gauravtalan
A Mile With Us
I have been to Goa a couple of times by train taking the scenic Konkan route. The journey always fascinated me. What would the villages of this stretch look like? How about the beaches and backwaters? After planning for a few months, I finally decided to drive along the Konkan coast while taking the Sagari Mahamarg (Maharashtra State Highway 4 which runs along the coast). On 23rd of December 2017, we (me, my wife, our 6 month old baby, my mother in law and sister in law) left from Delhi to embark on a road trip passing through 7 states and a UT (Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh).
This photo blog gives a brief account of our journey of around 4500 kms covered in 12 days.
Day 1: Delhi to Udaipur via NH 8. 679 Kms in close to 11 hours.
Rajsamand Lake some 60 kms short of Udaipur.
Reached Udaipur around 5 PM. Straightaway rushed to the Pichola lakeside.
Sunset at Lake Pichola.
Day 2: Udaipur to Mumbai. Drove for 804 Kms. As soon as we entered Gujarat, we decided to leave the NH 8 and take a state highway which bypasses Ahemdabad. Fantastic roads no traffic or trucks to deal with!
After a smooth ride, GPS showed a huge traffic jam near Thane before entering Mumbai. Had to take a patchy detour and reached Mumbai late in the evening. After a stroll at Gateway of India-Colaba area, we decided to call it a day.
Day 3: Mumbai-Dapoli-Murud Beach; 251 Kms. We decided to cover the Mumbai-Goa stretch along the western coast instead of the conventional National Highway. It is a single road with nonexistent traffic. You look on your right while driving and you see the mighty ocean most of the times.
A Konkan village street. We passed many such villages on this road.
Murud Beach in the evening.
Day 4: Murud to Ratnagiri; 140 kms. A typical Konkani house along the coast.
The Mumbai-Goa coastal highway is known as Sagari Mahamarg or SH-4. Since it runs along the coast, it's difficult to create bridges over so many backwaters and deltas. In order to cross these large creeks, you have to hop your car in a ferry which takes you to the other side. The highway again continues from that point. Such fun even if you have to do it multiple times!
The ferry ride
Sagari Mahamarg is full of virgin beaches. Stop your car anywhere and you have a white sand beach on your right.
Just park your car and plunge into the blue water - Guhagar Beach
Sagari Mahamarg
Sagari Mahamarg again
No wonder why it took us the whole day to cover just 140 Kms. Couldn’t help stopping almost every 5 Kms.
A rocky beach on the way
The second ferry takes you to the Jaigad Fort from where you get a panoramic view of the delta.
Day 5: Ratnagiri to Malvan; 198 Kms. Backwaters on the way
Vijaydurg beach
A Natural frame - Vijaydurg Fort
The beaches of central Maharashtra are so clear that you forget you are on the mainland. Perhaps due to those nonexistent tourists.
The wall - Vijaydurg Fort
The mighty coastal forts of Konkan
Sindhudurg fort was constructed by Chhatrapati Shivaji in the 17th C. The fort lies on an island away from the mainland and one need to take a ferry to reach there.
Sunset at Tarkarli Beach
Tarkarli Beach
Day 6: Malvan to Colva (Goa); 167 Kms. The Sagari Mahamarg became even more interesting.
Vast grasslands along the Sagari Mahamarg
We got to see many virgin beaches from the top when highway runs around a hill
A beach from the top of a hill
Golden rocks from the Nivti Fort
Just a yellow boat in the lagoon - Bhogwe Beach
The Sagari Mahamarg comes to an end as we enter Goa
This creek forms the border between South Maharashtra and North Goa.
Typical Goan bungalows from our apartment in Benaulim-Colva
Day 7: Colva - Palolem - Colva; 81 Kms - Sunset at Palolem Beach
Day 8: Leisurely strolls on Benaulim and Colva Beach
Day 9: Colva to Pune; 579 Kms. The Goa Pune Highway crosses through Karnataka and it's dense forests.
A quick detour to Thosegarh falls from Satara
A stream in the Western Ghats
A lake on the way to Satara
Western Ghats
Day 10: Pune - Indore; 591 Kms
Vineries on the Nashik bypass.
