First Solo Drive To Goa From Coonoor


Thread Starter #1
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This was the route taken
Coonoor-Pykara-gudalur-gundlupet-mysore-arsikere-shimoga-sagara-gerusoppa-honavara-karwar-cancona-agonda

Coonoor-Mysore( although I wanted to take the 36 hairpin bends from thalaikunda how ever since my GPS was not working missed it [frustration]and had to take the longer route via Pykara-MMR forest-Bandipur).Halted for the night at Hotel Roopa at Mysore.

Day 2
started at 0330h and kept searching for petrol as I had forgotten to top up my tank[frustration]

I was driving cautiously throughout as it was dark , my first solo drive and directions were not known.Asked few truck drivers at Srirangapatna about the route to Arsikere and they pointed me towards the signboard in front of me.Reached Arsikere at around 0545 and took a coffee break at the cafe coffee day outlet and started afresh.

No problems in reaching Shimoga as roads were wide, smooth and fast very much comparable to NH4.I thought of halting at shimoga for breakfast but kept on driving

Roads turn narrower as you cross Sagara and become rough too worst patch of roads start after crossing jog falls which is the ghat section where the roads are single lane till you are about 25kms from Honavara.

From Honavara I took a right turn for Karwar which landed me into the kanyakumari Panvel Highway NH 17.reached Ankola at around 1300h and stopped at kamat for lunch and fuel top up for the car (last top up was at Srirangapatna and although the meter was half way i thought it was better to do a top up now).

Straight up to Karwar and continued to Goa.roads all along were superb and I could have hit 100+ but continued in 70-90 range as I was not confident.No problems till reaching Cancona but was mighty confused once I crossed Cancona.Thankfully my GPS started working and it showed precise turn by turn navigation to the resort I had booked myself in

My GPS was not working as I did not heed @appus advice that it needs a data connection once I switched on the data network and lo everything was picture perfect
 

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Congratulations for driving solo all the way to Goa !

I was watching your other thread for few days as we didnt see any update.
Happy to see you with your travel report

Happy & safe driving !
 
Thread Starter #5
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Thanks @Appus sir.A few revelations on the car

1. the wagon r really is a boxer , the way it punched its way through the rural karnataka roads was amazing.

2.even on the Honavar - Karwar stretch it gave tough competition to more powerful siblings ie swift desire, VW vento and Innova infact I was tailgating an Innova till Ankola when my stomach ruled over my car and had to stop.

3. I achieved a superb mileage of 22kmpl

4. Only thing that worried me was whenever I pushed the pedal to speeds of 130-140 kmph on my return leg the rpm band was in 3-3.5/4.is that a worrying factor? Hence I had to slow down to 100-110 wherein the rpm band was in 2.5-3 range.

5.Fastest stretch while going was Arsikere-Sagara 180km @3hrs flat
fastest stretch while coming back was Hubli - Chitradurga 220km @ 3hrs 15 min with a 15 min lunch stop at kamat harihar near davanagere
 
Thread Starter #6
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Now the coming back part

planned to start at 0600h but woke up at 0730h. Started at 0800h and first pit stop was at kamat ankola for breakfast at 0930h. I had decided to take the yellapur-hubli route on my return leg and hence proceeded to the hubli diversion

reached Hubli at 1200 noon and took the NH 4 till Sira.Ohh what roads they have built my boxer was ready to throw its punches everywhere and in no time I made it to chitradurga . I was in Chitradurga by 1530 and was thinking that I should reach mysore by 1700 if this was the conditions of the road, but.

After crossing Chitradurga lot of diversions and once was caught in a traffic jam sandwiched between two massive trailers (even the boxer was feeling puny amidst the those two somo wrestlers). Also there were no road signs or signboards telling me where am I or where am I headed to.Reached Sira at round 1630 and took the mysore diversion.

