[carizma]

I am planning to drive down to Goa from Jaipur next week. I have driven till Mumbai a few times in the past but never beyond that. Is it advisable to take the Ratnagiri route or should I stick to NH48 via Pune?

[alokn87]

Originally Posted by carizma

Is it advisable to take the Ratnagiri route or should I stick to NH48 via Pune?

Hello carizma, Always stick to NH48 via pune. The widening work of Ratnagiri route(erstwhile NH17) is not yet complete.If your destination is North Goa then go via Amboli or chorla ghat.For south Goa use Anmod

[carizma]

Originally Posted by alokn87

Hello carizma, Always stick to NH48 via pune. The widening work of Ratnagiri route(erstwhile NH17) is not yet complete.If your destination is North Goa then go via Amboli or chorla ghat.For south Goa use Anmod

Thanks Alok

I will take the NH48 this time although I would have loved to take the picturesque Ratnagiri route.

Regards

[Potenza]

I am travelling from Mumbai to Panjim on Sunday 3rd Oct. After reading all the recent comments we’re going via Chorla after an overnight halt at Belgaum.

Usually we have lunch in Kolhapur city but since we dont intend to enter the city this time I would like to know if there are any recommendations for good restaurants around Kolhapur located ON the highway. The main criteria is not food but clean washrooms for women.

[PPS]

We are planning a trip to Goa next week. We have plans to go upto Karwar which falls in Karnataka. Our family is fully vaccinated but our driver is not! I guess I will have to ensure he has a negative RTPCR report since he's not vaccinated? From what I've read here, entering Goa doesn't seem to pose a problem.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by Potenza

I would like to know if there are any recommendations for good restaurants around Kolhapur located ON the highway. The main criteria is not food but clean washrooms for women.

Two:

https://goo.gl/maps/7A8VsDE6EKr7sGg46 - Sai International

https://goo.gl/maps/P1gg2bTueLBHq54x6 - McDonald's (this is on the opposite lane, but the underpass to cross over is just a few metres away)

[noopster]

Did an extended weekend trip in Goa. Took the Amboli route onward but returned via Chorla. The latter route is infinitely better although there are a couple of places on the Chorla route where the road just disappears. We had two Hexas and a Compass and the Compass scraped its under chassis more than once.

Onward route, someone decided we should skip Karnataka completely because of concerns of whether they demand RT PCR test (even for fully vaccinated). That meant turning off the highway just after Kagal MIDC and taking the state highway through to Gargoti and then Ajara and Amboli. It’s a picturesque route but takes far too much time and I would not recommend this unless you have hours to kill. Departing Pune at 5 am, we were at Sai International hotel, 35 km from Kolhapur at 8 sharp but only got to the Goa border around 2 after which we had to stop almost immediately for lunch (at a place called Konkan Kinara which was not bad at all, great seafood). Return trip was much faster: left the hotel (in Betalbatim beach, South Goa) around 8 am and were home just after 7 pm.

[alokn87]

We a group of 5 friends travelled to Candolim,Goa from Kolhapur,Maharashtra in my Jeep Compass last weekend. For the onward journey we went via Belgavi-Tillari ghat-Dodamarg-Mapusa-Candolim route.I know it’s the road less travelled but we have driven through the regular roads to Goa umpteen times and wanted to try something different this time.

We left Kolhapur at 9am and reached candolim at 1:45pm.We were stopped for covid check twice, First at Kognoli (Maharashtra-Karnataka border) and later at Dodamarg (Maharashtra-Goa border).At Kognoli after informing the ASHA worker of our destination she just asked if we had Vaccination certificate, RTPCR report but didn’t physically check or verify any of our reports.

At Goa border we were instructed to park our car and they checked all car documents and verified every passenger’s vaccination certificate with his photo ID. Two of my friends vaccination certificates were less than 14 days old but thankfully they did not bother checking the date on our certificates.

Now coming to the road part, Belgavi to tillari ghat road surface is OK with few rough patches. The road surface on the ghat itself was very smooth and good albeit narrow. I have heard stores since my childhood about how tillari ghat is very treacherous and steep and only certain expert drivers from MSRTC are allowed to ply their buses on it. But If you ask me it’s an awesome road and a delight for any driving enthusiast especially for bikers and the almost nil traffic is the cherry on the top. Post tillari hydroelectric power station the road condition deteriorates and is strewn with potholes till Goa border. The road surface improves after crossing the border. Due to less traffic on this road I was the only car at border at that time and did not have to wait to show my documents to the police officers.

