Team-BHP - All Roads to Kerala

Quote:

Originally Posted by decode (Post 3546015)

Has anyone traveled through Kanakpura - Sathyamangalam - Coimbatore road recently? I wanted to know the condition of the road, I had traveled through this road last during June and it was ok. Could you give me an update please?

I did this route two weeks back.

NICE road exit to Harohalli - Moderate to high traffic during peak hours
Some bad stretch near Yelandur, nothing to worry
Chamarajnagar onwards, its a breeze. If traveling towards Kerala, take Annur-Karumathampatti-Pollachi route to avoid bad sections of NH47.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitinbose (Post 3546052)

Hi,

My uncle is planning to travel to Bangalore on 1st, from Ernakulam. Which route would be better for him to take, the usual salem route or via Calicut?

How is the Shoranur-Nilambur-gudallur route?

Is there any improvement in the Trichur to Coimbatore stretch?

Please suggest a good route that I may suggest him to take.

regards,

Nitin

Vadakkancherry-Coimbatore is still bad and slow.

For a very good surface and stress free drive,

Mannurthy-Vadakkancherry-(Right turn after Mangalam bridge; two kms from Hotel Diana)-Nenmara-Pollachi-Palladam-Mangalam-Avinashi-Salem-Krishnagiri-Bangalore.

Calicut and Nilambur routes are slow compared to above.

I was asking based on the security issues in TN, where my uncle & his family may face issues while travelling. Considering this, which route would be better?

When you say the Calicut and Nilambur routes are slow, is this due to the ghat section or heavy traffic? Furthermore, how are the Shoranur to Nilambur routes?

Please suggest. I would then make the best recommendation to my uncle today evening, so that he may plan accordingly. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitinbose (Post 3546119)

Ekm-Calicut traffic will be very heavy. Calicut-Kalpetta-Bathery-Gundlepet-Mysore-Bangalore roads are great except for a few km section around Vythiri. Due to Dussera, Mysore will be crowded and will take time to cross even using the ring road. Other option is Gundlepet-CHamrajnagar-Kollegala-Kanakpura-Bangalore.

In any case Calicut-Bangalore is 7-8 hours of driving time (maybe a little more via Mysore). Adding 5 hours from Ekm to Calicut, you are looking at ~13hrs of driving. With breaks it will be ~15 hrs.

Gudalur is in TN, So if you take this route also you need to pass through TN for about 1.5 hrs. In addition the Gudalur-Theppakadu road is bad and expect heavy traffic on the Perinthamanna-Nilambur side. Overall expect similar driving times.

If I am not mistaken, the route coolclouds has mentioned above will not take more than 10hrs with breaks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitinbose (Post 3546119)

I was asking based on the security issues in TN, where my uncle & his family may face issues while travelling. Considering this, which route would be better?

As per the information I have received from friends in TN - normalcy is pretty much restored. No large scale rioting reported yesterday (and today as well). Buses from Karnataka and Kerala are now going to to TN (and vice versa as well).

So I feel you can stand down the guard and recommend a route which your uncle might find convenient to drive/travel :).

Quote:

Originally Posted by decode (Post 3546015)

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitinbose (Post 3546052)

My uncle is planning to travel to Bangalore on 1st, from Ernakulam. Which route would be better for him to take, the usual salem route or via Calicut?

How is the Shoranur-Nilambur-gudallur route?

Quote:

Originally Posted by coolclouds (Post 3546079)

For a very good surface and stress free drive,

Mannurthy-Vadakkancherry-(Right turn after Mangalam bridge; two kms from Hotel Diana)-Nenmara-Pollachi-Palladam-Mangalam-Avinashi-Salem-Krishnagiri-Bangalore.

Calicut and Nilambur routes are slow compared to above.

I did the same Pollachi route yesterday - except that instead of going via Salem I went via Sathyamangalam. The route was :

Ernakulam-Trichur-Vadakkancherry-Nenmara-Pollachi-Palladam-Avinashi-Sevur-Puliampatty-Sathy-Dimbum-Chamarajnagar-Kollegal-Malavalli-Kanakapura-Bangalore

Took me 9.5 hours including breaks (25 minutes for breakfast at Pollachi and about 20-25 minutes power nap just before Chamarajnagar - so a total of about 45-50 minutes) for 520 kms.

Roads good all through. Didn't have a problem in the Ernakulam-Alwaye sector because I started at 4 AM. But I think a 5AM start would perhaps have been better because Mannuthi to Vadakkanchery is best covered in daylight. That was the worst part of the drive with plenty of truck traffic opposite you with lights on high beam plus a drizzle which made visibility even worse.

Watch out for some unmarked speed breakers on the Vadakkanchery-Pollachi section as well as the Palladam-Avinashi stretch.

Has anybody tried the Bhavani-Mettur route recently? The plan is to take Pollachi-Palladam-Avinashi-Bhavani-Mettur-Dharmapuri-Rayakottai-Attibele to Bangalore. Don't want to get stuck in toll booths after this long weekend. Especially the Krishnagiri and Attibele ones.

I see a Shree Saravana Bhavan inside Bhavani town, in Google Maps. Any idea how this is for a food break?

Quote:

Originally Posted by aajohn (Post 3546558)

Will be with family. Could anyone help me out with good hotel/restaurants on the way please:

One descent hotel which I know of after Karur is Valluvar resturant.
It is located on right hand side while traveling from Bangalore, there is a break in median around 300 mts ahead from where you can make a U turn.

The hotel is not mentioned in Google maps, however rough location is here.

This is the only pic I have as seen while driving from Bangalore.

Guys
I am doing Chennai TVM day after. Last time I missed the exit before Nagercoil and overshot and had to drive back through some bad roads into Nagercoil town and then to tvm.

google maps shows an exit right after ISRO Mahendragiri gate. Post that the route shows as Aravaimozhi - Boothapandy - Marthandam - Neyyantikara - Tvm

Trust this is also the right route ?
thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by ampere (Post 3546337)

How is Avinashi-Sevur-Puliampatty? Worth taking it to avoid Annur?

The road surface is excellent, and traffic was sparse in general except for the first 5 kms or so from Avinashi. I passed that place around 8:30/9AM and there was a lot of 2 wheeler traffic in the opposite direction (towards Avinashi) in the first few kms - presumably people going to work in offices / factories in Avinashi. Other than that it was a pleasure to drive.

My choice of the Sevur route was just beause I just wanted to check out how good it is. Can't really provide a comparison relative to the Annur-Karumathampatty-KamanaikenPalayam route since I haven't travelled past Karumathampatty for a while now (and never past Karanampatti). May be someone who travels next that way will provide feedback on how good or bad that route is.

Quote:

Originally Posted by narayan (Post 3546592)

If you are looking at boothapandy route, then check the below post from J.Ravi.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post3520952

If you are looking at only bypassing nagercoil, then here is the route update and road conditions,
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post3520719

Quote:

Originally Posted by treadmark (Post 3540617)

When you say left from L&T, did you mean the left next to Karpagam College? If yes wont that be crowded stretch with heavy traffic between Coimbatore ~ Pollachi? If not please let us know the exact location where to take a left at L&T bye pass?

This is a news I wished to hear for a long time :)

Cheers!

Yes, I do mean the Karpakkam College left, but though there is traffic, the road is good, and it takes you right thro to the Pollachi town turning to the Kollengode/Vadakkencherry road.