[LonelyPlanet]

Any COCO pumps on the way to Karwar. I am travelling this weekend and would like to fill up diesel at proven places

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by LonelyPlanet

Any COCO pumps on the way to Karwar. I am travelling this weekend and would like to fill up diesel at proven places

There is a BPCOC soon after Rannebannur - https://plus.google.com/114347353219...73/about?hl=en and a MRPL bunk just before Hubli toll booth on right side when traveling from Bangalore : https://plus.google.com/111118560006...67/about?hl=en

I have not added COCO's before Chitradurga since they are less than 200 KM's from Bangalore meaning you may not be needing them.
Have a great trip.

[Rigid Rotor]

I traveled to North Goa (Anjuna) and back a couple of days ago. Navigated using GPS with Sygic Map-my-India on an Android phone. Report on the routes taken:

Onwards - Bang- North Goa (Anjuna) : via Belgaum-Jamboti-Chorla-Sanquelim-Mapusa-Anjuna. - started from Bangalore at 0420h, made good time until Belgaum (1100h), took 45 min to traverse the traffic in the city. The Karnataka side of the Chorla section is in smooth and good shape. On the Goa side, the surface has been patched up - and although there are no potholes, the ride is a bit rough (not felt in the Duster through - just heard the sound of the suspension working away on the uneven patches!) Be warned though that this route has multiple sharp switchbacks and may induce motion-sickness in a susceptible passenger. Also, from Sanquelim to Mapusa, the road is narrow and winding with school buses plying at the time in the afternoon we were passing though. Progress is sedate (40 km/h at best) on this stretch. Reached Anjuna at 1500 h - in time for a late-ish lunch washed down with Goan wine! Total distance from CV Raman Nagar (East Bg) - 643 km. Total time : 10.5 h with one long 40 min pit-stop en-route at Rannebennur Kamat for breakfast- the food surprisingly was rather tasteless.

Return North Goa (Anjuna) to Bangalore: we chose the Karwar route for two reasons - firstly we planned to start early (4:30 AM) and we would be in the mountainous portions too early (before sunrise) and secondly because of the multiple, sharp switchbacks. We backtracked to Mapusa from Anjuna about 5-6 kms, intercepted NH-17 that runs the length of Goa, followed it to Karwar (120 km from Anjuna, - reached Karwar 0645h). There was hardly any traffic in Karwar at that hour and we passed though in a jiffy. Two noteworthy points till now:
- The NH-17 winds its way through the midst of Margao town and can get a bit confusing. The GPS came in very handy here.
- There is a short stretch though a few hills with some sharp bends (before Cancona?). We were in this stretch before daybreak with some light fog prevailing.

After Karwar, route taken was as recommended here earlier - followed the NH-17 till the turn-off near Ankola, took the State Highway to Yellapur and joined up NH-4 hear Hubli (around 1000h). The route has fairly gentle bends and gradients. Pitstop at Kamat after Hubli (about 10-12 km) for late breakfast (good food here!). reached Yeshwantpur around 1445 h). Wasted 45 min in traffic / choke points and reached CV Raman Nagar at 1600 h). Total distance was 705 km, total time 11.5 hrs, including the time wasted in traffic.

No refueling halts anywhere - the Duster easily tanks up 10 litres more than max rated capacity of 50 litres at start and stretches that to reach destination with slightly less than half remaining. So 650 -700 kms is very easily done without refueling.

-The worst roads found in this entire trip - you guessed it right, of course - is in the city limits of Namma Bengaluru.

[zulfi hansi]

Originally Posted by Rigid Rotor

No refueling halts anywhere - the Duster easily tanks up 10 litres more than max rated capacity of 50 litres at start and stretches that to reach destination with slightly less than half remaining. So 650 -700 kms is very easily done without refueling.

Good choice of route, i had done the Yellapur diversion about 2 years back in my Corolla, did not face any issues. But i did have to refuel. What FE did you get on your Duster for the trip average.

[Dushie]

Hi All,

Travelling to Goa tonight, after talking to relatives there. The best route they have suggested is Via Hubli-Dharwad - Ramnagar - Ponda - Colva

http://goo.gl/maps/HrPby

Is this a good route as they travel on this route regularly and said it can be done in 10 hours time also is shorter by 100kms than the Ankola- Karwar route.
Please post your suggestions, also if anyone has done this route recently. I will be travelling in my Logan Diesel .

