[Zappo]

Originally Posted by condor

What's the reason quoted for Hubli -DWR being a painful stretch ?

Navigate - as in directions, or traffic ?
If you can list the specific problem points, can give a sufficient details

Hubli-Dharwad is a twin city, with a 20km (official) distance between the two.


Pls avoid driving on Hubli-Karwar at night. The ore laden lorries will be all over the place, and driving in a way that they wouldnt even realise it if they had hit something.

Actually your last sentence says the reason. Most people suggest staying off NH218 mainly because of the menace of the lorries coming out of the mines. Also, the roads apparently are narrow and broken because of the continuously plying lorries.

What is your take? What kind of a speed can be safely maintained on this highway during the day time?

[condor]

I'd say 70-80 kph max once you hit the ghats after Kalghatgi. 30kph if you get stuck behind a laden lorry and not able to overtake because of on-coming traffic.

So, the area of concern is not Hubli-Dharwad section ?

[condor]

Zappo : ahaan! How about NH4A?

I was given to understand that the mines everywhere ...

Zappo, check this post:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/761828-post147.html

about the mines being everywhere, the particular stretch of the road would like it's been mined & carpet bombed !

[watashi75]

I would avoid NH4A too unless it is a car with good ground clearance - it was not very kind even to my Swift Zxi! Hope somebody posts some pictures of this section. We could not take any pictures since it was night time.

We covered the distance from Palolem to Koppal via Karwar-Ankola-Yellapur-Hubli, a distance of around 330 km, in 8 hrs. Next day we covered the distance till Hyderabad via Sindhnur-Raichur-Mahbubnagar, a distance of around 420 km, in 8 hrs.

[Zappo]

Ok then. That settles it for me I guess. I will take the tried and tested sawantwadi route. Enter through the northern most tip of goa and then run across its length to reach palolem.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by Zappo

Ok then. That settles it for me I guess. I will take the tried and tested sawantwadi route. Enter through the northern most tip of goa and then run across its length to reach palolem.

Good decision, but, i suggest check with "midlifecrisis" who took that route during December end and said it was not that good. but, i am sure by now it must be well patched up.

[Zappo]

so it was midlifecrisis who said this. I was wondering where I read that. In that case what are the options available Avi.

Is there any other option besides the following?
* take the sawantwadi route and enter goa from the top.
* go via belgaum cantt and take the NH4A. Somewhere after Londa cut off from the NH and take the SH and join the NH17 just after Mormugao.
* take the road via hubli-dharwad and drive through the scenice karwar coast to Palolem.

My problem is that all these 3 roads sound like they have one problem or the other. I guess in a crunch the sawantwadi route will still be more driveable than the rest. Or at least I would like to think so.

Let me see if I can get in touch with midlifecrisis.

[mobike008]

Deb, i PM'd you Gautam's ( Midlifecrisis) no. Talk to him. Still suggest you go by Sawantwadi only. When are you leaving? Tomorrow evening?

[midlifecrisis]

Hey Zappo, just checked with my cousin and he says the Belgaum-Anmod Ghat-Ponda-Panjim (NH4A) route is really good right now.
I travelled both, Sawantwadi and Anmod in December.
Sawantwadi route from Sawantwadi to Belgaum was horrible back then. Real tire shredder
The Anmod route on the other hand had a bad 10 km patch. But the rest was fantastic.
I don't have info on the Sawantwadi conditions right now. The Anmod Ghat route would be advisable since we know that its good for sure.

[Zappo]

Oh wow! So thats a useful advice now Gautam

Avi, scenario changes once again. Gautam says NH4A is better and that piece of info looks pretty recent.

By the way, I figured that somewhere after londa I leave NH4A and take a State Highway to joing the NH17 in Goa after Mormugao. How is that road? If I take that path I can actually save on some time since I will avoid the city traffic that the NH17 passing all through Goa will entail. What do you say? Have you ever taken that road to reach South Goa?

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by Zappo

Oh wow! So thats a useful advice now Gautam

Avi, scenario changes once again. Gautam says NH4A is better and that piece of info looks pretty recent.

Buddy, this is becoming like the ICE section, hovering from one choice of product to another

Now enough of discussion, hit the road and let the nature take over. I am sure you will have a smooth journey, look forward to a detailed report and pictures once your back. Enjoy !!!

[spadival]

Zappo.. MF says there isnt much traffic.. Enjoy the ride and see you in Goa..

Originally Posted by moralfibre

There is no traffic on the route to South Goa, whichever gate you enter from . If you enter from North, you don't even have to enter Panaji. You get off Mandovi river bridge, go left and take a right at the first island. This is NH-17B for you that takes you to Margao via Cortalim, Verna, Nuvem, etc. Don't worry about entering Goa from anywhere. If you tell me where you are headed to I could give you better info or you always have Google maps.

[abhinavj01]

Hey Condor,

I too am traveling from Bangalore to Goa tomorrow (21st) morning.
Please advise the best route (read road) which take the least time.

Regards,
Abhinav
9886497884

[CorsaLove]

I'm also doing Bangalore Goa tomorrow 21st morning...with my colleagues. two cars 8 people. Taking the Tumkur - shimoga Karwar route.

We plan to leave at 2 am and reach by 4 pm tomorrow.

[ravibhat]

I heard because of rain few roads including NH218 are closed for few hours in North Karnataka. But I feel in couple of days rain will go away I hope.

Regards,

Ravi.