[vinodvayyat]

Back after 4 days trip to Palakkad. Summary below:

Bangalore to Palakkad:
1. Started on Friday (5/Sep/2014) at 2:45PM from Ecity, Bangalore
2. Took Ecity->Attibele-Rayakkottai Road to Hosur via TVS factory: Road was bad with little potholes and rough surface till TVS factory. Roads are fine after that till Hosur
3. Hosur->Inner Ring Road -> Hosur-Rayakkotai Road -> Dharmapuri: Not much potholes in inner ring road. But wavy surface at certain portions. Hosur-Rayakkottai is very smooth but with rough short patches (very short) very rarely.
4. Will not advise this road unless you are bothered about Attibele/Krishnagiri toll booth queue waiting. Some of you might prefer paying toll fee than end up paying more for resolving rattles in your car.
5. Dharmapuri till Kumarapalayam - excellent roads
6. Kumarapalayam till L&T bypass in Coimbatore - be careful about humps on top of the fly-overs. Rest is fine.
7. L&T bypass - good roads except the fact that it is still 2-lane without dividers
8. After L&T Bypass till Walayar - Pathetic roads. No sign of any work going on too.
9. From Walayar till Palakkad - newly laid roads with diversions in between which are full of potholes.

Palakkad to Bangalore
1. Same route till Sankari. Wanted to take Sankari->Tharamangalam->Omalur. But was confused on how to turn left from Sankari. So went till Vaikuntam and took Idappadi Road till Konganapuram
2. Vaikuntam->Konganapuram - smoot two lane road without divider
3. Konganapuram->Tharamangalam->Omalur - rough patches with potholes rarely. But good option to bypass entire Salem traffic. Will take about 30 mins to complete the stretch.
4. Omalur->Bangalore: no need to explain. Good roads throughout. Only bad stretch was Dharmapuri->Krishnagiri: tracks are not marked after recent rennovation.

[etrast75]

Originally Posted by vinodvayyat

1. Same route till Sankari. Wanted to take Sankari->Tharamangalam->Omalur. But was confused on how to turn left from Sankari. So went till Vaikuntam and took Idappadi Road till Konganapuram

The left turn from sankari bypass into omalur road does not exist and it has been done on purpose as vehicles taking this route can avoid 2 tolls. The trick is to go into sankari town at the end of the by pass when coming from bhavani side. Take a right under the flyover and follow the road into town. At the first big junction (about 1-2 kms) take a right into the omalur road.

Lot of heavy vehicles take this road to avoid the tolls and it can be a pain sometimes to deal with them.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by vinodvayyat

Back after 4 days trip to Palakkad...

As someone who does this route at least once a month, I would think twice before trying the Walayar route - it's a torture track for the man and the machine.

I turn off the NH47 at Avinashi towards Mangalam, and after Pollachi, depending on my mood, I go via Chittur or Meenakshipuram.

[vinodvayyat]

Originally Posted by etrast75

The left turn from sankari bypass into omalur road does not exist and it has been done on purpose as vehicles taking this route can avoid 2 tolls. The trick is to go into sankari town at the end of the by pass when coming from bhavani side. Take a right under the flyover and follow the road into town. At the first big junction (about 1-2 kms) take a right into the omalur road.

Lot of heavy vehicles take this road to avoid the tolls and it can be a pain sometimes to deal with them.

Thanks! I guessed it is this way but MapMyIndia was misguiding me and I trusted that there is a left turn at Sankari and I ended up paying Toll at Vaikuntam.

About trucks: we crossed Tharamangalam before day end - so did not have trouble in overtaking trucks. But yes, dealing with trucks is an issue.

Originally Posted by silversteed

As someone who does this route at least once a month, I would think twice before trying the Walayar route - it's a torture track for the man and the machine.

I turn off the NH47 at Avinashi towards Mangalam, and after Pollachi, depending on my mood, I go via Chittur or Meenakshipuram.

I know few different routes. Chavadi->Vandithavalam->Pollachi Road->Palakkad which is a good route. But since all the other routes including Vandithavalam adds lot more KMs and hence time, i usually avoid them unless it is raining heavily. You need to manage only till Walayar - post that it is very much motorable.

[sachinpk]

Folks for my next Kerala road trip (as I mentioned earlier) I wanted to try out the below route. Can any one correct me if I am going via a wrong route? I am 100% confident on the way to Chamrajnagar from Bangalore. Confusion is mainly about the TN State highways.

1. Bangalore->Kanakapura->Kollegal->Chamarajanagar
2. Chamarajanagar->Haradanahalli->Punajanur (NH 209)->Hasanur (Talamali Reserve Forest)->Bannari Amman Koil
->Sathyamangalam town ->Puliampatti->Sevur->Avanashi (the point where we have to deviate to Palladam from Tolled highway)
3. Avanashi->Palladam->Pollachi->Gopalapuram check post->Chandra Nagar

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Folks for my next Kerala road trip (as I mentioned earlier) I wanted to try out the below route. Can any one correct me if I am going via a wrong route? I am 100% confident on the way to Chamrajnagar from Bangalore. Confusion is mainly about the TN State highways.

1. Bangalore->Kanakapura->Kollegal->Chamarajanagar
2. Chamarajanagar->Haradanahalli->Punajanur (NH 209)->Hasanur (Talamali Reserve Forest)->Bannari Amman Koil
->Sathyamangalam town ->Puliampatti->Sevur->Avanashi (the point where we have to deviate to Palladam from Tolled highway)
3. Avanashi->Palladam->Pollachi->Gopalapuram check post->Chandra Nagar

It is a bliss to drive on TN state highways especially those that are a part of Erode district. Right from dhimbham ghats onwards -sathy etc.. roads are a treat to drive. I followed the same route as you intend to take to go to Karur. From Sathy i went via Gobichettypalayam, Erode and Kodumudi.
There will be traffic in the towns but apart from that very good to drive. of course you can expect morons who will for sure come in your way.

