[RajeshK]

Ajitkumarlb, kala,
Please post the update once u have reached. I am eagerly waiting for this as I am travelling next Sunday to Payyanur. Via Panathur may be little more in distance, but still I would like to consider that.

Also, any one knows the condition about the road from Madikeri to Virajpet. If this is in good condition, I prefer taking this extra distance to avoid Gonikkuppa / Siddapura

Thanks
Rajesh

[ajitkumarlb]

I heard from a friends friend that GONIKOPPA road is in very bad conditions due to rains. So my plan stays:

BANGALORE-SRIRANGAPATNA-ELIVALA-HUNSUR-PERIYAPATNA-SIDDAPUR-VIRAJPET-IRITTY-MATTANUR-EDAYANNUR-CHALODE-KOODALI-MATHUKKOTH-KANNUR

All set now for the (hopefully) early morning drive out.

Thank you all for the help, will post on the condition as soon as I can...

[kala]

Originally Posted by RajeshK

Ajitkumarlb, kala,
Please post the update once u have reached. I am eagerly waiting for this as I am travelling next Sunday to Payyanur. Via Panathur may be little more in distance, but still I would like to consider that.

Also, any one knows the condition about the road from Madikeri to Virajpet. If this is in good condition, I prefer taking this extra distance to avoid Gonikkuppa / Siddapura

12th morning : Bangalore to Kanhangad

Driving time was approximately 7 hours with a breakfast break at Mandya - the breakup being :

Bangalore (near Banashankari) to Mercara : 252 kms - 4 hrs 10 minutes inclusive of a 20 minute break for breakfast : Road conditions excellent except for the speed breakers on SH17 and somewhat broken roads on the Srirangapatna-Elivala section.

Mercara-Bhagamandala : 34 kms - 52 minutes : Road conditons average, had to drive quite slowly because of unfamiliarity with the road and bad stretches off and on.

Bhagamandala - Panathur : 30 kms - 1 hr 10 minutes : Narrow ghat road through dense forest. Very scenic, a lovely drive even though the road conditions are average. It was raining and foggy even at noon, and at every corner you'd see lovely waterfalls - some of them quite spectacular. So deliberately drove slowly enjoying the beauty of nature. Road becomes slightly worse as you near Panathur, but nowhere as bad as I expected.

Panathur-Kanhangad : 35 kms - 50 minutes : Quite wide and decent road, not too crowded either, but again took it slow because I was travelling this way the first time and there are occasional bad stretches.

13th morning : Kanhangad to Kalpetta via Palchuram ghats

Kanhangad - Taliparamba : 51 kms - 1 hr 5 minutes : NH-17 seems to be in quite decent shape in most parts, but you do get bad sections off an on.

Taliparamba - Iritti : 45 kms - 1 hr 5 minutes : OK road, occasional bad stretches, quite curvy.

Iritti - Mananthavady (via Peravoor-Kottiyoor - Boys Town) : 54 kms - 2 hr 10 minutes (with a 35 minutes lunch break near Mananthavady): Some very bad stretches between Peravoor and Kottiyoor (around Kelakam) otherwise average road. Very steep ghat section at Palchuram, pretty scenic drive.

Mananthavadi - Kalpetta : 30 kms - 40 minutes : Excellent road most of the way except some for rough roads right at the beginning near Mananthavadi.

13th Morning : Kalpetta to Bangalore via Batheri, Gundlupet, Chamarajnagar, Kollegal, Kanakapura : 5.5 hours including a 15 minute traffic jam at Muthanga RTO checkpost and a 45 minute break for breakfast at Gundlupet (Went to CCD initially, they had nothing except sandwiches - it seems they start serving hot breakfast only at 9 AM ??? - so went back to Udupi Upachar and that was very crowded as well). Road conditions have become quite bad between Kalpetta and Meenangadi. The road has a few more potholes than when I travelled last (a month back), But other than some 5 kms on either side of Kollegal and the odd unexpected bad stretches here and there, generally a smooth drive.