Day 11: Indore - Bhilwara; 406 Kms. A Poha vendor near Ujjain.
Chittaurgarh Fort
Chittaurgarh Fort
Chittaurgarh Fort as seen from the city. Day 12: Bhilwara - Delhi; 543 Kms
This photo blog gives a brief account of our journey of around 4500 kms covered in 12 days.
Day 1: Delhi to Udaipur via NH 8. 679 Kms in close to 11 hours.
Rajsamand Lake some 60 kms short of Udaipur.
Reached Udaipur around 5 PM. Straightaway rushed to the Pichola lakeside.
Sunset at Lake Pichola.
Day 2: Udaipur to Mumbai. Drove for 804 Kms. As soon as we entered Gujarat, we decided to leave the NH 8 and take a state highway which bypasses Ahemdabad. Fantastic roads no traffic or trucks to deal with!
After a smooth ride, GPS showed a huge traffic jam near Thane before entering Mumbai. Had to take a patchy detour and reached Mumbai late in the evening. After a stroll at Gateway of India-Colaba area, we decided to call it a day.
Day 3: Mumbai-Dapoli-Murud Beach; 251 Kms. We decided to cover the Mumbai-Goa stretch along the western coast instead of the conventional National Highway. It is a single road with nonexistent traffic. You look on your right while driving and you see the mighty ocean most of the times.
A Konkan village street. We passed many such villages on this road.
Murud Beach in the evening.
Day 4: Murud to Ratnagiri; 140 kms. A typical Konkani house along the coast.
The Mumbai-Goa coastal highway is known as Sagari Mahamarg or SH-4. Since it runs along the coast, it's difficult to create bridges over so many backwaters and deltas. In order to cross these large creeks, you have to hop your car in a ferry which takes you to the other side. The highway again continues from that point. Such fun even if you have to do it multiple times!
The ferry ride
Sagari Mahamarg is full of virgin beaches. Stop your car anywhere and you have a white sand beach on your right.
Just park your car and plunge into the blue water - Guhagar Beach
Sagari Mahamarg
Sagari Mahamarg again
No wonder why it took us the whole day to cover just 140 Kms. Couldn’t help stopping almost every 5 Kms.
A rocky beach on the way
The second ferry takes you to the Jaigad Fort from where you get a panoramic view of the delta.
Day 5: Ratnagiri to Malvan; 198 Kms. Backwaters on the way
Vijaydurg beach
A Natural frame - Vijaydurg Fort
The beaches of central Maharashtra are so clear that you forget you are on the mainland. Perhaps due to those nonexistent tourists.
The wall - Vijaydurg Fort
The mighty coastal forts of Konkan
Sindhudurg fort was constructed by Chhatrapati Shivaji in the 17th C. The fort lies on an island away from the mainland and one need to take a ferry to reach there.
Sunset at Tarkarli Beach
Tarkarli Beach
Day 6: Malvan to Colva (Goa); 167 Kms. The Sagari Mahamarg became even more interesting.
Vast grasslands along the Sagari Mahamarg
We got to see many virgin beaches from the top when highway runs around a hill
A beach from the top of a hill
Golden rocks from the Nivti Fort
Just a yellow boat in the lagoon - Bhogwe Beach
The Sagari Mahamarg comes to an end as we enter Goa
This creek forms the border between South Maharashtra and North Goa.
Typical Goan bungalows from our apartment in Benaulim-Colva
Day 7: Colva - Palolem - Colva; 81 Kms - Sunset at Palolem Beach
Day 8: Leisurely strolls on Benaulim and Colva Beach
Day 9: Colva to Pune; 579 Kms. The Goa Pune Highway crosses through Karnataka and it's dense forests.
A quick detour to Thosegarh falls from Satara
A stream in the Western Ghats
A lake on the way to Satara
Western Ghats
Day 10: Pune - Indore; 591 Kms
Vineries on the Nashik bypass.
Day 11: Indore - Bhilwara; 406 Kms. A Poha vendor near Ujjain.
Chittaurgarh Fort
Chittaurgarh Fort
Chittaurgarh Fort as seen from the city. Day 12: Bhilwara - Delhi; 543 Kms
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