Mumbai to Goa - One of the best drives in India

The best long drive I have taken in India is the Mumbai – Goa road.
Its full of greenery and this road has IT ALL!!! Corners, Ghats, long straight open roads, small villages on the way where one has to slow down a bit.
Everything is there, name it and you have it. The 12 odd hours of continuous driving make this route a challenge cum adventure.
If you are a seafood fan.. food never gets better than on the konkan coast of Maharashtra.I have done this trip many times ..may be around 15 times.. and still find new things to enjoy everytime I drive down to Goa

Some things you need to remember :

Smooth roads mean that you just need to get a routine service done before your drive to Goa.
Key areas to check are:-

Brakes: The Mumbai-Goa road has its fair share of twisty corners and ghats, so you’ll be relying on that middle pedal a lot. See to it that your brakes are effective and reliable.-

Tyres: Stick to the recommended amount of air depending on the load. Check the pressure of the spare wheel too and also make sure you have the tools to change a wheel.-

Engine: Check liquid levels — oil, brake fluid, windscreen washer, radiator coolant and battery water.- Electricals Lights, indicators, horn and cabin lights.- Rattles and squeaks:

In the city they might not irritate much, but on a 500km-plus journey they will get on your nerves. So get them eliminated.-

Protection for your car Goa means beaches and sand which, coupled with salt water, are not good for the flooring of your car. Get rubber matting installed so the amount of sand and dampness reaching the carpet is reduced.

Packing luggage in the car- Pack your car so that luggage space is utilised to the maximum.

Avoid loading luggage on a roof rack. It ruins the areodynamics and reduces speed and fuel efficiency. - Pack stuff that you will not need during the journey first, so the things you do need are easily accessible. -

Never pack luggage in a way that it obstructs the line of sight of the rearview mirror. - In a hatchback, pack objects up to the level of the rear seat backrest, or during hard braking the luggage could injure rear passengers.

- Pack objects so that they don’t rattle or move about.- Never store bottles or objects near the gearstick and handbrake. They might hinder the driver.

- Do not stuff bottles under the driver’s seat. They may roll out and interfere with the foot pedals. - Carry cassettes in a bag or a case. Leaving them on the dashboard damages them and makes them slide all over

The DriveThe 500km-plus drive from Mumbai to Panaji is a pleasure thanks to the superb roads. The flyovers between Mumbai and Panvel give a signal-less drive to Panvel.Once you turn after Panvel onto NH17 for Goa, the road becomes a two-lane highway, which is well maintained but with its fair shares of fast corners.

NH17 passes through forested roads, Karnala Bird Sanctuary and Pen where the road splits in two. While NH17 carries on towards Nagothane, a state highway goes on to the seaside town of Alibaug. Fishing Boats at Baga creek take passengers for a joyride. The entire run from Pen to Mahad runs south in an almost straight line and right turns at road junctions invariably lead to coastal towns like Murud, Shrivardhan and Harihareshwar.

After Poladpur, NH17 changes districts as it crossesover from Raigadh to Ratnagiri.The first major town in Ratnagiri district is Chiplun. The drive on the ghat thereafter affords splendid views of the marshlands formed by the river Vashishti. Soon after Ratnagiri junction you may come upon mango sellers where you can pick up the famed juicy Ratnagiri alphonso mangoes for a bargain price.

Talera is the last town NH17 passes through in the Ratnagiri district as it crosses over to Sindhudurg district, Savantwadi, and then into the state of GoaRoute TipsHere are some pointers on the road from Mumbai to Panaji in Goa.- Wear your seatbelt And insist that the passengers wear theirs too!

Start early By starting at 5.30am, you avoid the worst of the traffic and get to the Thane Creek bridge in a few minutes. The new flyovers make it possible to reach Panvel within an hour. Early morning traffic in Panvel is light but be careful in the city where people have a habit of suddenly jumping out of slow-moving buses.

The Panvel bypass is 1.8km longer and is a good option if you hit Panvel after 7am. - NH17 is a two-laner Exercise caution while overtaking. On the ghat sections use your horn merrily around the corners.