[HappyWheels]

Originally Posted by RajeshK

...Also, any one knows the condition about the road from Madikeri to Virajpet. If this is in good condition, I prefer taking this extra distance to avoid Gonikkuppa / Siddapura...

In ruins; it is best avoided.

[RajeshK]

@Ajitkumarlb, any update on the road condition? I am planing to drive to Payyanur on this Saturday and mostly I will be taking the Hunsur - Kushalanagar - Siddapura - Virapet road. I know that this will be longer, but looks like options are less.

Thanks
Rajesh

[kala]

Originally Posted by RajeshK

@Ajitkumarlb, any update on the road condition? I am planing to drive to Payyanur on this Saturday and mostly I will be taking the Hunsur - Kushalanagar - Siddapura - Virapet road. I know that this will be longer, but looks like options are less.

May be you could try out the route via Bhagamandala-Panathur-Kanhangad while going and the above while returning. As I mentioned in an earlier message, the Bhagamandala-Panathur stretch is a lovely drive in monsoon. I think it would be about 20 kms longer than the above route (Google maps says it is 387 kms instead of 369 for your proposed route). But not very advisable at night since it is rather lonely, you hardly come across anyone else in the 30 kms.

[RajeshK]

Originally Posted by kala

May be you could try out the route via Bhagamandala-Panathur-Kanhangad while going and the above while returning. As I mentioned in an earlier message, the Bhagamandala-Panathur stretch is a lovely drive in monsoon. I think it would be about 20 kms longer than the above route (Google maps says it is 387 kms instead of 369 for your proposed route). But not very advisable at night since it is rather lonely, you hardly come across anyone else in the 30 kms.

Kala, thank you. I have taken this road many times even in odd hours. You can see my posts few pages back in this thread. This route is 46km more than the regular route for me and I will get 2 railway gates in between as bonus..!

If the Kushalnagar - Siddapura - Virajpet route is good, I want to try out this route, other wise I will sacrifice with regular hunsur - Gonikkuppa route.
If I take the Kushalanagar route, I think I can spend some time at Dubare Elephant camp. (Planning to start 10:30am from Bangalore)

Thanks
Rajesh

[kala]

Originally Posted by RajeshK

Kala, thank you. I have taken this road many times even in odd hours. You can see my posts few pages back in this thread. This route is 46km more than the regular route for me and I will get 2 railway gates in between as bonus..!

If the Kushalnagar - Siddapura - Virajpet route is good, I want to try out this route, other wise I will sacrifice with regular hunsur - Gonikkuppa route.
If I take the Kushalanagar route, I think I can spend some time at Dubare Elephant camp. (Planning to start 10:30am from Bangalore)

Ah mea culpa !! Just remembered that you were the one who recommended this route to me a month ago. Thanks, I really enjoyed the drive through that wonderful stretch of wilderness..

And the level crossings - you're referring to the ones on NH-17, right ? I did pass through them on my way back, but hardly noticed them because they were open during the time I crossed.

Have a nice trip, and hope the Kushalnagar-Sidhapura-Virajpet road is in reasonable shape. I too have a trip to Cochin this weekend and am keeping my fingers crossed about the Palghat-Trichur stretch..

[ajitkumarlb]

Came back on Tuesday, sorry for the delayed update.

Onward journey: BANGALORE-SRIRANGAPATNA-ELIVALA-HUNSUR-PERIYAPATNA-KUSHALNAGAR-SIDDAPUR-VIRAJPET-IRITTY-MATTANUR-EDAYANNUR-CHALODE-KOODALI-MATHUKKOTH-KANNUR

BANGALORE-SRIRANGAPATNA: was the worst experience on the Saturday morning, there was so much traffic, it felt like I was driving inside Bangalore during peak hour traffic. I was totally tired and had lost lot of time, added to that was SRIRANGAPATNA-ELIVALA was not all that good and was totally vary about the road between PERIYAPATNA-SIDDAPUR, so as I was entering the Siddapur road, I stopped an oncoming car and asked the driver for the condition of the road and he said its was in very bad condition and asked me to go via Kushalnagar and that worked out really well, the road is in quite good condition (can change with rains).

