| Re: Bangalore - Goa : Route Queries
Friends, here is an update on my trip to Goa 16-19 October 2020. Stayed at Royal Karma Haathi Mahal, Cavelossim. I drove my Hyundai Santafe 2WD AT. The car itself was a breeze with 197 BHP and 420 Nm of Torque on call. We were four of us, wife and kids with me. I ensured all of us were wearing seat belts throughout the journey.
Onward route
Bangalore Tumkur Chitradurga Haveri Hubli bypass Dharwad bypass Londa Tinai Ghat Anmod Ghat Mollem - Cavelossim
This route is a bunch of extremes to say the least. You can literally fly from Bangalore to Chitradurga. The stretch from Chitradurga to Haveri has many deviations so speed is limited. Took the Dharwad bypass onto Goa Road via Tinai Ghat & Anmod Ghat. The last stretch is in terrible condition to say the least. Please AVOID this last stretch for now.
The stretch from Dharwad by pass to Cavelossim is 158 km. The first 60 odd kms was ok with occasional stretches of torn roads, drivable at 40 - 60 kmph speeds. The stretch from just before Anmod check post till the end of the ghat section was a real disaster. Mostly beautiful concretized roads strewn with unfinished non-existent stretches. Some stretches where works are on, each for a length of about 100-200 mtrs, were absolutely slushy, deep hidden trenches, due to the recent rains. Few trucks moving on this route had worsened the hidden potholes. I survived because of the SUV and high GC but I bet most sedans would end up getting stuck or badly bottom scraped. In fact, one spot was so slushy and deep, that even my Santafe got bottom scraped. I badly missed a 4WD for once. A definite no-no for this route at least for the coming few months. The way it seems, these repairs will take at least many months to get done. So please AVOID this stretch for now.
Journey summary:
Bangalore dep from Banashankari 7.30 am
Breakfast break at Kamat Upachar Sira arr 9.10 am; dep 9.40 am (did some good speeds to reach)
Lunch break at Dine Park restaurant Dharwad arr 1 pm; dep 1.45 pm
Cavelossim arr 5 pm
Total Journey time 9.5 hrs
Total drive time 8 hrs 15 min
Breaks 2 nos, total 1 hr 15 min
Kamat upachar Sira is a good place for south Indian breakfast, tried and tested by our team mates. Dine park however was a discovery for me. A pretty decent place, hygenic and good north Indian food. A small deviation of 200 mtrs from the Goa road detour is required to reach here, but worth it.
In Goa
It was so unlike the Goa I have seen. Not a single foreigner in sight throughout my 4 day stay! The Cavelossim beach was almost like a private beach for us! Absolutely beautiful white sands with no people around, was pleasurable indeed. Even the busy Calangute beach had very sparse crowd. All roads of Goa were quite free and I could not see a single traffic jam like my earlier visits pre-covid times. The new Mandovi suspension bridge is an engineering beauty. With suspensions in the middle and two twin-lane carriage ways on either side is really well done. The earlier old bridge was always a traffic nightmare. Lot of construction works happening in central Goa area with roads and flyovers being built. So, watch out for the deviations.
Since we had done all the standard sight-seeing during our earlier visits, we thought of having a relaxed schedule and discover couple of new places. We drove over to Cabo de Rama fort in south Goa, 35 min further down south from Cavelossim. This place was a real find. Was pretty deserted with an occasional small group here and there. The view of the ocean and the sunset from the top of the fort is something to die for! The tall grass all over the laterite rock bed with a narrow track leading you to this wonderful point is straight of a movie! A must visit place for sure!
Lunch at Fishermans Wharf, Cavelossim was a very good experience. Being right on the back waters, a view of the fishing boats and the jetty is a cherishable experience with good food. If you enjoy seafood, this is the place to go. They have 3 outlets in Goa, but I understand this one is the best! During all our visits, we dont miss a dinner at a Benaulim beach shack. This time we went to Johncy. The sound of the waves appearing from the dark horizon, as you dine next to them is an experience we, land-locked Bangaloreans, must have! Being foodies, we also drove to Thalassa Restaurant at Siolim, north Goa, just beyond Vagator beach. You will have to book a sunset table a few weeks in advance, we were told!! We managed to get second best tables, along the creek side with a beautiful view of the setting sun. The food is great and mostly continental but very pricey. But without debate this is the most happening stand-alone restaurant in Goa. The crowd is very contemporary and International. The experience is really good.
