BHPian krrisdrive recently shared this with other enthusiasts: I am posting with slight delay, however may be helpful who are planning.Onward Journey:Panvel – South Goa on 27th Aug (Ganesh Chaturthi day)Started at 6:45 AMRoute: Panvel – Pen – usual NH66 till Sangameshwar. Very less traffic due to the festival day and usual scenery / greenery along Konkan. Breakfast at Shiv Sagar Food Mall in Pen bypass. Food is ok-ish.Speed slows down at Negothane, Roha, Chiplun due to flyover work and at Mangaon due to a single lane.Thanks to this thread, diverted from Sangameshwar to Watul via Devrukh and more scenery / greenery. Encountered a small fox between Vanzole and Sakharpa, probably lost its way.Hit Hotel Sanket, Sakharpa exactly at 1:30 PM. Food was excellent.Once hit Watul, it is smooth sailing till South Goa. Reached at 7 PM, taking 12 Hrs with a couple of food stops.No tolls, though most toll booths are ready to churn their cash register, probably after Ganesh festivities.Return Journey:On 31st Aug, Sunday, started from South Goa at 9 AM and took exactly the same route, including the diversion.Hit Hotel Sanket at 1:30 PM and again food was excellent.As we neared the metro and night fell, traffic started piling up and eventually reached Panvel at 10 PM, making it a 13 Hr journey.About Sangameshwar-Watul diversion:Sangameshwar to Devruk – OK but a lot of potholesDevruk to Sakharpa – OK but again potholesSakharpa to Dabhole fork – Road doubling going on, still good roadsDabhole to Watul – Surprisingly excellent terrain, excellent quality roads, excellent markings, sparse traffic make it a pleasure to drive.However, don’t know whether this hill terrain, pothole-filled diversion is still better than NH66.Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
