple of Wagon R’s overtook me when I was doing at around 100 kmph & when I dropped to 90 kmph more than couple of Alto’s zoomed pass me. Sometimes I wonder whether the average driving speed on National Highways has gone close to 100 kmph? It also is heart wrenching to see people squeezing life out puny 800 CC engine (No offence Alto owners). Anyway I reached Nippani at 10.30 PM and was in no mood to drive further. Crashed on bed only to wakeup 4.30 Next morning.

Date of Travel – 1st May 2016

Destination – Margao

Route –Nippani – Belgaum – Khanapur – Anmod - Margao

Vehicle - Ertiga

Start time – 5.30 AM

Nippani Reached – 8.45 AM.

Break – 15 minutes of bio break before start of Anmod Ghat

Nothing exiting happened during the journey. Just to give hint of vehicle density between Khanapur & Anmod, I came across 3 trucks & 7 four wheelers through the drive of 30 odd kms. Lesser traffic might be because of time (7.00 in the morning).

My parents stay at Nippani & I often end up travelling there. My earlier preferred route was Margao-Panjim- Sawantwadi- Amboli-Ajara- Nippani. Since the NH4A has been re-laid I prefer driving via Belgaum. Many people prefer Chorla for being scenic but I always felt Amboli route is equally scenic & definitely wider than Chorla.

So anyone travelling to South Goa from Mumbai/Pune I would recommend NH4/NH4A. If you are travelling to North Goa then Nippani- Ajara – Amboli - Sawantwadi- North Goa or Belgaum – Chorla – North Goa. (I would recommend Amboli route anytime over Chorla, not only for it being wider but also because of availability of Cellular network throughout the journey which is of lot of help during emergency).

Well my next journey on same road is planned in coming 5-6 days.

[Dieseltuned]

Hi guys,

A quick one, On my last travel to Kolhapur from Mumbai, i spotted baords of AH47 and not NH4. A bit of help from Google and AH refers to 'Asian Highway'. Can somebody help me get the bigger perspective on this ? Why this renaming ? HAs Indian Government taken help (FInancial or otherwise) for this road ?

Regards
Dieseltuned

[ShaileshHinge]

Originally Posted by Dieseltuned

Hi guys,

A quick one, On my last travel to Kolhapur from Mumbai, i spotted baords of AH47 and not NH4. A bit of help from Google and AH refers to 'Asian Highway'. Can somebody help me get the bigger perspective on this ? Why this renaming ? HAs Indian Government taken help (FInancial or otherwise) for this road ?

Regards
Dieseltuned

This is what i got from Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Highway_Network

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Map of the highways

Asian Highway 2 sign near Ratchaburi, Thailand

Asian Highway Route Sign. This sign is used on the AH 18.
The Asian Highway (AH) project, also known as the Great Asian Highway, is a cooperative project among countries in Asia and Europe and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), to improve the highway systems in Asia. It is one of the three pillars of the Asian Land Transport Infrastructure Development (ALTID) project, endorsed by the ESCAP commission at its 48th session in 1992, comprising Asian Highway, Trans-Asian Railway (TAR) and facilitation of land transport projects.
Agreements have been signed by 32 countries to allow the highway to cross the continent and also reach to Europe. Some of the countries taking part in the highway project are India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, China, Japan, South Korea and Bangladesh.[1] Most of the funding comes from the larger, more advanced Asian nations like Japan, India and China as well as international agencies such as the Asian Development Bank.
The project aims to make maximum use of the continent's existing highways to avoid the construction of newer ones, except in cases where missing routes necessitate their construction. Project Monitor, an Asian infrastructure news website, has commented that "early beneficiaries of the Asian Highway project are the planners within the national land transport department of the participating countries [since] it assists them in planning the most cost-effective and efficient routes to promote domestic and international trade. Non-coastal areas, which are often negligible, are the other beneficiaries."[1]
However, in the mid-2000s some transportation experts were sceptical about the viability of the project given the economic and political climate in both South and South-East Asia.[1]

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by abhi3284

Would appreciate a fresh update on the Road Conditions of whichever route you take before i pack my Bags to Goa on 24th May.

There won't be any change. Ask the same question after a couple of months of monsoon rain - around August - and you will get a different answer!

