Team-BHP - All Roads to Kerala

Quote:

Originally Posted by gops2009 (Post 3394324)

Also, I stay in Basaveswaranagar, so I have been under the impression that this route suits better and therefore did not try the Chamarajnagar stretch. Is this a better route with lesser traffic and good roads and how does this fare distance wise??

Road is excellent barring a very small stretch on the Gundlupet-Chamarajnagar section. It's 2 lane undivided road and scenic too, sparse to moderate traffic most times, traffic picks up when nearing Kanakapura.

I think from Kanakapura road you can still take NICE Road and reach Basaveshwaranagar.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gops2009 (Post 3394324)

Is this a better route with lesser traffic and good roads and how does this fare distance wise??

The road is actually good. Its just that beyond Kollegal you get some villages along the main road, where it becomes very narrow. You may have to wait to let the on going traffic to pass. Chamarajanagar-Gundlupet is decent road with not too many twists.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gops2009 (Post 3394324)

Yes NPV, thought about it, but as I had never used this route, was not too sure about the road condition and I had my parents travelling with me , with one of them having slight vertigo problem, so played it safe taking the road I always take.

Also, I stay in Basaveswaranagar, so I have been under the impression that this route suits better and therefore did not try the Chamarajnagar stretch. Is this a better route with lesser traffic and good roads and how does this fare distance wise??

Once you cross Kollegal, i remember crossing 3 villages where the roads are so narrow that one vehicle can go at a time. Apart from this it is a pretty decent 2 lane road. Choice of eat outs is restricted. We have Hotel Nijaguna Residency and Hotel Mayura both in Chamarajanagar. With sedate driving, bangalore to chamarajanagar can be covered in about 3.5 hrs of driving

Quote:

Originally Posted by gops2009 (Post 3394270)

Returned on Monday the 17th [...]
Day4 , started from Kozhikode at about 6:00 Am and drove via sultan battery, breakfast at Calicut kitchen – a couple of kms before Mutangad sanctuary, hot appams and bhaji is just too good for breakfast; lunch break at Kamath Lokaruchi and back home at 2:00 PM. Good roads all the way save for the zillion speed humps on Mysore Bangalore stretch.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gops2009 (Post 3394324)

I was 1.5 hours ahead of you from Calicut to Bangalore on 17/3 (start 4:30 AM, home 12:30 PM); my trip report is here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post3392681

I always take the Kollegal route - it works out to be the same distance as the Mysore route (give or take a couple of km), but has sparse traffic though is a 2-lane single carriageway road throughout. So benefit of one cancels out the drawback of the other; the time taken from Bangalore to Gundlupet is about 3.5 hours for me generally (220 km). I myself used to suffer from mild vertigo (was under treatment for a while; I stopped riding two-wheelers when the problem started) but have never faced any issues driving on this road - and many times I am alone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by coolclouds (Post 3386404)

Did Bangalore-Kochi on 6th evening. Bangalore-Hosur-Palacode-Thoppur-Omallur-Sankari-Coimbatore-Palakkad-Mannuthy-Trichur-Kochi.

Overall, good condition and there is much progress between Walayar and Vadakkancherry.

Tarring work started at Karumathampatti flyover

520 kms from Electronics City BETL toll to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kaloor.

Bhpian arjithin too was driving to Trichur and had a quick meet at Hotel Saravana Bhavan, Sankari.

How long did it take you and at what speeds did you go?
I'm planning to drive the next month from Bangalore to Kochi.
Does starting early in the morning help?

And google maps say the mysore route is 60+ kilometers shorter but no one here seems to prescribe that route. Horrible roads I guess?
Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dozer (Post 3396090)

And google maps say the mysore route is 60+ kilometers shorter but no one here seems to prescribe that route. Horrible roads I guess?
Thanks.

Roads are excellent. But apart from Bangalore Mysore, it is a 2 lane road and passes through bandipur Forest and ghat sections. So you will end up taking more time as compared to the standard route. So this route is only advisable if you need a change from the 4 lane and want to enjoy some scenery and twisty roads( at this time with the summer taking effect, the scenery element is also not there). Frankly with the 4 lane done almost to Coimbatore and improved conditions between cbe and thrissur and an alternate option via pollachi also available I have not seen any one here taking the Mysore route to central/south Kerala side.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj (Post 3396097)

I have not seen any one here taking the Mysore route to central/south Kerala side.

Hmm. I am driving to Perumbavur on 18/4, and was planning to take Bangalore-Kollegal-Gundlupet-Gudalur-Nilambur-Shornur-Thrissur-Angamaly route. 480 km as per Google Maps, which at 50 kmph ought to be doable while daylight is available with an early morning start.