[zulfi hansi]

Originally Posted by Dushie

Hi All,

Travelling to Goa tonight, after talking to relatives there. The best route they have suggested is Via Hubli-Dharwad - Ramnagar - Ponda - Colva

http://goo.gl/maps/HrPby

Is this a good route as they travel on this route regularly and said it can be done in 10 hours time also is shorter by 100kms than the Ankola- Karwar route.
Please post your suggestions, also if anyone has done this route recently. I will be travelling in my Logan Diesel .

Yes that is the shortest route and all locals travel by that only. Its only we tbhpiens who kid glove our rides go by karwar. Logan is a good car to go by that route not to worry. Only in and just after monsoons it be comes treacherous.

[Rigid Rotor]

Originally Posted by zulfi hansi

.... But i did have to refuel. What FE did you get on your Duster for the trip average.

Onwards (downhill all the way) - 15+ l/ km and return with the uphill climb - 14.5 km/l

[zulfi hansi]

Originally Posted by Rigid Rotor

Onwards (downhill all the way) - 15+ l/ km and return with the uphill climb - 14.5 km/l

That's pretty good. Just waiting to buy a AWD version on either Duster or Terrano. Fingers crossed.

[Xplorer13]

Hi All fellow T BHPians!

This is my first post, and I am glad to be part of the Team!

Sorry to be posing a question in my first post itself, but I really need some advice ..here I go!

I'm gonna be driving up to North Goa(Baga) from Bangalore on the 29th, and I'm sort of split between the two good options that I have deduced from this thread. I've put down the Pros and Cons of both these options and I need the experts here who have been through these routes to correct any of it and provide their recommendations (along with reasons).

Option1: (Most recommended) - Belgaum - Chorla - Sanquelim - Mapusa - Baga
Option2: (Oflate seems to be recommended often) - Dharwar - Ramnagar - Mollem - Ponda - Panaji - Baga

Pros of Option1:
1) Lesser bad patches of road (or nil) in comparison to the DWD-Mollem route
2) Chorla Ghat is supposedly scenic
3) Apparently less used by Trucks etc, hence lesser traffic
4) To me itseems that, with this route, you bypass most of the slow-moving NH17 route thru Panaji which you will have to deal with, if you go via DWD-Mollem route

Cons of Option1:
1) It adds 20-30 additional Kms in comparison to the Dharwad - Mollem route
2) Chorla Ghat is supposedly full of Hairpin bends (I've a bit of a motion sickness in such curves...and I'm the Driver!! :P)
3) Comparitively lesser stretch of National Highway in comparison to the Dharwar - Mollem route..I mean to say the NH ends at Belgaum...after that it is all State highways.

Pros of Option2
1) Lesser Kms in comparison to the Belgaum - Chorla route
2) Relatively more scenic than the Chorla route
3) Not a very isolated stretch should your vehicle breakdown(god forbid, but yesthings happen). I understand that the Chorla route can get quite isolated with less traffic ( Or am I wrong here?)

Cons of Option2:
1) The route from Ramnagar to Mollem is bad for aroubt 20 kms ( I dont know how bad it is. Especially for someone from Bangalore, the definition of Bad road is totally different from others. We tend to take a lot of bad roads in our stride, cheers to our immunity to such roads, due to daily office drives. Does anyone have a pic of this stretch if you could share?)
2) From the google map, I see that this route goes through a good part of Goa thru NH17, which in other threads is mentioned to be slow as there is a lot of City traffic that merges here. In comparison, the Chorla route appears to be quite isolated from the 'through-goa' traffic and hence might be less taxing on the driver

I had initially decided to go with Option1 (Chorla) as the verdict was unanimous few weeks ago in favor of Chorla. But however, oflate in the last 2 weeks, I have seen posts from folks who have tried the Option2 and seem to have liked it and that the route is not too bad.

Please advise!

Thanks in anticipation!!

Cheers

[ampere]

Both are equally good. May be you can use one while going and the other while coming back.

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by Xplorer13

I dont know how bad it is. Especially for someone from Bangalore, the definition of Bad road is totally different from others. We tend to take a lot of bad roads in our stride, cheers to our immunity to such roads, due to daily office drives. Does anyone have a pic of this stretch if you could share?

Yes the roads are bad in between. Though one thing it is bad in sections, so you can drive comfortably in between.
Few pics of the bad sections when I traveled during diwali time are present in my travelogue - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ml#post3292464

As ampere mentioned I guess it is best to take different routes for onward and return journey.

[anand_saraf]

Originally Posted by Xplorer13

Hi All fellow T BHPians!

