[CBlazer]

Nice write-up Suhaas! Goa travelouges make me a little nostalgic. There was one particular year when I visited the place several times. But I never drove to Goa though. It has been my dream to drive to Goa. Your travelouge has inspired me to plan one sometime soon. My fear though is that as in the past once I start I'll keep going back.

I should show my wife this thread. She's such a sea-food freak.

I agree with your advice on staying around 90-110 kmph. Even on dead straight, well laid stretches on the GQ, I don't feel comfortable going beyond 110 though my Cedia seems to be just waking up around that speed. I've seen bus drivers suddenly coming the wrong way to avoid U-turns, inexperienced city drivers overtaking incorrectly, etc.

[blackbeast]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Dang! So it was a good stretch of road after all! My father and I assumed that that particular stretch wasn't good. In fact, one of our family friends (who also happens to be a Team-BHP member) had taken the Hubli - Belgaum route instead of the Haveri - Sirsi - Mirjan route recently and he said that it was horrible and our Civic would die! Lol! My dad will not be pleased to hear this!

Well Suhas, There many ways of getting to Belgaum from panaji. The one i told you about will take you into maharashtra for a few kms and get you out into Goa.It is popularly known as belgaum sawantwadi amboli panaji. Enough has been told about this in "Bangalore-Goa route" thread. It will increase the distance but you save a lot of time and will put you directly in North goa. Try this next time unless you want to go to palolem.

I'm glad you detailed on Food. Not many travelogues on goa do this.I just love goan food. Infact, i prefer to have seafood only in places where it is fresh.It would be great if you could post more on restaurants from your previous Trips or the ones you learnt through references

[nirmaljusdoit]

Thanks Suhaas - It was an entertaining travelogue, with your nice pics !
Brings back fond memories of Goa ! Am thinking now of going there in November. Guess what, my bro returned yesterday from Goa, with some of my favorite sausages - the pork ones !! Yummy !

Originally Posted by ampere

You mentioned turning to Hubi. Hence I got that doubt. (No I have never driven there)

I think the best route is NH17/63/4. Nothing beats NH63 Yellapur stretch. Green and in prime form for driving. You never feel the stress of the ghats.
(Karwar-Ankola-Yellapur-Hubli-Bangalore.)

Ampere - How is the road condition ? Would the road be good enough with less potholes ? Some feedback please !

Originally Posted by blackbeast

Well Suhas, There many ways of getting to Belgaum from panaji. The one i told you about will take you into maharashtra for a few kms and get you out into Goa.It is popularly known as belgaum sawantwadi amboli panaji. Enough has been told about this in "Bangalore-Goa route" thread. It will increase the distance but you save a lot of time and will put you directly in North goa. Try this next time unless you want to go to palolem.

I'm glad you detailed on Food. Not many travelogues on goa do this.I just love goan food. Infact, i prefer to have seafood only in places where it is fresh.It would be great if you could post more on restaurants from your previous Trips or the ones you learnt through references

Black beast - (same question as to Ampere above) How is the road condition ? Would the road be good enough with less potholes ? Some feedback please !

Off topic - does anyone want a good recipe for homemade pork vindaloo, if yes ill post it in the recipes thread !

[chethan.ram]

Nice write up and amazing pictures too. Thanks for sharing.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by nirmaljusdoit

Ampere - How is the road condition ? Would the road be good enough with less potholes ? Some feedback please !

As far as I know, NH63 between Hubli and Ankola bypass is very good. It has least effects of mining trucks.
May have a few rough edges here and there, but on the whole its very decent.

NH4 till, Hubli, I need not mention. Ankola onwards to Goa is decent. Monsoon might have deterred.
Check posts by Jammy and JLN on the Bangalore-Goa thread.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...-route-84.html

(Post 1253).

[KRRaj]

Nice written Travelogue Suhaas . As expected lot of attention to foodie stuff

[maximus.]

Nice TL.Thanks for sharing your experience with eloborate details, especially on food joints.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by ampere

You mentioned turning to Hubi. Hence I got that doubt. (No I have never driven there)

I think the best route is NH17/63/4. Nothing beats NH63 Yellapur stretch. Green and in prime form for driving. You never feel the stress of the ghats.
(Karwar-Ankola-Yellapur-Hubli-Bangalore.)

Originally Posted by blackbeast

Well Suhas, There many ways of getting to Belgaum from panaji. The one i told you about will take you into maharashtra for a few kms and get you out into Goa.It is popularly known as belgaum sawantwadi amboli panaji. Enough has been told about this in "Bangalore-Goa route" thread. It will increase the distance but you save a lot of time and will put you directly in North goa. Try this next time unless you want to go to palolem.

I'm glad you detailed on Food. Not many travelogues on goa do this.I just love goan food. Infact, i prefer to have seafood only in places where it is fresh.It would be great if you could post more on restaurants from your previous Trips or the ones you learnt through references

Ampere, Blackbeat,

The NH63 Yellapur stretch will be interesting. Thanks for mentioning that Ampere. We will definitely consider that over our other routes. I shall even mention the Belgaum - Sawantwadi - Amboli - Panaji route to my Father. Perhaps we could give that a shot! thank you blackbeat!

