[ampere]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Infact, from Cochin, you can come to Vyttila - Vaikom - Kaduthuruty [Take a left into a small road after the bridge; Kaduthuruthy police station is in this road] - Kozha [Take a right here after the junction to Pala] - Pala - Ponkunnam which has EXCELLENT roads till PALA and good roads from there. I believe the total distance is 120 kms or so!

Originally Posted by coolclouds

Regarding Ernakulam - Pala, the shortest and less traffic route would be:
Ernakulam-Nadakkavu-Piravom-Namakuzhi-Elanji-Monippally-Uzhavoor-Palai. More than 90% of the road was in good condition and the distance should be 60 kms for Vyttila-Pala.

So which is a better option here?
Coming all the way till Vaikom or diverting in between?

Originally Posted by vasoo

Its the time of the year gain to start planing trips to Kerala. How are the road conditions on Mysore > Bandipur > Nilambur > Perinthalmanna route?

What is the destination? If its Perinthalmanna, then you can also try the Nilambur-Melatoor route.
If its further down south, you should look at Nilamabur-Edavanna-Malappuram-Kotakkal option also.

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by ampere

So which is a better option here?
Coming all the way till Vaikom or diverting in between?

1. Vyttila - Vaikom - Kuravilangad - Pala - 72 kms approx
2. Vyttila - Thalayolaparambu - Kuravilangad - Pala - 62 kms approx (Overall best)
3. Vyttila - Piravom - Monippally - Pala - 60 kms

First two options do have wider roads but more traffic at peak hours.
3rd option will have narrow road after Piravom and will be more confusing. Several Ernakulam-Pala KSRTC and Private LSFP buses take this route.

[vasoo]

Originally Posted by ampere

...

What is the destination? If its Perinthalmanna, then you can also try the Nilambur-Melatoor route.
If its further down south, you should look at Nilamabur-Edavanna-Malappuram-Kotakkal option also.

I am going to Mannarkad. I know the routes well, concerned about the road conditions as last time when I went through that route it was in pathetic stage after Nilambur, and the railway crossing at Melatoor was closed for works. It took me about 9 hrs to cover 350 kms from Bangalore.

[aalokd]

I was hoping to get some recommendations for the best routes (in terms of current road conditions, traffic congestion, ease and speed of driving, decent restaurants along the way, etc.) for our drives starting next week from:

• Trivandrum to Kanyakumari
• Kanyakumari to Kollam
• Kollam to Thekkady
• Thekkady to Munnar
• Munnar to Wayanad - if this drive is longer than 7-8 hours of driving, what's a good overnight stopover? Thrissur? Or?
• Wayanad to Tumkur

We don't mind paying tolls or spending an extra hour or so on the road if it's a significantly better drive. In general, we prefer NH unless there's a very good SH alternative.

We have a 2010 i10 Asta AT with ~6000 km on it, if that's of any consequence. Also, we don't know (speak or read) either Malayalam or Tamil or Kannada (signboards, asking for directions, etc.).

How much time should we allow for each of these drives at a leisurely fast pace? I think we'll realistically start around 8 am every day and for the longer drives, we'd like to take 2-3 stops (coffee/tea and lunch) along the way and would like to reach our destination positively before sunset.

And while you're at it, suggestions for great budget places (~Rs. 2000/- a night or thereabouts) to stay for 2 nights each in Kollam, Thekkady, Munnar, Thrissur (maybe?), Wayanad and Tumkur welcome.

By way of background, my wife and I completed a wonderful, leisurely drive a couple of months back from Delhi to Trivandrum with plenty of stops along the way and are now planning our way back to Delhi, giving ourselves ~14 days of actual driving time spread over 4 weeks for the entire trip (so on average 2 nights for every stop). (I realize a lot of you will probably find it crazy slow to take this long to cover the distance, but it's a good time for us to do this, so we're doing it, because we can!)

On our way here, we did Delhi - Alwar - Pushkar - Chittorgarh - Udaipur - Nadiad - Vapi - Mumbai - Pune - Belgaum - Canacona - Mangalore - Kappad - Fort Kochi - Trivandrum. On our way back, we'd like to take either a different route or stop by at different places (not the same ones that we stopped at on the way here). So any suggestions on this would be welcome too.