Originally Posted by vinodvayyat

Palakkad to Bangalore
1. Same route till Sankari. Wanted to take Sankari->Tharamangalam->Omalur. But was confused on how to turn left from Sankari. So went till Vaikuntam and took Idappadi Road till Konganapuram

It is easy to go towards NH47 by going via Omalur, Tharamangalam, Konganapuram and sankari. The reverse is tricky. I have never tried the reverse route.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

->Sathyamangalam town ->Puliampatti->Sevur->Avanashi (the point where we have to deviate to Palladam from Tolled highway)

Instead of Avinashi Palladam, you can try this too : Route

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

It is a bliss to drive on TN state highways especially those that are a part of Erode district. Right from dhimbham ghats onwards -sathy etc.. roads are a treat to drive.

Now I double checked I realise that Puliampatti->Sevur->Avanashi road is not a state or a national highway. Till Puliampatti I am on NH209. So how are the state level roads? Avanashi->Palladam->Pollachi roads are excellent. So slightly worried about the Puliampatti to Avanashi road.

Originally Posted by ampere

Instead of Avinashi Palladam, you can try this too

Do I have to cross any part of the "being built" highway? I generally avoid Avanashi, Karumathampatti (and beyond) mainly because of the under construction roads and the irritating L&T byepass.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Do I have to cross any part of the "being built" highway? I generally avoid Avanashi, Karumathampatti (and beyond) mainly because of the under construction roads and the irritating L&T byepass.

There would be crowd at Karumathampatti. So in that case you can do Annur-Avinashi. Hardly 10km extra distance.

[kala]

Originally Posted by ampere

There would be crowd at Karumathampatti. So in that case you can do Annur-Avinashi. Hardly 10km extra distance.

Do you know if the railway overbridge work at Somanur is complete ? Otherwise that portion of the road (about 2 kms or so) is a mess as well, and it may perhaps be better to go via Avinashi because the Vanjipalayam railway overbridge is reportedly complete and is no longer a bottleneck.

[VindyWheels]

Hi, how much time would it take for Bangalore-Kanakpura-Chamarajnagar-Sathyamangalam-Avinashi-Palladam-Pollachi-Vadakkanchery-Angamaly-Vyttila? Is it worth it compared to usual route?

Cheers

Vindy

[ampere]

Originally Posted by kala

Do you know if the railway overbridge work at Somanur is complete ? Otherwise that portion of the road (about 2 kms or so) is a mess as well, and it may perhaps be better to go via Avinashi because the Vanjipalayam railway overbridge is reportedly complete and is no longer a bottleneck.

I think the construction is over. Let me confirm in a day or two.

Originally Posted by VindyWheels

Hi, how much time would it take for Bangalore-Kanakpura-Chamarajnagar-Sathyamangalam-Avinashi-Palladam-Pollachi-Vadakkanchery-Angamaly-Vyttila? Is it worth it compared to usual route?

If you start really early morning, then I think you dont gain any time via NH209 over the 4-lane.

[VindyWheels]

Yes, we can start by 4:00am or even 3:00am. The thought of driving through sathyamangalam forest during early morning hours is playing in my mind. Is there a check-post there? Any time restriction? Even if we end up spending an hour more, I am game if the roads are smooth.

The other issue is early morning tipper truck menace in Nice road-Kanakpura stretch.

Originally Posted by ampere

If you start really early morning, then I think you dont gain any time via NH209 over the 4-lane.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by VindyWheels

Yes, we can start by 4:00am or even 3:00am. The thought of driving through sathyamangalam forest during early morning hours is playing in my mind. Is there a check-post there? Any time restriction? Even if we end up spending an hour more, I am game if the roads are smooth.

The other issue is early morning tipper truck menace in Nice road-Kanakpura stretch.

If you are leaving at 3 o'clock, you'd be at Nijaguna Residency in Chamarajanagara at 6-6:30. You can have breakfast, and then proceed to Sathyamangalam. The ghat roads are a treat to drive during early morning hours.

Please bear in mind that Nijaguna is the last decent hotel that you'd come across before reaching Annur, and their restaurant opens only at 6 o'clock. I normally pass Silk Board junction at around 3, take the ORR to Kanakpura road (works out shorter, faster and cheaper at that time of the day), and proceed towards Chamarajanagara. Breakfast stop would happen at around 6 at Nijaguna.

[VindyWheels]

Thank you, good to know that you have "been there..done that"

What is the best route to take from Sathyamangalam? There is no need to touch Avinashi? How much time would Chamarajnagar-Annur take and the overall journey to Kochi?

Originally Posted by silversteed

If you are leaving at 3 o'clock, you'd be at Nijaguna Residency in Chamarajanagara at 6-6:30. You can have breakfast, and then proceed to Sathyamangalam. The ghat roads are a treat to drive during early morning hours.

Please bear in mind that Nijaguna is the last decent hotel that you'd come across before reaching Annur, and their restaurant opens only at 6 o'clock. I normally pass Silk Board junction at around 3, take the ORR to Kanakpura road (works out shorter, faster and cheaper at that time of the day), and proceed towards Chamarajanagara. Breakfast stop would happen at around 6 at Nijaguna.