[akshay81]

I had an issue with my GLC recently. The rear wheel started making a lot of noise like metals brushing against each other. Thought something was wrong with the brakes so got it towed to the service center. The display / app did not show any error or message.

Turns out that a small stone had entered the braking system (don't recollect the exact term used by the SA) and they removed the tyre, some plate and the stone fell out. He did inform that this has happened with at least 3-4 new GLCs in a week's time.

This looks like there may be some design flaw with 2024 GLC. None of my friends using 2023 GLC have faced this issue.

On the positive side, the Road Side Assistance was quick and the car was returned by the service center after a proper wash and cleaning (both inside and outside). Nothing was charged.

[sharad_kmc]

Hello fellow BHPians,
I have recently booked a GLC 300 and I am awaiting delivery. I am new to Mercedes ecosystem and wanted to take your opinion regarding which service package should I opt for while invoicing the car. This would be a secondary vehicle for my dad with approximate monthly running of 500-700km. Also wanted your opinion regarding which accessories I should get at time of delivery. The dashcam and 50,000/- worth of free accessories are part of the year end deal.
Regards
Sharad

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by sharad_kmc

Hello fellow BHPians,
I have recently booked a GLC 300 and I am awaiting delivery. I am new to Mercedes ecosystem and wanted to take your opinion regarding which service package should I opt for while invoicing the car. This would be a secondary vehicle for my dad with approximate monthly running of 500-700km. Also wanted your opinion regarding which accessories I should get at time of delivery. The dashcam and 50,000/- worth of free accessories are part of the year end deal.
Regards
Sharad

I would say spend the extra money on extended warranty instead. I don’t think a service pack is value for money, specially with such low running. My running is heavier than your 700 km per month and I still didn’t opt for it.

On accessories I had picked up some mats which I think are useful within that budget. Not sure about anything else, its quite personal I guess. The official dash cam is a great addition you must definitely take that for sure since it’s been given complimentary.

[Axe77]

Coastal holiday in Dapoli and Murud | A Photoblog

First and foremost, wish everyone here a very happy new year! Delighted to end 2024 and kick off 2025 with a travelog report of all things. … so here goes. My wife had planned an 8 day vacation from 26th Dec to 2nd Jan taking my son along with her siblings and their kids. December end we usually have folks working from home if needed - something I’ve been generally open to encourage with my team as well.

I decided to troop off on a short solo coastal holiday - sort of a “work from coast” if you please, since work at this time was light anyway. The idea wasn’t to drive a lot really. It was to plonk myself in two destinations over 5 nights and 5 - 6 days and just take it easy. Work to the extent needed and tool about locally as time permits, just soak in the destination, read some books, browse … whatever to unwind. To end the calendar year with some “ME” time to sort of reset myself for 2025.

With that in mind, I booked myself into two places - the first at a lovely property called Saffronstays Athaang at Dapoli and the second at what seemed a decent’ish place called Safffronstays Little Paradise.

Part One: Dapoli

Left from Mumbai around 9 am for Dapoli on December 26th. The route taken was Atal Setu, NH 66, and then cut out just after Mangaon. Despite stopping only for pictures on some occasions (no long break for food, petrol or coffee), it took me a solid 5 hrs 15 mins to reach my destination. While the diversions on NH 66 ensured the pace of progress was at best moderate, the principal culprit was a massive traffic jam between Indapur and Mangaon. The other aspect is that out of the total journey of 220 odd kms, post Mangaon, the last 85 kms of the journey is very heavily laced with twisties and has some sections of slow bad roads (nothing too nasty but just requires slow and careful progress).

I took along my Brompton as well for good measure in the hope that I could do some local sightseeing on the bicycle. Great decision as I could get some nice scenic cycling time too while I was here.

And we’re off. Here’s the customary starting pic from most of my journey blogs.