I've extensively (for ~2-3 hours) searched the forum for the current information on the specific routing options, in all sincerity - so if any of this is a repeat, I'd appreciate it if you could simply point me to the post that I've missed.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[ampere]

Originally Posted by aalokd

Trivandrum to Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari to Kollam
Kollam to Thekkady
Thekkady to Munnar
Munnar to Wayanad - if this drive is longer than 7-8 hours of driving, what's a good overnight stopover? Thrissur? Or?
Wayanad to Tumkur

Trivandrum-KK: Is only route which is via Nagercoil. (NH47). Its crowded and hence you need to time it right.

KK-Kollam - I think you come back via TVM only. (Others can confirm)
Kollam-Thekaddy : Via Thiruvalla-Changanassery BP-Kanjirapally-Kumily-Thekkady.
Thekkady-Munnar: Std route via Poppara/Devikulam

Munnar-Waynad : Adimali-Kothamangalam-Chalakudy-Trichur-Kecheri-Kottakal-Malapuram-Nilambur-Meppadi-Waynad.
(Or from Malapuram you can take the Kunnamangalam option as well) But this route would have less traffic on the Nilmabur section.

Waynad-Tumkur. : Standard route via Mysore.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by aalokd

[*]Trivandrum to Kanyakumari

NH47, Trivandrum-Balaramapuram-Neyyatinkara-Thuckalay-Nagercoil-Suchindram-Nagercoil, 85 kms

Very congested corridor, best taken early morning (leave TVM at 5 or 6 am) or late night (after 9 pm).
Need to go through Nagercoil town, very poor signage, but keep asking for Knayakumari and you will get guidance. Having said this, it is more or less a straight road through the narrow roads of the town and you will see small signboards mentioning KK.
Options to stop en route are Padanabhapuram Palace (off Thuckalay) & Suchindram Temple. How much time? All depends on time of the day! I have done in 75 minutes as well as 180 minutes!

[*]Kanyakumari to Kollam

Kanyakumari-Nagercoil-Neyyatinkara-Balaramapuram (turn off NH47 for TVM Bypass)-Kovalam-Trivandrum city bypassed-Techno Park-Kazhakuttam (end of bypass)-Attingal-Kollam
Distance is 150 kms.
At the very narrow Balaramapuram junction, take a left turn (I don't think there is any signage) towards Kovalam - this is the so-called Trivandrum bypass. THis will avoid going through the city. Once on the bypass, it is a straight road all the way to the other end of the bypass past the Techno Park. Road from TVM to KOllam is also a time-of-the-day road with lots of traffic. I do high-speed in slack hours in 60 minutes, but drive can take double the time too at some times of the day. Ideally, leave KK at 600 am so that you can cross TVM before 8 am and be in Kollam by 930-10 am. IN case you are looking for detours, turn off after Attingal to Varkala and take the beach-backwater route via Paravur back to NH47.

[*]Kollam to Thekkady

Take NH47 from Kollam towards Kochi via Karunagapalli & Kayamkulam. Just before (<5 kms) Alapuzha, you will reach Areekode (landmarks Honda showroom, SBI ATM & Medical College), where you will take a right turn towards Changanaserry (SH20). You will be treated to a "backwater" drive as the road winds for the next 25 kms alongside the backwaters. It will touch the M C Road (Trivandrum-Kottayam highway) just before Changanaserry town. Enter town and within 2 kms, you will see a right turn pointing to Kumili/Thekkady. From there route to Thekkady is Changanaserry-Kanjirapalli-Mundakayam-Kuttikanam-Peeremede-Vandiperiyar-Kumili-Thekkady. Road is curvy, goes through rubber plantations initially till MUndakayam, then starts climbing up to tea estates. Excellent road, moderate traffic. Assuming 2 hours from Kollam to Alapuzha, you can expect t reach Thekkady in 4-5 hours from there, with a leisurely drive. Lots of photo ops.