Some remote areas of Goa and many stretches in-between points, have nil connectivity of signal and data. I was dependent on google maps all the time so I faced this challenge. Though google maps once you start a journey, will continue even without data connection, it will turn slow occasionally. In case you exit the screen you will never be able to get a route without active data signal. I strongly recommend if you are driving to distant parts of Goa, save the maps to your destination and make it available offline so you dont have to dependent on active data signal. Doing this saved me as we did a lot of night drives within Goa, going out for dinner and driving back. Do not expect to see people on the streets to guide you. Goans go to bed pretty early and most of the streets will be dead much early in the night. A learning for me this visit!
Return route
Due to the real scary drive we had during our onward journey, we decided to take the other route through Karwar on the way back to Bangalore. Wife popped the idea of dropping by Jog falls has been many years since we have been there hence decided to re-route. Else was considering the Chorla ghat route since there was no way we would go back via the Anmod ghat route.
Route taken:
Cavelossim Karwar Ankola Kumta Honnavar Jog Falls Shivamogga Bhadravathi Hosadurga Hiriyur Tumkur - Bangalore
We left Goa leisurely at 1130 am, after checking out of our resort. Stopped over for lunch at Kamat upachar Ankola. This stretch was overall good. Occasional construction works on the highway near Karwar, tunnel construction et al
else nothing significant to take the foot off the pedal. The roads are mostly curvaceous, very rarely straight. Overall condition of roads in this route was good but I found the later stretch to be pretty bouncy occasionally. So high speeds beyond 80-100 are a no-no.
We stopped for good south Indian plate meals at Kamat Upachar Ankola. Like any Kamat, you get all the plain vanilla stuff here. Good toilets and a large space with ample car parking.
The drive from Honnavar to Jog is a beauty! All curves and most of them blind! A two-lane highway with occasional traffic. Beware of the odd car or truck taking a long turn in one of the blind curves! It is best to stick to your lane and even honk at every blind turn. The road condition is super and the greenery is breathtaking. On one long stretch we could see steam rising from the road as it was drizzling after a long hot sunny day! This was a sight to behold, literally giving the feel of driving through clouds!
Jog itself was much leaner than her best self. But it is still a vision worth beholding! She is a real beauty. We spent a lot of time doing video calls to our elders in the family so they could also share our joy in watching these beautiful falls.
There is something with cows on this route! Suddenly out of nowhere even in the middle of wilderness, pops up a group of cows and calves all across the road. This is a major issue I found on 5-6 occasions on the return drive from Goa all the way till Bhadravathi. So please keep your senses in full alert all through!
Our drive beyond Shivamogga was a night drive, interesting and challenging one. The entire stretch is a two-lane highway without median. Most of the road does not have even paint markings or reflectors. There is an occasional stretch with reflectors that gives you hope but by the time you comfort yourself, another pitch-dark stretch begins! The stretch from Sagar to Hiriyur has some really deserted stretches where you drive through absolute darkness to the extent you dont see a single light all the way to the horizon. A feeling of real wilderness! Was scary at times, which forced me to play some upbeat music in the car! You cross a few railway crossings, a handful of unmarked unscientific speed breakers also. The traffic within the towns of Shivamogga, Sagar and Bhadravathi is pretty chaotic and needs care during the night.
Once you reach the NH at Hiriyur, you will surely breathe a sigh of relief. I recommend you AVOID night driving in this stretch from Jog to Hiriyur. In the case of any breakdown chances of finding help or shelter is absolutely remote. So better to be avoided. Since this entire route from Goa to Hiriyur is curvy and bouncy, if any occupant is sensitive to puking, please do carry lemon or mint along with. Some stretches are so secluded you will think twice to even stop your car. So, take utmost care on this route.
Journey summary:
Cavelossim dep 11.30 am
Lunch break at Kamat Upachar Ankola arr 1 pm; dep 1.45 pm
Jog Falls arr 4 pm; dep 5.30 pm. Snacks at Mayura restaurant.
Dinner break at Aramane restaurant Tarikere arr 7.45 pm; dep 8.30 pm
Tea break at Kamat Upachar Sira arr 10.20 pm; dep 10.40 pm
Home at Banashankari arr 12 midnight
Total Journey time 12.5 hrs
Total drive time 9 hrs 10 min
Breaks 4 nos, total 3 hr 20 min
Hope this long and detailed review helps. Thanks. | 
22nd October 2020, 17:21
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