[SureshS]

Went to Kollur on 29th. Drove via Magadi-Hasan-Chikmagalur-Sringeri-Agumbe-Jadkal. I stayed at Jadkal Estate which is around 10kms before Kollur. The route was good except some patches between Belur and Chikmagalur were bad.

Started at 6:30am, stopped for breakfast at Adigas Grand after Kunigal. Stopped at Sringeri for an hour and half for Darshan and lunch. Reached Jadkal around 5:30pm.

Came back via Kollur-Nagara-Shimoga-Arsikere-Chennarayapatna-Magadi today. The highway from Shimoga onwards is not in great shape. Bad patches, too many speed breakers and slow moving traffic. Decided not to go to Tumkur but head to Chennarayapatna. That drive was superb though it rained cats and dogs. The traffic on Hassan - Nelamangala stretch was high with everyone coming back from holidays. So decided to go via Magadi. Started at 8:40am from Jadkal. Had three breaks in between. Reached home around 7:00pm.

[pramodpk]

Originally Posted by NPV

Alternately, you can do Bangalore-Sringeri, stay overnight there and head to Horandu next day, visit the temple and head back to Bangalore after lunch.

Check this post for a Bangalore-Sringeri day trip update.

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Well, he can still do Kalasa - Kuduremukha - SK Border - Bajagoli - Naravi - Guruvayanakere - Ujire - Dharmasthala.

Equally scenic and perhaps more straight roads through this scenery for some lovely photogenic locations with almost minimal traffic from Kalasa till SK Border.


And for the overall itinerary, even keeping the scenery in mind, Bangalore - Chikmagalur - Aldur - Jayapura - Sringeri - Kuduremukha - Kalasa - Horanadu - Kalasa - Kottigehara -Charmadi - Ujire - Dharmasthala - Gundya - Sakleshpur - Hassan - Bangalore .

That way, you get to do both the scenic routes between Sringeri - Kuduremukha and as well the Charmadi Ghats.

Originally Posted by ampere

This is what he meant

Route Link


- Go till Chikkamagulur.
- Ask for Aldur road or directions to Serai (Its on Aldur road)

Originally Posted by pramodpk

I want to do a Bangalore - Sringeri - Horanadu - Dharmasthala trip on a weekend in July.

This trip did not materialize. Now I am planning to visit the following places from Jan 26 th to Jan 29th.

Jan 26th - Whitefield - Sringeri (have lunch at temple) - Kollur. Arrive Kollur in the evening.

Stay - Beena Residency or Mookambika Palace

Jan 27th - Visit Kodachadri. Any suggestions?

Jan 28th - Kollur - Udupi - Horanadu - Dharmasthala. Stay in Dharmathala

Stay - Netravathi- https://www.shridharmasthala.org/por.../netravathi-2/
Jan 29th - Dharmasthala to Bangalore

From your previous inputs, here is the map that I prepared.

https://goo.gl/maps/B4cfUBsXCHK2

Please let me know your suggestions. Is there any dress code to be followed in these temples. Are there any more places to be covered. As always, I would like a scenic drive even though it is slightly longer.

Thanks in advance.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by pramodpk

Jan 27th - Visit Kodachadri. Any suggestions?

pramod - you can also drive down to Sigandur from Kollur. I had asked a few locals how the roads are when I was there last week and they said its pretty decent but I would take that with a pinch of salt. Having said that, it would be a super drive through some twisty roads. If you are driving a high GC car, you could try https://goo.gl/maps/JdgP3nkUEr32

Else you can visit ottinene beach or even kodi bendre beach if you are in the mood for some sun & sand or even visit this super private beach which abirnale discovered near murudeshwara https://goo.gl/maps/5SRZKbUJVXT2. Check this post

[theredliner]

I will be doing Shivamogga > Narasimharajapura > Bengaluru tomorrow.

Which road do you recommend upto NR Pura?
1. Shivamogga - Gajanuru - Sakrebylu - NR Pura
2. Shivamogga - Umblibail - NR Pura

From NR Pura to Bengaluru
1. NR Pura - Bhadravati - Bengaluru OR
2. NR Pura - Balehonnur - Chikkamagaluru - Bengaluru?

