Team-BHP - All Roads to Kerala

Quote:

Originally Posted by rameshnanda (Post 2719228)

Udulmalpet-Munnar route is the most scenic route of all the three routes available to Munnar. Take this route and enjoy your drive with the scenic beauty.

I don't think you have a better alternative from Coimbatore.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ampere (Post 2719562)

Udumalpet-Munnar is a known thing for good views.
The next question which route to take to reach Udumalpet.

The standard would be take you via Pollachi. Crossing the town would be pain.
If you stay close to Sulur road (NH81), drive down till Palldam and take the Udumalpet road. Crossing Palladam is much easier than crossing Pollachi.

Thanks. So Udumalpet it will be, by popular opinion. Since I stay in Kovaipudur I will do the Pollachi stretch - works out much closer for me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vdi (Post 2724313)

Would be great if someone can provide the latest update on NH17 especially from the Goa / Karnataka border side till Calicut as we would be driving back from Goa in the first week of April.

Going to be a tiring drive.4laning on in full swing between kundapura and mangalore.Expect atleast 4hours to cover this stretch.Between Kundapura and Honnavar also roads are patched up.Also budget for 7 hours between Kozhikode & Pumpwell Circle.If you have the option of doing a stopover,do Goa-Mangalore on day 1 and day 2 do Mangalore-Kozhikode.It would be a non tiresome drive then.South Goa-Pumpwell would take you around 9-10hours and another 6-7hrs to reach calicut

Quote:

Originally Posted by ampere (Post 2593787)

May be you should have tried Perundurai-Kangeyam-Palladam-Pollachi-Vadakkancherry.
Since Vadakkancherry almost midway between Palakkad-Trichur, lot of your problems could have got resolved.
The roads are amazing to drive no issues with traffic as well (except the Kangeyam-Palladam, where you see some truck traffic)

Hi, do you have any updates on the road construction status between pollachi and vadakkancherry ? Last month, my friend who took this route had to use the pollachi-palghat road as there as some bridge construction going on the pollachi-vadakkanchery route.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sansvk (Post 2732410)

For my next Kerala visit in April 2nd week, Im planning to take the BLR-MYS-Gudalur-Nilambur-Guruvayoor route. Havent been on this strech since the last monsoon. I could really do with some updates on the Gudalur-Nilambur-Pattambi- Guruvayoor Strech. Would this be better than the regular Salem-CBE-THR NH considering the ongoing work from Avinashi to Walayar?

Mysore to Gudalur is fine - there are some pad patches between Nanjangud and Gundlupet, and again inside the WLS (Bandupur/Mudumalai). Most of the speed breakers in the WLS have been removed, but the road is not great anyways.

Gudalur to Nadugani is okay. Nadugani to Vazhikadavu is a mixed bag - the TN portion was completely awful - there is some work being done (retaining wall/drainage). So only one lane is usable. The Kerala portion is okay (not great).

Vazhikadavu to Wandoor - the road is bliss - too good roads. I am not sure of Wandoor-Perinthalmanna. Perinthalmanna to Pattambi is in average shape - some bad patches. Pattambi-Guruvayur was in good shape the last time I went (more than 6 months ago) - not sure of the current state.

If you are considering the Gudalur route just to avoid the traffic in Avinashi - then its pointless. The running time would be certainly higher, plus heavy traffic in Gudalur, Vazhikadavu, Nilambur town areas. Vazhikadavu to Nilambur section has a lot of traffic - especially those maniacal private buses. (A person regularly driving in Kerala would not feel the traffic high - but for a person not in the state regularly would find it really hard).

The bad section on the NH route is only between Chengampally and Walayar (even in this, some patches have been opened). Avinashi bypass was to open in March end, but it hasn't opened upto March 29. Not sure if it has opened over the past three days.

Since you are heading to Guruvayur, you can turn off at Palakkad and head to Guruvayur via Ottapalam, Kulapully, Pattambi, Perumpilavu, Kunnamkulam. This section has good roads for about 85% of the distance. Palakkad to Pattambi is in great shape - just be on the look out for the speed interceptors.

I went to Kerala last week through Salem > Avanashi > Palakkad route and came back from Kottayam through Kumili > Theni > Dindigul > Salem route.Total of about 1600 kms. Some salient points of the trip is given below with a road map.

