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~250 km to Nagarcoil and should take about 3.5-4 hours at max.
Nagaracoil to Poovar should be about 50km. But expect heavy traffic. Should take any where up to 2 hours. Check with others.

About 250km again, but a very taxing drive as it would go through the heart of Kerala. Expect an easy 6-7 hours. Not sure which is a better route here. (Allapuzha/NH47 or via Kollam/Kottayam/Ettumanoor


Very few on the 4-lane beyond Madurai. Carry some packed food and water for a back-up.

Ampere thanks again!

I read in other route queries Trivandrum to Kochin/Coimbatore in the forum pretty much the same thing. If we decide to skip Cherai Beach and decide to go to Guruvayur directly from Poovar, is there a way to bypass Kochi? Between NH and MC Road choices for Trivandrum and Kochi which is better? Can anyone who traveled recently that route help please? Thanks.

Cheers

Cheers

I think its possible to bypass. You can go past Tripunithura and latch on NH47 4-lane.

At least I am not too sure on this part especially south of Ernakulam. One option I thought was :

Poovar - TVM - Kilimanoor - Kottarakara - Adoor - Kottayam bypass - Ettuamanoor - Vaikom - Thripunithura - (NH47 4-lane) - Trichur - Guruvayur

Better option is to turn right from Kundannoor Junction (Where Hotels Le Meridian and Crowne Plaza are located) and then join Seaport Airport Road to reach Kalamasserry.

If the route via Kottayam is opted, then you need not touch Vaikom as there is another option of turning right from Thalayolaparambu and to join the Kottayam - Ernakulam road after Poothotta and then again through Seaport - Airport Road from Thripunithura.

The roads will be crowded and traffic crawls during morning and evening peak hours.

Between MC Road and NH, I recommend the NH as many towns on the MC Road will slow you down considerably. Further the Chaengannur - Ettumanoor stretch is bumpy and bouncy.

MC Road is under construction between Muvattupuzha and Chenganassery so better opt for NH47 via Kollam, Alleppey.

Or you can come via MC Road till Perumthuruthy after Thiruvalla and then take the right to Thengana, Puthuppally, Manarcad, Ettumanoor, Thalayolaparambu, Chottanikkara (BP), Karingachira (turn right) and enter Sea Port - Airport road to Kalamassery and join NH 47. From there you can go to Guruvayur either via Aluva (turn left), North Paravur, Chavakkad or Aluva, Thrissur, Guruvayur.

You can also go to Cherai via this route. Take the left after North Paravur to Cherai.

Ampere, Rajeev, JohnnyBoss thanks v much! Decided to drop Cherai; in stead stay at Alapuzha Ramada and proceed to Guruvayur and return via Coimbatore to Bangalore. Is it possible to bypass Kochi when traveling from Alapuzha to Guruvayur? Cheers

In that case I think the only option is : Alapuzha - (Kumarakom-Vaikom road) - Vaikom - Tripunithura - Angamaly - Trichur - GVR

Route Link

The Alappuzha - Vaikom road was not in good shape around Thanneermukkom area, heard sometime ago. Don't know if it is the same now.

So my suggestion is to stick to NH47 till Kundanoor and then go via Tripunithura, Kalamassery to Guruvayur skipping Kochi.

Here is the link to the suggested route.

Visited Guruvayur on 30-12-15 and it took 2.5hours for darshan. The crowd was managed well outside the temple by segregation of Sabarimala pilgrims, female pilgrims and general public. However all confusion starts once you enter the temple premises and chaos till you get darshan.

Did a trip to Wayanad and then to Thaliparambu from Cochin in the last three days. Went via Thrissur - Keecheri- kuttippuram- kottackal- Ramanattukara- Thamarassery churam. Bye pass to Kunnamkulam via keecheri road is not that good. Thamarassery churam traffic was minimal and didn't face any road block due to the maintenance works. Roads till Tirunelli temple was in good shape except at some rough patches near panamaram.

Mananthawady - Kottiyoor road condition is also decent, through the palchuram, though road is not smooth. Kottiyoor -Iritty -Thaliparambu roads are all in good condition.

Returned by NH17 all the way till Cochin. Didn't face any major traffic throughout as the Ponnani -Cochin sector was done in the night. But Paravoor- Cochin was slightly difficult due to the presence of many trucks.

You may find Chennai - Guruvayur trip details in the following link under post #39:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...0ps-rxl-3.html

Thanks deepclutch, Since I could not get this message before I started, while going I took the Vaikom route, but turned out to be a wrong decision. As you rightly said, the roads are in bad shape. But while coming back took the NH49 and it is in good shape and had a comfortable drive.

I drove the Vaikom -> Thannermukkom -> Muhamma -> Alleppy route a week back. This road is good. It is only the surface of the 2 bridges at Thannermukkom that is a little bad now and this is a small distance.

Drove Vaikom -> Bangalore yesterday on the usual Palakkad/Salem route.

Some useful tips to be shared are:
1) In Vaikom - Tripunitura road, there are 2 junctions where white cemented interlocking blocks are laid. Slow down to 20 kmph as soon as you see this, for the entry and exit to this is at a significantly different level than the adjacent tar surface

2) In Alwaye (to Trissur direction), there is a bridge and soon a right turn followed by an immediate left turn. There is an abnormal hump built immediately after the left turn. Though it is marked in white colour, it is easy to miss. Beware

3) We now carry 200 ml ORS tetra packs (available in all medical shops) to drink in the car. This is quite effective in supplementing the needed fluids and electrolytes, along with little or no side effects related to purge (typical of drinking excessive water while travelling) :Cheering:


Started from Vaikom at 4:45 in the morning, and reached hotel Ramees guestline before Electronic city at 1:30 noon with a 30 min break for breakfast and two 5 mins stretching breaks. I did not overspeed and was able to clock 100 kmph in most of the sections except for places like Kutiran, L&T bypass etc. Only streches without 4 lanes are Coimbatore outer to Palakkad and then Wadakkencherry to Mannuthi. There are many more traffic lights in the Mannuthy - Alwaye road and this is easy to pass if the drive is in the morning or night time.

How is the taste? Did you try with chilled, normal or hot water?