Day 3 - Dandeli sightseeing + Dandeli - Karwar

approx Dist covered - 150kms
mapmyindia dist - 118kms
time taken - 2.5 hours..
route - Dandeli - Kumbharwada - Anshi - Karwar

up at 5am and all set for the Jungle safari.. others in the group for the safari get late and we leave dandeli depot for the Sanctuary at around 6.25am.. the driver says its too late to spot any wild animals as there are other vehicles that have already gone ahead.. anyways lets try our luck.. spot 4 peahens, 1 peacock, 1 giant squirrel, 2 storks/cranes :p, a python and 2 deers..

back to the lodge at 9am.. have breakfast and am back on the Croc Trail.. people in dandeli say that there are as many as 500 crocs in the Kali river and are generally seen sun-bathing on the edges.. ride for about 5kms with the guide and reach a farmland besides the river.. walk from one end of the farm to other in search of crocs.. spot ZERO !
finally giveup the hope of spotting the giant croc and return.. the guide says his friend has a croc baby at his house.. so we reach the friends place and have some click click with the baby croc.. the body of the croc was very slippery and it was difficult to hold it.. anyways atleast saw a baby croc live :)

bid adieu to Dandeli post lunch.. Plan to go to Goa.. am told that goa is just 50kms from Karwar.. so i think will check out the Karwar beach and then move on to Goa.. ask about the road till karwar at 3 different places and get the same answer.. the roads are good.. so change the plan to Dandeli - Karwar - Goa..
Start from dandeli towards babeli.. a small village from where i am told i have to ride till Kumbharwada.. the roads are again very nice and its the Teak plantation by the Govt of Karnataka on both the sides..
Keep riding thru the forest area.. Spot a bison on the left of the road in the woods.. have no guts to stop and click click.. its a HUGE Muscular animal.. nearly 6 feet tall and really bulky horns.. so decide to keep the throttle twisted.. reach kumbharwada and get a bad patch of road.. take this as an aberration.. but i am wrong.. this aint no aberration.. the punishment keeps on going for nearly 30kms till i reach Anshi.. stop to drink water at the village and spot a Tavera.. its the Khopkars.. they are here to visit the caves.. chat with them for a while and leave after the much needed break.. its getting humid as i start approaching the west coast.. and feeling pretty hot too..
the road after Anshi is just newly laid.. so again back to the high speeds i reach a junction.. where it says Mangalore 279kms (left) and Panaji (101kms) right.. i say to myself "WTF".. its already 3.30pm .. and its just toooo hot to handle.. what should i do.. should i ride directly to Goa? should i stay at Karwar? i dont understand.. so i take the left (karwar being closer).. reach the entrance.. click click..

decide to turn back and go goa.. ride a few kms to turn back and stay at karwar.. search for a lodge.. devbagh beach resort.. full.. bhadra hotel.. room available at 250+10%tax.. ride near the beach.. some lodge Rs.260 single bed..book it.. unpack my stuff but i am feeling suffocated in that room.. so decide to ask the manager to change the room.. he says hotel full.. go back.. pack my stuff.. decide to leave the hotel.. book myself in Bhadra.. have snacks.. go to the beach.. click click.. war museum.. click.. back to hotel.. sleep :)

Karwar - Goa - Ratnagiri - Mumbai