[Sawyer]

It is good to know that the old NH4A is in good shape again, that was my route to Goa in the early 90s, even before NH4 was upgraded. I remember a horror drive in about 1995, in the Nipani area where the new road construction was in full swing leaving many kilometres of horrendous surface that I had to slowly negotiate in a new Zen.

Given the traffic on the arterial north south Goa roads now, it is probably a better way to get to Margao and places further south. Even with some time lost in negotiating Belgaum traffic.

For North Goa, Uttur/Ajra/Amboli remains the fastest, I believe.

[kotirajendra]

Originally Posted by ashokbh

Another question: Can I do Baroda to Margao in one day, bypassing Mumbai? Baroda will be my stopover on the way out from Delhi. I shall drive the night out from Del and reach Baroda around 10 in the morning. If I started around midnight or about 1 a.m. from Baroda, is it possible to reach Margaon by sundown the next day (having skipped Mumbai)?

Thanks much in anticipation.

If you want to bypass Mumbai, you can take Nashik-Pune route via Surat. I have done Pune-Baroda by that route. Its by no means a night route as the stretch between Nashik to Saputara is pretty sparse. Very scenic but no habitats around and large parts around Saputara are notified forest area. You might not even get cellphone range. Good Luck.

[humbleroadster]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

For North Goa, Uttur/Ajra/Amboli remains the fastest, I believe.

It is!!

I've just come back to Goa yesterday, and while the roads are smooth with almost 100% drivability, it still remains the quickest by far. Through Amboli that is.

Notably, if one wishes to take Chorla route via belgaum (now belagavi), widening of the only main road on entering belgaum is under progress.
Once that is up and running, one shouldn't take too much time to cut across to nh4 or Chorla through the city.

[Sawyer]

With Amboli the fastest to north Goa and Mollem to the south, that leaves Chorla in third spot as slower than either of the other two for any part of Goa other than those close to the end of that ghat. As for scenic value, I find every road down to Konkan/Goa is scenic in its own way. And in the monsoons, all are spectacular, but equally landslide risk prone in the first few weeks of the season.

Although it is good to have three very viable roads now, that ought to reduce the load on any single one. The big question is how things will remain on this score once the rains have had their say.

[abhi3284]

Originally Posted by humbleroadster

It is!!

I've just come back to Goa yesterday, and while the roads are smooth with almost 100% drivability, it still remains the quickest by far. Through Amboli that is.

Notably, if one wishes to take Chorla route via belgaum (now belagavi), widening of the only main road on entering belgaum is under progress.
Once that is up and running, one shouldn't take too much time to cut across to nh4 or Chorla through the city.

Originally Posted by Ertigiat

Since there are lot of questions popping up regarding road condition between Belgaum & Goa, I thought I will pen down my recent travel on this route. Not very often but I drive at least twice in a month on this route.

Onward Jouney

Date of Travel – 29th April, Friday

Destination – Pune

Route – Margao – Anmod – Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary – Khanapur – Belgaum – Nippani – Satara – Pune.

Vehicle/s – Ertiga Till Nippani, Scorpio from Nippani till Pune

Start time – 5.35 AM

Break – Reached 8.40 AM at Nippani (Included a power nap break for around 15 mins).

Vehicle Swapping – Scorpio needed a thorough wash as it wasn’t used for 10-15 days. I almost lost close to 1.5 hours in cleaning it, filling fuel, checking tyre pressure etc.

Start after break – 10 AM

Reached Hinjewadi – 1.35 PM.

I prefer early morning start as I face relatively lesser traffic enroute. Route till Anmod is breeze. After Anmod check post took immediate left for Khanapur through Bhimgad wildlife sanctuary. This route is open only from 6AM to 6PM (Very apt decision as you can sometimes come across Jackel, Bison & Snakes. Time restriction should help wildlife at fall). One can also continue on NH4A towards Khanapur via Ramanagar. But route through Sanctuary saves me good 20-25 kms. Sanctuary road is fairly good barring few patches where top layer is disappeared. It becomes narrower when you enter Belgaum district & sometimes you have to get off the track to accommodate oncoming vehicle (Read Truck). I maintained speed of around 80-90 Kmph till I crossed Belgaum. Road between Belgaum & Nippani is excellent where I was cruising at around 100-110 Kmph. Somewhere between Belgaum & Sankeshwar I parked vehicle in parking bay & took a break for quick power nap (Whenever I feel sleepy I prefer parking vehicle aside and taking a power nap instead of tea or any form of caffeine). Reached Nippani at around 8.40 AM.

