[mwzd]

These are 3 of the routes being discussed on this thread marked out on Google Maps:

1. Via Kolhapur > Belgaum > Chorla - http://goo.gl/JDQLjW [598km]

2. Via Kolhapur > Sankeshwar > Amboli > Sawantwadi - http://goo.gl/1Y7vmW [592km]

3. Via Kolhapur > Gaganbawda > Sawantwadi - http://goo.gl/ZxEK7Y [604km]

I recommend route 1 (via Chorla) basically because of road conditions.

There is a small 'shoulder' before you hit Chorla from Belgaum which is worth stopping at for a pic. [attaching a pic of the view]

[suzuki san]

Hi Guys,

A friend of mine - a regular NH4 highway user - just drove back from Goa to Poona yesterday via the Chorla road which he used on my recommendation. Pleased to report that the road is in good condition and he also said that it looked like some patches had been recently repaired. He was very happy with the road (compared to the Amboli road which he used to enter Goa two weeks ago) and extremely grateful for my suggestion. For those people who might be driving down to Goa, I would IMHO suggest you use this road instead of the usual Amboli ghat.

Regards,
SS

[braindead]

Back to Pune from Madgaon yesterday. Used the Chorla route thanks to the inputs from teamBhp. Its a fantastic road and I did not find any bad patches of road throughout.

The route taken was: Pune - Kolhapur - Belgaum - Piranwadi - Jambooti - Chorla - Sanquellim - Sateri - Velguem - Usgaon - Ponda - Borim - Madgao.

The Chorla road was being resurfaced on the Goa side and that left the edge of the road with a very tall step in some places. So i would advice people to be careful in getting off the road.
Some of the trucks, especially the mining trucks in Goa were driving as if on a suicide mission, so keep an eye on them.
I would highly recommend a navigator with updated maps as there is very little signage and most of the turn-offs are hard to spot.
Be very careful to follow the 40 kph speed limit in Belgaum.

We left at 0715 from Pune and crossed into Goa at 1330 with 45 mins of total breaks. Were at the hotel at Cavelosim at 1515 after roaming Madgaon hunting for a shop. We could have been faster but this was a small vacation and there was no rush, so drove at a relaxed pace. Average speed was about 63 kph.

[noopster]

Originally Posted by suzuki san

A friend of mine - a regular NH4 highway user - just drove back from Goa to Poona yesterday via the Chorla road which he used on my recommendation. Pleased to report that the road is in good condition and he also said that it looked like some patches had been recently repaired.

Originally Posted by braindead

Used the Chorla route thanks to the inputs from teamBhp. Its a fantastic road and I did not find any bad patches of road throughout.

Agreed! I took the Chorla route via Belgaum to South Goa (Arossim) last week and enjoyed the drive thoroughly. Approx 9h30min with meal and toilet breaks, which is not bad for a 450 km drive. The road is narrow in places but the lack of traffic makes it an attractive option. There was some road work happening and the surface was freshly tarred in places. I have tried Amboli route (my staple for North Goa) and Anamod ghat route once; latter I hesitate to reccomend because the road is extremely bumpy and it follows the mining trail, which is going to be abuzz with trucks soon enough.

The route taken was: Pune - Kolhapur - Belgaum - Piranwadi - Jambooti - Chorla - Sanquellim - Sateri - Velguem - Usgaon - Ponda - Borim - Madgao.

Till Sanquelim is not a problem but after that I trusted Google maps both ways. Onward it took me from Sanquelim via Desai Nagar, Amona bridge and Nagao football ground to Verna-Cansaulim road. On the return trip it took us through Verna, Loutulim & Khandepar to Sanquelim. Both routes were extremely scenic though the latter was a little rough. It was nice not having to take any national highways till we hit NH4 after Belgaum.

[abhi3284]

Originally Posted by noopster

Agreed! I took the Chorla route via Belgaum to South Goa (Arossim) last week and enjoyed the drive thoroughly. Approx 9h30min with meal and toilet breaks, which is not bad for a 450 km drive. The road is narrow in places but the lack of traffic makes it an attractive option. There was some road work happening and the surface was freshly tarred in places. I have tried Amboli route (my staple for North Goa) and Anamod ghat route once; latter I hesitate to reccomend because the road is extremely bumpy and it follows the mining trail, which is going to be abuzz with trucks soon enough.