It was like straight from heaven to hell.Absolutely pathetic roads and unruly motorists till nittur.It was already dusk and sun had set further more it was getting dark and I was in unknown territory. So promptly switched on my GPS and punched Mysore.With the help of the GPS i found my way out of Pandavpura and Srirangapatna and reached Mysore amidst total darkness( yes mysore was without lights) at around 2030h.

Started for Coonoor next day at 0900h and quickly made it to Bandipur and MMR. From MMR took the 36 hairpin bends to Ooty and reached Ooty at 1200 noon and finally at Coonoor at 1330.
 
Thread Starter #7
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Few learning things from my trip

1. Follow lane discipline to the hilt

2. never for gods sake never ever try to discipline a motorcyclist. He is the biggest A**hole on the road followed by autorickshaw drivers.

3. Speed up when it is absolutely necessary.

4.When driving solo fatigue sets in very quickly. To avoid fatigue stop vehicle and wash your face with cold water OR keep munching tidbits like chips, biscuits or spicy mixtures they help you keep awake.

5. Music is also a stressbuster but please play on low sound.

6.During night driving especially in cities PLEASE do not use high beams (applicable in highway driving also)
 
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Dev,

An amazing feat you have acheived there. Hats off to you for doing this solo. [clap]
Just out of curiosity, why were you travelling solo anyway?? :stupid:
 
Thread Starter #10
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@Fyzy well just for the sake of it!!!! Actually all the threads of people in the forum who have done it made me think about it and I was becoming tired of daily office life so decided to hit the road. I gave myself 2 options a) Kerala and b) Goa chose the latter as the route was long and supposed to be good.

@amit1km since was driving solo taking pics of the route was time consuming so did not do it. However will be travelling with wifey dear again in April so more pics in the coming month
 
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Hi mate,

Good to see that you had a nice solo trip to Goa. Thanks for letting me know that the road conditions from Sagara to Ankola is not in very good condition. I might probably stick to my usual route of reaching Goa via Hubli or take a deviation from Bankapur. The driving tips that you have provided are good if every driver follows them. I would not however agree on the comment about motorcyclists. I posses a bike as well as a car and love to drive long distances using both means of transport and do strictly follow lane discipline.

Looking forward to seeing your pics from Goa.

- BlrGuy
 
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Hi mate,

I would not however agree on the comment about motorcyclists. I posses a bike as well as a car and love to drive long distances using both means of transport and do strictly follow lane discipline.
One day if you travel in local Volvo bus, you will feel like what these bike/car/auto guys are doing on the road. You feel like they are blocking the road unnecessarily.
When you ride your car, you may feel buses driving without care. They do not stop in places etc.Bikes taking sudden right/left without putting proper signal.
When you are on bike, you feel pity on car driver who drives alone. We feel like, "why they cant get a bike and reduce the traffic /reach faster".

And when you are on cycle ,you hate every vehicle and feel like they are polluting to our country . We think of 'Going Green' ! [frustration]

("You" in the above scenario is definitely myself [cry]. Others also might have thought the same at least once if not more)
 
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@Fyzy well just for the sake of it!!!! Actually all the threads of people in the forum who have done it made me think about it and I was becoming tired of daily office life so decided to hit the road. I gave myself 2 options a) Kerala and b) Goa chose the latter as the route was long and supposed to be good.
Wow.. that really deserves a round of applause [clap]
You definitely are a true driving enthusiast. [:D]
 
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Nice trip man. Waggy is really good car, serving it purpose. Last to last week, I have been to Amravati to my in laws place and and I drove their waggy for 400-500KM in 2 days. It's nice car, I loved it. The best part is sitting position that is upright, so less fatigue and no lower back pain for me.

Need more pics dude.
 
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Hey Aol dev i think you should have proceeded straight near that checkpost in Conoor, taking left from there will lead you to the long route.

There used to be barricade.

However that hairpin road is closed after 6 PM to 6 am, so you would have been stopped at the entering of curve.

Trust me i loved every curve on that stretch.
 

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