Cheeky click just for this caption. The original plan was to come here on the big GS. But some last minute gremlin on the bike meant making this a drive in the Mercedes instead. That’s the sum total of “Motorrad” that made it Dapoli and Murud for this time at least.


A tastefully done Thar sighted on the JNPT route …


… and a badass looking RJ plate Hilux sighted later on closer to Mangaon on NH66. Modded for Overlanding.


I’m really not a fan of NH 66 TBH. Roads range from lovely smooth sections to massive diversions, to these terrible snarls.


The section between Indapur and Mangaon was the worst - I must have spent at least 30 - 40 mins just in the Mangaon section, that being the point when one turns right to exit NH 66 and be greeted by nice empty inner B roads that cut to the coast.


After the shit show that is NH 66, the inner B roads of smooth flowing tarmac were truly welcome. A few really bad sections but not for long. Great roads for most part and I had some serious fun around the twisties too. Sadly, can’t share some of the Meta videos I took on the forum since I can only upload pics.


Open highway, great music …


… and the occasional sight like this. This is what driving trips are about for me.

Spots like these beg for a halt for some pictures.






Finally reached my place of stay, more than 5 hrs since I left, by around 2.15 pm or so.


Checked in and went straight for some lunch at their restaurant.


Decided to take a short drive out again back towards the bridge and a bit beyond.




Standard SOP … sight sunset, stop for pic.


On the return, visited Villa 270 which is very close by to check it out. Here’s a pic of the view from that property.


Saffronstay Athaang from a distance. There is a visible signage in the evening, which the lower resolution of the picture hasn’t captured.


Nothing to light up one’s spirits like premium parking for your ride.


Day 2 of “work from coast”. Got to love a day that starts with views like these. You can literally see the fishermen’s boats passing by right in front of your eyes.


I decided to head out on my Brompton to try and catch the early morning sun. Rode through this little village road here ….


… to reach this bridge for a view of the rising sun.


Came back to Athaang only to head out to Harnai Bandar to see the famous fish market there. It was a mere 4 kms away so decided to cycle down again, putting the Rayban Meta to good use for on the fly videos and pics.

That island like thing in the horizon is Suvarnadurga Fort.


More pics en route.


Some sights from this large fish market. If you’re having a fish thali anywhere around this area, chances are its fresh catch procured from this very market. The Brommie gets a lot of bemused stares, understandably. One of the more confident ones took a pic. I jokingly said, I’m taking his pic in return. We exchanged a few pleasantries and moved on.


Couldn’t resist lining up the Brommie for a picture here.


On the way back, stopped and briefly explored Goa Fortress at Harnai.


Meta at work again.


I had to head out to Dapoli to refuel - took this more scenic Dapoli bypass to get there.


On the way back, stopped at Ojanup for a fish thali. Had come highly recommended from some of the foodie groups that I’m part of.


Susegad life doesn’t have to be in Goa alone. A thali with a view … not a bad way to spend an afternoon.


Full disclosure … the place is REALLY simple. But it’s the simple places that are some of the best. This place is completely family run, like many of the other Khanavals that are dotted around the Konkan tourist hubs.


This shot is taken just a little beyond another Saffronstay property, called Villa 270. Lovely views from there as well since it sits higher up.


And another shot under the holiday season lighting.


Dinner at Athaang was a nice simple and typical konkan fare comprising taandla chi bhakri (rice bhakri) with yellow dal, thecha (sort of like a condiment) and bharleli waangi (stuffed brinjal) with some surmai fry fish to top it off.

[Axe77]

Part One: Dapoli

… cont

Left around 8.45 am or so today. The idea for the first half of the day was to drive towards Kelshi. En route sight seeing way points were a 12th century Ganesh temple in Anjarle, followed by passing by the Lighthouse (which I knew opens only towards the evening for sunset views). From there, the plan was to stick close to the coastline instead of taking the ghat roads that are further up for the best view of the beach as I drove along.