Well, I'm a huge foodie and hence, the foodie travelogue! There is a list of restaurants that I'd mentioned in the previous page. I've highlighted them, please give them a look. I will mention a few other restaurants as well.

Originally Posted by CBlazer

Nice write-up Suhaas! Goa travelouges make me a little nostalgic. There was one particular year when I visited the place several times. But I never drove to Goa though. It has been my dream to drive to Goa. Your travelouge has inspired me to plan one sometime soon. My fear though is that as in the past once I start I'll keep going back.

I should show my wife this thread. She's such a sea-food freak.

I agree with your advice on staying around 90-110 kmph. Even on dead straight, well laid stretches on the GQ, I don't feel comfortable going beyond 110 though my Cedia seems to be just waking up around that speed. I've seen bus drivers suddenly coming the wrong way to avoid U-turns, inexperienced city drivers overtaking incorrectly, etc.

Thank you CBlazer!

I'm a big foodie, and none of my travelogues would go without the mention of restaurants! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I hope your wife does too!

You're absolutely right. It's better to be safe rather than sorry. Sticking to a comfortable speed is the right thing to do, especially since most people on the highway have no highway-driving experience whatsoever. You must keep your eyes peeled at intersections for errant two-wheelers who dart across the road without giving a hoot to other road users!

Originally Posted by nirmaljusdoit

Thanks Suhaas - It was an entertaining travelogue, with your nice pics !
Brings back fond memories of Goa ! Am thinking now of going there in November. Guess what, my bro returned yesterday from Goa, with some of my favorite sausages - the pork ones !! Yummy !



Ampere - How is the road condition ? Would the road be good enough with less potholes ? Some feedback please !



Black beast - (same question as to Ampere above) How is the road condition ? Would the road be good enough with less potholes ? Some feedback please !

Off topic - does anyone want a good recipe for homemade pork vindaloo, if yes ill post it in the recipes thread !

Originally Posted by ampere

As far as I know, NH63 between Hubli and Ankola bypass is very good. It has least effects of mining trucks.
May have a few rough edges here and there, but on the whole its very decent.

NH4 till, Hubli, I need not mention. Ankola onwards to Goa is decent. Monsoon might have deterred.
Check posts by Jammy and JLN on the Bangalore-Goa thread.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...-route-84.html

(Post 1253).

The roads, overall, are pretty good. The only issue we had was while coming back. We took a bypass to avoid Kumta and that was a pretty rough ride. Sirsi - Haveri wasn't good either. Otherwise, the route on the whole was splendid. And once the GQ is completed, it would be even better and it should reduce travel time by an hour at least, if not more!

Originally Posted by chethan.ram

Nice write up and amazing pictures too. Thanks for sharing.

Originally Posted by KRRaj

Nice written Travelogue Suhaas . As expected lot of attention to foodie stuff

Originally Posted by maximus.

Nice TL.Thanks for sharing your experience with eloborate details, especially on food joints.

Thank you chethan, Krraj and maximus!

[laluks]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Place: Britto's Bar & Restaurant
Location: Off Baga/Calangute, North Goa
Review: A great place to chill out and enjoy a meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Great ambiance, good service and legendary food! Any Goan specialty on the menu is worth ordering. The quality, off-late, has come down though and if it isn't your first time there, I suggest you try a different place.
The Bill: Rs. 2000 + for four.
VFM: Nope, not anymore. Prices have gone up and the quality has slipped.


Place: Souza Lobo Bar & Restaurant
Location: Off Calangute, North Goa
Review: Souza Lobo provides you with a fabulous dining experience coupled with great seafood and quick service. Again, any authentic Goan dish would be the thing to order. A quaint little shack off the happening Calangute beach that has come a long way. However, just like Britto's, the standards have dropped and many claim that it doesn't live up to its hype.
The Bill: Rs 2500 + for four.
VFM: See Britto's..

Completely Agree. Brittos 50/50.
You can give Souza Loba a complete miss. NOT worth any more.

[blackbeast]

Suhaas,

The road is in very good condition. As i mentioned before, that kind of a road is perfect for civic. There are some scenic spots as well. NH17 was a night mare for me when i drove through it a couple of years back. Best part about this route is you will avoid margoa and panaji traffic. I have gone through the restaurants you have been to in this trip. I have been to most of them. So, try to recollect from your previous trips. I shall contribute to it too.

