There are hardly any good restaurants on the way between Ganapatipule and Harihareshwar, especially if you are a vegetarian like me.

BHPian VIJMAC recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi friends,

This is my first travelogue and I hope you will like it. Your suggestions and feedbacks are most welcome. For the past several years, I have been a reader of Team-BHP travelogues and always wanted to write one of my own. But I somehow could not write, either because my trips were short ones or, I was lazy after returning back from the trips. This time, while I am a bit late, but still thought of writing my first travelogues as I finished a long trip recently. So here is my story...

Sometime around mid of November 2023, my wife and I were thinking of a long weekend drive around Bangalore. We had not taken our Scorpio (we call it “Black Bull”) out for a long time. Also our bull was getting 15 year old in Feb 2024. We thought it’s a right time to go for a long trip before we do the re-registration of the bull. As the conversation progressed, a thought came up that instead of a weekend drive, why not we go for a long trip? Generally, December last week is a free time for me and hence I proposed to my wife, “Can we drive to north for few days”? Wife said “I’m OK but, what do you mean, by driving north”? This triggered a detailed discussion for next few days. Me and my wife, both like long drives on our black bull. We both like adventurous places, drive through forest/rough roads, country-side, basically places where we find less crowd. Most of our road trips have been in KA, TN, KL or GA. Hence this time we thought of exploring north side of KA. After several rounds of discussions we decided to visit Gujarat, via the scenic coastal Maharashtra route (avoiding the popular and crowded Mumbai – Goa highway). Since December-end is the most crowded time of the year for a vacation, we had to plan our sight-seeing places and hotel bookings in advance. Over the next 1 week we were busy in route plan and bookings.

While deciding the itinerary, our objectives were clear:

• Journey is important, not the destination.
• Enjoy the drive during day time, no night driving. Sleep for at least 8 hours daily. Enjoy food & local delicacies. Visit 1 or 2 tourist spots each day, wherever possible.
• Our kids didn’t join us as they had their college exams around that time and preferred to stay home. So it was only me and my better half set out on this expedition.

Now, before we get into the travel details, let me introduce you my Black Bull:

• 2009 Mahindra Scorpio (Mhawk) 7 seater,
• 1,25,120 kms on odometer

Preparing the Black Bull for the trip:

• Thorough inspection of vehicle at Anant motors, BG road, Bangalore. Replaced the suspension bushes and arms which were worn out, oil top ups. Thorough washing.
• Fitted an 8 Inch Active Bass Tube Subwoofer with Inbuilt Amplifier 4200W, to enhance the audio quality
• Bought TUSA Digital Tyre Inflator & Ceptics 200W Car Laptop Charger/Power Inverter
• Tool box, spare headlight bulbs, Tubeless tire puncture repair kit, Medicine & first-aid kit
• Removed the 3 row seat for extra luggage space
• Tire pressure check and full tank of Diesel. Loaded Rs.4K on Fastag.

Here is the detailed itinerary and route plan:

DAY 1 (24/Dec): Bangalore to Dharwad (460 kms).

We started our trip on 24/Dec morning. Since Dharwad is my native place and my parents and brothers stay there, it was a natural stop for me enroute Maharashtra. Started at 5am from Kanakapura road (south Bangalore), took NICE road and reached the Bangalore-Pune national highway. Had coffee at hotel Ratnam, Dobaspet, about 65 kms from start point. Later had breakfast at Hotel Apoorva in Davanagere (These 2 places are our default stops whenever we go to Dharwad).

We reached Dharwad by afternoon, had special lunch prepared by my mom. Rest of the day went in chatting with my family, discussions about the trip, explaining my mom about the trip plan and convincing her that it is going to be a safe trip. Had good sleep overnight and got ready for our journey next day.

DAY 2 (25/Dec): Dharwad to Ganapatipule (380 kms)

We started at 6am knowing that the road after Belgaum is under construction and it may take more time to reach Ganapatipule. Main items on the agenda for the day were to visit Mahalakshmi temple in Kolhapur & enjoy the drive along the beach on Aare Ware road (between Ratnagiri & Ganapatipule).