Once at Kelshi, I parked at the Mahalakshmi temple, had a quick Darshan inside and then took out the Brompton and headed onward towards the Hazrat Peer Yakut Baba Dargah, with a slight inadvertent detour towards what turned out to be a nice scenic spot.

Once I got back to the car, I cycled inside via some dirt track on to what was probably the highlight of the day - a quaint charming old lane going sort of by a canal. For anyone who’s around there, it’s called Ubhagar Lane and it’s a really serene and charming place to walk through. A different old world experience.

Once I was done, I returned via the ghat roads, back to Ojanus for lunch, this time opting for the pomfret thali, which did not disappoint either. An excellent recommendation indeed for meals in this area.

And we’re off. A quick first halt for a picture.


First halt of the day was this immaculately kept and maintained Ganesh temple dating back to the 12th century.
More information about it at this link here.


View from inside the temple where I had a peaceful Darshan.


Right adjacent to it in the same compound is a Shiv mandir too. Note the beautiful landscaping and lily pond right outside it.


The Shiv mandir Darshan.


I liked this neat little QR code that gives you more information about the temple. Love how they’re embracing these little modern touches.


Another picture of the temple with more tasteful landscaping around it.


Headed onward to the Lighthouse at Anjarle from here. Taking a route kissing the coastline means you get to stop at locales like these for pics.


And another … the lighthouse ain’t going anywhere.


Just a quick halt for a customary snap. The lighthouse is understandably shut at this time.


The beautiful coastal drive continues ….


…. throwing up short halts like these.


Finally approaching Kelshi where you are greeted by this signboard, marking the two prominent landmarks of this area.


The first was the Mahalakshmi temple. This too dates back about 200 years. I parked outside it, where my car would remain parked while I explored the rest of the broader Kelshi area.


And out comes the little one. It’s Brompton time. The Yakub Baba dargah is just a km or so away at the top of the hill behind.


Some pics from along the way including a short inadvertent turn into a dead end.


The Dargah itself where some construction is going on at the entrance. The highlight is this magnificent view you get from around the Dargah.


Once back at the car, I decided to explore the area a bit more, looking out for a quaint little lane that a friend had told me about.


Found it! Ubhagar Lane. The most charming little ride through this narrow lane with pretty homes on either side.




Some of the by lanes off this lane were equally pretty. Took some of these shots again from the RayBan Meta, which is proving to be handy indeed for such outings.


Finally on the way back. Sighted this little mandir along a narrow village road.


Another day, another bridge ….


…. with breathtaking views like this.


Continuing the journey back, this time via the ghat section instead of alongside the beaches.


Back to Ojanus for a seafood thali. Opted for the pompfret one this time around.


Some images of Saffronstays Athaang, Dapoli, the property …


… and some here of my room itself (the specific room name is Adira in case anyone might be interested.) Lovely view out of Anjarle beach and the room is comfortably equipped too. The shower also has a nice glass enclosure with a nice view out to the sea.


Ended the day with a short walk to this lovely table top land behind the property to catch the sunset.

That’s it from Anjarle, Dapoli. Off to Murud tomorrow, where I’m staying at another Saffronstays property called Little Paradise, just a stone’s throw from the Murud Janjira Fort. More on the stay at Murud in Part 2 of this Travel Photolog.

[Axe77]

Part Two: Murud

It’s a lazy Sunday. The plan was to leave Anjarle sometime between 9.00- 9.30 am and make it a nice and lazy journey to Murud.

You can see below that despite being the shortest by a solid margin (90 kms, as opposed to 109 and 127 kms for the other two options), the route running closest to the coast is almost the same time as the other two routes. It’s also the nicest I was hoping, since it runs closer to the coast and involved two ferry crossing as well and that was the one I planned to take.

Route planned:
Anjarle —> Dehen —> Dauli —> Mandivali —> Umroli —> Vesvi … ferry to … Bagmandla —> Kherdi —> Dandguri —> cut off to Diveagar for lunch at Patil Khanaval —> Dighi … ferry to … Murud Janjira —> Little Paradise.