Quote:

Originally Posted by binand (Post 3396143)

Have done that route, and my experience has been that the drive becomes quite slow right from the point you cross from Karnataka into Tamilnadu. The forest road after Bandipur is pretty bad, and then you end up getting into pretty heavy traffic right from Vazhikkadavu onwards. (The worst of which are the diesel autorikshaws that zip along at 40 to 50 kmph and overtaking them is a royal PITA since the roads are quite narror)

I'm not particularly fond of 4 lane driving, so the route I take these days is via Dimbam - Satyamangalam - Annur - Karumathampatti and I find that it takes me to the destination in at least half an hour less than the Nilambur option even though the distance is slightly more. (It is still shorter than the NH7/Nh47 combo by about 25-30 kms)

Quote:

Originally Posted by binand (Post 3396143)

Gundlepet nilambur will take approx 2.5 hours with the current road conditions. From there to angamaly is 3-4 hrs(?). Adding the standard 3.5 hrs to gundlepet via kollegal. So it looks like 9-10 hrs of driving time. Considering it's good Friday weekend and toll gates will be crowded ultimately it may end up being faster. But considering it is a complete holiday and festival week in Kerala, the roads and towns will be very crowded on this route on the Kerala side. kala's recommendation will be a good balance. But any reason you want to skip the 4 lane in the first place?

Quote:

Originally Posted by kala (Post 3396171)

I avoid long drives inside Kerala during daytime as much possible. I never get more than 35kmph average in Vazhikadavu - Nilambur - Perinthalmanna -TCR roads during day time ;
If you plan an afternoon start from BGLR (say 3 PM), then you get in to Kerala around 8-9PM and the drive will be much more enjoyable.

I take this route mostly in return journey from Chalakudy. A 4AM start from Chalakudy will take me to Vazhikadvu around 7 AM. No traffic and very good roads. Breakfast @ Indian coffee house Gudallur.
Pros
1. As mentioned - 50 km shorter route
2. Scenic drive
3. No toll, except a Gudallur entry pass for Rs 25 or so
4. Better mileage as the drive is at a lower speed. No A/C needed till I cross Gundlupet. Once my petrol Ritz gave me a 20.5 kmpl for Chalakudy - Vazhikadavu section, 17 for Vazhikadavu - Gundlupet and 18.5 for Gundlupet - Kollegal - Bglr with A/C.

Cons
1. Chalakudy - CBE - BGLR normally I cover in 8.5 hours, where as the Vazhikadavu route will take 10-10.5 hours.
2. If your passengers have got motion sickness, better avoid this route. Many turns and twists.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj (Post 3396241)

So it looks like 9-10 hrs of driving time. Considering it's good Friday weekend and toll gates will be crowded ultimately it may end up being faster. But considering it is a complete holiday and festival week in Kerala, the roads and towns will be very crowded on this route on the Kerala side. kala's recommendation will be a good balance. But any reason you want to skip the 4 lane in the first place?

It is a 4-day weekend, since 17/4 is election day in KA which would be declared a holiday. But I don't expect much crowds on KL roads between 11AM-4PM due to the summer weather. My expectation is that if I start from around 4 or 5 AM from Bangalore I should be comfortably home at Perumbavur before 5PM. Anyway, my reasons for not preferring dual carriageways are (in no particular order):

- I have had my fill of such roads over the past several years that I now prefer, in fact actively seek out single-carriageway roads wherever I go; and
- I am going to drive my f-i-l's Estillo which seems to suffer from personality disorders at speeds over 90 kmph and probably is best driven at a steady 70 kmph.

In fact, drives on single carriageway roads are a lot more leisurely and relaxed than on the dual carriageways, where everyone is in a hurry to get wherever they are off to.

Quote:

Originally Posted by binand (Post 3396287)

Interesting points. Another thing which i have noticed that will work in your favor is that typically in malappuram district which has a dominant Muslim population ,on Fridays traffic greatly reduces between 11.30 and 2 as people go for the afternoon prayers. Have noticed that lot of shops down shutters at this time. With a 5am start you will pass through the nilambur perinthalmsnna stretches around this time.

Regarding Dimbam - Satyamangalam route one need to be aware of the risk of traffic jams in the ghats due to vehicle breakdowns.

2weeks back lost 30-45mnts on the ghat section due to a Truck breakdown (~9pm).

Similarly on the return journey, there was a huge jam again due to some vehicle breakdown, in the Dimbam ghats(~10pm) Since we heard that traffic was not moving since 3hours and we were at around 8th Hairpin, came down and took Sathy-Mettur-Thoppur route to reach Bangalore.