18th February 2009, 13:15
| #31 |
| BANNED  Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Panaji - Goa/Bangalore - Karnataka
Posts: 3,313
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18th February 2009, 13:53
| #32 |
| Senior - BHPian  | Beautiful pictures and very detailed description of the entire trip. It just reminds of so much of Goa, i had been going there twice a year since last 3-4 years and had decided wont visit even once in 2009. But, seeing your pictures makes me wonder if i can stop that urge until end of this year  |
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18th February 2009, 14:33
| #33 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 61
Thanked: 6 Times
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18th February 2009, 15:18
| #34 |
| Senior - BHPian  | |
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18th February 2009, 19:19
| #35 |
| Senior - BHPian  | |
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18th February 2009, 19:55
| #36 | ||||
| BHPian  Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 420
Thanked: 63 Times
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The same guy in both the pics.  The other pictures are similar but the road is amazing co-incidence. | ||||
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19th February 2009, 00:03
| #37 |
| BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 420
Thanked: 63 Times
| Coastal Karnataka and Goa in Swift D - 2000+kms in 9 days Day 8 (7th February, 2009) : Panaji – Ferry Ride across River Mandovi – Chapora Fort – Vagator Beach – Baga Beach – Panaji Odometer Reading : 1289KMS - 1371KMS Woke up a little early today by around 8:00AM. I quickly go down to the parking lot and clean the car. The mats are dirty with sand. I dust the mats and clean the windscreen. Today would be the last day for Goa sightseeing. Tomorrow morning we will be leaving Goa and a long drive back to Bangalore. Go back to the room and we are ready by 10:00AM and leave the hotel. We go to Hotel Kamat for breakfast. I was actually thinking of visiting Tiracol Fort and also enjoy the ferry ride across the river. The car also can be ferried across the river. But as I was behind schedule, I dropped the plan of visiting Tiracol fort in North Goa. But I wanted to experience the Ferry ride and I had noticed a Ferry point near the hotel next to Quarter Deck restaurant. So I tell my wife we are going to cross the river by not using the bridge over Mandovi. Tell her about the Ferry across Mandovi. Leave hotel Kamat by 10:30AM and off to the Ferry point. See that the place is already crowded with people and 2 wheelers. I also see an Indica waiting for the Ferry. I can see the ferry at the other end of the river bank picking up passengers. Wait for 15 minutes and the Ferry arrives.  Ferry Approaching I don’t know why this thought stuck me but I take the car on the Ferry in reverse. My wife gets out of the car and I put the car into reverse and make my way towards the waiting Ferry. As soon as the rear wheels touch the ramp, I hear the front bumper touching the ground.  I feel helpless and just feel my hands are tied. That’s the feeling I got at that point of time. I could not do anything and slowly moved the car in reverse up the ramp. I feel butterflies in my stomach. I quietly get out of the car and take some snaps as the ferry starts moving. I just hope not much damage has been done as my wife looks at me quietly. In 10 minutes we cross the river and I take the car out real slow. Nothing happens this time. What a stupid mistake I did. I should have taken the car into the Ferry in forward gear and then a U Turn on the Ferry and exit out in forward gear. I take a look at the damage. The rubber beading was dislodged and I put it back in place and there is a palm sized scratch under the bumper. Not visible when viewed normally. I blame my stupidity and we move on. Not a pleasant Ferry ride experience. Take the NH17 and drive towards Chapora Fort. Urrrrggh.... The bumper kisses the ground  On the Ferry  Ferry ride across River Mandovi Chapora Fort is close to Vagator Beach. It provides lovely views of Vagator and Anjuna beaches on one side and Morjim beach on the other. Reach the parking lot below the hill, park the car and start the climb by noon. The climb is tiring with the sun beating down really hard. When almost near the entrance to the fort, feeling thirsty I realize that we left the water bottles behind. Not willing to go down and start the climb again we carry on the walk into the fort. Luckily there was a guy selling soft drinks up at the fort and I quench my thirst with Colas. The fort was deserted except for us and another couple. Walk around the Fort walls and the view here is very scenic. Morjim Beach looked very inviting with shallow water and one can also see Anjuna and Vagator Beach. Also take a look at the spot from the movie “Dil Chahta Hai.” Spend about an hour here and start the climb down. The climb down is slippery because of loose gravel and one has to be careful during the climb down. Back at the parking lot and AC in full blast we head towards Vagator beach which is close by.  