Don’t fight fatigue. Take refreshment stops when you feel drained.Do you want to try this drive… here is a detail route

Route Map

MapDriving distance 579.1km, King Circle (Mumbai) to Mandovi Bridge (Panaji).
Approximate driving time (excluding stops): 11.5 hours..
With practice, you could do it in 8-9 hours

Getting out of Mumbai :
0.0 to 42.2: King’s Circle (Maheshwari Udyan) to Goa right turn after Panvel. Driving time (approx): 40min
1.7 Flyover across Sion circle. Continue straight until you pass under a railway bridge.
4.4 Road junction signal. Take angular right towards Chembur. Continue straight past six signals, the fifth being a pedestrian crossing signal.
5.3 24-hour HP petrol pump on your right at the first signal. Continue straight.
9.1 Road junction. Turn left. Road ahead goes to Trombay.
13.3 Thane Creek Bridge. Caution! There are broken-down trucks parked awkwardly here sometimes.
16.6 Caution! Huge, unmarked speedbreaker.
17.3 Toll Naka (Rs 15).
34.6 Road junction under flyover. Continue right to go via Panvel city. Road on extreme right bypasses Panvel city but is 1.8km longer. Road on left goes to Thane.
38.3 Panvel city. (Petrol Pump — PP) Continue straight.
42.2 Road junction. Turn right for Panaji (Goa). Road ahead goes to Pune.
42.5 to 74.9: Goa right turn to Vadkhal Naka (NH17) Driving time (approx): 45min
42.5 Crossroads. Turn left for Panaji (Goa). Road ahead comes from Panvel bypass. Road on right goes to Panvel city. Caution! The road is now a two- laner with plenty of sharp corners so practise caution while overtaking.
57.8 Toll Naka (Rs 10). Carry on along NH17 to Pen
70.1 Road junction (Pen). Turn right for Panaji (Goa). Road on left goes to Pen town and Khapoli (40km). Caution! Road is fraught with cyclists, school children and mad Tempo Trax drivers.
74.9 Vadkhal Naka (PP). Turn left for Panaji (Goa).


74.9 to 183.3 — Vadkhal Naka to Mahableshwar turn-off Driving time (approx): 2hrs 15min - Traffic Drops

90.3 Deceptive speedbreaker on corner after bridge over Nidi River.
94.9 Nagothane (PP). At the road junction take the gradual left and continue on NH17 for Panaji (Goa).
124.5 Indapur. Caution! Heavy pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Speed breakers at entrance and exit of town.
134.9 Mangaon (PP). Caution! Crowded road through the town. "Open Umbrella" is a good place to have breakfast.
183.3 Road junction with statue in the centre (PP). Continue straight on NH17. Road on left goes to Mahableshwar (41.6km).
183.3 to 254.1: Mahableshwar turn-off to Chiplun Driving time (approx): 1hr 20min
192.3 Caution! Kashedi Ghat (7.2km). Steep gradients and blind corners.
220.5 Caution! Speedbreaker on corner before bridge over Jagbudi River.
221.1 Caution! Baste Ghat begins (4km).
242.3 Caution! Parshram Ghat begins (6km).Note: The entire stretch between Baste Ghat and Parshram Ghat is winding with sharp and blind corners.
254.1 Chiplun. Crossroad. Continue straight. Road on right goes to Chiplun town. Road on left goes to Karad.

254.1 to 579: Chiplun to Panaji. Driving time (approx): 6hr 15min - Traffic ? What Traffic ?
262.5 Caution! Ghat section (5.2km).
274.5 Caution! Ghat section (7.6km).
300.9 Sangameshwar (PP).
322.3 Caution! Nivli Ghat (2.4km).
334.9 Hathkhambe. Continue straight on NH17. Road on right goes to Ratnagiri (13km).
344.9 Pali. Continue on the right fork. Road ahead goes to Kolhapur (83km).
371.1 Caution! Vanked Ghat (2.2km).
377.5 Caution! Vatul Ghat (6.4km)
429.3 Talera. Road on right goes to Vaghotan (30.2km). Road on left goes to Kasarda.
486.7 Kudal.
501.1 Akeri Road junction. Bear left. Road bearing left goes to Panaji via Savantvadi. Distance 78km. Road on right goes to Panaji via Vengurla and Pernem. Distance 91km.
505.9 Take the right fork for Panaji via Savantvadi. Left fork goes to Belgaum (88km).
509.1 Savantvadi (PP).
512.2 Caution! Insuli Ghat begins (1.6km).
520.6 Banda. Note: Drive with caution here as the roads are very narrow and twisty with children and livestock running about.
547.4 Maharashtra-Goa state border. Police check post.
555.8 Road junction. Take the road on right for Mapusa and PanajiRoad on left goes to Bicholim (6.4km) and Ponda.
566.1 Road junction. Take road on left for Panaji. Road on right goes to Covali and Pernem.
569.0 Mapusa city (PP). Continue on NH17 for Panjim.
577.8 Bridge across Mandovi river to Panaji.
579.1 Panaji Circle. Road on right goes to Panaji city. Road ahead goes to Margao (34km).

