[Ertigiat]

Originally Posted by F150

Dear All,
Despite my not so pleasant experience with the route thru Khanapur, I am planning to take the same route on my return journey to Pune, as Google is suggesting that this is the fastest route.
I am planning to start from Colva at 6 am tomorrow. Could you please suggest a halt for breakfast ?

Hotel Ramdev in Belgaum. If you start from Colva by 6 AM, you should reach there by 8.30 - 8.45.
Please take Margao - Anmod - Ramanagar - Khanapur - Belgaum route. By this way you can avoid wildlife Sanctuary road and the road will be wider + smoother.

[F150]

Originally Posted by Ertigiat

Hotel Ramdev in Belgaum. If you start from Colva by 6 AM, you should reach there by 8.30 - 8.45.
Please take Margao - Anmod - Ramanagar - Khanapur - Belgaum route. By this way you can avoid wildlife Sanctuary road and the road will be wider + smoother.

Hi Ertigiat,
Belgaum in 3 hrs was not feasible, it was more likely to take 4.5 hrs, and it was too dark at 6 am. So we have delayed the start to 8 am and we will finish breakfast in the resort it self.

Would Ramdev hotel be suitable for lunch too ?

[Ertigiat]

Originally Posted by F150

Hi Ertigiat,
Belgaum in 3 hrs was not feasible, it was more likely to take 4.5 hrs, and it was too dark at 6 am. So we have delayed the start to 8 am and we will finish breakfast in the resort it self.

Would Ramdev hotel be suitable for lunch too ?

Yes, Hotel Ramdev is suitable for lunch. Also Belgaum is very much possible in 3 hours. In last 7 days I have done Margao to Belgaum & vice versa twice in less than 3 hours. I break journey into smaller targets & try to reach set destination. Margao to Anmod check post in 1.15 hours, Anmod check post to Khanapur 45 mins(via wildlife Sanctuary road), Khanapur to Belgaum in 30 mins. (All above timings are with 5 & 2 year old kids on board).

[F150]

Originally Posted by Ertigiat

Hotel Ramdev in Belgaum. If you start from Colva by 6 AM, you should reach there by 8.30 - 8.45.
Please take Margao - Anmod - Ramanagar - Khanapur - Belgaum route. By this way you can avoid wildlife Sanctuary road and the road will be wider + smoother.

Your input has been invaluable today, I took the route thru Ramnagar and avoided the wildlife sanctuary road. It was far better and stress free. Thanks a million !

Started from Colva at 8:05 am and reached Pune( Wagholi) at 530 pm.
Reached Belgaum in 3.5 hrs, so your calculation was right.

Thanks again.

Update on the road condition.

Excellent through out barring few turns on the Anmod ghat. Roads inside Belgaum are broken at some places. We took some mini forest route before the Anmod ghat and it was very scenic.

[mani]

Hi everyone

Just wondering if there's any negatives with regard to road conditions from North Goa to Pune via Amboli. Or should I stick to Chorla Ghat?

I drove Chandigarh-Delhi-Agra-Gwalior-Nagpur-Chindwara-Adilabad-Hyderabad-Belgaum-Goa last week. The condition of the Belgaum (Chorla) route to Goa was excellent.

For the return I plan to take Goa-Amboli-Pune-Mhow-Bhopal-Gwalior-Agra-Delhi-Chandigarh. Night halt from Goa planned at Mhow.

Any inputs on the condition of Amboli That route and the route planned in general will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by mani

Just wondering if there's any negatives with regard to road conditions from North Goa to Pune via Amboli. Or should I stick to Chorla Ghat?

Stick to Chorla I'd say, based on friends' experience who traveled a few days back. Amboli has some bad patches.

For the return I plan to take Goa-Amboli-Pune-Mhow-Bhopal-Gwalior-Agra-Delhi-Chandigarh. Night halt from Goa planned at Mhow.

I'm curious; why don't you prefer Mumbai - Baroda - Udaipur - Ajmer - Jaipur - Delhi?

[mani]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Stick to Chorla I'd say, based on friends' experience who traveled a few days back. Amboli has some bad patches.



I'm curious; why don't you prefer Mumbai - Baroda - Udaipur - Ajmer - Jaipur - Delhi?