Try Mother's Kitchen after Karunagapalli for authentic Kerala dishes. And Hotel Elegance at Karunagapalli.

[*]Thekkady to Munnar

Excellent 110 kms, 3 hours drive. Along cardamom estates. Via Puliyanmala-Nedumkandam-Udumbansola-Poopara-Chinnakanal-Munnar.

[*]Munnar to Wayanad - if this drive is longer than 7-8 hours of driving, what's a good overnight stopover? Thrissur? Or?

You can easily do this drive in one sitting.
Munnar-Neriamangalam-Kothamangalam-Perumbavur-Angamali (NH47)-Chalakudy-Trissur-Palakkad town-(Kozhikode road)-Mannarkad (NIlambur road)-Melathur-Pandikkad-Nilambur-Nadugani-Cherambad-Meppadi-Kalpetta (Wynad).

Timings? Munnar-Angamali 2.5 hours, Angamali-Palakkad 2 hours, Palakkad-Nilambur 2.5 hours, Nilambur-Kalpetta 2.5 hours, overall making the journey less than 10 hours.

In case you wish to stop over, consider either Palakkad or Nilambur.

[*]Wayanad to Tumkur

I would suggest you stick to the route via Mysore & Bangalore although it is also possible to take shorter SH routes.
Kalpetta-Sultan's Battery-Gundulpet-Nanjangud-Mysore-Srirangapatna-Mandya-Ramngaram-Kengeri (Bangalore bypass)-NICE Road-Nelamangala-Tumkur. If you are staying in Meppadi, you can do Meppadi-Cherambadi-Nadugani-Gudalur-Mudumalai-Bandipur-Gundulpet
Budget for 8-10 hours drive time.

How much time should we allow for each of these drives at a leisurely fast pace? I think we'll realistically start around 8 am every day and for the longer drives, we'd like to take 2-3 stops (coffee/tea and lunch) along the way and would like to reach our destination positively before sunset.

In the Kerala sectors, start earlier (say, 6 am) so that you beat the traffic. 8 am is peak hour and you will struggle on most highways in Kerala.

And while you're at it, suggestions for great budget places (~Rs. 2000/- a night or thereabouts) to stay for 2 nights each in Kollam, Thekkady, Munnar, Thrissur (maybe?), Wayanad and Tumkur welcome.

Lots of places to dine & stay. In Kerala, there are lots of restaurants on the highways except in the Palakkad-Nilambur-Wynad sector.

Kollam - many hotels in town, especially near the Railway Station which comes on NH47 itself. No specific recommendations.

Thekkady - inside the WLS in Thekkady, there is only KTDC Periyar House (budget) & Aranya Nivas (expensive). At Kumili (gate to WLS), there are several, I can think of Hotel Ambadi.

Munnar - many hotels, but most of the good ones will not fit your budget. In Chinnakanal, on your way from Thekkady, you have Chancellor Resort (3-4K) and inside Munnar town, you have budget hotels like SN Sujata Inn & SN Annexe. But these last 2 are strictly hotel rooms & not in any scenic locations.

Palakkad - Hotel Srichakra (on NH47 itself, where road turns off to Coimbatore).

Nlambur - KTDC Tamarind

Wyand - lots of places to chose from. Ideally stay near Meppadi.
ValleyView Avenue Homestay at Kanthanpara, Rippon, Meppadi, Wayanad (Rs 2500/- including breakfast, dinner),Jinoy at 04936 280550/09349423910

Tumkur - Naveen Residency

[hvkumar]

In the link below, route guide prepared by me, you can trace the Thekkady-Munnar route (reverse direction), the Angamali-Wynad-Tumkur routes.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...VotSjJDcTZmcEE

This one details the route between Kochi & KK, via TVM
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...1gzUHBOWmdSeVE

And if you diligently & patiently go through this file you will get the route for Munnar-Angamali.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...m9vQlI2Ni1BcFE

In Wynad, near Meppadi, you can also consider staying in Valentine Valley View, Valentine Villa

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by aalokd

I was hoping to get some recommendations for the best routes (in terms of current road conditions, traffic congestion, ease and speed of driving, decent restaurants along the way, etc.) for our drives starting next week

If you are a pure vegetarian, stick to the "Aryaas", "Saravana bhavan", "Ananda bhavan" type of restaurants (You'll find many of these on the highways - the spellings would differ though). KTDC Araam Motels are good options - but there wouldn't be any choice of food - they would have only a few items on the menu. If you are not a strict vegetarian, or prefer Non-Veg food, Kerala is a foodie's paradise.

