Who doesn’t like going to GOA and chill? It’s been quite some time that Atul and I took Skiddy (our Chevy Beat) out for a drive and what best place it can be apart from Goa. Also, it was a while that we both took off and got time for ourselves. We knew traveling to Goa around mid-March would be extremely hot and humid, yet we decided to go ahead and plan the trip. Hence, the Goa trip was planned, with couple of days off from work.
Some quick bytes from the trip:
Dates: 18th – 21st March 2017 (4 days)
Travelers – Atul and I
Vehicle – Chevy Beat LT(O) P
Overall route taken: BTM (home) > Tumkur > Davangere > Hubballi > Dharwad > Mollem > Majorda > Chorla Ghat > Kittur > Dharwad > Hubballi > Davangere > Tumkur > BTM (home)
Kms covered: 1310 kms
Day 1
Packing for the trip was done the previous night along with filling up of tank and air in the tires. I think it is inevitable that we can never start a drive/ride exactly by the time we planned earlier. We were supposed to beginning the drive at sharp 4am in the morning. Arun, our friend, wanted to join with us till Davangere or breakfast point on his bike. Somehow we woke up late, got delayed, quickly freshen up, and we started at around 4:45am. Road being pretty much empty, we hit the NICE road (RS 120 toll) and headed towards the Tumkur road exit. With large number of trucks passing through the highway, crossing the toll gate of NH48 took us a really good time. Paid Rs 20 as toll fare, we went on to hit the Tumkur highway. The drive was pleasant, mild morning breeze, thin blanket of fog on the distant grasslands and our favorite music in the background. Arun on his bike, followed our car.
With a short break in between, we crossed Tumkur, Chitradurga, Davangere and came some 310kms away from home, time was around 9:30am. Decided to stop by at a restaurant and ordered some food, all were hungry. Ordered some benne dosa, idly, vada and tea. Took rest for some 30mins and agreed to move ahead. Arun would be returning home from here on. Bidding goodbye to Arun, Atul and I headed towards Hubballi. Till now (just before the breakfast point), we crossed 5 toll plazas. Rs 17 at Kulumepalya Nelamangala - JAS Toll Road, Rs 75 at Tumkur – Tavarekere Karjeevanahalli Toll Plaza, Rs 60 at Tavarekere – Chitradurga Guilalu Toll Plaza, Rs 75 at Hebbalu Toll Plaza. There was a toll booth in between which wasn’t working so the toll fare was waived off.
By now Sun started showing off in full strength making it really hot. Paid another toll of Rs 100 at Hadadi Devgiri Chalageri Toll Plaza, crossed Hubballi at 11:30am and took a small break. Just after crossing Hubballi the highway becomes single lane for a stretch of 30kms, making the drive difficult due to large heavy trucks trying to maneuver ahead through the steep roads and fast moving vehicle from opposite. One needs to be utterly careful and patient in this part in order to avoid any mishap. By 12:30pm we were at Dharwad. Here you pay a toll fare of Rs 61 which can be used later for entering the toll gate towards Panaji. From Dharwad we took left diversion and headed for Mollem, through SH 34 until we reached Mollem and the ghat sections at around 2:30pm. Paid toll and entry to Goa state for Rs 250 (this pass can be used for any number of days a person stays in Goa). Hotel was just some 47kms away.
Ride through the ghat section was really pleasing, with green vegetation, small villages all along the highway and mild forest breeze. We took the Panjim-Belgaum road and then the Margao – Belgaum By-Pass road to reach Majorda and then our hotel, Shangri-La Beach Hotel at 3:45pm. This is a steal deal budget hotel for traveler like us, Rs 1200 per night for an AC Deluxe Room. After done with the hotel formalities and ID checks, we got our room, nice, clean and well-maintained. I straight away went to take a bath – Goa was HOT!
Took some 30 mins to settle down in the room, relaxed and decided to head out towards the Majorda beach to have some lunch, both of us were dying with hunger. Majorda is a beautiful village in Salcete, South Goa. A calm, quiet and not very crowded place, the Majorda beach is flocked with mostly foreign tourists. We got inside a shack and ordered our lunch – steamed rice, beef noodles and chicken xacuti. This was the best feeling of relaxing, eating your food, not doing anything, lazing around and staring the beautiful sunset across the horizon. I clicked some pictures of sun setting and nearby places, played around sea water and sitting by the beach for a while. Around 7:30pm, we walked back towards the hotel, decided to spend the rest of the evening in the room, too tired from the drive.
Lied down on the bed to relax, we both fell fast sleep, by the time we got up it was 10pm. Called up the reception desk if we can order something for dinner now. The guys gave us number of a local restaurant who does hotel delivery. Ordered some chicken curry and rotis. Done with dinner, we both fell asleep once again. This time to get up the next morning.