Goa

Day 1: Bangalore to Goa – 25th August 2018

By the time we had packed our bags and slept the previous night, it was 1 am. We couldn’t really sleep in the night because of mixed feelings. Excitement was at its peak, so were the anxieties about the unknown! Fasi was still signing off emails, and making sure everything in office is handed over properly till the last moment! I was nervous about the huge responsibility I am signing up for the next two months.

  • TOTAL KMS: 617 Kms
  • TIME TAKEN: 11 hours 21 mins
  • AVG FUEL EFFICIENCY: 22.6 Km/L
  • ROUTE: Tumkur-Chtiradurga-Hubli-Londa-Panaji
  • NHs: NH48, NH748
  • TOLL PAID: 460 Rs
  • HOTEL STAYED: Ibis Styles Goa Calangute Resort

As the person who has done the complete background study of the whole route, I did have anxieties on whether we will be able to stick to the complete plan, but at the same time I was excited about the adventure ahead. We got up early in the  morning around 6am and was ready to leave by 7.30am. We did pack some breakfast for Insha, as she was still sleeping. Being a Saturday, there was very less traffic and we could ease through the Bangalore roads.

NH48 on a Saturday morning.

It is a smooth highway drive from Bangalore till Hubli, After getting onto the Dharward-Panaji road, the road had a few bad patches because of heavy rains. Clean dining options on this road is difficult to find. We had our lunch from a hotel named “Delhi Durbar”. We just had something to keep us going and left soon.I heard Jog falls is at its best right after the monsoon, but choosing a route via Shimoga would take longer to reach Goa and we chose the usual National Highway route. We stopped on the way for few pictures. Otherwise it was a continuous drive except for the lunch break. 

After a comfortable drive on the NH and then on the Hubli-Goa road, we reached our destination around 6:30pm. We checked into the hotel, Ibis Styles Calangute, and got a car parking right next to our room which helped us grab things from the car as and when needed. We spent the rest of the day in the hotel.

Day 2,3 – Goa – 26th and 27th August 2018

We had been to Goa before in February, 2018, which was a quick trip and just a night stay. Insha was so much in love with Goa that time itself, that she had told that we should come back once again for a more relaxed stay! So, this time, we planned for a 3 night halt in Goa, to explore the beaches as well as to enjoy some good seafood, also we wanted to have a self-check to make sure we are all good to continue. It was important to have proper rest on the initial days to prepare mentally and physically. Starting off the trip in a very hectic way would put ourselves and daughter in trouble. We needed the initial excitement to be alive all the way till the very end, for an awesome travel experience.

The stay in Goa was an amazing one, and it included a grand buffet breakfast! Wherever possible, we had opted for stays with breakfast option, because that helped us stock some fruits or chocos for Insha for the rest of the day. When the trip started, her favourite dish was chapati and honey, we had stocked enough honey in the car when we started from Bangalore, and chapati was anyways available for almost all meals.

Fasi had asked to make sure we stay in a hotel with balcony in Goa. She was more worried about getting the clothes washed on time. As we would go to beaches, and there is no “we will wash all the clothes once we get back home” option available, we had to make sure we use all chances we get to wash and dry the clothes. Though we had enough clothes packed to manage a continuous two weeks travel without washing, keeping the wet and sandy clothes from the beaches in the car was not an option.

Basilica of Bom Jesus.

We visited the Basilica of Bom Jesus and a couple of beaches on the second day, and also got to taste some awesome seafood! Fasi really had some shopping mood, but we could not afford to load the car with unnecessary luggage, so decided to get only small souvenirs from each place we visited. We covered Aguada fort and Calangute beach on the third day, and spent rest of the time in the hotel. We had to leave from Goa next day, and so wanted to make sure we spent enough time in the room to pack everything in the night itself so that we don’t miss anything in a hurry in the morning.

We managed to get a car wash on the 3rd day in Goa. The car had become all muddy because of the wet climatic conditions.

Day 4: Mumbai>>