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Take NH47 from Kollam towards Kochi via Karunagapalli & Kayamkulam. Just before (<5 kms) Alapuzha, you will reach Areekode (landmarks Honda showroom, SBI ATM & Medical College), where you will take a right turn towards Changanaserry (SH20). You will be treated to a "backwater" drive as the road winds for the next 25 kms alongside the backwaters.

I guess you mean "Kalarkode" here. My mother is from Alappuzha, and I haven't heard of a place called Areekode in the route you mentioned. This turn is well marked - while coming from Kayamkulam side, boards directing to Thekkady appear well in advance. There is "SD College" right before the turn. Also, the proposed bypass would take off towards your left just before this turn.

And, be cautious not to exceed 75kmph anywhere on the Alappuzha-Changanassery road. This route is a hot spot for speed radars (they check even on Sundays) - the route is winding with lots of narrow bridges.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by binaiks

I guess you mean "Kalarkode" here. My mother is from Alappuzha, and I haven't heard of a place called Areekode in the route you mentioned. This turn is well marked - while coming from Kayamkulam side, boards directing to Thekkady appear well in advance. There is "SD College" right before the turn. Also, the proposed bypass would take off towards your left just before this turn.

I am sure you are right. For some reason, I have got that place listed as Areekode! Will correct, thanks

[DieselLover]

How is the current road condition between Chalakkudy and Valparai. Planning a trip with family towards the end of this month. I have done this trip in May last year and road between Vazhachal and Malakapara was pretty bad then.

[kala]

Originally Posted by binaiks

I guess you mean "Kalarkode" here.

Originally Posted by hvkumar

I am sure you are right. For some reason, I have got that place listed as Areekode! Will correct, thanks

It is indeed Kalarkode and not Areekode. (Areekode is a junction that you pass on the Nilambur-Calicut route. Kerala does have its own share of duplicate placenames, but I can't seem to recall an Areekode anywhere in Travancore)

By the way, I think for getting to Thekkady from Kollam, the route suggested via Alleppey (almost) would be extremely roundabout in my opinion (longer by at least 50-60 kms). The best routes in the order of preference would be :

1) Kollam-Kottarakkara-Adoor-Pathanamthitta-Plachery-Erumeli-Mundakayam-Kumily-Thekkady (Shortest by a long way, but I'm not sure about the road conditions from Pathanamthitta to Mundakkayam via Erumeli. Normally this road gets a facelift around Sabarimala time, so it's very likely that it would be in good condition around this time of the year)

2) Same as above till Pathanamthitta, then use Pathanamthitta-Ranni-Manimala-Kanjirappally-Mundakkayam instead. This road is generally in decent condition all year round, but one may find it a little difficult taking the right deviations if not familiar with the road - Direction boards are a little bit sparse on this route. May be 10-15 kms longer than Route (1)

3) Kollam-Krishnapuram (deviate from NH-47 here : right rurn)-Mavelikkara-Thiruvalla-Changanacherry(byepass)-Vazhoor-Kanjirappally-Mundakkayam-Kumily-Thekkady. Going via Mavelikkara-Mannar-Thiruvalla to Changanacherry (instead of going on NH47 almost till Alleppey and turning at Kalarkode towards Alleppey) would save you almost 30 kms - the roads are pretty good all the way (except for about 3-4 kms between Thiruvalla to Changanacherry).

