[MadinMumbai]

We did a 14 hour, including stops, drive to South Goa from Mumbai. Took the Chorla ghat route. It was painful going. Especially as it became dark around 5.30 PM thanks to the unseasonal clouds. This was not unexpected as enough has been written about this route.
What was unexpected was the condition of roads from Pune to Kolhapur. I would like to especially recommend the Maharashtra minister for roads to the Nobel prize committee. In the last couple of years, since my last long drive, the road conditions have deteriorated. Managing a 50kmph average speed seems doable. Going faster is only a way to shake yourself and your car up very badly.

[praveen789]

Originally Posted by PradeepVKiger

once outside the jungle we were on certain section of ghat which wasn't tarred but concrete(?) and i hadn't read that in any of the posts. So i am unsure if the ghat was chorla. If anyone has taken this route please do let me know.

IF you do end up taking this route, please be careful oncoming traffic comes in without any warning and avoid driving too close to the edge as the concrete simply drops on either side without any mud banks.

That would be the Anmod ghat. Surprised to hear that the edges are still not covered properly. It has been in the same condition since the time they made the road 2-3 years back.

[Crow]

Originally Posted by km7

We'll be heading to Thane tomorrow and looking to leave day after from Thane - advise on which route to take? I was really hoping to drive along the coast or take the more picturesque NH 66 and stopping a day at Chiplun but heard roads and truck traffic can be rough on this route - is it advisable or stick to the via Kolhapur route

Also, any advice on a good place to stay the night - something that allows us to experience the freshness of the ghats.

I wouldn’t take NH66 to go to Goa right now. It takes a lot longer and is a lot slower. 300km could take you the entire day, which isn’t fun really. I haven’t taken this route recently but based on G Maps, the route will take you 3-4 hours more than the other one, which imo isn’t worth it. Post monsoon repairs haven’t been done properly on the better route yet, so I’m not expecting anything good from NH66 at the moment. Perhaps others can shed more light on this.

Anyway, you can take the Pune-Kolhapur-Goa route. On day 1, Sai International ahead of Kolhapur is a perfectly serviceable stop. If you want something better maybe something in Kolhapur city would be good, but I wouldn’t recommend entering the city.

To stay in a picturesque place in the ghats, take the Chorla ghat route into Goa and stop at Swapnagandha resort. It’s in the middle of the ghat and a beautiful property with a focus on living in greenery. You won’t get mobile network in the ghats but the resort is very hard to miss.

I haven’t stayed there yet but it’s been recommended by others and we were about to go in April. But then the second wave was just beginning and we skipped it in view of rising Covid cases. Luckily we got back the day the MH lockdown was announced, but to this day I rue the missed opportunity to go there. Maybe you can make the most of it.

[drjaygoyal]

Hey guys.

I am traveling back from North Goa to Mumbai tomorrow.

Wanted help on possible routes.

Is the Amboli - Nepani - Kolhapur - Pune - Mumbai road good ?

Any other alternative ?

I wish to complete journey in max 10-12 hrs.

Thanks in advance

[ajay0912]

Hi All,

I am planning to travel to Goa (Candolim) from Pune on 5th Dec 2021. I normally prefer to take Pune-->Kolhapur-->Nipani-->Amboli-->Goa route. I wanted to know if -ve RTPCR report is mandatory at Karnataka Border? Both me and my wife are fully vaccinated though.

I am getting a very mixed information about this hence wanted to know the correct picture so that we are prepared.

Alternatively, is there any other route which does not require me to enter Karnataka?

Regards,
Ajay Mahajan

[noopster]

Originally Posted by ajay0912

Hi All,

I am planning to travel to Goa (Candolim) from Pune on 5th Dec 2021. I normally prefer to take Pune-->Kolhapur-->Nipani-->Amboli-->Goa route. I wanted to know if -ve RTPCR report is mandatory at Karnataka Border? Both me and my wife are fully vaccinated though.

I am getting a very mixed information about this hence wanted to know the correct picture so that we are prepared.

There used to be massive confusion about this to the extent that even airlines used to insist on RT PCR even for double-vaccinated visitors till recently. However this report dated 2 days ago clearly states that visitors for 2 days or less do not need an RT-PCR report if they are fully vaccinated and following Covid-19 protocol.

Since you are just passing through, you should be fine.

Alternatively, is there any other route which does not require me to enter Karnataka?

Yes, you need to take the exit just after Kagal MIDC, head to a place called Gargoti, then Ajara and finally to Amboli. It is a beautiful route but passes through villages and you may add an hour or more to your trip. Google Maps will take you to Gargoti but there are a couple of conufsing turns there and signal is also an issue so ask for help along the way. However you should be able to take the Nippani - Goa Ves- Ajara- Amboli route so this won't be a factor.