For our return journey we came via Chorla ghat. After reaching the top of the ghat we were stopped and vaccine certificates were checked. Road quality is of course much better that dodamarg route but there were some big potholes to be negotiated between chorla and belgavi.

Between the two routes tillari is definitely more scenic,but because of the poor condition of roads and less road side facilities I will still recommend Chorla for anyone travelling to North Goa

[sandeepsc]

Considering drop in no. of Covid cases both in MH and KA, is negative RTPCR test still mandated to enter KA while final destination is Goa. I am planning a trip to Goa somewhere around 15th of October during Dusshera festival. We both partners are fully vaccinated. Our eight year son will be along with us who is scared to undergo RTPCR test after watching the sample collection video. What are the options open for me? My driving companion will be Hexa. Thanks.

[Potenza]

Originally Posted by sandeepsc

Considering drop in no. of Covid cases both in MH and KA, is negative RTPCR test still mandated to enter KA while final destination is Goa. I am planning a trip to Goa somewhere around 15th of October during Dusshera festival. We both partners are fully vaccinated. Our eight year son will be along with us who is scared to undergo RTPCR test after watching the sample collection video. What are the options open for me? My driving companion will be Hexa. Thanks.

Most of the previous comments suggest that RT-PCR is not needed provided vaccination is done. However, I’m hearing from an increasing number of aquaintances from Pune who’re saying that the Kognoli toll is more or less a lottery. It totally depends on the mood of the officials out there. Some let you go with just vaccination certificates while some dont.

I am travelling on 3rd Oct. Will update once I reach Belgaum.

[CANPUSH]

Originally Posted by Potenza

I am travelling from Mumbai to Panjim on Sunday 3rd Oct. After reading all the recent comments we’re going via Chorla after an overnight halt at Belgaum.

Usually we have lunch in Kolhapur city but since we dont intend to enter the city this time I would like to know if there are any recommendations for good restaurants around Kolhapur located ON the highway. The main criteria is not food but clean washrooms for women.

While going towards Kolhapur, 12 kms after Peth naka (road going to Islampur-Sangli), approx 200 km from Pune, There is a hotel called Sai International on your left. The nearby landmark is Yelur phata. It can be located as there is row of bottle palm trees along highway and large parking lot.

This place has cleanest washrooms between Pune and Kolhapur and decent snacks and food.

[Dodge_Viper]

Traveled to Goa on Thursday 30th. While going took the Bhimgad sanctuary route and Anmod ghat. Roads in Bhimgad are mixed, 80% good 20% bad patches. Post that Anmod till Goa are fantastic roads. This is much better route if you are planning to visit south Goa.

At Kognoli border checkpost, we were lucky. We just mentioned Goa and he didnt even bother to check anything. Just waved us to go. At Goa checkpost there was proper checking of vaccination dates.

Also please make sure to mask up even while traveling in a car. Police are fining people for not wearing masks.

[Potenza]

Left from Pune at 9 AM today and reached Belgaum at 2.45 PM. Two halts on the way @Virangula for ten mins and around half an hour @Sai International for lunch. Many thanks to all those who recommended Sai. The washrooms were good and approved by the missus!

There is a check post a km or so before the Kognoli toll. They basically let all heavy commercial vehicles through from the LH lane and all private cars and taxis are lined up in a queue on the right. We were only asked where we were going. After saying “Goa” we were waved through without checking any documents/vaccination certificates etc.

[d_payne]

I am planning to drive down to Palolem, Goa end of this month?

1. What's the exact route I should be putting down?
2. Night stop seems to be Belgaum according to most of your recos, which hotel is good to put up there?
3. Any interesting stops I should look for along the way - apart from lunch at Kolhapur!

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by d_payne

1. What's the exact route I should be putting down?
2. Night stop seems to be Belgaum according to most of your recos, which hotel is good to put up there?
3. Any interesting stops I should look for along the way - apart from lunch at Kolhapur!

1. What's the exact route I should be putting down?
>> Belgaum to Palolem via Khanapur - Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary - Anmod Ghat is shorter, while Belgaum to Palolem via Chorla Ghat - Sanquelim has better road conditions (according to recent reports on this thread).

2. Night stop seems to be Belgaum according to most of your recos, which hotel is good to put up there?
>> High end --> Marriott, The Fern. Mid-budget --> Ramdev, Sankam Residency, Sanman Deluxe, Pai Resorts

3. Any interesting stops I should look for along the way - apart from lunch at Kolhapur!
>> If you take the Mollem route, you could check out the Tambdi Surla Mahadev Temple, which should be a short detour on the way to Palolem.