[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

The route is Panjim-NH-17-Sawantwadi-Kudal-Sindhunagari-Kankavli-6kms from Kankavli,you see a fork road,take the right(this is SH-117).SH-117 and SH-116 intersect a little distance before Phonda town.From thereon the road is known as MH MSH-116.(Maharashtra Major State Highway 116)

That fork is at village named humbarat.
After crossing beautiful phonda ghat, you will enter radhanagari bison sanctuary.[ earlier known as dajipur sanctuary].
Look out for bison spotting.
From turn off at nh17 up to bhogeshwar after radhanagari toward kolhapur, there are no good eatery. at bhogeshwar[ landmark-sugar factory], there are couple of eateries with very good food.

Originally Posted by Munish.Thapar

Once again thank you Ashish for the route .

Good to know that i am at help of some people.

[deutscheafrikar]

Originally Posted by Munish.Thapar

As adviced by Ashish Pallod we took the following Route :katraj byepass-shindewadi tunnel on nh4[don't take katraj ghat]-nh4-satara-kolhapur

But took a sharp left after we got down the hill of Amboli , do not take this left as the road is very bad on the way back we went up to Sawantwadi then to Amboli ..

Munish, Thanks.
I think the left turn you took as your drive down the amboli ghat is the one I queried about and Darryl said it's a road to be avoided.

What is this tunnel you speak about? I know there is a tunnel one drives though on the return journey. I'm not sure of the name. While going from Bombay to Kolhapur you have to climb a ghat but on the return there is a tunnel. There used to be a Rs. 14/ toll too before the Ghat. Thsi toll station dissapeared on my return journey on 1st June.

Regards

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by deutscheafrikar

What is this tunnel you speak about? I know there is a tunnel one drives though on the return journey. I'm not sure of the name.

that is khmbataki tunnel in between satara and pune while going to pune.

if you are referring to the shindewadi tunnel in the route suggested by me, that tunnel is between katraj dehuroad byepass and nh4 on satara side. that tunnel is alternative to katraj ghat.

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

that is khmbataki tunnel in between satara and pune while going to pune.

This is also a relatively narrow one way tunnel in which you can get the fright of your life by a motorbike coming in the opposite direction with its light on! How they have the guts to do this, I do not know.

[stefanm]

I came back from Bombay last friday via nh4, left at 8.10am and reached by 6.30 pm, i think i took the wrong exit from the highway to Amboli and I had a rough road for 120km's, when I came from Goa to Pune I didn't have such probelms, this must have added 45mins to my journey. Now coming from Kholapur is the turn off at Nippani or is it further down, I turned off approx 10km's furtherdown, on the start of a Ghat, this didn't look familiar, plus we left for Poona 7 weeks earlier, so I had forgotton my landmarks, can someone advise please?

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by stefanm

Now coming from Kholapur is the turn off at Nippani or is it further down, I turned off approx 10km's furtherdown, on the start of a Ghat, this didn't look familiar,

actually, there are three turn off from nh4 toward amboli from nippani on wards.
1] at nipani-
nipani-uttur-ajra-amboli. this road is tried by some bhpians and find it too narrow with rough patches.
2] between nipani and sankeshwar
this route goes through gadhinglaj but it is rural road. no one on this forum recommended or tried this road. most probably, you are first to go through this route.
3] at sankeshwar-
i recommend this route.
its sankeshwar-gadhinlaj-ajra-amboli.
this is fairly wide, used road with few patches.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by stefanm

Now coming from Kholapur is the turn off at Nippani or is it further down, I turned off approx 10km's furtherdown, on the start of a Ghat, this didn't look familiar, plus we left for Poona 7 weeks earlier, so I had forgotton my landmarks, can someone advise please?

When you are going on NH4 from Kolhapur towards Bangalore, the coordinates are as follows:

- 7 kms from where you turn off to Kolhapur town (flyover) petrol pump (BPCL)
is the Konduskar
- You cross into Karnataka and pay teh first toll at the Kognoli toll gate - this point is 17 kms from the Konduskar petrol pump
- Turning into Nippani town comes 15 kms after the toll gate, and you continue on NH4
- 8 kms after crossing Nippani, you reach the base of the Tawandi Ghat, and the road starts a long climb
- 3 kms into the ghat, at the top most point, you will see the Hotel Kaveri and Hotel Satyavathi Palace. At this point, there is a road going to the right. That is the road to Savantwadi via Ajra and Amboli.

