[javed406]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Bangalore-Dharwad-Londa-Molem-Ponda-Panaji?
one option

Bangalore-Shimoga-Jog-Honavar-Kumta-Karwar-Madgaon-Panaji?

Is it okay to go through Tumkur - Davangere - Haveri - Sirsi - Mirjan - Ankola route? Please let me know as I'm planning to start today itself.

[hvkumar]

I think the Sirsi route is OK.

[d_himan]

pls help. Critical. I am driving down to Goa from Mumbai tomorrow Morning (Aug 15) Please suggest the best possible route currently! Thanks a ton.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Here is a Flash - GTO has just reached Panaji from Bombay via the Pune-Kolhapur-Nippani-Amboli-Savantwadi route. So the North Goa roads are open - they were closed due to flooding after Banda for last 2 days.

GTO left at 5 am from Bombay and reached at 200 pm - that was a fast 570 km drive. He reports great roads, but for a small 30-km stretch after leaving NH4 after Nippani (Hotel Cauvery being the landmark for the 167-km milesone to Panaji).

Hvkumar, Thanks for all the help with charting out this route. Your directions were precise to the T. Truly appreciate your assistance.

The first 420 odd kms were awesome, its basically a 4 lane highway from Panvel to Nippani and allows for safe high speed cruising. The roads were excellent without a single broken patch upto this point, miles are munched up rapidly. After taking the right at Cauvery Hotel, there is a brief bad patch for about 20 - 30 kms after which roads improve again. The drive down Amboli ghat is very scenic and beautiful. Panjim was only about 570 - 580 kms from Bombay and took less than 9 hours of driving time. We left early, hence traffic was scarce. We stayed in 6th gear for most of NH4 resulting in the car using a little over a half tank of fuel. All of us emerged fresh from the car.....so enjoyable was the drive. The old Mahad - Chiplun route is history.

Some pictures of NH4.

[karthik_rao]

Hi,
Am planning to drive to Goa from Mumbai on Oct 1. Idea is to leave in the evening, drive for 5 hours, stop at a Motel on the way overnite and leave for Goa early in the morning.
1. The obvious route is NH17, with a stop at Kolad or Chiplun. I have done this route in 10 hours before(Vashi to Bagha), but dont know how good the road is though, after the monsoon.
2. Am just wondering if I will have a more enjoyable ride if I take the Mumbai-Pune-Satara-Kolhapur-Nipani-Amboli route. And would this take a lot longer?
3. How about Mumbai-Mahabaleshwar-Mahad-Goa? Can I make it to Mahabs in 5 hours from Mumbai?
TIA
Kar

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[genesis]

Just back from a long drive to Goa! Left at 6 am and was in Siolim (North Goa) by 4pm. Drive back from South Goa (Colva) took an hour longer. (with stops for chai and lunch). The highway route through Pune, Kolhapur, Nipani, Amboli, Sawantwadi is much safer than taking NH17 since the expressway is four laned. Roads are a dream till Nipani (the exit off Nipani near Cauvery Hotel is actually around 3 to 4 km from the actual town on Nipani). So get off the expressway once you see Cauvery Hotel. After Nipani the road is narrower with occasional shepherds (A 20 to 30km slightly bad stretch but with potholes being filled)with beautiful waterfalls just after Amboli. Hard left at Sawantwadi will bring you onto the main NH-17 and Bombay Goa road to get to Panjim. Keep car papers in order since the cops may hassle you at the Maharashtra Goa checkpost to get out of the car and show them.

[Peter]

Hi Everyone,

Iam planning a trip to GOA this December for Christmas with Family, I normally make it a straight drive from Mumbai to Goa via the NH17 but this time am planning to make a overnight stop halfway through the journey somewhere at Sangameshwar as its around 300 odd kms covered from Mumbai by the time I reach Sangameshwar.

Could someone please suggest a decent hotel with food that you may know of where I can putup for the night with the Family? has to be reasonable too .

If not Sangameshwar then anywhere close to the area also will do ...no issues.

Cheers,

Peter.

[Skidrow]

This is addressed to all the route gurus and seniors on the forum.I have read the travelogues and route advisories with great admiration. I have a very quick query.

I am planning to drive to Palolem next weekend from Mumbai.

Should I go along the NH4 to Nipani then turn towards Goa via Amboli and Sawantwadi or should I carry on along the NH4 till Belgaum and take the NH4a to Londa and turn off for Palolem after Molem -> Balli ->Palolem?

Please give me your advice.

Thanks in advance,

Suman

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by Skidrow

Should I go along the NH4 to Nipani then turn towards Goa via Amboli and Sawantwadi or should I carry on along the NH4 till Belgaum and take the NH4a to Londa and turn off for Palolem after Molem -> Balli ->Palolem?

no need to go belgaum. turn right at nippani or sankeshwar toward amboli.
road is patchy but easily drivable.

