Mangalore to Goa highway.
This is my personal favorite route. I've travelled a lot in this route and quite regularly travel in it. From Mangalore till Karwar, there are some beautiful river bridges, amazing scenery in either ways. At times one could see the Konkan railway parallel to it. Of course, there's my favorite Maravanthe beach on the way. At one side if it, there's Sauparnika river, and on the other side, there's the Arabian sea.
Towards Karwar, there are some tunnels and we find some hill stations. There are beaches on the route and coastline is very close to the highway. From Karwar to Goa, there are a couple of ghat roads. The scenery is what makes it my personal favorite. It's like a complete package. I will travel on it very soon.
Mumbai to Pune expressway.
Another scenic route. The expressway is of course very good and fairly disciplined. But what catches the attention of the travellers is the architecture. It's very difficult to construct such roads. Some part of the highway is located on hill and requires years of hard work of construction. The Western ghats makes the route enjoyable to drive on.
During the rainy season, it becomes nearly equivalent to Himalayas. Everywhere around there would be fog and rain.The popular Bhor ghat is something to marvel at. I found it so pleasing. The whole route is so beautiful and one would love to travel often on it. I loved those 18 kms of ride in the ghat road, despite a frustrating traffic.
Ramanathapuram to Dhanushkodi.
This route is very unique. It has only 2 lanes and on the either side of the road, there are coconut trees. There are sand layers on the either sides and it almost feels like a mini desert. The Pamban bridge is iconic in the route and one can't help but appreciate the architecture. Stopping on the bridge to capture the view would give unexplainable joy and thrill.
From Rameshwaram to Dhanushkodi, one would feel like going to a different territory altogether. As one approaches closer towards the beach, it almost feels as if the end of the world is closer! It's such a wonderful road. There are some small lakes around the road. It's so scenic and traveling in it becomes a lifetime memory.
Shivamogga to Honnavara.
I don't think many would he aware of it here. But this is a fantastic route. From Shivamogga to Sagar, there's a good 2-lane road. It's so well built and feels soothing while driving. On the either sides of the road, there's greenery all around. The farm lands around the road makes it an enjoyable ride. There is a short railway line adjacent to the road after Sagar.
Till Sagar, the road is plain and does not often involve a lot of vehicles. From Sagar to Talaguppa comes my favorite part. There's a small stream like structure and in the rainy season, it becomes a dream stuff. Road, railway line, green farms, and the stream all run parallel to each other. From Talaguppa to Honnavara, there's an adventurous ghat. It's an underrated route.
Ballari to Sandur.
One of those routes I'd love to travel repeatedly. From Ballari till Toranagallu, there's the highway that connects Hubli with Ballari. From there, the road takes a diversion. We get to see the mighty township of JSW steels. There are schools, offices, factories, huge power plants, residential area, and other complexes all located in about a radius of 10–15 kms.
It seems as if the place is one of its kind. Soon after it, we can see Donimalai township and the beautiful Narihalla dam near Sandur. It's such a beautiful road. One can see a small ghat and the river right adjacent to it. Upon it, a dam is built. It's such a wonderful route. Much like the earlier mentioned route, it is underrated as well.
Image credits - Google.