Road condition from Dharwad to Belgaum is excellent and we reached Belgaum in no time. We had breakfast after crossing Belgaum and also bought some Kunda, a speciality sweet of Belgaum, to eat on the way.

Road condition after Belgaum was pathetic. But it was not a big deal for my bull, it has seen much worse roads in 15 years.

There was a moderate crowd at Mahalakshmi temple. We could have devi darshan in about 30mins and we headed to Ratnagiri, taking a diversion from the Pune highway (NH48).

The state highways now a days are in a much better condition. Though they are not multi-lane, the traffic is less and are well maintained. However road from Kolhapur to Ratnagiri was under repair. We were really looking forward to the drive on coastal route. By afternoon we reached Ratnagiri and the scenic drive began from there. Let the pics and video tell the story further.

After enjoying the beach drive and stopping at many places, we finally reached Ganapatipule. We checked into Westbay Resort, which is walkable distance from the temple. The resort is beautiful with good food and landscaping. We quickly took shower and headed towards the temple. There was quite a bit of crowd due to holiday season. The temple is right on the beach and luckily most of the people were heading towards the beach to see the sunset and temple was not crowded much.

After seeking blessings from Lord Ganesha we sat in the temple premises and enjoyed the sunset. Had a cup of tea on the way and went back to the resort. By this time resort was bright and glowing with colorful lights all over and the open dining area was decorated with a large (20ft+ tall) Christmas tree, as a part of Christmas and new year celebration. We walked around the resort for a while and fed biscuits to some friendly dogs roaming around in the resort. By this time we were very hungry and walked toward the restaurant for dinner. The food menu had a wide variety and we ended our day with a sumptuous dinner.

DAY 3 (26/Dec): Ganapatipule > Harihareshwar > Nizampur > Dasave (360 kms)

We woke up in the morning with a lot of excitement as we were supposed to take our vehicle through ferry at 3 places during the day today. By the time we finished our breakfast in the resort, the watchman had washed our bull and it was ready to charge.

Ocean view from resort restaurant:

We started our journey for the day driving along a narrow coastal route (SH4).

Though it is a single lane road, there was hardly any traffic and we could maintain good speed, while enjoying the coastal scenery. We had to take ferry at these 3 locations:

• Jaigad to Tawsal,
• Dhopave to Dhabol
• Vesavi to Bagmandla

The ferries run at a frequency of about 1 hour. The detailed timetable and ticket charges are available online at https://carferry.in/. We had planned our drive speed and stops on the way such that we reach the ferry point on time. If we miss the ferry then we have to wait about 1 hour for the next ferry, which can be quite boring and waste of time.

Ferry point : Jaigad to Tawsal

Along the drive, sometimes we come very close to the coast and sometimes we go over the mountains and get an aerial view of the coastline. Here are some pics, as words cannot do the justice in describing the scenery.

We reached Dhopave ferry point by noon time, just in time to catch the ferry #2:

Some more pics of coastal view after Dhabol:

There are hardly any good restaurants on the way between Ganapatipule and Harihareshwar, especially if you are a vegetarian like me. We had kept enough stock of snacks and soft drinks and hence didn’t face any issues. Due to some goof up by Google maps, we almost missed the ferry at Vesavi. One of the key issues with Google is that it always shows the fastest route and does not consider the width of the road. My bull could hardly pass through a narrow road it suggested near a small mosque about 1 km from the Vesavi ferry point. With some skilled driving and knowing the edges of my bull well, I was able to navigate and reach the ferry just-in-time.

After visiting these temples, we went to the beach which is quite rocky but very beautiful.

 Soon after the sunset we started our journey towards our destination for the day, our resort in Dasave. We started moving away from the coast now and the road was pretty good. Driving through the Tamhini ghat, we reached our resort “Shivraj Palace”, just before the dinner was getting closed. Resort was in a nice location beside huge mountains. We had a quick dinner and hit the bed as were quite tired because of the hectic day.