Option2: (Oflate seems to be recommended often) - Dharwar - Ramnagar - Mollem - Ponda - Panaji - Baga

Pros of Option2
1) Lesser Kms in comparison to the Belgaum - Chorla route
2) Relatively more scenic than the Chorla route
3) Not a very isolated stretch should your vehicle breakdown(god forbid, but yesthings happen). I understand that the Chorla route can get quite isolated with less traffic ( Or am I wrong here?)

Cons of Option2:
1) The route from Ramnagar to Mollem is bad for aroubt 20 kms ( I dont know how bad it is. Especially for someone from Bangalore, the definition of Bad road is totally different from others. We tend to take a lot of bad roads in our stride, cheers to our immunity to such roads, due to daily office drives. Does anyone have a pic of this stretch if you could share?)
2) From the google map, I see that this route goes through a good part of Goa thru NH17, which in other threads is mentioned to be slow as there is a lot of City traffic that merges here. In comparison, the Chorla route appears to be quite isolated from the 'through-goa' traffic and hence might be less taxing on the driver

Cheers

Hi Xplorer13

We traveled to Chapora/Vagator on 21st December and returned 25th December and took the Option 2 which you have mentioned.

Going took me 10 hours with one halt of 1 hour for late lunch at Ranebennur and just a few minor tea stops. I traveled with my wife and two kids (six and two) in a Safari. We left at 12:00 in the afternoon by the way.

Roads are good all the way till Ramnagar. The Alnavar turn comes about 20 odd kms after the Hubli toll booth and after you see the Hubli airport signs. The Dharwad - Ramnagar route is well laid and is now tolled by KRDCL at 55 bucks . There are three railway crossings though, to our unfortunate luck, I had to wait at two of them, about 20 minutes total.

Roads from Mollem to Panjim are all good, there is fatigue at the fag end though as you drive this stretch.

The road from Ramnagar to Mollem is about 50 kms and there are lots of fairly large potholes that you need to practically stop and cross in 1st/2nd gear, plus they appear suddenly so you have to watch out for them. It's definitely a little worse than our average Bangalore roads. If you need a comparison - it's very similar to the HMT main road that goes from Tumkur Road to Bel Circle via Platinum City/NID/Metro casting yard.

We returned the same route and took about the same time, leaving at 7:00 in the morning - with a breakfast stop at Kamat after New Hubli. Lunch was at Davangere at Golden Punjab dhaba (U-turn required).

NH-17 traffic inside Goa is really not too bad and roads are all decent.

I was a single driver all the way.

All in all it's a good route other than that one stretch which you need to take slowly.

Hope this helps.

[nareshov]

Originally Posted by Xplorer13

...
Cons of Option2:
1) The route from Ramnagar to Mollem is bad for aroubt 20 kms ( I dont know how bad it is. Especially for someone from Bangalore, the definition of Bad road is totally different from others. We tend to take a lot of bad roads in our stride, cheers to our immunity to such roads, due to daily office drives. Does anyone have a pic of this stretch if you could share?)
...

I'd hate to be on that stretch at that point of time (after having driven for hours) in the journey. If you're on a high GC vehicle, you should be okay I think.

[ashkamath]

Originally Posted by nareshov

I'd hate to be on that stretch at that point of time (after having driven for hours) in the journey. If you're on a high GC vehicle, you should be okay I think.

My thoughts exactly. Of all the roads from Bangalore to Goa ( Via Yellapur -Karwar or Belgaum-Chorla and Alnavar-Londa) I rate a stretch on Karnataka side of the road from Dharwar upto Goa Border to be the worst. It was a nightmarish drive that I personally experienced many years ago ( the days when mining trucks ruled that road) and guess times have changed for better now.

If some one is driving that road, please click and post some pics of the road and the experience for the benefit of other BHPians who intend to take that road in future.

[bsdbsd]

Currently I am in Varca Goa. The route taken was the standard one (NICE-Hubli-Ankola-Karwar-Varca). Car is Honda City AT. The roads are first rate through and through. Tumkur-Chitradurga is unbelievable. Hubli-Karwar is outstanding. Once you enter Goa, after the toll-gate, there are about 15 speed breakers until you reach Varca. Please be mindful of the same. The routes are bendy, and twisty in Goa section. Please be careful and do not exceed 50kms/hr in these roads.

For all the City owners taking this road: No bottom scrapers anywhere. Mileage is disappointing. Had to tank up twice to maintain comfortable fuel levels. Reading the post above mentioning Duster did not need refueling...I am green .