Till Sanquelim is not a problem but after that I trusted Google maps both ways. Onward it took me from Sanquelim via Desai Nagar, Amona bridge and Nagao football ground to Verna-Cansaulim road. On the return trip it took us through Verna, Loutulim & Khandepar to Sanquelim. Both routes were extremely scenic though the latter was a little rough. It was nice not having to take any national highways till we hit NH4 after Belgaum.

Originally Posted by braindead

Back to Pune from Madgaon yesterday. Used the Chorla route thanks to the inputs from teamBhp. Its a fantastic road and I did not find any bad patches of road throughout.

The route taken was: Pune - Kolhapur - Belgaum - Piranwadi - Jambooti - Chorla - Sanquellim - Sateri - Velguem - Usgaon - Ponda - Borim - Madgao.

The Chorla road was being resurfaced on the Goa side and that left the edge of the road with a very tall step in some places. So i would advice people to be careful in getting off the road.
Some of the trucks, especially the mining trucks in Goa were driving as if on a suicide mission, so keep an eye on them.
I would highly recommend a navigator with updated maps as there is very little signage and most of the turn-offs are hard to spot.
Be very careful to follow the 40 kph speed limit in Belgaum.

We left at 0715 from Pune and crossed into Goa at 1330 with 45 mins of total breaks. Were at the hotel at Cavelosim at 1515 after roaming Madgaon hunting for a shop. We could have been faster but this was a small vacation and there was no rush, so drove at a relaxed pace. Average speed was about 63 kph.

Originally Posted by suzuki san

Hi Guys,

A friend of mine - a regular NH4 highway user - just drove back from Goa to Poona yesterday via the Chorla road which he used on my recommendation. Pleased to report that the road is in good condition and he also said that it looked like some patches had been recently repaired. He was very happy with the road (compared to the Amboli road which he used to enter Goa two weeks ago) and extremely grateful for my suggestion. For those people who might be driving down to Goa, I would IMHO suggest you use this road instead of the usual Amboli ghat.

Regards,
SS

Hey Guys,

Am going to Goa this coming Sunday from Pune. Planning to leave as early as possible in the morning...probably 4 AM. I intend to take the Chorla Ghat Route as recommended by many. Had a couple of Queries though:

Is the Chorla Route also recommended while going to North Goa ?
We will be dropping a couple of my Friends in a North Goa Hotel and then we will be heading to South Goa where we are staying.

Is the Chorla Ghat Route the recommended Route for coming back from Goa to Pune ?

Are there enough clear signboards on the Chorla Ghat Route ? We do intend to use Google Maps, but still.

How much is the approximate Toll one-way on the Chorla Route ?

Also, we are 2 Families with 2 Kids aged 2.5 Yrs. I am hoping they will be able to cope up with this long journey. Is there a feeling of nausea, vomiting, dizziness while driving in Ghats ?

And last thing for the people who just came from Goa, how is the Weather there ? Sunny, too much humidity, Rain ?

Awaiting your comments before i leave for the Trip. Thanks Guys.

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by abhi3284

Hey Guys.....Awaiting your comments before i leave for the Trip. Thanks Guys.

Is the Chorla Route also recommended while going to North Goa ?
We will be dropping a couple of my Friends in a North Goa Hotel and then we will be heading to South Goa where we are staying.
>> IMO, yes. Sanquelim is the 1st major town after Chorla ghat, from where Mapusa is not more than 30 kms.

Is the Chorla Ghat Route the recommended Route for coming back from Goa to Pune ?
>> Yes

Are there enough clear signboards on the Chorla Ghat Route ? We do intend to use Google Maps, but still.
>> There's no need of signboards - the road to Chorla starts in Belgaum and ends in Sanquelim in Goa. For detailed directions from NH4 to start of the road to Chorla, refer this post by sahir.kittur: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post3416835

How much is the approximate Toll one-way on the Chorla Route ?
>> Starting from Khed Shivapur, these are the 1 way toll rates till end of Chorla ghat: 80, 55, 66, 66, 35, 15. At Goa border, you will need to pay 250 as Goa entry fee.