If it is the second one, any good food stops in Chikkamagaluru?

Route which is scenic(with curves) with lesser traffic is preferred. TIA.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by theredliner

From NR Pura to Bengaluru
1. NR Pura - Bhadravati - Bengaluru OR
2. NR Pura - Balehonnur - Chikkamagaluru - Bengaluru?

I would choose the route via Balehonnur as I know that Bhadravati - Kadur is a pain to drive especially if you get your timings wrong. Having said that, im not sure about the road conditions between NR Pura - Balehonnur but the rest is beautiful twisty tarmac

If you are not sure about NR Pura - Balehonnur, you could drive NR Pura - Koppa - Jayapura - Balehonnur, Which I know is in a good shape based on inputs from friends who drove in Feb.

If it is the second one, any good food stops in Chikkamagaluru?

2 places that I have eaten at is Town canteen & Annapurna (opposite bus stand). Food is good but dont expect "ambiance". Else you could always get to Hassan, where you have many more options.

[theredliner]

Originally Posted by procrj

I would choose the route via Balehonnur as I know that Bhadravati - Kadur is a pain to drive especially if you get your timings wrong. Having said that, im not sure about the road conditions between NR Pura - Balehonnur but the rest is beautiful twisty tarmac

If you are not sure about NR Pura - Balehonnur, you could drive NR Pura - Koppa - Jayapura - Balehonnur, Which I know is in a good shape based on inputs from friends who drove in Feb.

Thanks procrj. I ended up including Horanadu in the trip. Had awesome food there too, in the temple. Below are the conditions,

1. Shivamogga - Mandagadde - NR Pura: It is the same Thirthahalli highway till after Mandagadde. After that there is a deviation towards Muttinakoppa which joins SH 65. The Thirthahalli road is in good condition till Mandagadde, but narrow. Near Mandagadde, bridge construction work is going on for 1- 2 km where you need to slow down.
SH 65 from Muttinakoppa is still quite good, but has started to become a bit rough from Muttinakoppa - Madaboor.

2. Narasimharajapura - Balehonnur: Asked one of my relatives (NR Pura resident) about this route and he gave a green signal. This route is in very good condition. Very minimal traffic and filled with fast curves when driving a Linea T-Jet can mean only one thing

3. Balehonnur - Magundi - Balehole - Horanadu: Great road but narrow and filled with relatively slow and tight curves till Haluvalli.
Very narrow road (~1.5-1.75 lanes) with steep, tight curves from Haluvalli - Horanadu.

4. Horanadu - Kalasa - Kottigehara - Mudigere: Great (mostly tight) curvy roads till Kottigehara.
Kottigehara - Mudigere is also in mostly good condition.

5. Mudigere - Belur: Roads are mostly in good condition, but patchy in a few places. The road could be wider considering higher two wheeler and auto traffic.

Belur - Hassan and Hassan - Bengaluru routes are anyway well known so won't comment about them.

Overall, it was a lot of fun driving from NR Pura all the way till Kottigehara.

[vint]

Hi,
I'm planning a drive with family to Sringeri & Horanadu from Bangalore. I plan to visit Sringeri directly and halt there, and visit Horanadu on the way back the next day.

I'm a planning to start from bangalore either on a friday or sunday, but I'm a little apprehensive about the route to take, having heard about naxal activities in the forests of sringeri & horanadu.

What I want to know is :
1. Which is the best route to Sringeri from Bangalore ? Is it safe to drive by self to sringeri. I heard there're lot of forests in between, so asking this from a safety point of view.
2. How long are the ghat sections ? Some members of my family have a problem with too many twists and turns. Is it too narrow/steep to drive with lot of hairpin bends or manageable ? I've not driven through much of the ghats in India.

I'm planning to drive only in day time.

[deehunk]

Originally Posted by vint

I'm planning a drive with family to Sringeri & Horanadu from Bangalore. I plan to visit Sringeri directly and halt there and visit Horanadu on the way back the next day.

I'm a planning to start from Bangalore either on a Friday or Sunday.

How long are the ghat sections? Some members of my family have a problem with too many twists and turns. Is it too narrow/steep to drive with a lot of hairpin bends or manageable?