[hvkumar]

If you turn off at Nippani, there are some 10-20 kms of moderately bad roads till Ajra, but otherwise the road is a delight to drive. But you have to drive the whole length of Goa via Mapusa, Panaji, Madagaon and Canacona to reach Palolem.

The Nh4A route from Belgaum also has some 20-30 kms very bad sections between Anmod and Molem. But from Ponda, you can go directly to Madgaon and thereon to Canacona and Palolem.

Between the two, I would still prefer the Nippani-Amboli road. Maybe you can try the Belgaum route on return, when you are in fresh frame of mind to face bad roads at the beginning of the trip (first 2-3 hours) instead of the last 2 hours!

[Skidrow]

Thanks Ashish and Kumar for your quick responses, I think I will go the Nippani route - after all there is no hardship in driving through Goa!;-) ANd may be check the Nostalgia restaurant in Raia!

[IndianNomad]

Hi,

Can anyone update me on the current status of road between Mohol - Pandharpur - Kolhapur.

[Buffetfan]

Dear All,
I am planning a Hyderabad - Gokarna drive this Saturday and following is the route that microsoft (maps.live.co.in) supplied me with)

Hyderabad - Raichur-Sindhunur-Kushtagi-RajendraGarh-Gadag-Hubli/Dharwad-Yellapur-Ankola-Gokarna
My question is - how good is the Sindhunur-Kushtagi-RajendraGarh-Gadag-Hubli/Dharwad-Yellapur-Ankola-Gokarna route..have drive till Sindhunur a couple of time and reasonably satisfied with the roads till then..

Any comments / suggestions will be appreciated

[ethanhunt123]

Hubli-Yellapur-Ankola route is very good with very few bad patches. Ankola-Gokarna is pretty bad though. (both 2 months back)

[dreamdiesel]

I will be doing a trip to Goa from Bangalore in first week of Feb 09. The following is the plan I have made. Me and my wife in Swift D. I would not want to change the route while going to Goa as I do not want to miss any of the places mentioned below. Stay will be at Panjim at my dad's holiday home provided by his office.

In GOA I have referred to Laluks travelogue for places to visit.

I would want to know the road conditions in the plan mentioned and anything that i have to look out for.

Also is 650+ kms on last day doable in around 12 hours?

Regards,
Godwin


Day – 1
Route and Distance: Bangalore - 240kms - Chikmagalur - 95kms - Sringeri - 25kms - Agumbe - 55kms - Udupi
Places to Visit:
Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham (0 kms) and Vidyasankara Temple (0 kms) at Sringeri
View Point (0 kms) at Agumbe
Malpe Harbor (6kms) and Malpe Beach (6 kms) at Udupi
Stay at Udupi

Day – 2
Route and Distance: Udupi - 36kms – Kundapura - 65kms - Murudeshwar
Places to Visit:
St. Mary's Island (7 kms), Milagres Church (7 kms) and Sri Krishna Temple (0 kms) at Udupi
Maravanthe Beach (15 kms), Kollur Mookambika Temple (35 kms) and Byndoor Beach (8kms) at Kundapura
Ksitija Nesara Dhama (Sunset Spot) (2kms) from Shiroor
Stay at Murudeshwar

Day – 3
Route and Distance: Murudeshwar – 35kms - Honnavar - 50kms - Gokarna
Places to Visit:
Shiva Temple (1 kms), Shiva Statue (1kms) and Murudeshwar Beach (1kms) at Murudeshwar
Idagunji Temple (15 kms) at Honnavar
Kudle Beach (4kms), Mahabaleshvara Temple (0 kms) and Om Beach (6kms) at Gokarna
Stay at Gokarna

Day – 4
Route and Distance: Gokarna - 56kms – Karwar - 105kms - Panaji
Places to Visit:
Half-Moon Beach (8kms) and Paradise Beach (9kms) by boat at Gokarna
Rabindranath Tagore Beach (1kms) and Warship Museum (1kms) at Karwar
Palolem Beach (50kms) from KA-GA border in Goa
Baga Beach (16kms), Anjuna Beach Flea Market (18kms) from Panaji
Stay at Panaji

Day – 5
Places to Visit:
GOA
Stay at Panaji

Day – 6
Places to Visit:
GOA
Stay at Panaji

Day – 7
Places to Visit:
GOA
Stay at Panaji

Day – 8
Places to Visit:
GOA
Stay at Panaji

Day – 9
Route and Distance: Panaji – 60kms – Sawantvadi – 95kms – Belgaum – 70kms - Dharwad – 21kms – Hubli – 72kms – Haveri – 40kms - Ranebennur – 25kms -Harihar – 15kms - Davangere – 55kms - Chitradurga – 40kms - Hiriyur - 40kms – Sira – 50kms - Tumkur – 75kms – Bangalore