We decided to have a 2-day stay in Mandrem and another two days at Belgaum before returning to Bangalore.
Bhpian ashis89 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
Monsoon Drive: I – MH – NOT
Both of us were looking for ideas for a monsoon drive during the mid-August long weekend. Plan was to enjoy the monsoon and some blooming waterfalls but no fixed itinerary. And hope to explore some good food along our way.
Maharastra has been elusive to me so far and we started searching for locations along the MH coast. Also consulted DBHPian Parag for route options for Malvan, who suggested Tilari Nagar route as a must-see. After some research, we couldn’t agree on Malvan and settled on another trip to Goa (and then Belgaum). But we stuck to the Tilari Nagar route for going to Goa and then return to Belgaum via Amboli. Two days’ stay in Mandrem and another two days at Belgaum before returning to Bangalore.
We got rains through almost 80% of the trip but no complaints. We had a raincoat and a poncho for either of us, a couple of umbrellas and then didn’t mind getting wet at times. Given the rains, we couldn’t take the camera out except for a couple of places, so all the pictures were clicked with our phones.
I will split the photos into 3 posts – first one will cover the places we visited and the sights, second one will cover the food and third one will cover the car and the road!
First stop was at our usual sunflower fields near Chitradurga
After Belgaum, we went via Tilari Nagar with the intent of seeing the Tilari Ghat view point. But the whole place was under dense fog. And yet the route was surreal and beautiful. Saw a couple of small waterfalls and a dam along the way.
This was supposed to be a valley view point but I could barely see beyond 10 meters
In Goa, we wanted to see Fort Tiracol. This is the northern most spot of Goa, surrounded by sea on one side, Terekhol river on another side and Maharashtra on the last side. To come from Goa, one can drive and enter MH before exiting it and going to this small area of Goa. The other option is to take a ferry from Querim beach (in Goa) to cross the river and reach the fort. The fort has been converted into a hotel and also has a nice restaurant. The fort is open to visitors as well.
After a nice lunch at Fort Tiracol, we drove further north to Shiroda beach. Wrapped in raincoats, we spent some time on the beach and then went to Querim/Keri beach. I had been to Keri beach last year on the same date but with my buddies, so I wanted to show this secluded but beautiful beach to Mrs.A. Spent another hour and then drove back to the hotel.
Next morning, we checked out and moved towards Belgaum. But we had 2 major waterfalls to cover along the way. While driving from Goa towards Belgaum via Amboli ghat, one can witness the massive Amboli falls gushing down beside the road. But during the peak monsoon, there are several small, medium and large waterfalls that one can see along the way.
Terekhol river was in spate in a few places along the highway.
Amboli falls in full glory. It had much lesser flow last year when I crossed the same route.
Next up was Baba waterfalls which is an 18 km detour from Amboli falls. The road leading to the waterfall can be tricky at a couple of spots but it is completely worth the trip. Enroute, one can see flat grasslands, a wild stream, valleys and dense jungle stretches. Baba falls is a bunch of multiple waterfalls and one has to walk the last 1 km (flat road). While going to the last and major waterfall, one has to walk under a couple of waterfalls too, so do wear your raincoats (an umbrella can’t bear the water drops falling from height). The whole stretch doesn’t have Airtel network so download offline maps in advance.
Retraced the path and proceeded towards Belgaum and checked into our hotel.
Next day, we went to see the Gokak falls which is 1.5 hr drive from our hotel. Gokak is smaller-scale version of the Chitrakote falls of CG. 
Spent some time at the falls and then went to Godachinamalki falls which is a 30 min drive. Godachinamalki is a stepped waterfall. The fall can be viewed from either bank of the river and the view itself is very different from either end. It is worth driving to both banks and walking along the waterfall to enjoy the view. 
One can see millet, corn and sugarcane cultivation in this area. Hidkal dam is on the way and one can get a good view of the dam from the circuit house located on a hill top.
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