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by kala

It is indeed Kalarkode and not Areekode. (Areekode is a junction that you pass on the Nilambur-Calicut route. Kerala does have its own share of duplicate placenames, but I can't seem to recall an Areekode anywhere in Travancore)

By the way, I think for getting to Thekkady from Kollam, the route suggested via Alleppey (almost) would be extremely roundabout in my opinion (longer by at least 50-60 kms). The best routes in the order of preference would be :

1) Kollam-Kottarakkara-Adoor-Pathanamthitta-Plachery-Erumeli-Mundakayam-Kumily-Thekkady (Shortest by a long way, but I'm not sure about the road conditions from Pathanamthitta to Mundakkayam via Erumeli. Normally this road gets a facelift around Sabarimala time, so it's very likely that it would be in good condition around this time of the year)

2) Same as above till Pathanamthitta, then use Pathanamthitta-Ranni-Manimala-Kanjirappally-Mundakkayam instead. This road is generally in decent condition all year round, but one may find it a little difficult taking the right deviations if not familiar with the road - Direction boards are a little bit sparse on this route. May be 10-15 kms longer than Route (1)

3) Kollam-Krishnapuram (deviate from NH-47 here : right rurn)-Mavelikkara-Thiruvalla-Changanacherry(byepass)-Vazhoor-Kanjirappally-Mundakkayam-Kumily-Thekkady. Going via Mavelikkara-Mannar-Thiruvalla to Changanacherry (instead of going on NH47 almost till Alleppey and turning at Kalarkode towards Alleppey) would save you almost 30 kms - the roads are pretty good all the way (except for about 3-4 kms between Thiruvalla to Changanacherry).

For a person who is not familiar with the region and does not know the local language, I would prefer to take a straightforward route - in this case NH47/SH20 instead of the smaller district and SH roads. Going via Kalarcode makes the route simple and difficult to get lost, hence this route has been suggested.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by aalokd

• Kollam to Thekkady

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Take NH47 from Kollam towards Kochi via Karunagapalli & Kayamkulam. Just before (<5 kms) Alapuzha, you will reach Areekode....Changanaserry-Kanjirapalli-Mundakayam-Kuttikanam-Peeremede-Vandiperiyar-Kumili-Thekkady.

Originally Posted by kala

1) Kollam-Kottarakkara-Adoor-Pathanamthitta-Plachery-Erumeli-Mundakayam-Kumily-Thekkady

I think we can combine these two routes and optimize a bit.

My suggestion will be Kollam - Kottarakkara - Adoor - Pandalam - Chengannur - Thiruvalla - Changanacherry Bye pass [almost 5-6 kms from Thiruvalla, you will see a BIG road towards right with signals right after a WIDE bridge. End of byepass, take a right again at a junction after railway station] - Kanjirappally - Mundakayam-Kumily-Thekkady. I believe there is very less chance of losing direction in this route. Most of the Trivandrum / Kollam - Kottayam KSRTC buses ply in this route

You just need to be careful with some narrow bridges, there are couple of them where at a time ONLY one HEAVY vehicle can drive thru. Otherwise nothing to worry about.

But if you LOVE a drive by the side of backwaters, stick on to Alappey route as suggested, it's an EXPERIENCE.

Edit:: Wherever you see "Elegance" restaurant, it's a safe bet! It's a hotel chain by some BIG shot in Kerala & ambience & food quality is guaranteed, NOT very expensive as well.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

But if you LOVE a drive by the side of backwaters, stick on to Alappey route as suggested, it's an EXPERIENCE.

Edit:: Wherever you see "Elegance" restaurant, it's a safe bet! It's a hotel chain by some BIG shot in Kerala & ambience & food quality is guaranteed, NOT very expensive as well.

Exactly. That is the main reason why I suggested SH20 between Kalarcode & Changanaserry, some 20 kms of "backwater drive".

I have suggested he drop in at Elegance in Kanjirapalli - which is an excellent place too, very convenient for all those who are going to Thekkady & MUnnar on the KK Road (NH220)

[swiftnfurious]

Slightly OT:

Originally Posted by hvkumar

I have suggested he drop in at Elegance in Kanjirapalli - which is an excellent place too, very convenient for all those who are going to Thekkady & MUnnar on the KK Road (NH220)

You always amaze me HVK! The way you remember routes & names of places. By the way I stay close to Elegance, Kanjirappally! Please do let me know if you come by this route, would love to catch up!