Return journey: KANNUR-MATTANUR-IRITTY-GONIKOPPA-HUNSUR-MYSORE-BANGALORE

Yes you are reading it right, I was crazy enough to take the Gonikoppa route after all the reading, why I took that I am yet wondering . There are about 10 craters along the route which are big enough to be seen from the moon, rest of the road is not good but managable with a few small stretches that are ok/good, but the scenery is great that makes up for it. The trick with these craters is to completely bring the car to a halt and then go through them... I did hit the bottom of the car once, my mistake did not use the above trick

Onward I had taken SRIRANGAPATNA-ELIVALA and I did not find the road good, on the return journey took the Mysore ORR and I certainly prefer the ORR, yes there are diversions due to road expansion, and a lot of them, but atleast there are roads with out potholes...

KANNUR-MATTANUR: road is very good to drive.

MATTANUR-IRITTY: most (80-90%) of this stretch in very bad condition due to rains, tired me out completely both onward and return journey.

IRITTY-entrance to Gonikoppa road (Karnataka side check post): road is great to drive through the ghats.

So as it was on Tuesday 16th Aug 11, this is my recomendation, I am sure with rains, the road condition would be changing daily:
BANGALORE-MYSORE ORR-HUNSUR-PERIYAPATNA-KUSHALNAGAR-SIDDAPUR-VIRAJPET-IRITTY-MATTANUR-EDAYANNUR-CHALODE-KOODALI-MATHUKKOTH-KANNUR

If you want some adventure then try Gonikoppa

PS: Have captured GPS coordinates for the onward journey, will post it once I get the time to process the info...

[RajeshK]

Ajitkumar, you hv saved my day. I am just starting my trip. Will take Kushalanagar - Siddapura route

Thanks s lot
Rajesh

[RajeshK]

All..

I am at Payyanur today. Yesterday while coming I took the Kushalanagar - Siddapura -Virajpet route. Though this is around 30-35kms long but worth taking it. Roads are ok but not great. THere are many bad patched in this route also. But the scenic surroundings will make you forget all.

I had travelled through Makkutta countless times, but yesterday the drive was really scarry. It was heavy rain + dense fog and the visibility was close 0%. Since I didn't have fog lamp, stopped at the side and when a lorry came just trailed to come down the hill.

Thanks
Rajesh

[ajitkumarlb]

I am Glad I could be of help to you Rajesh!


Makutta road is truely amazing to drive on especially in fog...

Onward I was too tired and just wanted to reach the hotel, but on the way back could slow down bit to look around and took some pics:



Pic of the lake taken during the onward journey












Same Late on return journey!!!

Same Late on return journey!!!

[ajitkumarlb]

Ok managed to get the GPS coordinates for the onward journey uploaded to the site, it can be seen here (this is the route via Kushalnagar):

Bangalore - Kannur | Author Ajitbhimesh | free Mobile GPS Tracking Service

We stayed at a place called Asokam Beach Resort (Asokam Beach Resort Hotel Packages AC Room Cottage Ayurveda Ayurvedic Kannur Kerala India) very good place and service and its gate is just may be 20 ft away from the sea (not beach the sea itself!!!)

[RajeshK]

Ajitkumar, I am back to Bangalore. Both ways I took the Kushalanagar - Siddapura - Virajpet route. Thanks a lot for suggesting this route..

Thanks
Rajesh

[Latheesh]

Thanks Ajit and Rajesh, I am driving to Kannur on Tue/Wed and will take Kushal Nagar route as per your suggestion.