[mohansinha]

Hi Sanjay,

I just got back from the South of India on May 24.
Option 2: The roads are fine up to Coimbatore. From Coimbatore to Palghat is TERRIBLE. And I am stressing on the word. From Palghat to Thrissur it is motorable, but there are stretches where reparis are going on. Thrissur to Guruvayoor is again motorable, but then it is just a an hour's drive, so it's not too much trouble.

Originally Posted by sanjaykk

I'm planning to travel down to Thrissur (actually Guruvayoor) in my M800 sometime next week.
Any inputs on what is the best route to take? How much would be the distance and driving time?

Option 1. Bangalore – Mysore – Bandipur – Gudalur – Nilambur – Perinthalmanna - Shoranur – Thrissur

Option 2. Bangalore - Hosur - Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri - Thoppur - Mettur - Bhavani - Coimbatore - Palghat - Palghat- Thrissur

Have travelled B'lore > Salem almost a year back. B'lore > Mysore > Bandipur is familiar route!

Been reading about work going on in the Krishnagiri > Dharmapuri section.
How bad is it for a nervous driver?

Had put the same query in another thread. But I thot this is a better place to raise this query.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route...tml#post842540 (Bangalore - Cochin in my Ikon)

[sanjaykk]

Thanks, Pal.

Planning to take a train this time. Would love to drive this route sometime.

[unni.ak]

Planning to do B'lore- Salem - Coimbatore - Palghat - Cochin - Alleppey on 8th June, early morn. Any updates on road conditions? Has the Coimbatore - Palghat - Angamaly stretch improved or is it still "BAD".

[kb100]

Originally Posted by unni.ak

Planning to do B'lore- Salem - Coimbatore - Palghat - Cochin - Alleppey on 8th June, early morn. Any updates on road conditions? Has the Coimbatore - Palghat - Angamaly stretch improved or is it still "BAD".

Its good!

I just did the Cochin - Pgt - Cbe on the 28th of May. The TN side of the roads post CBE till Walayar used to be full of dangerous potholes. The entire stretch has been freshly laid. Walayar check post is the usual. Post that the roads are okay all the way till Trichur. Thereafter lots of four laning work going on, but the roads are definitely motorable. Traffic on the Tcr - Cok stretch is heavy though - third gear mostly - rarely fifth!

[unni.ak]

Originally Posted by kb100

Its good!

I just did the Cochin - Pgt - Cbe on the 28th of May. The TN side of the roads post CBE till Walayar used to be full of dangerous potholes. The entire stretch has been freshly laid. Walayar check post is the usual. Post that the roads are okay all the way till Trichur. Thereafter lots of four laning work going on, but the roads are definitely motorable. Traffic on the Tcr - Cok stretch is heavy though - third gear mostly - rarely fifth!

Thanks for the update. Infact, i did prepone the trip and started off two hours after posting the query!!! The roads have definitely imporved. The Walayar-Palghat road which was really patchy has been done up. Traffic though played tricks and the drive was pretty slow from Walayar to Cochin. :-(

[Jaggu]

Bangalore to Hosur: Diversions and lot of uneven patches thanks to road widening, flyover and elevated freeway construction.

Hosur to Krishnagiri: Good roads, the infamous ridges on the culverts have been patched up.

Krishnagiri to Dharmapuri: Onwards is ok but with diversions, so keep an eye out. Return has some bad patches since its technically the old road without repairs.

Dharmapuri to Bhavani (Via thoppur > mettur): Roads are good, bad patches have been relaid so in excellent form, old good roads have deteriorated a lil bit.

Bhavani to CBE: Again diversions and one need to be careful, road conditions have improved alot though.

CBE to Walayar: Brilliant roads.

Wallayar to Palghat: First half is really bumpy, patchy and sometimes potholes ridden.

Palghat to Trichur: Again first half is bumpy thanks to bad patching up, then the freshly laid roads starts and is good.

Trichur to Angamaly: 4 laning on but completed parts are breeze to drive and is a big relief since the width of the road even if its 2 lane is a boon, much wider than earlier, some dangerous curves also has been dealt with.

Some info on state highways, actually they have been made NH : Trichur to Kodangalur, excellent road surface, but narrow and winding as ever.

Paravoor to Alwaye: Road is bumpy but manageable, again narrow and winding in the first half.

Thats the update from sat and sunday 7-8 June, 2008.

