[ampere]

Originally Posted by RajeshK

Thanks Amp... Any idea about the route Muthalakodam (Thodupuzha) - Aanakkayam - Nallathanni - Vagamon...?? Some times I may go to Ernakulam and stay there for a day before going to Vagamon. Going to Vagamon for attending college get together..!!

No idea Rajesh. Good to check with others. The other option I was thinking is:

Ernakulam-Thrippunithura-Vaikom-Etumanoor-Pala-Vagamon

[Vampirevipin]

Hi all,

I am travelling to kerala this weekend and i need some assistance.
Need to travel from Chennai to Vadakara, Vadakara to Guruvayur and Guruvayur to Chennai.
My plan is to start from chennai at 6pm, google map suggests the route: Chennai --> Bangalore --> Mysore --> Handpost --> Manathavady --> Kuttiyady --> Vadakra.
The next day i will visit Guruvayur and start back to Chennai. I will be starting back at around 2pm from Guruvayur and google maps suggest Guruvayur --> Palakkad --> Coimbatore --> Salem --> Villupuram --> Chennai.

I will be travelling with elders and kids in two cars. I need your suggestions on the best route to take, also if i can avoid forest reserve gates in the middle of the night.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by Vampirevipin

Hi all,

I am travelling to kerala this weekend and i need some assistance.
Need to travel from Chennai to Vadakara, Vadakara to Guruvayur and Guruvayur to Chennai.
My plan is to start from chennai at 6pm, google map suggests the route: Chennai --> Bangalore --> Mysore --> Handpost --> Manathavady --> Kuttiyady --> Vadakra.
The next day i will visit Guruvayur and start back to Chennai. I will be starting back at around 2pm from Guruvayur and google maps suggest Guruvayur --> Palakkad --> Coimbatore --> Salem --> Villupuram --> Chennai.

I will be travelling with elders and kids in two cars. I need your suggestions on the best route to take, also if i can avoid forest reserve gates in the middle of the night.

The main forest routes are all closed 9pm to 6am. Based on your start time, you will mostly hit the check post before 6am. The only open route towards manathavady is mysore-hunsur- gonikoppal- kutta- tholpetty-mananthavady. This is not advisable for a first time drive at night. Other option is the route to thalassery kannur. But that may be longer.

Other experts can comment: but a good alternate I can think of is chennai- salem-cbe-palakkad-calicut-vadakara. You get the excellent 4 lane till cbe, and since you are driving at night, the palakkad-calicut-vadakara will also be a comfortable fast drive since roads are terrific. It may be longer distance wise, but should take same/less time. You also avoid the hump filled Mysore road, the night restrictions and driving ghats/ forest routes at night.

[gk_fiesta]

Travelled from Kochi to Bangalore yesterday.

Took Kochi-Vadakkenchery-Pollachi-Palladam-Kangeyam-Perundurai-Salem-Bangalore route.

Wanted to skip the bad stretches between Vadakkenchery & Coimbatore.

Roads were good, traffic was not much, except in the towns as I started by around 0415 AM.

Would want to try Pollachi-Kamanaikenpalayam-Avinashi-Perundurai route instead of taking Kangeyam route next time. This might save on time, as most of the travel will be on 4-lane, distance remaining mostly the same.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Vampirevipin

I will be travelling with elders and kids in two cars. I need your suggestions on the best route to take, also if i can avoid forest reserve gates in the middle of the night.

Chennai-Vadakara is about 650km. From a travel time we are looking at:
- 5 hours to hit Bangalore bypass. (NICE road)
- 30 minutes on bypass.
- 2/2.5 hours for Bangalore-Mysore
- Another 3-4 hours for the last 170-200 via Mananthvady.

I don think elders can take it that long. Its not an easy smooth 4-lane all the way. Banagalore-Hosur traffic, Mysore road traffic etc can significantly pull you down. I wont advise Kanapura road (NH209), because you have folks in car, who will need hotels.

So what I would say is leave leisurely by 9/10AM to reach Mysore by evening.
Stay over night and start early next day to reach Vadakara.

Vadakara-Guruvayur is complete NH17. Be ready for heavy traffic. Check with folks about Calicut bypass. To beat the traffic on the last stretch to Guruvayur, you can exit NH17 at Edappal and reach Guruvayur via Kunnamkulam. That way you beat the heavy traffic via Ponnani on NH17.


Guruvayur - Chennai

You have multiple options:

But one part is consistent : Take the GST and not the Krishnagiri option to reach Chennai.
Now what are the options to GST?

Trichur-Vadakkenchery-Kollengode-Pollachi-Dharapuram-Karur-Musiri-Thuraiyur-Perumbalur (GST) - Tindivanam - Chennai.
(I would surely love this!) Gets the best of TN 2-lanes and bypasses the big towns too. (Trichy, Salem for example)

If you want to be on the 4-lane most times:
Trichur-Vadakkenchery-Kollengode-Pollachi-Palladam-Kangeyam-Perundurai-Salem-Attur-Ulundurpet - Tindivanam - Chennai.
(Its makes sense to bypass Trichur-Palakkad-Coimbattore)
(End to end 4-lane and the best possible option).