Continue reading on BHPian VIJMAC's coastal road trip for BHPian comments, insights and more information.

I was planning to take up riding relatively long distances. No big plans, but wanting to ride within state or maybe to closer locations.

BHPian Bouncer recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

It was May 2022. After Using RE Classic 350 for four years within city limits, I was planning to take up riding relatively long distances. No big plans, but wanting to ride within state or maybe to closer locations at nearing states like Karnataka, Gujrat & obviously Goa; but not beyond that.

With that in mind and to check how much interest I really have in riding, before deciding on getting a bike for the purpose; I went on couple of short rides like Pawna Dam, Lavasa & Mahabaleshwar on my Classic 350. On the Mahabaleshwar ride, I tried few KMs on BMW GS310 of my friend with whom I was riding; and quickly realised difference between a regular bike like C350 and adventure bike.

The plan was to get adventure bike within budget around 4 lacs including riding gear and travel accessories. I had a look at BMW GS310, KTM Adventure 390, Yezdi Adventure & RE Himalayan.

BMW GS310 was desired one but not within the allocated budget; considering riding gear and bike add-ons need to fit in the same. Plus, recurring costs of servicing the bike were high as compared to other options. Was not interested in KTM for no specific reason. Test drove the last two and went ahead with booking RE Himalayan in June 2022. Got the bike in a week from booking, coinciding the purchase with my parent’s anniversary and hence a good day for us.

Accessories / Add-ons till date:

• Hand guards – RE
• Mirrors – Bajaj Avenger (as OE have less visibility)
• Blind spot mirrors (Convex round) - Amazon
• Tripper Navigation - RE (not of much use as realised later)
• Phone mount with charger – Raptor Forzaa (for reason mentioned above)
• Panniers with mounting rail guards – RE
• Rear rack plate – Viaterra (replaced by top box later)
• Top Box with mounting plate - Bandidos Pitstop
• Tank bag – Viaterra
• Handlebar Risers - Bandidos Pitstop
• LED headlight bulb – Blaupunkt
• Duel horns – Hella with Bosch relay
• Side stand shoe – Viaterra
• Headlight & indicator grills - Bandidos Pitstop
• Master cylinder guard - RE
• Rear brake fluid reservoir guard - Bandidos Pitstop
• Front mudguard risers – Amazon
• Front disc brake calliper guard – Grand Pitstop
• Bottle holder – Pro Spec
• Windshield extender – Pro Spec
• Anti Slip Metal rider footpegs – Motocann
• Brake foot pedal extender – Pro Spec
• Long wire lock (for helmet/ jacket) – Decathlon cycle section
• Reflectors (for panniers & top box) & Stickers – Amazon & Mr DIY store
• Rear red light for top box – Decathlon cycle section

Riding gear:

• Helmet - RE Escapade
• Jacket - RE Explorer (with additional CE2 back armour)
• Trousers - RE Ceara (with additional CE2 hip armour)
• Gloves - Viaterra Grid
• Shoes - Woodland high ankle outdoor shoes

Here comes The Himalayan...

During initial rides around Pune, trying the newly acquired bike on different types of roads:

This was also a trial with the new riding gear since I never used full armored gear in the past:

After few short rides around Pune with my friend, I did a relatively long solo one (4 days & 695 KMs). This was in Jan 2023. The plan was to cover limited coastal Maharashtra and stick to closest possible route of any kind to the Sea.

Day 1: Pune – Pirangut – Mulshi – Tamhini – Bhagad – Mangaon – Mhasala - Diveagar (Lunch) - Aravi - Shrivardhan – Harihareshwar (Overnight Stay).

Day 2: Harihareshwar - Bagmandala Jetty - Banakot - Kelashi - Anjarle – Harne (Lunch) - Murud – Dapoli (Fuel) - Ladghar - Bhagwan Parshuram Bhumi – Dhabhol Jetty - Anjanwel - Guhagar - Palshet – Velneshwar (Overnight Stay).