BUT … the best laid plans and all of that. The route went as planned up until lunch at Patil Khanaval at Diveagar (which was lovely btw, and even well worth the horrid 20 min traffic snarl within 2 mins of my leaving the place after). Got to Dighi Port and there was at least a 90 - 120 min wait for the ferry I was told. Absolutely crazy queue of cars and people both. It was a toughie because once I reach the other side by Ferry, my place of stay was literally within 500 mtrs of the port.

Checked maps and it was a clean ~90 min (~66 km) drive to my place of stay (see map below).

I decided I’d rather be driving for 90 mins than be sitting at a dingy port in the heat. Best decision ever because the route too was extremely rewarding in large parts with flowing sections of concrete as well as narrower tar roads. Had left at 9.20 and accounting for a lazy lunch and a 10 - 15 min halt at Dighi Port, I finally reached my place at Murud by 3.20 pm or so.

With that, here’s the rest of the day / stay via the usual photolog.

And we’re off, with the customary odometer pic. Goodbye Athaang, it was a wonderful stay here.


Even the ghat route was superbly scenic although eerily desolate. Two village ladies here going about their normal day on a road that I would absolutely never want to be stranded on.


Spotted a few lovely spots well before reaching even my first ferry ride. This particular halt had a hairy moment when the car just would not detect the key for a good 2 mins or so (or what seemed like an eternity to me, what with completely desolate section and no signal across 3 SIM cards).

Got out, walked away and locked the car and unlocked it again and the car started up fine. I think when I had gotten out for a pic with the car running, I had one key in my pocket and another in the car. I’m not sure if the signal gets scrambled or some such thing with both keys in close proximity or whatever. Anyway, it was a hairy few minutes indeed.


Some more pictures from the same or similarly scenic spot.


The key incident was the last time I got out of the car right up till I reached the first ferry. So be prepared for a lot of pics from inside the car from my RayBan Meta going forward.


The roads were occasionally broken but acceptable to excellent for most part.


With rewarding views continuing like this one here …


… as well as this.


Another beautiful view but the scars are still too fresh for me to venture out of my car on a desolate stretch.


The stunning views continue.


Now close to the jetty point (I think, I can’t recall where / when I took this pic.)


Parked first in queue. There comes my ride in the distance.


That’s the ride …


… affording me the chance to take a rare aerial pic like this.


Back on the road with some scenic sections like this …


… and this. Although the closer I got to Deveagar the roads looked more populated and the drive got more routine.


Made a special detour to eat at Patil Khanaval at Diveagar. I plan to eat at their Murud outlet too while I’m here although it’s about 11 kms from where I’m staying. The place even had a nice large compound to park in.
The menu is simple - 5 to 6 different thalis - take your pic.


The alternate route I took to bypass the last mile Janjira ferry had some lovely fast sweeping roads like this. Added bonus was a fuel halt where I could fill 95 RON fuel.


Approaching my villa stay, which is just overlooking the beach, you can walk out to it from the rooms, its less than 100 mtrs away.


The room itself is disappointingly basic. Like … REALLY .. basic in its furnishing, in stark contrast to the quality of the room at Dapoli.


But it sits right at the beach, rewarding you with outstanding views like this …


… and this.

Overall, the room was a massive disappointment but the views and the serenity of the place outstanding. I look forward to some continued quiet time here over the day and a half I spend here. It’s also a great place to maybe catch a short run or cycle ride. Hopefully I’ll manage one of each at least while I’m here.

“How to Monday” guide from Murud.
Step 1: Caffeine up with this lovely view.


Step 2: Go for a ride. Went to the view point to catch a glimpse of the Murud Janjira fort.


Stopped at the Khokari Tombs en route. These are three 500 year old stone tombs of the early rulers of the erstwhile Janjira State.


