Team-BHP - Pune-Goa-Pune Trip

Last week we went on a vacation to Goa from Pune. This time while driving down to Goa took the Pune-Belgaum-Londa-Ponda-Marago-Cavelossim
Started at 4:15 AM in the morning from Pune, cut through Pune city via Singhad road to reach NH4. NH4 is in excellent state, was cruising along and reach the outskirts of Belgaum at around 8:55 AM odd. Stopped at the BP petrol pump just after entering Belgaum. Distance covered by that time was 320 KMs in 4 hrs 45 mins that included 15 mins pit stop in between. Spent the next 1 odd hr in Belgaum for refueling and breakfast.

Started at 10:00 AM from Belgaum, drove through Belagum city to hit NH4A. Had done this route 3 yrs back, with new reports that NH4A has been re-laid was all excited about the new NH4A. NH4A is better till Londa but an observation, that road is narrow and since it supposed to be done up, at many place the road is at least 6 inches higher then ground, so with oncoming traffic on has to be real careful to stay on the road.

NH4A was a good drive till Londa, after Londa faced the old wrath of NH4A, the strech after Londa is same as it was 3 yrs back,
at many places there is no road at all and even if there is a road it is a big roller coaster ride. The wrath of truck loaded with iron ore between this strech can be seen on the road.

The climb down through the ghat after that dirt track ride was not that pleasant. The road is all patchy in places and heavy traffic of trucks loaded with iron ore. At Ponda took the NH17B out of Ponda to reach Marago and then from Margao to Cavelossim. Reached Cavelossim at 1:30 PM.

Covered the distance of 180 kms from Belagum-Cavelossim in 3.5 hrs.

Total distance 500 kms from Pune-Cavelossim.

On the way back decided to stick to the old known route i.e. Cavelossim-Marago-Sawantwadi-Amboli-Ajra-Gadhinlaj-Sankeshwar-Kolhapur-Pune. From Sankeshwar to Pune it is NH4.

Started from Cavelossim at 8:30 AM. As excepted the road around Sawantwadi is not that great with small potholes now and then. The climb via Amboli ghat was as refreshing as ever. Just after Amboli ghat there is an Kamat's restaurant, stopped there for lunch. Interesting restaurant, there men's restroom area is of the same size as the dining area :). From Amboli-Ajra-Gadhinlaj-Sankeshwar it was a pleasent drive with ok traffic and road in good condition with occasional patches on the road now and then. There is a shorter route from Ajra-Uttur-Nippani to hit NH4A. Recent reports suggested that Uttur-Nippani is not a great drive ( This strech has been like this since last few years), so decided to take the Ajra-Gadhinlaj-Sankeshwar to hit NH4. From Sankeshwar to Kolhapur was a great drive. Kolaphur-Pune was a slow drive as compared to my early morning drive on the way to Goa. This strech has good amount of traffic during the day that includes 2 wheelers and 3 wheelers and not to mention the traffic coming from wrong side.

Reached Pune at 6:30 PM. The total distance was 490 KMs from Cavelossim-Pune.

The scariest moment of the whole drive was an oncoming two wheeler from wrong direction inside the Khambati Tunnel on the drive back from Kolhapur-Pune!!!!!