Some 24-hour petrol pumps along the route
1.5 - Chhagan Mitha, 90/91, Sion Circle. Ph: 022 4072980
33.5 - Vijay Automobiles, Kalamboli, Mumbai-Pune Rd, Panvel.Ph: 022 7452525/2925, HP. Facilities: Lubes, snacks, coffee vending machine, music cassettes and clean toilets.
72.4 - Dharamkar Motor Store, Vadkhal Naka. Ph: 02143 9008, BP. Facilities: Puncture repair shop
163.0 - Doshi Automobiles, Mumbai-Goa Highway, Mahad. Ph: 02145 22387 BP. Facilities: First-aid, lubes, adjoining restaurant and clean toilets.
214.0 - HP Highway Services, Bharna Naka, Khed Taluka, Ratnagiri district. HP. Facilities: General store, STD booth, reasonably clean toilets.
249.9 - G B Mehta and Sons, Chiplun. Ph: 02355 56060. Facilities: Lubes and puncture repair shop.
291 - M/s Yashodhara Services, Mumbai-Goa Road, Sangameshwar, Ratnagiri Dist. Indian Oil. Facilities: Lubes, adjoining restaurant.
382.1 - Mangal Agencies, Bombay — Goa Road, Rajapur. Ph: 02353 22074. Indian Oil. Facilities: First-aid, toilets, ambulance available, adjoining hotel (veg).
417.0 - M/s WY Pokhale, Kasarde. Ph: 02367 32634. Facilities: Clean locked toilets with key on demand for customers only.
451.2 - S B & V B Samant, Kankauli. Ph: 02367 32028. Facilities: Puncture repair shop and clean toilets.
554.4 - Janardhan Zarapkar, Panjim Road. Facilities: Lubes, puncture repair shop.

Refreshment Stops
42.0 - Misal Corner, Goa turn-off after Panvel. Awesome misal pav and strong tea, just what you need to prepare you for your drive ahead.
130.0 - Hotel Open Umbrella Mangaon, Ph: 01240 63879Indian, South Indian and Konkani food. Konkani thali costs Rs 30.
156.3 - Hotel Ruchi Garden, Outskirts of Mahad, Splendid views of the Savitri river.
165.3 - Motel Visawa, Mahad, popular stopping point with a general store and all kind of snacks.
240.0 - Taj Gateway Chiplun, excellent food but at a price. - No longer managed by Taj
301.2 - Hotel Swad Sangameshwar, excellent Maharashtrian food and non-veg thali.
436.4 - Neelams Countryside, 24-hour coffee shop with continental snacks and rooms for an overnight halt

Caution!
Slow-moving rickshaws and bullock carts are aplenty near villages and towns.
Watch out for them. Keep loose change for toll handy.
There are numerous Accident Spot signs on the road. Take them seriously.
Bridges over rivers have speedbreakers before and after them — watch out for oncoming traffic braking hard for the speedbreakers.

The ghats (hilly terrain) you will cross are:

Kashedi Ghat between Poladpur and Kashedi,
Baste Ghat after Khed,
Parshram Ghat between Khed and Chiplun,
Nivli Ghat between Sangameshwar and Nivli,
Vanked Ghat between Lanja and Rajapur, and
Insuli Ghat between Savantvadi and Banda.

Toll Tickets

Thane Creek Bridge Rs 15
Mahad Rs 5
Kharpada Rs 10
Total Toll Rs 30