Morning view of the Fort.


Back to base - this place is really close to where I’m staying - a few 100 mtrs away.




This is bang opposite!


Back to base.


With the bike parked right outside.


For this hearty breakfast. I believe the popular adage amongst our running group is - “chawwani ka workout, atthani ka khaana” (loosely translated it implies the calories consumed post workout far exceed the actual calories burnt OR more literally, 25 cents worth of workout and 50 cents worth of food).

I just had one last tick in the box for Murud - to have lunch at the local Patil Khanaval which had come highly recommended. Got out for probably my last car ride here before I return to Mumbai the next morning.

Short pit stop at the three 500 year old Khokari Stone Tombs, where I had stopped with the Brommie earlier in the morning.


This is in a really crowded place just at the beach but helpfully they do have a ground where you can park. Simple place but excellent food. They do a great veg thali too btw.


Back home finally. R&R for the remainder of the day.


One last sunset, before leaving for Mumbai the following morning.


Finally, the customary end shot. Clocked a total of ~650 kms over the last week or so.

The final drive back home was an uneventful, quick point to point drive - no stops whatsoever, from Murud to home. Basically exiting Murud via the route to Roha, connecting to NH 66 just beyond Nagothane and reaching SOBO via JNPT / Atal Setu. Left around 7.50 am and was home by about 10.20 am or so to make the most of the last working day of the year.

End Notes

Saffronstays Athaang, Dapoli | quick review

- Great view, although the rooms are North facing mostly, neither east nor west. So doesn’t make for either a sunrise view or a sunset view.
- Good parking at the property.
- Food was decent not great (slightly oily). Plenty options to eat within a 20 min drive.
- Quiet and secluded location
- Easy access for the elderly (unlike Villa 270 nearby which is not at all elder friendly - too many steps to get to the rooms as well as the restaurant.)
- Rooms (at least Adira where I stayed) exude a very nice luxurious feel.
- No specific amenities, not even a pool, if that’s important to you.
- Staff is excellent and really eager to help.
- Would I be inclined to come back here? YES!

Saffronstays Little Paradise, Murud | quick review

- The rooms are inexcusably basic. I mean to a point of being off putting. It’s a really old construction, nowhere near what you associate with when you think of SS as a brand. This is the single biggest put off. It’s really small in size too.
- Privacy is not great if you’re in one of the two rooms that are adjacent to each other, even the curtains seem inadequate.
- Even stuff like the linen, towels etc feel like they’re from a 3 star hotel.
- Food isn’t included in the package (or at least wasn’t in mine), not even breakfast. Having said that, meals were reasonably priced (~500 per person for a main meal and lesser for smaller snacks).
- What is the highlight is the view, which is superb. This is a small property with just a garden in front.
- It’s a very short drive from Murud Janjira fort and the Khokari tombs.
- Murud beach itself is a 20 min / 11 km drive away, which is not a bad thing considering how populated the touristy part of Murud is.
- I found the food here less oily than Athaang. For a higher price, he can whip up some veg / non-veg barbecue offering too for you. I opted for this one evening and it was really nice. It wasn’t mentioned on the menu though (IIRC).
- Staff is excellent and really eager to help.
- Would I come back here or even recommend it to anyone? NO!!

Navigating Konkan by road

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the area, note that there are very long, really desolate and narrow sections of driving. I did find this unnerving at times given this was a totally solo trip. One car, one person - no back up of any sort whatsoever. If you are under confident of taking such trips, it’s best to come in a group. More than one car is even better, so you have some back up. I would suggest planning road travel in such a way that you’re not driving into these areas coming into nightfall. That is an absolute no-no.

