[ShoeBee]

Hi Guys,
I am a very new part of the team BHP fraternity. I am driving from Mumbai to Goa next week and plan to take Mumbai- Kolhapur- Belgaum - Anmod ghat route. My query is :
1. We want to stopover enroute- which of the two options, Kolhapur or Belgaum is better?
2. Considering road conditions, which vehicle of Innove Crysta or Camry should we take ?

Thanks for your inputs/suggestions.

[speedmiester]

Originally Posted by ShoeBee

Hi Guys,
I am a very new part of the team BHP fraternity. I am driving from Mumbai to Goa next week and plan to take Mumbai- Kolhapur- Belgaum - Anmod ghat route. My query is :
1. We want to stopover enroute- which of the two options, Kolhapur or Belgaum is better?
2. Considering road conditions, which vehicle of Innove Crysta or Camry should we take ?

Thanks for your inputs/suggestions.

1. Either Kolhapur/Belgaum is good. Kolhapur will be midway enroute to Goa, so should be ideal if you are not used to driving for longer hours.
2. Crysta anyday.

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by ShoeBee

My query is :
1. We want to stopover enroute- which of the two options, Kolhapur or Belgaum is better?
2. Considering road conditions, which vehicle of Innove Crysta or Camry should we take ?

Like speedmeister said above, if you are not used to driving for long hours, then pick Kolhapur. If you can continue driving for 1.5 - 2 hours more after Kolhapur, then pick Belgaum. Advantage of staying in Belgaum is you can start for Goa early next morning and avoid daytime traffic while crossing the city.

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by ShoeBee

1. We want to stopover enroute- which of the two options, Kolhapur or Belgaum is better?

If you can manage you departure times, I would say its doable in a day. Just leave early (6-7 am types) and you should be in Goa by 6 pm after taking breaks.

My dad is going there this week. I will update you the road conditions.

2. Considering road conditions, which vehicle of Innova Crysta or Camry should we take ?

While both cars will do it, Innova will be much better. I have done Bangalore Mumbai once in an Innova and let me tell you the served is well. No fatigue despite a 1000+ km trip.

[sachinwadhwani]

Drove to Goa from Mumbai on 9th October and returned on 23rd October,

1) Took the Pune/Kolhapur/Nipani/Amboli ghat route. The road condition is good for 95% of the way. I don't bother slowing down for bad sections in my Creta, but smaller cars might have to slow down. The patch where Amboli touches NH17/66 till Panjim is in bad condition. it's an hour of torture. Anyways, its not surprising, National Hogwash (NH) 17/66 is always like this. I took the same route back.

2) All vehicles enter FastTag lane, pay cash and slow down the FastTag users. Toll attendants don't say anything.

3) Many of the small eateries and dhabbas are closed. Maybe due to Covid impact. But there are still enough options to eat and drink along the way.

4) Traffic is sparse on weekdays. I don't know about weekends. But in a dozen drives/rides to Goa via Amboli, I have never seen Amboli so clean, empty, and in good condition like this time. Lets all of us try and keep it this way please. Don't litter or throw things out of windows while driving or leave chips wrappers, empty bottles trash behind on food/tea stops.

Safe travels

[ShoeBee]

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

Like speedmeister said above, if you are not used to driving for long hours, then pick Kolhapur. If you can continue driving for 1.5 - 2 hours more after Kolhapur, then pick Belgaum. Advantage of staying in Belgaum is you can start for Goa early next morning and avoid daytime traffic while crossing the city.

Thanks comfortablynumb for your suggestion. Belgaum is also our preferred choice.

Originally Posted by speedmiester

1. Either Kolhapur/Belgaum is good. Kolhapur will be midway enroute to Goa, so should be ideal if you are not used to driving for longer hours.
2. Crysta anyday.

Thanks speedmiester for your inputs.
As regards vehicle, my personal choice is Camry but considering road conditions, you have suggested Crysta which I have taken note.

Does the road conditions mean Camry is totally no no?

Originally Posted by blackwasp

If you can manage you departure times, I would say its doable in a day. Just leave early (6-7 am types) and you should be in Goa by 6 pm after taking breaks.

My dad is going there this week. I will update you the road conditions.

While both cars will do it, Innova will be much better. I have done Bangalore Mumbai once in an Innova and let me tell you the served is well. No fatigue despite a 1000+ km trip.