Thank you, will stick to Chorla in that case.

Avoiding Mumbai with the current state of affairs with the violence and bandh calls. Additionally did that route last year. Good, but fairly boring!

Loved driving through Madhya Pradesh on my way here, exceptionally good roads. Except for one bad eighty Kms patch from Gwalior to Jhansi. Thereon,a dream run, picturesque through stunning countryside, all the way to Hyderabad (detoured to Hyd to meet old friends).

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by mani

Thank you, will stick to Chorla in that case.

Avoiding Mumbai with the current state of affairs with the violence and bandh calls. Additionally did that route last year. Good, but fairly boring!

When are you travelling? Things aren't good in Pune either today.

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by mani

Thank you, will stick to Chorla in that case.
Avoiding Mumbai with the current state of affairs with the violence and bandh calls. Additionally did that route last year. Good, but fairly boring!

Originally Posted by libranof1987

When are you travelling? Things aren't good in Pune either today.

Nope, not good in Pune. Not heard of any violence, but there are a lot of diversions all across and there could be severe delays. And any sporadic incidents would only make it worse.
Nor anything better expected onwards to Ahmednagar/ Aurangabad/ Nasik. I don't know which other route you expect to take northward.

Maybe a bit better if you could extend your stay in Goa.

[honeybee]

Or time your travel so you pass through Pune in the night?

The bandh has been called off already, however the situation may take a while to return to normalcy.

[mani]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

Nope, not good in Pune. Not heard of any violence, but there are a lot of diversions all across and there could be severe delays. And any sporadic incidents would only make it worse.
Nor anything better expected onwards to Ahmednagar/ Aurangabad/ Nasik. I don't know which other route you expect to take northward.

Maybe a bit better if you could extend your stay in Goa.

Thank you for the ground zero alerts, greatly appreciated.

As much as I would like to extend the stay, it's not possible as courts in Chandigarh resume on Monday after the winter break. I'm expecting delays and just hope there isn't any violence. Fingers crossed. Shall update. At worse, I'll take a night halt at Ahmednagar instead of Mhow and then leave onwards extreme early morning the next day. I suppose I'll have to keep the itenary fluid as I drive along.

[suzuki san]

Hi Guys,

A family member has just driven back from Goa via Amboli Ghat on the 2nd. Reports that the road is in pretty good condition. Few rough patches on the Ghat but nothing that can't be handled. He was driving a Honda City. The road from Amboli to Ajra, Uttur and Nipani is a bit lumpy but this has always been the case. Due to the trouble they had to divert to Karjat to a friend's farmhouse and only arrived back home late at night.

Regards,
SS

[mani]

Just an update:

Drove across Maharashtra today(Goa-Chorla-Belgaum-Pune-Dhule) Having dinner at Dhule as we speak enroute Indore/Delhi. No problem with the Police or crowds anywhere, including the interiors of Pune.Everything absolutely normal and safe.

Chorla was a breeze,departed Arpora at 330am, took exactly 2.5 hours to reach Belgaum.

[moralfibre]

Drove to Goa over the long weekend. Took my favorite Pune - Kolhapur - Nipani - Uttur - Ajara - Amboli - Sawantwadi - Goa route. All the broken patches between Nipani - Ajara - Amboli - Sawantwadi are fully patched. None of the huge potholes remain. Must say that the road condition had deteriorated in the monsoons and almost all of it stands fixed. Some sections are rough but nothing that will make you slow down. A few speedbreakers have been added between Nipani and Uttur especially where they had schools by the road side. Some of them are still unmarked. Be careful.

I still maintain a good amount of opposition to the Chorla route because it takes you via Belgaum where you lose time. Secondly, there are almost no run off areas should any of those enthu cutlets overshoot corners and come straight at you. Amboli route remains the fastest way to enter north Goa while Anmod takes you quickly down south.

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

Amboli route remains the fastest way to enter north Goa while Anmod takes you quickly down south.

I agree. I see no reason to try Chorla; not only do you have to negotiate Belgaum, but from the foothills to the Goa destinations progress is slow as one has to use the narrow country roads in Goa. As you pointed out, there are some nasty speed breakers that one needs to take care over after leaving NH 4 at Nipani, that's all.