[armumbai]

Hi guys, not sure if this is the correct thread for my search for assistance. Mods request your kind help in redirecting the posts to a more relevant thread so as to get replies, those that could be helpful.

In the last week of December I plan to drive from Mumbai to Wyanad and back. I’ll be stopping at my place in Pune and picking up our friend in Porvorim, Goa. After staying at her place for two nights we 3 will head out on the drive towards Wyanad with a night halt planned for Mangalore enroute

My post and questions are concerning the drive from Mangalore to Wayanad and on the return via Madikeri for a night towards Siolim Goa
Which is the best route to take from Mangalore towards Wayanad in terms of Road conditions, traffic, ghat difficulty
Similarly the best route from Wyanad to Madikeri and then Madikeri to Siolim, Goa. I need to be present in Siolim for a book launch party for a book on Goa written by my Sister-in-law. So what is the ideal time to drive out from Madikeri to reach North Goa by 730/8pm at the latest. At both Wayanad and Madikeri I’ll be staying at the Club Mahindra resorts there. Any tips on those would be welcome too

Looking forward to inspiration from my friends on this group. Thanks all in advance

[madhukarmohan]

Originally Posted by armumbai

Which is the best route to take from Mangalore towards Wayanad in terms of Road conditions, traffic, ghat difficulty

You can take Mangaluru-Sullia-Madikeri-Gonikoppal-Kutta-Wayanad route. The roads along this route are wide and maintained well at most places. This is one of the easiest ghat section to drive. Avoid other route (Mangaluru-Kasaragod-Kannur-Wayanad) due to NH66 expressway construction.

Originally Posted by armumbai

Similarly the best route from Wyanad to Madikeri and then Madikeri to Siolim, Goa.

You can come back in the same route (Wayanad-Kutta-Gonikoppal-Madikeri) to Madikeri.

Originally Posted by armumbai

what is the ideal time to drive out from Madikeri to reach North Goa by 730/8pm at the latest.

Madikeri to Goa is roughly 10-11 hours drive via Mangaluru-Udupi-Kundapur-Karwar. So plan accordingly. Wish you a happy and safe trip.

[armumbai]

Originally Posted by madhukarmohan

You can take Mangaluru-Sullia-Madikeri-Gonikoppal-Kutta-Wayanad route. The roads along this route are wide and maintained well at most places. This is one of the easiest ghat section to drive. Avoid other route (Mangaluru-Kasaragod-Kannur-Wayanad) due to NH66 expressway construction.

I am first going from Mangaluru to Wayanad. Is going through Madikeri unavoidable if one doesn’t want to use the Kasargod alternative that you have asked to avoid Is there no other more direct route. I see one on Google maps. Is that one best avoided too?


You can come back in the same route (Wayanad-Kutta-Gonikoppal-Madikeri) to Madikeri.

Great.

Madikeri to Goa is roughly 10-11 hours drive via Mangaluru-Udupi-Kundapur-Karwar. So plan accordingly. Wish you a happy and safe trip.

I’ve seen it shown as 9 hours on the maps. Great to have an on-ground experienced input on this. Thanks so much

[armumbai]

[quote=madhukarmohan;5670948]You can take Mangaluru-Sullia-Madikeri-Gonikoppal-Kutta-Wayanad route. The roads along this route are wide and maintained well at most places. This is one of the easiest ghat section to drive. Avoid other route (Mangaluru-Kasaragod-Kannur-Wayanad) due to NH66 expressway construction.

Thank you for that. It’s a worthy and helpful input. The Madikeri route is showing as a 6.5 hour drive on Google maps. How long should I expect it to be in reality

[sumukha]

Mangalore -Puttur -Suliya- Madikeri-Virajpet -Kutta and enter Kerala through Tolpatti, kerala border check post.You are now WAYANAD District.The Road from Mangalore till Mani is under construction and you may not enjoy the drive.. From Mani till virajpet the roads are good with ghat with good road arround 30 Kms till Madikeri, and virajpet till kutta you need to be carefull as the road is narrow and not maintaintained. Once you enter Kerala, the roads are excellent. Yo will enjoy the drive through forest.

From tolpatti, it all depends upon your destinations and places you want to visit in Wayanad. It is advisable to draw your itinerary in advance to avoid circling arround in wayanad.

I am a resident of Wayanad, having estates in Madikeri and Native of Mangalore. I do this route regularly. Fill your gas tank fully before entering Kerala, otherwise you will be paying INR 8/- per ltr extra in Kerala. You have a decent BUNK in Kutta which is hardly 3 Kms from kerala border checkpost.Do not carry liquor
From Wayand you can enter Karnataka via Sulthan Batherry towards Mysore. Excellent road again through Bandipur Forest but with 33 road humps.

Have a safe and pleasant trip.