[RGK]

Great Suhaas. thanks for sharing everything in detail. Travelling without good food does not make a complete tour.
Like some, your nice travelogue took back me to 80's and 90's.
I drove two times from my home town near coimbatore to Goa in 89 summer and again in 97 especially during last week of May before the monsoon. Both time Amby diesel.
No GQ at that time so we faced lot of truck traffic in NH7 and in NH4. We took Hubli, dharwad and then entered panjim.
As far as I know the best traffic rule followers are people of Goa.
They strictly obey traffic and never an hindrance. Very heartening to hear from you that they still follow them in todays traffic also.
To quote an instance, I was driving from Margoa to Panaji, two vehicles were going in front. The first vehicle planned to turn right and he turned his right indicator on. After few seconds, the second driver also turned it on. I thought so these two are going to turn right. But to my surprise, once the first vehicle the right turn, the second guy switched off his right turn indication. Then I came to know that the second driver was cautioning the vehicles following him. I was surprised on the drivers discipline which happened on a mid day. While returning we took NH17 to reach udupi but the roads were not that much good at that time

[blackbeast]

Originally Posted by RGK

Then I came to know that the second driver was cautioning the vehicles following him. I was surprised on the drivers discipline

. Its overwhelming to see such a behaviour on NH. What it can do is motivate others to follow the discipline.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by laluks

Completely Agree. Brittos 50/50.
You can give Souza Loba a complete miss. NOT worth any more.

Originally Posted by blackbeast

Suhaas,

The road is in very good condition. As i mentioned before, that kind of a road is perfect for civic. There are some scenic spots as well. NH17 was a night mare for me when i drove through it a couple of years back. Best part about this route is you will avoid margoa and panaji traffic. I have gone through the restaurants you have been to in this trip. I have been to most of them. So, try to recollect from your previous trips. I shall contribute to it too.

Thank you blackbeast. Will definitely suggest this route to my father. In fact, I've already mentioned it to him and we're keen on trying it out next time.

We have been to plenty of restaurants across Goa. And apart from the ones I've mentioned, the others aren't really worth trying out.

There is this place called Lila Cafe that's off Baga/Calangute and it's walking distance from RGBC Monterio.

Place: Lila Cafe
Location: Off Baga/Calangute right next to that river
Review: Yet another open-air cafe that caters to several foreigners for it's depth and variety that it offers. Apart from the regulars, one must try the German bread that you get there. It's absolutely brilliant! You can afford to give sea-food a skip when you're at this place and try out the European/Mediterranean cuisine that this place is special for.
Price: Rs. 2000 for four.
VFM: Worth trying at least once!

Place: Joe Cons Bar and Restaurant
Location: Opposite RGBC Benaulim Beach Club, near Taj Exotica, Benaulim.
Review: Apart from offering good accommodation and a 'healthy' ambiance, Joe Cons is a nice place to enjoy a light meal before hitting the beach which isn't far away. The food is just alright and the ambiance is good. The service is appalling, though. We were put-off by the stewards' responses to our requests. We had to ask them quite a number of times to just switch on the fan! The table napkins were not washed properly and the cutlery on the table seemed to have been kept there in the same position for weeks!
Price: Rs. 1500-2000 for four
VFM: I wouldn't recommend it.

Originally Posted by RGK

Great Suhaas. thanks for sharing everything in detail. Travelling without good food does not make a complete tour.
Like some, your nice travelogue took back me to 80's and 90's.
I drove two times from my home town near coimbatore to Goa in 89 summer and again in 97 especially during last week of May before the monsoon. Both time Amby diesel.
No GQ at that time so we faced lot of truck traffic in NH7 and in NH4. We took Hubli, dharwad and then entered panjim.
As far as I know the best traffic rule followers are people of Goa.
They strictly obey traffic and never an hindrance. Very heartening to hear from you that they still follow them in todays traffic also.
To quote an instance, I was driving from Margoa to Panaji, two vehicles were going in front. The first vehicle planned to turn right and he turned his right indicator on. After few seconds, the second driver also turned it on. I thought so these two are going to turn right. But to my surprise, once the first vehicle the right turn, the second guy switched off his right turn indication. Then I came to know that the second driver was cautioning the vehicles following him. I was surprised on the drivers discipline which happened on a mid day. While returning we took NH17 to reach udupi but the roads were not that much good at that time

Wow! Now that's a story right there. And with some nice tinted photos and text, you could turn this one para into the travelogue of the year! Good stuff!

The roads around Mangalore and Udupi are not good at all. At least, that's how it was some years back. I'm not sure if they've done it up again but we don't take that route. Although we have in the past. It's a good idea to take that route if you want to make an overnight-stop, either at Mangalore or at Murdeshwar. The Murdeshwar Beach Resort is pristine and superb!

[sammyboy]

Loved the travelogue Suhaas. Lots of pointers for drivers and foodies
Have noted all the places to eat so will probably end up 5kgs overweight when I get back from my vacation.
5 stars from me.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by sammyboy

Loved the travelogue Suhaas. Lots of pointers for drivers and foodies
Have noted all the places to eat so will probably end up 5kgs overweight when I get back from my vacation.
5 stars from me.

Thank you Samarth! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Glad to be of help as well! If you need anything else, don't hesitate to phone me! We could meet up and discuss the trip extensively!