If you’re driving around the broader Konkan area, you would also be well served by ensuring your car is in tip top shape (applies to any road trip of course but just highlighting given help is not easily at hand). A spare wheel together with a tyre inflator should be considered essential and I’d even add a puncture repair kit with the ability to use it as an essential skill / tools to have. There are just too long desolate stretches where you may not even have any mobile signal and not even a tyre wala for miles at end. The ability to change a tyre or even repair a puncture on the fly can be invaluable. Most travelers can do the former but not all can do latter. This thread (A Guide on Essentials of a Long Drive) is a bit dated but has excellent tips regardless.

I managed to get 95 RON fuel throughout although not every pump will have this. When you find one and you get a chance, it’s not a bad idea to top up your car anyway if this is important to you.

Road conditions are largely ranging from acceptable to great, but there will always be some bad sections and fair share of broken patches. I still think it’s something most sedans (with varying degree of care) can navigate through though, albeit with care. Monsoons here can be quite intense so reinforce the suggestions above with typical additional monsoon related caution. Road conditions and access itself on account of landslides or flooding can pose additional challenges in peak monsoons.

The GLC

Overall, this was a rewarding drive in no small part due to the GLC too. It was properly punchy and entertaining whenever I wanted and I could comfortably waft around at other times. The SUV spec ground clearance means that you can undertake every kind of road situation without too much stress. The Mercedes being a very “comfortable” car to drive means fatigue too is lower. The same drive in the 3GT would have meant a bit more fatigue. I did have my share of fun on the twisties and while the GLC is dynamically reasonable accomplished, it is no Bavarian when it comes to corner carving. You are not going to get that “driving on rails” kind of feeling that a more aggressively tuned car like an X3M40i or similar is likely to provide (I would imagine - no personal experience). Fuel efficiency wasn’t flattering with these kind of ghat roads being in large doses and me running a lead foot. I must’ve got +/- 7 kmpl for the large part of the trip, certainly much lower than what you’d get covering large distances on the more mainstream expressway style highways.

The big boot is a boon, I never need to think twice about throwing in my bike even on family trips. The car was predictable and reliable for most part other than the solitary occasion when it gave me a proper scare (key not detected). This I realised was on account of both keys in the pocket perhaps and my stepping out with one causing some error. I simply well stepped away from the car with both keys, locked the car and unlocked it again and all was fine. It was still a hairy moment though, what with me being in the middle of nowhere.

It’s also a perfect sized car for such trips. There were some really narrow roads I drove on including some very crowded narrow lanes with two way traffic. The GLC is perfect size in providing big car comfort without a XXL sized footprint, particularly in small coastal roads. Trust me, even the size difference between a GLC and GLE can be felt in some situations.

Thank you for reading. Wish you all a very happy 2025 and hope you get your share of awesome fun filled road trips this coming year.

[rpunwani]

Lovely travelogue !

Reminds me of the numerous trips I made to coastal Maharashtra - the quaint places, amazing seafood thali and some great roads

[sedanlover2021]

Awesome write up. Thanks for introducing me to Ibrahim Maalouf , in the second picture, which watch are you wearing? Happy new year!

[Kkumar]

What a nice way to draw curtains on 2024 and assure in 2025. I'm sure you must be fully rejuvenated after this trip. I think "brommie" deserves a separate thread of its own. Thank you for sharing and keep on munching miles.

[Axe77]

Thank you everyone for the kind words.

Originally Posted by sedanlover2021

Thanks for introducing me to Ibrahim Maalouf , in the second picture, which watch are you wearing? Happy new year!

Hahaha … great catch. That pic was really to show the red traffic ridden stretch on google map. But yes, I do love his music.

On the watch, it’s the Seiko Alpinist SPB121, running on an aftermarket vintage racing strap purchased from Watch Gecko.

I did briefly write about it here (pictured here with a previous aftermarket strap) and it’s also pictured more clearly in the 2nd last pic here sporting its current strap, which you saw in the Travelog pic above. Its kind of my beater watch and I wear it usually during rough travel although it gets disproportionate wrist time even in Mumbai, I just love it so much.