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by Vampirevipin

Hi all,

The next day i will visit Guruvayur and start back to Chennai. I will be starting back at around 2pm from Guruvayur and google maps suggest Guruvayur --> Palakkad --> Coimbatore --> Salem --> Villupuram --> Chennai.

I will be travelling with elders and kids in two cars. I need your suggestions on the best route to take, also if i can avoid forest reserve gates in the middle of the night.

For the return route , i would recommend the following

Via Kecheri, Chellakara, Alathur, Palakkad, CBE by pass, Sulur, Palladam, Kangeyam, Karur, Kulithalai, Thuraiyur, Perambalur and then NH45 all the way to Chennai. You can expect traffic at Sulur. Otherwise roads are good. And you get to drive on NH for most of the time barring the stretch in Kerala.

[Vampirevipin]

Thank you, based on your suggestions am trying to change the plan a bit. If possible i shall try and start at 12 noon from chennai with elders and kids and the other car can start in the evening.

To avoid the massive spead breakers on Mysore road I am considering Coimbatore route. (coimbatore --> palaghat --> vadakara).

[Vampirevipin]

For the return journey I have decided to take the route suggested by ampere.

If you want to be on the 4-lane most times:
Trichur-Vadakkenchery-Kollengode-Pollachi-Palladam-Kangeyam-Perundurai-Salem-Attur-Ulundurpet - Tindivanam - Chennai.
(Its makes sense to bypass Trichur-Palakkad-Coimbattore)
(End to end 4-lane and the best possible option).[/quote]

I prefer four lane roads while travelling with elders.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by Vampirevipin

For the return journey I have decided to take the route suggested by ampere.

If you want to be on the 4-lane most times:
Trichur-Vadakkenchery-Kollengode-Pollachi-Palladam-Kangeyam-Perundurai-Salem-Attur-Ulundurpet - Tindivanam - Chennai.
(Its makes sense to bypass Trichur-Palakkad-Coimbattore)
(End to end 4-lane and the best possible option).

The route i suggested in post no. 7011 was meant to avoid the mess at Salem.

[Vampirevipin]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

The route i suggested in post no. 7011 was meant to avoid the mess at Salem.

Thanks Suresh, if its a better route I shall consider that. How are the roads in that stretch?

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

The main forest routes are all closed 9pm to 6am. Based on your start time, you will mostly hit the check post before 6am. The only open route towards manathavady is mysore-hunsur- gonikoppal- kutta- tholpetty-mananthavady.

Mysore-Mananthavady via Handpost is not closed at night to the best of my knowledge. The Kutta-Tholpetty route is closed at night - or at least there were moves to close it since 2012, haven't tried travelling that route so cannot confirm.

[mpksuhas]

^^ +1 to comments above. Also, Handpost - Mananthavady route has road work going on in KA side. Though it not a big strech (~3 KMS) it is sufficient to slow you down since the road is completely getting relaid.
Also once you reach Nagarhole forest there are few unmarked speed breakers, please be careful when crossing this area especially if it is in dark.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Mysore-Mananthavady via Handpost is not closed at night to the best of my knowledge. The Kutta-Tholpetty route is closed at night - or at least there were moves to close it since 2012, haven't tried travelling that route so cannot confirm.

Gonikoppal- Kutta-tholpetty is open. This is the route most private buses take at night. I may be wrong about hand post. My assumption was that this is the route that goes through nagarhole which is closed at night.

[kala]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Mysore-Mananthavady via Handpost is not closed at night to the best of my knowledge. The Kutta-Tholpetty route is closed at night - or at least there were moves to close it since 2012, haven't tried travelling that route so cannot confirm.

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Gonikoppal- Kutta-tholpetty is open. This is the route most private buses take at night. I may be wrong about hand post. My assumption was that this is the route that goes through nagarhole which is closed at night.

The Hunsur - Gonikoppal - Kutta - Tholpetty - Mananthavady route is open 24 hours as Rajeevraj mentioned (and has been open always)

The Mysore Mananthavady road via Handpost is closed from 6PM to 6AM (The forest section between the point just after the diversion through villages till Bavali - i.e Kerala border). The other route between Hunsur and Kutta through Nagarahole is also closed from 6PM to 6AM.

It's only the Gundlupet-Bandipur-Gudalur route and Gundlupet-Moolahole section towards Calicut that allow traffic till 9PM instead of closing at 6. I suppose the wildlife in those areas are all late nighters

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Gonikoppal- Kutta-tholpetty is open. This is the route most private buses take at night. I may be wrong about hand post. My assumption was that this is the route that goes through nagarhole which is closed at night.

Just checked with our caretaker there since that is what I had understood - you're right I had mixed up the 'open' roads, my apologies.