To sum up, it is 48 kms from the Kolhapur city turn off on NH4

[deutscheafrikar]

Originally Posted by stefanm

i think i took the wrong exit from the highway to Amboli and I had a rough road for 120km's, when I came from Goa to Pune I didn't have such probelms, so I had forgotton my landmarks, can someone advise please?

Stefan

After Nipani there is a toll plaza by the name of Kognoli, about 24 km from there you will find two restaurants, just after the Tavandi ghat begins. The one on the left is called Satya Palace and the other on the right is called Kaveri. Opposite Satya palace is a state highway so that means right turn on to it towards Ajra.
However if you drive another 12 kms you will reach Sankeshwar, if you turn right here by taking the underpass you will reach gadinglaj. This further goes on to Ajra. So both roads lead to Amboli. Should be about 100 odd kms from either turn to Swantwadi
Maybe one of them is worse than the other route and I guess you turned in at the restaurants. best to check it on mymapindia before leaving the next time.

[stefanm]

Originally Posted by deutscheafrikar

Stefan

After Nipani there is a toll plaza by the name of Kognoli, about 24 km from there you will find two restaurants, just after the Tavandi ghat begins. The one on the left is called Satya Palace and the other on the right is called Kaveri. Opposite Satya palace is a state highway so that means right turn on to it towards Ajra.
However if you drive another 12 kms you will reach Sankeshwar, if you turn right here by taking the underpass you will reach gadinglaj. This further goes on to Ajra. So both roads lead to Amboli. Should be about 100 odd kms from either turn to Swantwadi
Maybe one of them is worse than the other route and I guess you turned in at the restaurants. best to check it on mymapindia before leaving the next time.

Thanks, that's the road I came on from Goa, returning I got nervous and made the wrong turn, exxtremely rough roads, there were a few Bombay and Pune cars on that road, this was the turn off 500metres from the start of the ghat, it didn't look right, but i took it anyway.

[Akadian]

Hi friends,

I would suggest that for anyone coming from the Mumbai - Pune, it is best to do a few extra kilometres to Belgaum and then take the Khanapur route to Goa via NH - 4A. This is the safest and fastest route because the road condition is good all the way. I've been on this route in April - May this year and can vouch for the drivability of the terrain.

Regards

[ranjitp1]

Hi All

Could somebody kindly provide a quick update on weather conditions at Goa as well as on NH-4 from Pune to Belgaum.Intend on driving there on Tuesday morning.

Is Khanapur route a recommended route?

Any info would be welcome...Many thanx

Rgds.Ranjit

[Minardi]

Originally Posted by Akadian

Hi friends,

I would suggest that for anyone coming from the Mumbai - Pune, it is best to do a few extra kilometres to Belgaum and then take the Khanapur route to Goa via NH - 4A. This is the safest and fastest route because the road condition is good all the way. I've been on this route in April - May this year and can vouch for the drivability of the terrain.

Regards

That is real good news. If the road condition is good, then this is the best route. There were times when a stretch of 8 kms rivalled shiradi ghaats, taking almost an hour. The 'ore' trucks had totally spoilt the road. The only downside of this route is it terminated at Ponda, which might be a detour if you want to go to North Goa.

[goandude]

Originally Posted by Akadian

Hi friends,

I would suggest that for anyone coming from the Mumbai - Pune, it is best to do a few extra kilometres to Belgaum and then take the Khanapur route to Goa via NH - 4A. This is the safest and fastest route because the road condition is good all the way. I've been on this route in April - May this year and can vouch for the drivability of the terrain.

Regards

I took the NH4 - Kittur - khanapur - Londa - Ponda route while coming from Blore to Goa in August and the road was good BUT 14 km of the road after Londa is PATHETIC. a few labourers were trying to fill some potholes but didnt look loke they will finish this monsoon. the ghats are potholed in places. I dont know of the road condition from Belgaum to Khanapur. BTW w3e had incessant rains last few weeks so the road would have been worse.

[Akadian]

Hi goandude,

You are right and Ranjit has also confirmed the same. He has just used this route and says that Belgaum to Londa is excellent but the next 15-20 kms are simply pathetic. Seems like things have gone bad through the monsoons. My experience being pre-monsoon doesn't seem to hold good anymore.

[goandude]

However, In spite of these 14 kms of really bad road I would take this as my first choice from Goa to belgaum and thereafter to pune / mumbai. as the roads on the alternative sawantwadi amboli sankleshwar route,100 odd km, are ok to bad in many patches.