Halfway up the climb to Chapora Fort  Entrace to the fort  Vagator beach viewed from Chapora Fort  Chapora Fort  Morjim Beach viewed from Chapora Fort  Chapora River joining the Arabian Sea Vagator Beach is one of the more beautiful white sand Goa beaches. To reach the beach, you have to walk down a steep cliff. There are few beach shacks here compared to the other beaches. Its northern half fronts a bay that curves from the headland to the hillock crowned by the Chapora Fort. Spend about an hour here and we Vagator and drive towards Baga Beach for lunch and some water sports.  Vagator Beach  Vagator Beach  Vagator and Anjuna Beach  Chapora Fort from Vagator Beach  Vagator Beach  Vagator Beach Reach Baga Beach in 30 minutes and head towards Brittos’s restaurant. Have a late relaxing lunch at Brittos’s. By 5:00PM I am ready to hit the water. Before that, I want to go for the Jet Ski Ride again. After the round on Jet Ski I feel today’s ride was not as exciting as the one I did day before. Then I decide to try Para Sailing. You are taken in a speed boat to a bigger boat specially designed for Para Sailing which is in the sea. Hooked to the huge Parachute and they let go. You are slowly lifted off the ground. All you have to do is relax and enjoy the spectacular scenery. After a 5 minute the landing is on the boat. Back from Para Sailing spend some time at Baga and watch the sunset. We leave Baga towards Panaji by 8:00PM. On the way back pick up some Fenny, Wine and Cashews for friends back in Bangalore. All the way driving to the hotel I am thinking about where to hide these bottles as you are not supposed to take them out to another State from Goa.  Baga Beach  Sunset at Baga Beach Reach hotel by 9:00PM, take a nice shower and head back towards Calangute for dinner. Find a nice beach shack, Candle light dinner under the open sky. We leave the place by midnight. By the time we reach the hotel and hit the bed its little past 1:00AM. Tomorrow we will be driving back to Bangalore. Will take the NH 17 into Maharashtra past Sawantwadi and then Belgaum and from here taking NH4 back to Bangalore. Plan to leave Panaji by 10:00AM so that we are in Bangalore by 10:00PM Continued.... |
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19th February 2009, 00:24
| #38 |
| BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 420
Thanked: 63 Times
| Coastal Karnataka and Goa in Swift D - 2000+kms in 9 days Day 9 (8th February, 2009) : Panaji – Sawantwadi – Amboli Ghats – Belgaum – Hubli – Ranebennur - Chitradurga – Tumkur - Bangalore Odometer Reading : 1371KMS - 2055KMS We are up by 8:00AM then pack the bags, get ready and check out of the hotel by 9:30AM. I neatly hide the Fenny and Wine bottles inside the huge kitbag wrapped in clothes. Head towards Kamat for breakfast. Being Sunday morning Panaji is not very crowded with minimal traffic. Finish the breakfast and we leave Panaji City by 10:30AM. Have to find a good IOC fuel station for diesel and also to get the tyre pressure checked. Cross the bridge over Mandovi River and head north on NH17. After about 20KMS from Panaji stop at an IOC fuel outlet. Fill diesel full tank (Rs.900). Calculate the mileage for all the driving in Goa. Getting a mileage of 18.47KMPL with 80% AC usage.  Could not take my eyes of this beauty The NH17 in Goa is in good condition till Maharashtra border. Luckily nobody stopped the car at the check post and continue ahead into Maharashtra. As you enter Maharashtra the roads are being widened and the road is a bit uneven with broken tarmac for about 4-5 kilometers. Then the roads are good. Approach Sawantwadi town and take the road going right past the lake. This lake is called Moti Talao and looks good. Another attraction at Sawantwadi is the Palace. Sawantwadi is about 62KMS from Panaji. As you go past the lake you reach a T junction. Take the right here towards Amboli. This road goes past the bus stand at Sawantwadi. Amboli is hill station near Sawantwadi. It’s about 26KMS from Sawantwadi and the roads are 2 lane. Watch out for road humps as signboards are right next to the road humps and not much before them. The roads in the Ghats are in very good condition and are pretty wide for a Ghats road.  NH17 inside Goa towards Maharashtra  Lake at Sawatwadi As you climb the Ghats you will see the scenery change. Nice towering hills with deep valleys below and greenery all around. The weather is pleasant. Stop at a waterfall for some photographs and see water trickling down the falls. After a brief halt we continue towards Belgaum. After Amboli village the roads have broken patches and will encounter occasional potholes for the next 8-10KMS. Then the roads are good all the way till Belgaum. On the way close to Karnataka border we stop at a town where the road goes through a busy market. Picked up some of the sweetest grapes I have tasted ever. We are at Belgaum by 1:30PM.  