[armumbai]

Thank you Sumukha. Those are great tips you have given, especially the one about carrying liquor ��. What does one do to get liquor in Kerala. I’ll be staying at the Club Mahindra Wayanad property. Wonder if they carry stock.
In anycase how long do you estimate the drive from Mangalore to take. Also I see that there are two petrol bunks at Kutta, which one in your opinion the more reliable one
Thanks again. If you’d like to meet I’m there from 1st - 3rd at the CM property at Vythiri and can share my mobile number in a PM

[sumukha]

Originally Posted by armumbai

Thank you Sumukha. Those are great tips you have given, especially the one about carrying liquor ��. What does one do to get liquor in Kerala. I’ll be staying at the Club Mahindra Wayanad property. Wonder if they carry stock.
In anycase how long do you estimate the drive from Mangalore to take. Also I see that there are two petrol bunks at Kutta, which one in your opinion the more reliable one
Thanks again. If you’d like to meet I’m there from 1st - 3rd at the CM property at Vythiri and can share my mobile number in a PM

Liquor is sold only in star hotels in Kerala. Mahindra in Vaithri probably (Hopefully ) has a permit to sell Liquor.

From Mangalore to Madikeri it is 4.30 hrs and Madikeri to Vaithri it would be arround 4 hrs because of narrow roads and traffic. Be careful while driving once you enter Kerala as local Bus drivers go very fast and car owenrs go very leisurely

As to filling the gas, the one you get first before entering Kutta town while driving from Madikery is relatively new and good. The last opprtunity to fill is the bunk which is next to Kutta Police check post.

I would have loved to meet you and host you, but sadly I am traveling and in Bangalore preparing for my driving escapade to Indore. We will surely catch up next time. You need not book Mahindra. My home is perhaps is as good and even better, because it is my Home

[binand]

Originally Posted by sumukha

Do not carry liquor.

Originally Posted by armumbai

Those are great tips you have given, especially the one about carrying liquor. What does one do to get liquor in Kerala.

Up to the limits specified here: https://keralaexcise.gov.in/en/information/ on a per adult traveller basis (do not count under-18s when calculating!) is OK, as far as I know. Make sure you purchase it from a legal retail outlet and retain the tax invoice.

Otherwise - you have to search for KSBC outlets (often marked as Bevco in Google Maps). Be aware there are too few of them, most cater to the "budget tippler" and can be extremely crowded with waiting time running into hours.

[armumbai]

Originally Posted by binand

Up to the limits specified here: https://keralaexcise.gov.in/en/information/ on a per adult traveller basis (do not count under-18s when calculating!) is OK, as far as I know. Make sure you purchase it from a legal retail outlet and retain the tax invoice.

Thank you very much this is very helpful link albeit the GR note is from 2012 and Kerala prohibition was enforced much later. Hopefully the money extracting machines at check points still honour and adhere to it. Its not such a huge issue because none of us 3 are married to the bottle that a 3 day sabbatical is going see us cold turkey on the resort floor 😄

[armumbai]

Originally Posted by sumukha

I would have loved to meet you and host you, but sadly I am traveling and in Bangalore preparing for my driving escapade to Indore. We will surely catch up next time. You need not book Mahindra. My home is perhaps is as good and even better, because it is my Home

Thank you so much Sumukha, that is such a gracious and heart warming invitation. It’s my loss that I will not have the chance to meet up but surely just as this is my first visit to these parts it most certainly will not be my last. I look forward to meeting you sometime soon
Also thank you for the driving tips especially from the time we enter Kerala. Once last detail, in your opinion where should we halt for our lunch. Should we do that in Madikere, I expect to be there between 1130-12 noon or is there a not to miss place further on the route. Thank you for your patience

[binand]

Originally Posted by armumbai

Thank you very much this is very helpful link albeit the GR note is from 2012 and Kerala prohibition was enforced much later.

Kerala has no prohibition except in one taluk in Palakkad district. Even the "prohibition was enforced" that you speak of was a 10-year plan to reach eventual prohibition but the government that mooted it was voted out of power in the 2nd year itself and the policy was reversed soon after.

[sumukha]

Originally Posted by armumbai

Thank you so much Sumukha, that is such a gracious and heart warming invitation. It’s my loss that I will not have the chance to meet up but surely just as this is my first visit to these parts it most certainly will not be my last. I look forward to meeting you sometime soon
Also thank you for the driving tips especially from the time we enter Kerala. Once last detail, in your opinion where should we halt for our lunch. Should we do that in Madikeri, I expect to be there between 1130-12 noon or is there a not to miss place further on the route. Thank you for your patience

If you are a Vegetarian, Madikeri is the best place and Murnad town on the way to Virajpet is perhaps the last place.
After that you will not get Vegetarian food. But on the contrary if you are a Non-Vegetarian, you have an excellent hotel in Madikeri in tole gate circle, and absolutely No worries in Keral for Non-Veg.