[mohansinha]

The Palakkad-Thrissur wasn't that bad when I did it in May. I remember we reached Palakkad after visiting Mallamphuza around 1.00 pm and were home (Thrissur) before 2.30. The traffic and at some places repair work slowed us down. I guess the rains have messed it up.
regards

[ramkya1]

Hai TBHPers,

A quick update on a trip I had to do urgently.

Had to reach Nemarah / Palakkad for some personal work on a 4 day leave.

Reached Coimbatore Airport on 17th morning, my friends Alto with his driver from Palakkad picked me up.

Road from CBE till Walayar, TN is very good, from there till Palakkad and on the BP the road is bumpy, lots of potholes. From there thro. Koduvayur till Nemarah road is so so, bumpy.

Released the driver and drove from Nemarah on 19th, from NH 47, Vadakkancherry till Trichur BP end is very good, from there till Angamaly 4 track bad, lots of switch bakcs due to road widening. From Angamaly on, as usual, lots of traffic.

There was an exciting Mini-meet of TBHP on 19th night, went on for a long time into 20th morning!!!!!!!

No pictures, this is just to give an update into road conditions. My trip log is attached herewith. Got back to base this morning.

Happy Driving,

--Ramky
============

[Prithvi]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Latest updates anyone one 1 and 2? Have not tried 1 in a long time and thinking of exploring it, might have trip June 2nd week.

Guys took option 1 but too much of traffic. Road is nice but bumpy. Coming Gundlpet-gudalur horrible full of 1-2 foot potholes.

[Steeroid]

Anyone travelling to Kerala from Bangalore is adviced to take the Kozhikode route. The roads are excellent (except for ridiculously high, unmarked speedbreakers in Karnataka) and are ANY day better than the usual Hosur-K'giri - D'puri - Mettur - Bhavani - CBE route which is in tatters.

I've done both routes over the last 10 days, I'd recommend you take the Calicut route, traffic notwithstanding.

[pypkmsrikanth]

Actually one can take the Blore - Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri - Mettur - Andhiyur - Atthani - Sathyamangalam - Coimbatore and then onwards to Kerala, the roads are excellent all the way upto Coimbatore, and not much of traffic either.

Cheers

[pramod]

I took the following route and is very decent.
Hosur - Krishnagiri - Salem - Dharmapuri - Perundhorai - Udumalpet - Munnar

And, to North Kerala,

Mysore - Gundlupet - Kalpetta - Calicut is very nice and scenic.

[RajeshK]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Anyone travelling to Kerala from Bangalore is adviced to take the Kozhikode route. The roads are excellent (except for ridiculously high, unmarked speedbreakers in Karnataka) and are ANY day better than the usual Hosur-K'giri - D'puri - Mettur - Bhavani - CBE route which is in tatters..

@Steer, I hv travelled thru this route on 27th July'08. The Muthanga forest border to Gudalpet section (While coming from kerala just outside of the Karnataka forest check post till another 4kms towards Gundalpet) which was recently laid is going back their previous condition after the recent rains..!!

Who ever travelling in cars thru this road in late evenings or nights, try to accompany a bigger vehicle like lorry, bus or some thing. I had a bad experience of one Elephant running at me. I was lucky to speed up and escape.

I can post the latest update on this road condition after 11th of August'08. I am travelling on 6th and 11th through this road.

Thanks
Rajesh

[pypkmsrikanth]

Originally Posted by RajeshK

Who ever travelling in cars thru this road in late evenings or nights, try to accompany a bigger vehicle like lorry, bus or some thing. I had a bad experience of one Elephant running at me. I was lucky to speed up and escape.

Thanks
Rajesh

Hi I have travelled in the Bandipur, Mudumalai, Nagarhole and the Bathery route as well, never have I had a problem with elephants even though I have encountered almost all of them including a Makhana in Musth.


If you are careful and accept that they have the right of way and stay patient at a distance very rarely they charge, I have had a mock charge as well in the safari vehicle I was travelling, that was by an elephant which had a very young calf with it. Acts like Honking, flashing lights etc. irritate them. Its better to allow them to cross the road and continue on their path rather than try passing around them etc. in order to save a few minutes.

I would say tagging along with a lorry is more dangerous because a lot of these guys give scant regard to animals while they cross the forests, this includes acts like revving the engine little more than normal so that they sound louder.

Cheers.

[skydiver]

Hey Pramod, when did u travel on this route andhow much time it took you to reach munnar from bangalore...
I am planninig to take this route duirng Aug 15 long weekend...

Please let me know...

thanks