[suzuki san]

Hi Guys,

First of all, Thanks "Vivek95" for your information.

Left Goa at 0610 yesterday morning and used the Amboli Ghat road.
No real problem except for torrential rain on the ghats and almost zero visibility (5 to 10 metres at most) which slowed me down considerably.
Stopped at 0800 at "Minerva" Hotel and Restaurant (just before Ajra) for breakfast. Good food. Fast service. Clean toilets. Ample covered car parking.
The road from Mapuca to Amboli and on the ghat itself is pretty good. Some small potholes but they can be easily avoided. The road from Amboli to Ajra is littered with potholes. Most you can swerve around but some are across the width of the road forcing you to slow down to crawling speed. However, you can still manage an average speed of 50 to 60 Kmph.

10 Kms after Ajra, I turned left and used the Uttur road to finally join the NH4 at Nipani. This "Uttur" road was good. A couple of potholes and some small speed beakers but nothing to talk about.

Once on the highway the rain eased off a bit and I was able to make up a bit of lost time. However, once past Kolhapur the road has quite a few potholes which you need to keep swerving around to avoid. Stopped at Satara to refuel and for a "biological" break for 20 minutes. The 11/12 diversions are still in place and some of the service roads have disintegrated. Major potholes which you have to crawl through. The 5 toll booths were OK. Rates have gone up again but no major hold ups.

Passed the first Poona turn off (Katraj) at about 12.30 and the Hinjewadi junction at 13.15. On the expressway at 13.30. Torrential rain again on the expressway especially at Lonavala which slowed us down. Loads of idiots driving with hazard lights on. We stopped at McD's after Lonavala for 25 minutes for lunch. Off the expressway at 15.00 hrs. Lost 20 minutes in Vashi as I mistakenly took a flyover instead of the "service" road due to heavy rain. Passed Powai at 16.15 - which is when I "stopped the clock" - as after Powai we got stuck in a major jam on the JVLR road. Reached home at Lokhandwala, Andheri at 17.05.

All in all a pretty good drive. For people used to driving on Bombay roads, the road to Goa should not prove any problem at all!!

Regards,
SS

[PGNarain]

Hi guys, planning to drive down to Ganpatipule on the Independence Day weekend.

Any ideas on the conditions on the old highway?

Thanks

[vivek95]

Originally Posted by PGNarain

Hi guys, planning to drive down to Ganpatipule on the Independence Day weekend.

Any ideas on the conditions on the old highway?

Thanks

Unless you want to take NH17 Mumbai-Goa or personal reasons or want to do it in a relaxed way, I would suggest a longer route : Mumbai-Expressway-Pune-NH4-Satara-Karad-Kokrud-Malkapur-Amba ghat-Pali-Hathkhamba-Nivali-Chafe-Ganpatipule. Pune-Satara has potholes due to recent incessant rains and ongoing road widening work but rest should be fine. Can't vouch for excellent roads between Karad and Malkapur but I know this is the preferred faster/ safer way for Ganpatipule from Pune/Mumbai. We have recent updates on the forum from various travelogues that Amba ghat is mostly holding up very good barring surprise potholes and rest of the roads till Ganpatipule are decent too. Start way early and beat the exodus from Mumbai/Pune on any given long weekend. A little late and one would land into something like this below on Mumbai-Pune expressway and beyond. It was in 2014 during Independence day long weekend. pic credits - fellow forumer, another forum

P.S - Not outright advising against NH17, take your call. The weekend traffic from Mumbai/Pune is always insane.

Mumbai--Pune Expressway

[Sawyer]

Any suggestions on the best Kolhapuri style non vegetarian lunch in Kolhapur these days?

[vivek95]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

Any suggestions on the best Kolhapuri style non vegetarian lunch in Kolhapur these days?

Not sure of any new ones, but the well known Hotel Opal is still the best, I can vouch for it. Hotel Padma is another. There is one "Tandoor" in the same line of Opal, which seems to be expensive but seems popular. 3 years back, three times I had been to this Tandoor, but there was 30 mins to 1 hour waiting, so eventually never dined there.

P.S - I am a pure vegan past 3 years and will be so for lifetime. Was always pure vegetarian since birth, but had shifted to mixed food for 2 years in between and that's when it was I tasted the best of Kolhapuri non-veg. So, I am not the right person to suggest you on this. But from my recent visit to Opal for Veg thali, I could figure out the hotel is still famous for its Chicken masala and Matan masala Thalis. Needless to say, pure veg thali too is outstanding here and their customer service is impeccable.

[tiger_stripes]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

Any suggestions on the best Kolhapuri style non vegetarian lunch in Kolhapur these days?

Originally Posted by vivek95

Not sure of any new ones, but the well known Hotel Opal is still the best, I can vouch for it.

