Greatest roads in India: Amboli Ghat
Increasingly, Goa is becoming the festival centre for all motorcycle events. I mean it makes perfect sense with the sea, sun kissed beaches, brilliant food and never ending cool refreshments! It’s the best place to ride to, hang up your helmet and party with your riding buddies. Sadly this means most riders rush to Goa and forget to take the time to soak in the scenic route.
Riding out of or past Mumbai/Pune, most people would take the inherently boring NH4 because it’s the fastest and also it’s what Google suggests. But (shockingly!) there are things that Google is not aware of. Like after Nipani, the highway goes over a little ascent and at the top you come to a few dhabas on both sides of the road. If you are coming from Mumbai there will be to the right, a single lane road that shoots off perpendicular to the National Highway. This road itself is a very brilliant piece of tarmac but it cuts through some villages and townships so you have to be careful, as it’s populated.
“Riding out of or past Mumbai/Pune, most people would take the inherently boring NH4 because it’s the fastest and also it’s what Google suggests. But (shockingly!) there are things that Google is not aware of”
You follow the road up to Amboli ghat and you start to go downhill towards Goa. This stretch of road is beautiful. Two lanes in good nick, snaking its way down the ghat. There are a couple of straight-ish sections, as well as some nice tight blind curves. Remember there is always traffic on this road and in the rains, everything is a bit slicker. But it’s a joy to ride on and after eight hours on a boring highway, it’s just what the doctor ordered.
So the next time you’re heading to Goa, remember there are lots of awesome ways to get there but if you are in a hurry, ride down Amboli Ghat. It’s a hoot.
