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The flyovers between
Mumbai and Panvel help you get out of the city in quick time. Go over
Thane creek bridge. Cross the Toll booths and drive on for about 17 kms till you arrive at a junction
under a flyover. Continue right to go via Panvel city. The road on the
extreme right bypasses Panvel but is slightly longer. The road on the left
goes to Thane. Go through Panvel and then turn right for Panaji as the
road ahead goes to Poona. A few hundred metres later you approach a
crossroad. Take the left for Panaji. About 30 Kms later you will come to
Pen road junction. Take the right for Panaji till you reach Vadkhal Naka.
Turn left for Panaji (NH 17) if you wish to take the direct
route or you can go straight on to Alibag if you wish to take the scenic
route.
Direct Route
At Nagothane junction take the gradual left
and continue along NH17. You may encounter some heavy pedestrian and
vehicular traffic in the major towns you pass. Mahad is a nice place to
break the journey and refresh yourself for the Ghats ahead. Some decent
motels make it suitable for an overnight halt. The next town you hit is
Poladpur where one can bear left if one wants to visit the hill
station of Mahableshwar (42Kms) or continue straight for Goa.through the
hills of the Western Ghats. One needs to concentrate hard as the beauty
surrounding you distracts you from the steep gradients and blind turns.
Chiplun is a nice place to break your journey with some nice hotels. Its a
nice halfway point to Goa.
More tight and twisty hilly sections as you
make your way out of Chiplun. At Nivli one branch of to the right for
Ganpathiphule (30Kms) for a scenic beach or continue straight on
NH17. At Hathkhambe junction continue straight on NH17. The
road on the right goes to Ratnagiri (13 Km) the home of the famed Alphonso
mango. At Pali take the fork on the right and go through some more hilly
sections before arriving at Akeri road junction. Bear left for Panaji via
Savantwadi. The road to the right also heads to Panaji via Vengurla and
Pernem and is 13kms longer. About 5 kms down the road you will hit another
fork. Take the right fork for Panaji. This will lead to more narrow twisty
hilly sections until you come to the Maharashtra-Goa border. About 8 kms
into Goa on NH17 you will arrive at a junction. Take the road on the right
at this junction as well as the next major junction (10 Kms)
followed by a left at the third (10 Kms). This road will take you into
Mapusa city and cross the Mandovi river in Panaji city.
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Scenic Route
The road to Alibag is narrow and high
levels of concentration are required. The ride from Alibag to the
isolated, white sand, beaches of Kashid and onto the fort at Murud Janjira
is a must see and is best enjoyed at a leisurely pace. Murud Janjira is a
nice place to refresh oneself and stay overnight. Continue driving by the
sea and through hills to Roha and rejoin the NH17 at Kolad. You can break
off the NH17 at Lonera and head to Harihareshwar (63 Kms) where one can
visit the temples and beaches. The MTDC resort at Harihareshwar is a nice
place to break the journey. Continuing from Lonera along NH17 you will
come across some ancient caves on your left just before Mahad. Mahad
offers some nice restraunts and motels. At the next town of Poladpur one
can take a left to the popular hill station Mahableshwar (41 Kms)
which retains its charm despite rampant commercialisation. Continuing
straight on NH17 past Poladpur one gets to drive through the hilly twisty
roads of the ghats till one comes to the town of Khed. Turn right off NH17
and head towards Dapoli and onto Harnai (44Kms). There are some wonderful
beaches here and it makes for a nice halt.
Backtrack to Khed and join NH17 driving
through the twisty hilly sections into Chiplun where one can refresh
oneself before heading through more hills until one arrives at Nivli. From
Nivli one can head right for the beaches of Ganpathiphule (30 Km) by
taking state highway 106. The resort set up by the MTDC is right on the
beach and a great place to stay overnight. Continuing past Nivli for about
136 Kms on NH17 one comes to the small town of Kasal where you turn off on
the right onto State Highway 118 to the small fishing village of Malvan
(33 Km) and onto Tarkali beach (7 Km). Stay here overnight before
backtracking to Kasal and following NH17 into Goa.
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