I will also recommend Hotel Opal for its Mutton masala and Chicken green thali. Saw a lot of locals dining there, so must be authentic Kolhapuri flavours.

[Sawyer]

Let's see if I get any other responses; I know of Opal, and I was wondering if anything new has come up. Trip Advisor, next stop!

I heard about a place called Dehati, next to Tandoor...

[Happysmiles]

Rode with friends ( 7 touring and 3 street bikes) from Pune Kholapur Nippani Umbraj Ajra Amboli Sawantwadi Goa last Friday.
Good roads all over, except some small patches a few km stretch before amboli ghat.

On the way back it was raining heavily with severe fog in the amboli ghat section. Road condition much better than last year.

I personally like this route, as we can avoid Belgaum city traffic and some insanely fast cars who use Chorla ghat as a racing track.

Light breakfast at Sai International Kholapur and veg/fish/crab thali lunch Malvani style at Hotel Bhalekar (opp Fishland) Sawantwadi.

Fuel is no problem, as some new petrol pumps have opened up in the ajra amboli section.

Perfect time to ride/drive to Goa.

[parsh]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

Let's see if I get any other responses; I know of Opal, and I was wondering if anything new has come up. Trip Advisor, next stop!

I heard about a place called Dehati, next to Tandoor...

Guess, I may be late to give you information.
But nevertheless, hope this helps if at all now, and helps others in future.

https://www.google.co.in/maps/place/...4!4d74.2569227

Hotel Parakh is an amazing Kolhapuri place for both non-veg and veg, the tambda and pandhara rassa, solkadhi are delicious just even to slurrrp on.

Extremely down to earth place but amazing food in all respects. However, you do have to wait in queue to get a table there.

Don't miss if anybody is that side.

[Sawyer]

I have returned; I knew of Parakh, so next time I shall try that. This time around I had two excellent meals in Dehati and Opal, that are on either side of Sayaji. I ate the third meal there - Sayaji - as well and it was a distinct disappointment as far as Kolhapuri food is concerned. The mutton was all bones and little meat. So the other two are not only more value for money than Sayaji, but are much better on their own terms as well. Both are easily accessible on the way to Goa where the road doesn't have to even be crossed, while Parakh may be the place to go to on the way back from Goa.

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

I have returned; I knew of Parakh, so next time I shall try that. This time around I had two excellent meals in Dehati and Opal, that are on either side of Sayaji. I ate the third meal there - Sayaji - as well and it was a distinct disappointment as far as Kolhapuri food is concerned. The mutton was all bones and little meat. So the other two are not only more value for money than Sayaji, but are much better on their own terms as well. Both are easily accessible on the way to Goa where the road doesn't have to even be crossed, while Parakh may be the place to go to on the way back from Goa.

Just a quick question: How was the veg food in Dehati and Opal? I should check out these places next time I am there.

As I mentioned in my other travelogue, I had one dinner at Sayaji, and the only thing I ate was Bhakari and Bharali Vangi. Both were excellent. But from your experience it seems like their non-veg food was not good.

[Sawyer]

Veg food in both places was also good, Opal was a little spicy for me, my wife liked it. Dehati does some customisation to take care of delicate people who visit Kolhapur!

I suspect that the usual non veg may well be good at Sayaji; their Kolhapuri style items were not up to the mark of the other two.

[jesrani]

We are 2 families planning Mumbai to Goa in November, just after Diwali. Which road should we take to go to Candolim. Google maps says to take right turn from Nipani, not to go up to Belgavi?
We plan to go to Ganpatiphule from Goa and then back to Mumbai. Should we take NH17 and then take turn before Nagothane and come to Mumbai via Khopoli?
What are the road conditions right now?

Mods : I posted the same question on another thread, Mumbai - Goa, but then I saw that this is much more active. Hope it's okay to post in 2 threads.

[Sawyer]

The Nipani idea is a little doubtful these days because of a one hour bad/broken surface stretch before Amboli; though the distance is less than via Chorla, the time taken may be the same. While patch up work is going on, the status in November can only be guessed at.

NH 17 is also not in good shape; for at least one part of the return, if not both, it may be worthwhile getting back to NH4 and down again.

[PGNarain]

Originally Posted by jesrani

We are 2 families planning Mumbai to Goa.........We plan to go to Ganpatiphule from Goa and then back to Mumbai. Should we take NH17 and then take turn before Nagothane and come to Mumbai via Khopoli?
What are the road conditions right now?

Hi Jesrani,

I dont have any idea of the road between Goa - Ganpatipule, but I had gone with friends and family over the 15th August weekend to Ganpatipule. You can read my review of the road conditions a few post back.

Roads are bothersome only between Indapur to Pen-Karnala and about 15 kms on either side of Chiplun. We took the Pen-Khopoli, which has some bad patches but 80-85% of the road is very good and was extremely scenic. I would consider it a much better option than going via Pen-Vadkhal Naka.