BHPian indusboy recently shared this with other enthusiasts: Recent trip to South Goa. We were 2 drivers in an SUV.Bangalore – Goa:We departed Central Bangalore at 10:30 PM after work and dinner, hoping to beat the traffic. Unfortunately, getting past Tumkur was an absolute nightmare. Despite the late hour, the route was clogged with buses and trucks, and the toll lines were frustratingly long. While I could see flyover construction in progress, it was bad. Exit from Bangalore was a real pain point. Once we cleared Tumkur, things improved significantly, and we made good progress until our tea break and driver swap at Hubli. As other have mentioned Hubli-Dharwad bypass remains a mess. At times we weren’t even sure if we were on a one-way stretch or a two-way road. Google Maps got confused and directed us to an exit that appeared to be either demolished or non-existent. We were forced to drive ahead, take a U-turn, and backtrack. Anmod route into Goa, wasn’t the most pleasant experience. The state highway toll is cash-only (no Fastag), and the route is plagued by speed breakers at every village crossing. The surface quality is poor in many places, making the drive quite tiring. The Anmod Ghat itself has ongoing roadwork with several rough patches, and one lane is blocked in sections; we found ourselves stuck behind trucks waiting for the oncoming traffic to clear. Since we entered Goa early in the morning, the checkpost waved us through without asking for papers. Once inside Goa, the roads improved drastically. We took a quick detour into Margao for breakfast and reached Cavelossim by 8:30 AM.Goa – Bangalore:We left Cavelossim at 11:30 AM after a late breakfast and decided to experiment with the Karwar – Ankola – Yellapur – Mundgod – Bankapur route. Traffic was heavy but moving on the older stretches of NH17 until Cancona, after which the road opens up into a 4-lane highway. We spotted a mobile speed camera unit on the Goa side. Fortunately, I had instructed my co-driver to keep a sharp lookout, so we slowed down in advance. We were stopped at every checkpost, but they were only interested in checking for alcohol; no vehicle papers were requested. We made good time until the Ankola turn towards Hubli. The first 20-odd kilometers of this stretch were disappointing, seemingly suffering from a shoddy patching job, but the surface improved afterwards, allowing us to make up for lost time. The real challenge began when we turned right at Yellapur onto SH6. While the route through Mundgod is picturesque, the road surface in many stretches has been literally washed away or removed entirely for construction. It was essentially an off-roading session in many places. I would strongly advise avoiding this stretch in a low-slung sedan or hatchback. We finally rejoined the main highway at Bankapur and stopped for lunch at a place called “Hotel NH4.” The North Indian vegetarian food was freshly cooked but taste-wise was average at best, and the toilets were iffy. After a driver change, it was a smooth run until we neared Tumkur. As expected, the traffic snarled up again, and it took us a painful two hours to cover the final 100 kilometers. We eventually reached home at 9:30 PM. I am honestly torn on which route to recommend. If you are driving a sedan or a small car, stick to the Hubli-Anmod route; it’s rough, but passable. However, if you are in an SUV and feeling adventurous (and want to skip the Hubli-Dharwad bypass repairs), you can attempt the Bankapur-Mundgod-Yellapur route, provided you are mentally prepared for some non-existent stretches on SH6.Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