[fiat_tarun]

Originally Posted by ajay0912

Hi All,

I am planning to travel to Goa (Candolim) from Pune on 5th Dec 2021. I normally prefer to take Pune-->Kolhapur-->Nipani-->Amboli-->Goa route. I wanted to know if -ve RTPCR report is mandatory at Karnataka Border? Both me and my wife are fully vaccinated though.

...

I travelled from Pune to Goa during the Diwali week and if you say Goa at the KA border they don't check and let you pass. Keep your fully vaccinated certificates ready though.

On the best route, from Nipani don't turn right at Goa Ves, go ahead upto Hotel Sarker and onto the Sankeshwar-Gadhinglaj road. Again once you come down Amboli, continue to Sawantwadi (do not take the google maps indicated left around Danoli). This route should help avoid part of the bad roads, however the stretch before Amboli is broken in patches that will require frequent slowing down.

[ranjitnair77]

Originally Posted by ajay0912

I am planning to travel to Goa (Candolim) from Pune on 5th Dec 2021. I normally prefer to take Pune-->Kolhapur-->Nipani-->Amboli-->Goa route. I wanted to know if -ve RTPCR report is mandatory at Karnataka Border? Both me and my wife are fully vaccinated though.

I just got back from Goa last week. You don't need an RT-PCR at the Karnataka checkpost. They will wave you through if you let them know that you are on the way to Goa. Please don't worry about this at all or waste your time on alternative routes. We had multiple cars in my group, all of which cleared the border in minutes.

At the entry point into Goa, they checked my vaccination certificate. This checking seems to be random. Some of the cars in my group did not get checked. I just showed them a digital copy on my phone.

[MadinMumbai]

Originally Posted by MadinMumbai

We did a 14 hour, including stops, drive to South Goa from Mumbai. Took the Chorla ghat route. It was painful going. Especially as it became dark around 5.30 PM thanks to the unseasonal clouds. This was not unexpected as enough has been written about this route.
What was unexpected was the condition of roads from Pune to Kolhapur. I would like to especially recommend the Maharashtra minister for roads to the Nobel prize committee. In the last couple of years, since my last long drive, the road conditions have deteriorated. Managing a 50kmph average speed seems doable. Going faster is only a way to shake yourself and your car up very badly.

Following on from the report above:

We travelled back from Goa to Pune on 10th of November. Had planned to take the Chorla Ghat return but Google maps had a mind of its own. By the time I realised we were already some distance into the Amboli ghat route. Didn't make sense to turn back. I was anyway not looking forward to the craters in the road on Chorla Ghat section. On Amboli section the challenges were different. Road conditions are extremely poor and the going is slow. As reported by other's on this thread there's about 40 kms of very poor roads on either side of the ghat. The ghat section itself is not too shabby.
Thinking back, contrary to opinions here, I am sure I prefer the Amboli Ghat route over the Chorla Ghat route. The predictability of a non existent road is much better than a road that throws up craters that might make your car disintegrate.

On RTPCR - we were waved through on the way to Goa at both Karnataka and Goa checkpoints on mentioning that we were vaccinated. We had a minor with us and had got an RTPCR negative report for her. Vaccination certificates and RTPCR reports were not looked at though it was explicit that this was required. On the way back there was no checking anywhere.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend driving to Goa from Mumbai with these road conditions. Even the Pune-Bangalore highway is riddled with patches of bad roads.

The new Honda City performed very well. There's a marked improvement in GC. Despite the craters I was able to get through, albeit with cautious driving, without any hits to the undercarriage. This wouldn't have been possible with my 3rd Gen City.

[shaileshmendon]

Originally Posted by MadinMumbai

Following on from the report above:

On Amboli section the challenges were different. Road conditions are extremely poor and the going is slow. As reported by other's on this thread there's about 40 kms of very poor roads on either side of the ghat. The ghat section itself is not too shabby.

I totally agree with this.
We drove back from North Goa to Mumbai via Amboli Ghat - Ajra - Nippani, on 13th November. The only reason we chose Amboli Ghat route (despite this thread advising against it) was that Google maps showed it as the fastest route to Kolhapur (where we had a planned stop). We had a small child with us and wanted to spend the least amount of time on the road.

I found this route to be quite drivable even though it was slow moving. I would say the overall poor road conditions last for about 15 kms. Did not find too much traffic on this route.

