Recreating Dil Chahta Hai! Bombay to Goa – A Quintessential Road Trip Straight From The Bucket List

Bombay to Goa Road Trip: Behold the spectacular view of fields, lakes, beaches and waterfalls along the roads on this trip. Halt to some classic restaurants to savour some delicious meals.

All you millennials who grew up watching Aakash, Siddharth and Sameer explore, discover and redefine friendship in the phenomenal movie Dil Chahta Hai, here is a manual to recreate the thrill of the road trip to Goa in real life. Drag all your friends now to the quintessential Mumbai to Goa road trip that is in every friends-groups’ bucket list.

Waterfalls, forts, beaches and lakes: everything comprises this one single trip. Mumbai to Goa is the most affordable and enriching road trip in the bucket list of travelers filled with #wanderlust.

The road trip can be divided into two major parts, with each part covering almost half the total distance of 604 kms via NH 48; the first part being from Mumbai to Kolhapur, via Panvel, Lonavala,  Kamshet, Khandala, Satara, covering 376 kms in 6 hours and from Kolhapur to Goa via Sankeshwar, Belgaum, Khanapur, Mollem, covering 216 kms in 4 hours.

The latter part of this roughly 11-hours-long invigorating journey encapsulates a plethora of scenic landscapes. The most important aspect of this part is the long stretch of lush green trees and smooth roads in an amazing weather that certainly make the journey itself the metaphorical destination.

Here is a list of 7 important spots not to be missed on the Mumbai to Goa road trip:

Panvel: Karnala Fort And Karnala Bird Sanctuary
Best known as the “gateway of Konkan coast”,  this crowded city around 52 minutes away from Mumbai, houses the ancient Karnala Fort and Karlana Bird Sanctuary. The splendid hill fort, Karnala Fort, lies within the Karlana Bird Sanctuary, which is home to more than 200 species of birds.

Kolad: Tamhini Ghat Waterfalls, Kansai Waterfalls And Ghoshala Fort
An adventurer’s dreamland, Kolad is nestled on the banks of river Kundalika. It is a pretty hamlet that is alluring to all nature lovers and river rafting aficionados. Around 1.5 hours away from Kolhad, lies Tamhini Ghat, renowned for the Tamhini Ghat waterfalls, Kansai waterfalls and beautiful hot springs.

Dapoli: Panhalakaji Caves, Harnai Port And Kadyavarcha Ganapati Temple
The small city in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district, Dapoli is nearly two and a half hours away from Kolad. One can explore the Panhalakaji Caves, Unhavare hot springs, Harnai Port, Karde Beach, Murud Beach and Kadyavarcha Ganapati Temple at this place. Murud is an ideal place for dolphin-spotting.

Chiplun: Gowalkot Fort, Sawatsada Waterfalls, Guhagar Beach And Lord Parashurama Temple
The word Chiplun stands for ‘the abode of Lord Parashurama’. This town in Maharashtra’s Konkon region is known for spots like Gowalkot Fort, Sawatsada Waterfalls, Vashishthi River, Guhagar Beach, Koyna Dam, Pandava caves and Lord Parashurama Temple.

Lonavala: Kune Falls, Bhushi Dam, Lonavala Lake, Karla Caves and Bhaja Caves
Lonavala, located in Western Ghats’ Sahyadri range, is one of the most popular hill stations in Maharashtra. The go-to place for mumbaikars’ bottom-less desire for travel. Some must-visit places in Lonavala are Kune Falls, Bhushi Dam, Lonavala Lake, Karla Caves and Bhaja Caves.

Kolhapur: Mahalakshmi Temple, Bhavani Mandap, Rankala Lake And Jyotiba Complex
Kolhapur is famous all over the country for its unique handloom and footwear. The place falls on the Mumbai-Goa highway and some famous spots to visit here are the Mahalakshmi Temple, Bhavani Mandap, Rankala Lake and Jyotiba Complex. The place is also known for its delicious misal-pav.

Belgaum: Belgaum Fort, Mahadev Temple And Kapileshwara Temple
The ancient Belgaum Fort, St. Mary’s Church, Mahadev Temple and Kapileshwara Temple are must-visits at this place. Other attractions here are Kamal Basti, Vajrapoha falls. A delight for every photographer’s heart.

Here is a list of food-joints along the Mumbai-Goa road trip:

1. Hotel Orange Ravet: Serves lip-smacking non-vegetarian food.
2. Mapro Garden: Stop here for amazing grilled sandwiches.
3. Rangla Punjab: Savour the authentic North Indian cuisines here.
4. Simply Delicious: A small cake shop enroute, stop here to try their freshly baked tea cakes.
5. Thorat’s Barbeque Misal: Their missal pavs have rave reviews on Google.
6. Dehaati: A well-known restaurant in Kohlapur, stop at Dehaati for authentic Maharashtrian food.
7. Veer Cafe: Grab some freshly brewed coffee here. Their hot chocolate is pretty good too.

The long journey is fulfilling and something to be relished amongst friends. It is bound to fill up your portfolio with photographs, experiences and most importantly, stories- all what a romantic heart craves for!