Also, we are 2 Families with 2 Kids aged 2.5 Yrs. I am hoping they will be able to cope up with this long journey. Is there a feeling of nausea, vomiting, dizziness while driving in Ghats ?
>> I travelled with my 7 month old daughter just 2 weeks ago, and she didn't have any trouble at all.

And last thing for the people who just came from Goa, how is the Weather there ? Sunny, too much humidity, Rain ?
>> When I was there (May 17 - 22), there was lots & lots of humidity, 2-3 heavy spells of rain and was mostly overcast.

Cheers,
Vikram

[suzuki san]

Originally Posted by abhi3284

Hey Guys,

Am going to Goa this coming Sunday from Pune. Planning to leave as early as possible in the morning...probably 4 AM. I intend to take the Chorla Ghat Route as recommended by many. Had a couple of Queries though:

Is the Chorla Route also recommended while going to North Goa ?
We will be dropping a couple of my Friends in a North Goa Hotel and then we will be heading to South Goa where we are staying.

Is the Chorla Ghat Route the recommended Route for coming back from Goa to Pune ?

Are there enough clear signboards on the Chorla Ghat Route ? We do intend to use Google Maps, but still.

How much is the approximate Toll one-way on the Chorla Route ?

Also, we are 2 Families with 2 Kids aged 2.5 Yrs. I am hoping they will be able to cope up with this long journey. Is there a feeling of nausea, vomiting, dizziness while driving in Ghats ?

And last thing for the people who just came from Goa, how is the Weather there ? Sunny, too much humidity, Rain ?

Awaiting your comments before i leave for the Trip. Thanks Guys.

Hi Abhi,
I had answered all your questions and then the comp hung. Restarted to see that Vikram (ComfortablyNumb) has answered all your queries. Just one update. We had a storm last night with heavy rain so the place has cooled down a bit.

BTW, do not think of it as "such a long journey"!! Enjoy the drive and look forward to the holiday.

Regards,
SS

[swapnil.rahate]

Originally Posted by abhi3284

Hey Guys,

Am going to Goa this coming Sunday from Pune. Planning to leave as early as possible in the morning...probably 4 AM. I intend to take the Chorla Ghat Route as recommended by many. Had a couple of Queries though:

Also, we are 2 Families with 2 Kids aged 2.5 Yrs. I am hoping they will be able to cope up with this long journey. Is there a feeling of nausea, vomiting, dizziness while driving in Ghats ?

Awaiting your comments before i leave for the Trip. Thanks Guys.

Hey Abhi,

I traveled to south goa last month with my 2.5yrs old daughter from Bombay. She was ok till belgaum but she vomited once in the chorla ghat.

My suggestion is to drive slow on the ghats specially on the turns.

Off topic: Keep 2/3 2 liter bottles of water in your car just in case if your somebody vomits you can clean them. There is nothing around in chorla ghat.

[ZedMae]

Did a Goa-Mumbai drive yesterday. Thanks to suggestions from bhpians, took the chorla ghat route. It was awesome to say the least. Route taken was Candolim - Mapusa - Jamboti - Belgaum - Kolhapur - Satara - Pune - Mumbai.
Left at 830 am in the morning and reached Thane at around 8 in the evening
including two food breaks in between.

[sukiwa]

Originally Posted by abhi3284

Are there enough clear signboards on the Chorla Ghat Route ? We do intend to use Google Maps, but still.

Please use detailed instructions given on page 91 by 'sahir.kittur'; link to that post has been given by 'comfortablynumb'.
Chorla ghat is still undergoing re-layering, work going on for laying interlocking blocks in couple of corners.

How much is the approximate Toll one-way on the Chorla Route ?

Toll amounts

Khed Shivapur 80
Anewadi 55
Tasawade 66
Kini 66
Kognoli 35
Hattargi 15

Goa entry tax 250

One can pay combined toll for Tasawade & Kini as Rs. 131, receipt prints exit at next toll booth.

And last thing for the people who just came from Goa, how is the Weather there ? Sunny, too much humidity, Rain ?

It rained in parts of Goa on 2nd June, but overall still hot/sunny in Goa.

[tiger_stripes]

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

Is the Chorla Route also recommended while going to North Goa ?
We will be dropping a couple of my Friends in a North Goa Hotel and then we will be heading to South Goa where we are staying.
>> IMO, yes. Sanquelim is the 1st major town after Chorla ghat, from where Mapusa is not more than 30 kms.