For my drive from Mumbai to South Goa I took the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary route. Faced following issues :
1. Google maps took us through narrow lanes in Belgam city, which was a stress to drive through;
2. Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary route is a single lane and has limited space on the side of the road. Vehicles (specially heavy vehicles) coming from the opposite side refused to give us space on the road. This meant that we would frequently get off the main road to allow the oncoming traffic (so the left two wheels would go on to the dirt road). At some places the drop off from the main road was extremely steep and dangerous, in fact at one spot our car (Honda City) badly bottomed out and almost got wedged in (because of the steep drop off).
3. This route also has a bad stretch of road conditions which last for about 5 kms.
4. There is almost no network through out the Wildlife Sanctuary drive. My Google Maps froze going into the Wildlife Sanctuary and started back on, much later after the Dudhsagar Falls. Advice all to download the route map in advance.

[Rahul Rao]

If your destination is North Goa, then the route via Karul Ghat is far better than any other route.
MSRTC, Kadamba and all Private buses use it.
Biggest Plus point is Better road Surface. You get to use 80 km of completed part of Mumbai Goa E way for free.
Minus point 12 KM more than Amboli, You go through Kolhapur, so you may spend longer time during rush hours, In the 2 lane section between Kolhapur and Gaganbavda bus drivers stick to 60-70 which is not slow enough to overtake nor fast enough to just follow them.

Route: Pune Kolhapur Gaganbawda Karul Ghat Taleri Goa border at Patradevi

Rahul

[Rustom]

Originally Posted by Rahul Rao

If your destination is North Goa, then the route via Karul Ghat is far better than any other route.
MSRTC, Kadamba and all Private buses use it.
Biggest Plus point is Better road Surface. You get to use 80 km of completed part of Mumbai Goa E way for free.
Minus point 12 KM more than Amboli, You go through Kolhapur, so you may spend longer time during rush hours, In the 2 lane section between Kolhapur and Gaganbavda bus drivers stick to 60-70 which is not slow enough to overtake nor fast enough to just follow them.

Route: Pune Kolhapur Gaganbawda Karul Ghat Taleri Goa border at Patradevi

Rahul

Thank you for this Rahul. This is very timely. I have been meaning to take this route for my Pune - Vengurla trips. May I know if you have traveled recently? I was planning to take this route last month but I recall another post (on this thread) which mentioned that the Karul ghat section had some 4 kms that was quite bad.

[Rahul Rao]

Originally Posted by Rustom

Thank you for this Rahul. This is very timely. I have been meaning to take this route for my Pune - Vengurla trips. May I know if you have traveled recently? I was planning to take this route last month but I recall another post (on this thread) which mentioned that the Karul ghat section had some 4 kms that was quite bad.

Last I traveled this route was in March. In June there was some damage and in mid July the section was closed for repairs. Bad patch is more than 4 km, but it is not that bad either. Even Amboli Ghat has about 10 km of bad roads, and whichever route you have a few bad patches.

Rahul

[Rocketqueen22]

Did Bom-Goa on 31st Oct with a stop over @ Marriott Belgaum.
Experience at Marriott Belgaum was pretty bad, with a just about decent room with stained pillows and a mouldy bathroom, the food was a nightmare.
The hotel did not bother asking for vaccination certificates or rt-pcr tests either at the time of check-in ...very surprising.
Would not stop over there again.
The route from Mumbai to Belgaum was fairly decent, an odd pothole here and there, carried sandwiches along so made just one stop for a bio-break. Left Mumbai at 07.30 am and reached Belgaum by 03.00 pm
Next day drove to South Goa via Belgaum city. Being Karnataka diwas the traffic cops in the main city did not allow us to take the normal Mollem/ Chorla ghat exits. Google maps routed us through narrow unknown roads which were fine. However once we turned onto the Hubli-Khanapur road the road condition took a turn for the worse. Huge craters and potholes totally unexpected on this route. Left Belgaum by 11.00 am and reached South Goa by 03.00 pm.
Coming back we returned via Chorla ghat on 7th Nov, some stretches were bad and one has to reduce speed to a crawl to navigate those stretches but the road was way better than the route to Mollem.
Of course once we approached Satara, the crazy traffic started and went all the way up until Mankurd in Mumbai. Left Goa at 07.00 pm and reached Mumbai only at 10.00 pm with about 2 hrs discounted for b'fast, lunch and a tea break.
At the Mollem checkpost into Goa, we were asked to show vaccination certificates / rt-pcr test reports. On the way back into Mumbai, nothing was checked.

[livewire]

Hi - i've been following this thread and need help to choose between Karul ghat and Amboli ghat for north goa. Anyone who has traveled in the last couple of weeks and can throw some light on the comparative road conditions? Thanks.