Thanks blackwasp for your feedback on both.

As regards the journey in one day, we prefer to take a leisurely drive keeping in mind that myself and my fellow travelers are all around 60 years!

[OmV]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

Thrill. We were on bikes so decided to explore multiple routes.

@Moralfibre is the Amboli route currently doable for a Ninja 650 type motorcycle ? My 2 companions are on ADV bikes so couldn't care less! Last in our group is a Seltos.
I am planning to take the Sankeshwar - Gadhinglaj - Ajara - Amboli route, headed to Baga area.
Thanks.

[moralfibre]

Originally Posted by OmV

@Moralfibre is the Amboli route currently doable for a Ninja 650 type motorcycle ? My 2 companions are on ADV bikes so couldn't care less! Last in our group is a Seltos.
I am planning to take the Sankeshwar - Gadhinglaj - Ajara - Amboli route, headed to Baga area.
Thanks.

You can take Nipani - Uttur - Ajara - Amboli route. It is flawless and completely ok to take the Ninja 650 on.

[manonsong]

Hi friends I am planning to drive to Goa in November. I have some work in Mahad so I thought I will take the old NH 17 via Chilun, Ratnagari and on to Goa. Has anyone been on this road recently? Is most of the work over? any fresh landslides? I would like to avoid going via Mahableshwar, Satar and the road to Nipani if I can help it.
All advice welcome.

[TaurusAl]

Originally Posted by manonsong

Hi friends I am planning to drive to Goa in November. I have some work in Mahad so I thought I will take the old NH 17 via Chilun, Ratnagari and on to Goa. Has anyone been on this road recently? Is most of the work over? any fresh landslides? I would like to avoid going via Mahableshwar, Satar and the road to Nipani if I can help it.
All advice welcome.

I did it just last month. Mumbai to Mahad is a road to hell, and full of potholes. Don't know if it's still the same after a month. I am not sure what work you are asking about, But if you asking 4-laning of NH 66, it's far from being over and won't be completed anytime soon with the way things are going on for many years in the past.

[moralfibre]

Originally Posted by manonsong

Hi friends I am planning to drive to Goa in November. I have some work in Mahad so I thought I will take the old NH 17 via Chiplun, Ratnagiri and on to Goa. Has anyone been on this road recently? Is most of the work over? any fresh landslides? I would like to avoid going via Mahabaleshwar, Satara and the road to Nipani if I can help it.
All advice welcome.

Don't even think about it. If you want to get to Mahad, plan to start very early and brace yourself for mayhem enroute. Very few patches are fully done but most of it is in a disarray.

Your best bet is actually what you want to avoid. Get onto NH4 / NH48 and take the route via Nipani onward to Goa. Barring a substantial portion of Sindhudurg the entire NH17 / NH66 is beyond usable.

[sachinwadhwani]

Originally Posted by manonsong

Hi friends I am planning to drive to Goa in November. I have some work in Mahad so I thought I will take the old NH 17 via Chilun, Ratnagari and on to Goa. Has anyone been on this road recently? Is most of the work over? any fresh landslides? I would like to avoid going via Mahableshwar, Satar and the road to Nipani if I can help it.
All advice welcome.

In the past decade I have driven/ridden to Goa a dozen times. NH17/66 is always in the worst condition (monsoons or not). Avoid it always. Even on my ADV motorcycle where I love bad roads I still avoid it because trucks/tempos are all over the place trying to avoid bad sections. They come wrong way, they do as they please. They swerve anytime last minute at high speeds, kick up toxic dust fumes.

Just avoid NH17/66

[ShivSaisha]

Hi folks,

Planning to drive from Pune to Goa in a week with the family. Need help with the road conditions, especially post the right turn after Nipani.

Between Audi A6 and Toyota Fortuner, which car would you recommend for this journey?

Appreciate your assistance.

[moralfibre]

Originally Posted by ShivSaisha

Hi folks,

Planning to drive from Pune to Goa in a week with the family. Need help with the road conditions, especially post the right turn after Nipani.

Between Audi A6 and Toyota Fortuner, which car would you recommend for this journey?

Appreciate your assistance.

Road conditions are very good past Nipani. Absolutely nothing to complain about. Both cars will do well.

[aashishnb]

What are the good clean restroom locations between Mumbai and Kolhapur considering family (ladies & children)?
Are there any good 3-star / 5-star hotels along the highway?