Is the Chorla Ghat Route the recommended Route for coming back from Goa to Pune ?
>> Yes

+1 to that. I travelled to Mapusa (North Goa) and back to Mumbai few days back. Went via Amboli and came back via Chorla.

The Chorla route is very scenic. It was wonderful going through the dense forest early in the morning. And not much traffic too. The road is good except a few patches where work is in progress. Will definitely use it in my next trips. My only gripe was the number of speed breakers between Mapusa and the Goa border, but it's a short distance so not much trouble.

[suzuki san]

Hi Guys,

Returned to Bombay from Goa yesterday evening.

I used the Chorla road and have to say that it is in (almost) excellent condition. It has been restored to it's former glory!! It is as good as it was last year before the monsoons and I hope it does not disintegrate again after the rains.
There are two sections of about 50 metres each - mentioned below - where the surface has been replaced with interlocking paver blocks for reasons unknown but not an issue.
Sadly a lot of the "cat's eyes" which were marking the corners and the edges of the road have been covered with the new layer of tar. These were extremely useful especially when driving in the monsoons in fog/low cloud conditions.
One other issue - also mentioned below - is that the edge of the road now has a steep "step" where the new layer of tar has been applied. If you are forced to go off the road by an errant trucker you are definitely going to damage the underside of your car as in some parts the "step" is almost 30 cms (12 inches) high.
I noticed that the "mining" truck traffic (and general traffic) has increased which is surprising since mining has not yet re-started in Goa. Be very careful of the mining trucks as they do not care about other road users.
No issues passing through Belgaum in the early morning. Belgaum roads have also been improved.
It took me two hours from Mapuca to clear Belgaum and get onto NH 4. Had to go slow on the ghats as my wife gets car sick. Total time : 9 hours 30 minutes to reach Bombay.
Nothing much to report on NH4. Roadworks still in progress (and will be for quite some time) from Satara to Poona. Toll booths still as inefficient as ever. Stopped at "White House" on Tawande Ghat for breakfast. Super fast service and clean toilets so that was good.

Regards,
SS

[deutscheafrikar]

Originally Posted by suzuki san

Hi Guys,

Returned to Bombay from Goa yesterday evening.

I noticed that the "mining" truck traffic (and general traffic) has increased which is surprising since mining has not yet re-started in Goa. Be very careful of the mining trucks as they do not care about other road users.
Regards,
SS

Hi SS,
I'm planing to go down in a day or two. Don't like mining trucks so maybe I will go via the Amboli route this time. Did you go to Candolim? How was the weather in Goa and has it started to rain heavy or just drizzle.
Regards

[suzuki san]

Originally Posted by deutscheafrikar

Hi SS,
I'm planing to go down in a day or two. Don't like mining trucks so maybe I will go via the Amboli route this time. Did you go to Candolim? How was the weather in Goa and has it started to rain heavy or just drizzle.
Regards

Hi DA,

I quite agree with you. Even I am not keen on those trucks as they drive very rashly. Yes! Visited Candolim a few times. It's what I call the "Lokhandwala Complex" of Goa.
No heavy rain i.e. monsoons have not started but a strange phenomenon of thunderstorms with strong winds around midnight to 1 AM. Helps to cool the place down but also knocks out the power supply (fallen trees/branches) occasionally.

Regards,
SS

[deutscheafrikar]

Originally Posted by suzuki san

Hi DA,


No heavy rain i.e. monsoons have not started but a strange phenomenon of thunderstorms with strong winds around midnight to 1 AM. Helps to cool the place down but also knocks out the power supply (fallen trees/branches) occasionally.

Regards,
SS

I took the Utur Aajra Amboli route... quite nice compared to when I have gone on it years ago. It's much wider now. The amboli ghats would have been nice if it was smooth but I guess this is one way to make people drive slowly. Some parts of the Ajara Amboli route are rough rest I think has been tarred recently. I asked the guy at the shop near the Danoli Banda turn, about the condition of the shortcut. He told me it'sbad and to stick to the Sawantwadi bus depot route which was good too. Whole route was nice and green with the fields ready for sowing.
Regards