[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by AltoHoncho

Thanks guys, Ampere/Arun, if I could get your contact numbers just in case required.
For the hotel, I had done the booking from makemytrip so as of now I'll go by that, lets see if any changes to this come up on the day. Its just a night-hold that I need, and then morning I would be moving to kumarakom. Any suggestions on that would be welcoming. Thanks again.

Originally Posted by Arun.K

Avoid Palakkad-Alathur-Vadakkenchery-Thrissur, it's just only pot-holes in most part of this stretch. Instead take Palakkad-Kulapully-Shoranur-Wadakkanchery-Thrissur.

That is if you are lucky to escape Walayar CP unscathed,esp with Onam round the corner,huge jams are a regular occurence at the CP.A good alternative which I usually take is CBE-Pollachi-Vandithavalam-Koduvayur-Alathur-Pazhyannur-Wadakancheri-Thrissur-Kochi.The bonus of taking this route is that you can pick up the famous SNR Banana chips from Alathur bus stand(the chips are heavenly!)

https://maps.google.co.in/maps?saddr...t=m&z=12&via=1

[ramzsys]

Last week took a round trip from Bangalore to Coimbatore through NH 209; the road is at it's best- rough patches are all tarred and it is one smooth ride except for the bridge section before Malavalli.

It took 6 hours from Nice road entry at Hosur road to Peelamedu, my top speed just 80 kmph without any hard acceleration/braking.

With 6 lane work between Hosur and Krishnagiri as well as the Avanashi road work, i find no reason to take NH7-NH47.

[kala]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

Last week took a round trip from Bangalore to Coimbatore through NH 209; the road is at it's best- rough patches are all tarred and it is one smooth ride except for the bridge section before Malavalli.

It took 6 hours from Nice road entry at Hosur road to Peelamedu, my top speed just 80 kmph without any hard acceleration/braking.

With 6 lane work between Hosur and Krishnagiri as well as the Avanashi road work, i find no reason to take NH7-NH47.

+1. The rough roads before Kollegal are all patched up now, so except for the narrow sections through 3-4 villages between Kollegal and Chamarajanagar, everything is smooth as of now.

And by the way, I prefer the current rough patch on either side of that bridge (the one just before Malavalli) to the terrible speedbreakers that existed there earlier

[ramzsys]

There is a massive 9 hour road block at Dhimbam due to a truck breakdown at one of the hairpin bends.

[RSUDARSANAN]

For a change, I took NH 209 to Coimbatore. Left UB city at 9 am and reached Park Plaza Coimbatore at 3.30 pm after 20 minute break for a packed lunch stop by the roadside a little after Chamarajanagar. A mini traffic jam on the Dimbam ghats caused a delay of about half an hour (lucky not to be caught in a 9 hour one !!!). The twisty road till you descend the Dimbum ghat is a natural speed limiter. The regulars, mainly the local LCVs, on the Dimbum ghat are pretty rash when they ascend the U turns and one must give them wide berth at these corners. These U turns are a real challenge to HGVs and they appear to be the root cause for the delays, traffic backs up both ways and you have smart alecs jumping the lane and adding to the chaos. Personally I would stick to the GQC route to Coimbatore, unless one wants to save on tolls and/or opts for a leisurely scenic drive.

[ramzsys]

Am planning a round trip from Bangalore to Coimbatore through the NH209 and i am going alone.

Anyone want to hop-in? Starting tonight by 11 and starting back from there by sunday evening.

[GenuineOptimist]

Originally Posted by RSUDARSANAN

For a change, I took NH 209 to Coimbatore. . Personally I would stick to the GQC route to Coimbatore, unless one wants to save on tolls and/or opts for a leisurely scenic drive.

After hearing good comments below about NH 209, I'm tempted to take it for my tomorrow travel from CBE to BLR (family with a 2 yr old kid). But the unpredictability of the Dimbam ghats scare me.

Is there a more latest update from anyone on NH209?

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by GenuineOptimist

After hearing good comments below about NH 209, I'm tempted to take it for my tomorrow travel from CBE to BLR (family with a 2 yr old kid). But the unpredictability of the Dimbam ghats scare me.

Is there a more latest update from anyone on NH209?

NH209 should be the best anyday. Krishnagiri-Hosur drive is painful at present state. Savings on toll would be another bonus.

[luvurride]

But the only deterrent on this otherwise fantastic drive is the unexpected hold ups on the ghats if some poor trucker goes off wheels.

Once when I did this route earlier this year, traffic was held for 4 hours due to an overturned truck in the afternoon, while I got barely lucky by driving through late evening.

It becomes extremely difficult in such situations if you have kids on board.

Touch wood, if there are no such unfavorable incidents, this is the best drive any day.

[ramzsys]

NH209

And elephants too. Almost in all my drives i have spotted them, and one or two times they were blocking half the road. Somehow i just drove through.

It cannot be the same all the time. So better to drive at daytime, when 'they' can be spotted at a distance.

[kala]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

NH209

And elephants too. Almost in all my drives i have spotted them, and one or two times they were blocking half the road. Somehow i just drove through.

It cannot be the same all the time. So better to drive at daytime, when 'they' can be spotted at a distance.

Interesting.. I must have travelled through the Dimbum ghats stretch at least a dozen times in the past 4/5 years - (with about half of them being in late evenings - I almost always time my return journey so as to reach Bangalore between 9 PM and midnight) but have never encountered any wildlife - with the exception of a single Gaur that I spotted at the side of the road at night on one of the return trips.

On the other hand I do spot at least one elephant almost every time that I pass through the Bandipur, Mudumalai or Nagarahole sanctuaries - so my conclusion so far had been that the wild life density in the Dimbam area was quite low - but that doesn't seem to be true based on your experience !!

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by kala

based on your experience !!

Yeah. I drive with windows down and i am able to spot them when i hear the sound of bamboo breaking.

This is mostly at 6-8 pm, and the maximum spotting has been from the point after the bridge (the road takes a curved L bend here) to KA checkpost. All the times it is a herd, and thankfully, not a single elephant. The most dramatic one was when i was driving in low beam and found one elephant there on the road at about 100 metre! I panic braked, and my companion who is very familiar with this route asked me to just drive through.

[ramzsys]

Road block at Bannari-Thimbam section at the 5th or 6th hairpin bend as a truck broke down at the bend.

Several hours of delays reported.

Source: Sun news.

[Fauji]

Came back from Rameshwaram trip over the weekend.

There is a big depression on Bangalore - Salem road which can not be noticed. This is immediately after you see milestone which gives Salem as 35 KMs away. This is not a pot hole but level difference which is not noticeable. Since the stretch is so good and tend to drive fast, this will really surprise you. Be careful when you see milestone which says Salem is 35 KMs away.

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

Road block at Bannari-Thimbam section at the 5th or 6th hairpin bend as a truck broke down at the bend.

Several hours of delays reported.

Source: Sun news.

Got stuck in that block for above an hour. Luckily police was able to clear traffic uphill and I was able to escape from block. There was long queue of vehicles down hill. Not sure how long it took for clearing that. Guess this is now a weekly matter.