Amboli Ghats  Amboli Ghats  Almost dry waterfall at Amboli  Amboli Ghats  Climb up the Ghats Enter Belgaum town, go past the Golf Course and travel straight. Take a left and then the first right at the junction past Belgaum lake. You touch the busy NH4. The road from here is super smooth. By 2:30PM enter Dharwad town for lunch. Reach the City center and park the car near the Bus Stand. Numerous vegetarian restaurants serving good meals. Finish lunch in 30 minutes and I ask for directions to rejoin NH4. Some guys direct me towards Hubli. It’s actually the parallel road running along NH4. The roads are wide with not much traffic and I am cruising at 70-80KMPH. I did notice the road signs mentioning 40KMPH every half kilometer on this stretch but I carry on. After about 10KMS from Dharwad a police speed gun picks me up. Cops stop the vehicle. I look at the speed gun and it clearly has my cars picture with the red laser dot on it and 78KMPH mentioned on the screen. Quietly pay the Rs.300 fine for over speeding and continue towards Hubli. Enter Hubli town, ask for directions and finally rejoin NH4 by 4:00PM.  Beautiful NH4  Beautiful NH4  Somewhere after Dharwad Beautiful roads till Haveri. The Haveri bypass is incomplete but the roads are good. Some deviations because of constructions still going on. But these roads are also good and only drawback is 2 lane. It’s a mix of deviations and 4 lane highway all the way till Davangere. Touch Davangere by 6:00PM. Stop for some time to stretch my legs and then continue towards Chitradurga. Against the fading daylight notice the windmills as you approach Chitradurga. The roads in the town are in bad state and heavy truck traffic. But this stretch is only for 4-5 KMS. Then the super smooth roads begin. As the daylight completely fades the roads with painted borders and reflectors start after Chitradurga. Now the entire highway lit up like a runway I am maintaining speeds about 100-120KMPH. The truckers are much disciplined on the NH4 and they maintain the left lane. If found on the right lane, a flash of high beam, they quickly move over to the left. Close to Hiriyur stop at Vittal Kamat for an early dinner. Spend 30 minutes and then rejoin NH4. This super smooth, painted NH4 is all the way till Tumkur past Sira. Take the Tumkur Bypass a little past 9:00PM which is in a bad state and then its good roads all the way till Bangalore. As I cross the NH4 – NH48 junction at Nelamangala I realize we completed one big circle in these 8 days. What a trip it has been. Take the NICE road and enter Mysore Road, then through Banashankari reach my house at Jayanagar by 10:30PM. Paid a toll fee of Rs.201 from Belgaum to Bangalore including toll at NICE road. This has been the longest drive in my Swift D ever and my reliable Highway cruiser came out with flying colors. The mileage during the return journey from Goa to Bangalore was 19.91KMPL with 60% AC usage. I will do this trip again if given a chance and I enjoyed this road trip thoroughly. Special thanks to AKROY and LALUKS as I referred to their travelogues extensively while planning this trip. So it’s a break for sometime now till the summer goes by and I already have a plan in mind. Its going to one mega road trip covering the entire length and breadth of Andhra Pradesh after monsoons. Its again me and my wife in my reliable Swift D. Regards, Godwin Last edited by dreamdiesel : 19th February 2009 at 00:37. |
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19th February 2009, 00:28
| #39 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 750
Thanked: 97 Times
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19th February 2009, 08:25
| #40 |
| Senior - BHPian  | |
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19th February 2009, 08:27
| #41 |
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19th February 2009, 11:25
| #42 | ||
| Senior - BHPian | Quote:
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19th February 2009, 11:43
| #43 | |
| BANNED Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Panaji - Goa/Bangalore - Karnataka
Posts: 3,313
Thanked: 778 Times
| The yatch and the Maserati are owned by the same person. Quote:
No permit for Feni as it is illegal to carry it outside the state. Be careful the next time. | |
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19th February 2009, 13:21
| #44 |
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19th February 2009, 14:06
| #45 | |
| Senior - BHPian | Quote:
Though the surrounding area od Sringeri is naxal affected, but never heard them atacking any travellers in the surrounding places of agumbe. To be in a safer side, try not to travel during night in agumbe ghat section, coz not many vehicles travel on this route during night | |
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