Originally Posted by Kkumar

I think "brommie" deserves a separate thread of its own. Thank you for sharing and keep on munching miles.

I really do love the Brommie and couldn’t resist but put up a more detailed post in this thread here on this dedicated cycling thread, even though many of the pictures do overlap.

[Hayek]

Lovely travelogue and lovely pics Axe.

Am really amazed that you did this solo (if I get it right) - have never ever done that.

Dapoli and Murud do seem really beautiful (as is Kashid) - but the terrible condition on NH66 has meant that I have not had the courage to visit these areas for more than the last decade. And while a 5.5 hour or even 12 hour drive is fine with me, I would get extremely frustrated if that is for just 200 km (400 in 5.5 hours is fine).

Thanks for sharing the lovely pics - and I do hope the work on NH66 gets done in the next year or two so that these areas become more accessible to all of us. It is such a shame that poor infrastructure leads to us not visiting our own neighbourhood.

[sedanlover2021]

Originally Posted by Axe77

On the watch, it’s the Seiko Alpinist SPB121, running on an aftermarket vintage racing strap purchased from Watch Gecko.

Ahh that's a beautiful time piece. I am a proud owner of seiko 5 and an old time cocktail time presage. Keep riding sir

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by Hayek

Am really amazed that you did this solo (if I get it right) - have never ever done that.

Dapoli and Murud do seem really beautiful (as is Kashid) - but the terrible condition on NH66 has meant that I have not had the courage to visit these areas for more than the last decade. And while a 5.5 hour or even 12 hour drive is fine with me, I would get extremely frustrated if that is for just 200 km (400 in 5.5 hours is fine).

Thanks for sharing the lovely pics - and I do hope the work on NH66 gets done in the next year or two so that these areas become more accessible to all of us.

Thank you Hayek. This was indeed a completely solo trip. One car, one person. . My wife was on holiday with just her sisters and the kids and I really wanted to just take the opportunity to get "me time" to be by myself in the last week and reset for the coming year.

Three major contributors to the drive time from Mumbai to Dapoli (5 hrs 15 mins for 220 kms):

1. General NH 66 diversions which even though weren’t traffic jammed too much still are disruptive to smooth and steady progress. Combined with broken tarmac stretches they do slow you down a bit even though the smooth flowing stretches can be fast (errant lane truckers and cars aside).
2. Massive traffic jam between Indapur and Mangaon. That took a LOT of time. Proper traffic snarl that must have cost at least 40 - 45 mins.
3. About 80 kms or so were inner B roads including a lot of forest / small ghat like roads which were as narrow as 1 car wide to 1.5 car to barely 2 car wide. Such sections generally will account for pretty slow average speed as they’re too twisty and also too narrow to drive fast. There was really little to no traffic issue though in these parts and it was very scenic, meaning a few breaks for pictures as well.

But you’re right on NH 66 - once that is properly completed, travel on that section should be much quicker. For reference, my 145 km trip from Murud to Mumbai took just under 2 hrs 30 mins non stop (I was clipping it wherever possible, I admit).

This involved NH 66 from Nagonthane till Panvel and that is despite some diversions, heavy and undisciplined truck traffic etc. So I can only imagine how convenient Mumbai - Goa would become once the entire stretch is properly completed. Until then, I don’t think I like this route for Goa at least (Karad Anuskura remains my preference for Goa). Its very tiring to drive with constant disruptions of diversions and speed breakers and broken roads.

[surjaonwheelz]

Great trip down the Konkan coast! Do we see a Jimny in your garage soon?

Happy tripping,
surjaonwheelz

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by surjaonwheelz

Great trip down the Konkan coast! Do we see a Jimny in your garage soon?

Happy tripping,
surjaonwheelz

Hahaha … that one is not for me bud! 4W Garage is gonna stay quiet till it’s time to flip the 3GT for a fuel efficient beater car maybe. Will drag the 3GT as long as I can until then.