Day 3: Velneshwar – Jamsut – Chiplun (Rest day & Overnight Stay).

Day 4: Chiplun – Satara – Fort Sajjangad Shri Samartha Ramdas Swami Samadhi Mandir (Prasad Lunch) – Satara MIDC (visit to a Unit) – Shirwal (Fuel) Pune.

My ride in pictures:

View of the peaks and valleys in Mulshi & Tamhini Section

Diveagar beach torwards North:

First time rolling on the beach:

Diveagar beach South end:

The south of middle part of Diveagar beach with almost no visitors (North end was crowded, have not clicked any pics there):

Time to move ahead:

Continue reading on BHPian Bouncer's coastal Maharashtra road trip for BHPian comments, insights and more information.

Children who violate the rules will be prohibited from obtaining a driving license until the age of 25.

The state government of Maharashtra has made amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 in an effort to curb underage driving. The revised law now has provisions for a fine of up to Rs 25,000.

The Transport Commissioner has issued a notification, citing Section 199(A) of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, which clearly states that individuals under 18 years of age are prohibited from driving a motor vehicle in public areas. However, it does allow the operation of a motorcycle with engine capacity not exceeding 50cc by individuals who are at least 16 years old.

As per the amendment, parents will be subject to a fine of Rs 25,000. Besides this, children who violate the rules will be prohibited from obtaining a driving license until the age of 25.

The notification also directs RTO officials to enforce the Act's provisions, including section 18, which prohibits individuals under the age of 20 from driving transport vehicles in public areas.

According to media reports, the state witnesses around 15,000 road accident fatalities annually. It is said that more than half of the accidents recorded in 2022 were caused by 2-wheeler riders.

Source: TOI

Non-transport vehicles include 2-wheelers, 3-wheelers and 4-wheelers with white number plates.

The government of Maharashtra has banned the use of non-transport vehicles for aggregation and car-pooling.

The government, citing road safety concerns has issued a government resolution (GR) on January 19, which bans the use of non-transport vehicles (white number plate) including 2-wheelers, 3-wheelers and 4-wheelers for car-pooling.

According to the GR, the use of non-transport vehicles for commercial purposes is on the rise, which has raised serious practical and security concerns for passengers. It also affects the economic viability of vehicles operating with valid permits.

The GR also states that if non-transport vehicles are to be permitted to be used for aggregation and car-pooling, it would require detailed consideration regarding terms and conditions, framework and guidelines.

Source: ET Auto

The entire stretch is being revamped big time, including service roads. Re-asphalting is happening at many places.

BHPian vivek95 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Guys, I bring here good news again. I did 2 more drives on the Pune--Satara sector ( owing to my Mumbai--Belgaum--Mumbai trips ) since the last update above. Presently driving Mumbai--Belgaum again, have stopped at Mahabaleshwar turn off at Wai phata. The new company SDPL which has taken over the project from Reliance is making rapid progress every passing week. I bet high, in another 5 months or so, this nightmare will end and we will all get to enjoy a breezy drive on the 6 laner Pune-Satara highway. The entire stretch is being revamped big time, including service roads. Re-asphalting is happening at many places. Check out these sample awesome stretches.

The all new avatar of Pune--Satara--Pune:

However note that this revamp may not offer a runway like driving experience like the Chitradurga--Tumkur or Hubli--Chitradurga stretches as undulations might persist. But surely the road will be consistently smooth and the overall experience will be much better than the above mentioned Karnataka counterparts, given the scenic beauty of Sahyadris ( western ghats ) in Maharashtra and the sheer number of awesome eating joints/restaurants scattered all along Pune--Satara.

Some pics of work in progress:

I drove back Belgaum to Mumbai yesterday, made a short video of the revamped Satara--Pune 6 lane. This is how the entire 136 kms stretch will be upgraded in the coming months. It is absolute fun to drive on the smooth road with beautiful scenery all around

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.