I was driving to Goa the first time… All along we had either travelled by the buses that ply to and from GOA and in the recent past the trains were the best option.. The train journey to Goa is beautiful… But 'sleepy head' that I am I do not manage to catch most of it…
This time since I was driving to Goa I decided to make most of the travel and not catch on my beauty sleep during the journey…
We began from Parel in Mumbai at 4.30 a.m… and my cousin had decided to travel via the NH4 and not the conventional NH17… The NH17 has too may turns and the road is too narrow along the way…
Driving on the NH4 was a delight… ( Even my cousin vouches for this since he drove all along) ... We had received minimal instructions and were told to reach a place called Nipani… Well let me share clear instructions now, not very detailed but good enough to enlighten one…
Once you begin from Mumbai one has to drive to Pune obviously via the Expressway and then one catches the NH4… The better way to look at is to reach Kolhapur from Pune.. and then come to a place called Nipani... Watch out for Tawande ghat on the way…This is post you cross Nipani...It is one straight route .. Beautiful roads all along and many toll posts along the way… But the drive is every penny worth all the toll taxes you pay along… Once you cross the signpost indicating Tawande ghat keep your eyes wide open… Because here one has to locate Hotel Satyawati Palace on the left side of the road… At this place one has to take the right opposite the hotel.. If you miss this right then you touch Belgaum…
With our eyes wide open we did locate the hotel.. and took the right turn… Then one has to reach Sawantwadi from there and then the destination – GOA…
On the route connecting NH4 and Sawantwadi one has to pass Amboli ghat which is the only big ghat on the way… But the drive on the ghat is not bad at all…The road that cuts in from NH4 to Amboli is a little bad… Bumpy and a little narrow as well… On the way it is advisable to ask for directions because there are forks on the way and we found it advisable not to take chances lest we lose our way… Once you reach Sawantwadi you get on to NH17 and then you enter GOA…. You drive through Mumbai, Pune, Kolhapur, Amboli Ghat, Ajra, Sawantwadi, Goa... Three states Maharashtra... Karnataka and Goa...
Less than 10 hours coupled with two breaks in between we made it to our destintaion GOA… Of course I did catch on my forty winks in between…
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