Road from Bangalore till end of 4-lane is as good as always. Had a short break for coffee at CCD Shoolagiri. Had breakfast at Saravana Bhavan somewhere near Erode.
Road is comparatively better from then on till L&T Bye-pass. Quite a few short diversions, as usual, though.
From bye-pass end, road till Kerala border is average with occasional rough patches.
From Valayar to Palakad, road is good. Had lunch at Hotel Malabar somewhere in between. Decent food.
Took Palakkad bye-pass towards NH 213, which is being patched up now. Much better than earlier
From there I went towards Mannarkad, which is excellent road all the way.
After a couple of days, drove from Mannarkad to Kottayam through Cherpulassery, Shornur, Thrissur>Mannuthy>bye-pass>MC Road route. Good to excellent roads all the way.
Drove from Kottayam to Trivandrum and back on MC Road through Kottarakkara. Road between Kottayam and Chengannur is a bit undulating. Rest is excellent.
Drove back from Kottayam to Bangalore through KK road which is in excellent condition, almost all the way except for a few rough patches around Vandiperiyar.
Road condition in TN till Dindigul is a bit odd, with excellent surface in most places, frequently marred by umpteen small but rough diversions for some culvert work and probably for widening. Had breakfast at Hotel Aryaas in Theni. Decent food.
Road from Dindigul is good as usual. Had lunch at A2B near Dharmapuri.
Reached Bangalore in about 10 hours of driving, a distance of 600 kms.

Quote:

Originally Posted by binaiks (Post 2732416)

If you are considering the Gudalur route just to avoid the traffic in Avinashi - then its pointless. The running time would be certainly higher, plus heavy traffic in Gudalur, Vazhikadavu, Nilambur town areas. Vazhikadavu to Nilambur section has a lot of traffic - especially those maniacal private buses. (A person regularly driving in Kerala would not feel the traffic high - but for a person not in the state regularly would find it really hard).

Thank you. My point was to reduce the running time. I have always felt that this Gudalur -Nilambur route is meant for an occasional scenic drive but doesnot really reduce the time even though its shorter by a good 50-70kms.

Quote:

Originally Posted by devil_klm (Post 2732566)

I will be traveling from kollam to Bangalore on this Monday. Shortest route available is through senkottai Madurai. Any one traveled recently through this route? How is the road condition?

Traveled last weekend (23rd) - road is in good condition overall. I started a bit before 6am and reached Kollam before 6pm. All the other options (Palakkad, Theni or Nagercoil) would have taken more for a 6am start. Traffic was not really a problem anywhere in between after Salem. The narrow road through small towns from Rajapalayam till Shenkottai will slow you down, but the road surface is quite ok. Kerala section road were in good shape for a change. Don't remember seeing Thenmala-Punalur-Kundara stretch fully tarred before! In fact this was one of the most relaxing/peaceful 500km+ drives in the recent past.

Btw, for the return trip(Monday) I took the Nagercoil route, started around 5am and reached by 6pm. Will recommend senkottai route unless one is starting quite early to cross Nagercoil before 6-7am. Btw, visibility could be an issue for an early morning trip before sunrise between Punalur and Senkottai. Road widening on both Theni and Palakkad route could make progress slow and a bit frustrating.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vasoo (Post 2732584)

Road from Bangalore till end of 4-lane is as good as always. Had a short break for coffee at CCD Shoolagiri. Had breakfast at Saravana Bhavan somewhere near Erode.
Road is comparatively better from then on till L&T Bye-pass. Quite a few short diversions, as usual, though.
From bye-pass end, road till Kerala border is average with occasional rough patches.
From Valayar to Palakad, road is good. Had lunch at Hotel Malabar somewhere in between. Decent food.
Took Palakkad bye-pass towards NH 213, which is being patched up now. Much better than earlier
From there I went towards Mannarkad, which is excellent road all the way.
After a couple of days, drove from Mannarkad to Kottayam through Cherpulassery, Shornur, Thrissur>Mannuthy>bye-pass>MC Road route. Good to excellent roads all the way.
Drove from Kottayam to Trivandrum and back on MC Road through Kottarakkara. Road between Kottayam and Chengannur is a bit undulating. Rest is excellent.
Drove back from Kottayam to Bangalore through KK road which is in excellent condition, almost all the way except for a few rough patches around Vandiperiyar.
Road condition in TN till Dindigul is a bit odd, with excellent surface in most places, frequently marred by umpteen small but rough diversions for some culvert work and probably for widening. Had breakfast at Hotel Aryaas in Theni. Decent food.
Road from Dindigul is good as usual. Had lunch at A2B near Dharmapuri.
Reached Bangalore in about 10 hours of driving, a distance of 600 kms.

I'm travelling tomorrow evening in Accent and was bit worried on the Avinashi stretch. Thanks, this helps and passified my anxiety since you drove Civic :)