I started the journey again around 10 AM in Scorpio. The speed of Scorpio is infectious but I hate its rideability. Cruised at around 110-120 Kmph only to reach Pune (Hinjewadi Bridge) by 1.35 PM. I did not take any break during journey except one for getting the Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate after Khed Shivapur toll. Though there were numerous diversions between Satara & Pune, at none I faced traffic jam.

Return Journey

Date of Travel – 30th April, Friday

Destination – Nippani

Route – Pune – Satara - Kolhapur - Nippani

Vehicle – Scorpio S6+

Start time – 6.00 PM

Nippani Reached – 10.30 PM

Most probably this was one of the most torturous drive, I have done till date. I wanted to start by 2 PM so that I could reach Margao for a sleep. But couldn’t complete work before dusk. Started from Hinjewadi at around 6 PM. Till Satara came across umpteen traffic jams at various diversions. It was really tiring to negotiate through absolute heavy traffic. It wasn’t traffic that was tiring me but lane discipline of other vehicles. Everyone was in hurry to outrace others. In doing so there was no respect for lane following. Couple of Wagon R’s overtook me when I was doing at around 100 kmph & when I dropped to 90 kmph more than couple of Alto’s zoomed pass me. Sometimes I wonder whether the average driving speed on National Highways has gone close to 100 kmph? It also is heart wrenching to see people squeezing life out puny 800 CC engine (No offence Alto owners). Anyway I reached Nippani at 10.30 PM and was in no mood to drive further. Crashed on bed only to wakeup 4.30 Next morning.

Date of Travel – 1st May 2016

Destination – Margao

Route –Nippani – Belgaum – Khanapur – Anmod - Margao

Vehicle - Ertiga

Start time – 5.30 AM

Nippani Reached – 8.45 AM.

Break – 15 minutes of bio break before start of Anmod Ghat

Nothing exiting happened during the journey. Just to give hint of vehicle density between Khanapur & Anmod, I came across 3 trucks & 7 four wheelers through the drive of 30 odd kms. Lesser traffic might be because of time (7.00 in the morning).

My parents stay at Nippani & I often end up travelling there. My earlier preferred route was Margao-Panjim- Sawantwadi- Amboli-Ajara- Nippani. Since the NH4A has been re-laid I prefer driving via Belgaum. Many people prefer Chorla for being scenic but I always felt Amboli route is equally scenic & definitely wider than Chorla.

So anyone travelling to South Goa from Mumbai/Pune I would recommend NH4/NH4A. If you are travelling to North Goa then Nippani- Ajara – Amboli - Sawantwadi- North Goa or Belgaum – Chorla – North Goa. (I would recommend Amboli route anytime over Chorla, not only for it being wider but also because of availability of Cellular network throughout the journey which is of lot of help during emergency).

Well my next journey on same road is planned in coming 5-6 days.

Hey Guys, will be leaving for Goa along with my Family in a couple of days.
Wanted a latest update from local Goans on the Weather, Beach Shacks Status and any other useful information.

Since i am traveling to Benaulim in South Goa, i am planning to take the below Route based on your recommendation.

Route – Pune – Satara - Kolhapur - Nippani – Belgaum – Khanapur – Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary - Anmod - Margao.

Just wanted to know the difference between Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary Route and Ramanagar Route to Anmod. Is the Wildlife Sanctuary Road safe enough to travel ? Which route will be preferable ?

Thanks Guys.

[swapnilup]

Originally Posted by abhi3284

Just wanted to know the difference between Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary Route and Ramanagar Route to Anmod. Is the Wildlife Sanctuary Road safe enough to travel ? Which route will be preferable ?
.

Bhimgad route is shorter by ~20kms. I am told that the roads are closed from 7pm- 7am (not sure of the timings). No safety issue there.
The Ramnagar route has wider roads as compared to Bhimgad.