I'm planning to drive only in daytime.

The plan to drive in daytime is ideal since you have not driven much on ghat roads. There are good options to stay at Horanadu overnight, check this local website,

http://setmytour.com/SMT_Pages/Home.aspx

The road conditions are good and nothing to worry from Bangalore to Sringeri. If your family members feel uncomfortable, take small breaks. You will find stretches of twisty roads from Horanadu to Mudigere and it will take around 2 to 2.5 hours to cover this stretch, but this is a very scenic and green route. I would advise you to take the Horanadu-Kalasa-Kelagur-Mudigere-Belur-Hassan-Bangalore route on the return journey.

[autospeaker]

Originally Posted by vint

Hi,
I'm planning a drive with family to Sringeri & Horanadu from Bangalore. I plan to visit Sringeri directly and halt there, and visit Horanadu on the way back the next day.

Please take this route to Sringeri from Bangalore - Bangalore-Belur-Chikmagalur-Aldur-Balehonnuru- Sringeri. Do not take Mudigere route while going to Sringeri.
Roads are quite Ok to be driven during daytime. No issues whatsoever with safety and security. Need not be apprehensive about that. There are a few twists in the ghats which might cause trouble to people who are bit sensitive. Having an areca nut piece in the mouth helps.

You can directly go to Horanadu from Sringeri and you can take Mudigere route while returning to Bangalore.

Have a safe journey!

[spiler]

Hi, I am planning a trip to Sringeri, Horanadu & Dharmasthala next month. Current plan is to go to Sringeri and Horanadu on day1 and halt at Kalasa. cover Dharmasthala on day2 and finally go to Puttur from there. Few queries
1. Is the day1 plan doable? ( considering temple timings and route condition)

2. How is the route condition between Sringeri and Horanadu.?

3. From Kalasa to Dharmasthala google maps gives 2 options one via kudremukh and another one through charmadi. Which one is better?

[deehunk]

The temples of Sringeri and Horanadu can be covered in one day, you can stay at Horanadu. The road conditions are good. I would suggest you take the Charmadi ghat option to reach Dharmasthala, the other route is longer than it looks on the map in terms of time. Refer my last post on this page.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by deehunk

I would suggest you take the Charmadi ghat option to reach Dharmasthala, the other route is longer than it looks on the map in terms of time. Refer my last post on this page.

Dee, just thinking loud, wouldn't Charmadi be more time consuming compared to Kuduremukha? I have noticed Kalasa Kuduremukha SK Border Bajagoli is quicker and easier due to lesser curves, especially after Kuduremukha. Then from Bajagoli, one can do Guruvayanakere in less than 40min and hence Ujire in say 60m and Dharmasthala In 75m (from Bajagoli).

The thing with taking Charmadi is that the Kalasa Kottigehara itself will be never ending twisters and narrower tarmac and then from here all the way to Ujire. Traffic on Kuduremukha road too shall be least when compared with Charmadi.

It may also be possible that timing wise it should not make much difference in reality. I need to check my post from last year where I did Kottigehara Kalasa Kuduremukha Ujire Charmadi Kottigehara one of the evenings and returned back to Bangalore for the night. I have posted the time of passing each of these places in that post that should give some idea.Let me see if I can find it. Since that was Solo I will add few minutes of buffer to that obviously as it matters how you take turns when Solo and when there are passengers :-).

Here is that post:

Originally Posted by paragsachania

1155 - Departure from Bangalore
1455 - Enter Belur
1505 - Exit Belur (after refueling)
1540 - Enter Mudigere (via Gendehalli)
1600 - Kottigehara (quick break for 15 mins)
1615 - Start for Kalasa
1715 - Exit Kalasa
1730 - Forest Check-post Entry
1745 - Exit Kuduremukha
1823 - Forest Check-post Exit (SK Border)
1830 - Bajagoli
1911 - Guruvayanakere
1923 - Ujire
1940 - Enter Charmadi (Check post)
2017 - Cross Kottigehara
2031 - Cross Mudigere Handpost
2102 - Enter Belur
2135 - Enter Hassan
2202 - Dinner Break, Udyapura
2216 - Start for Bangalore
2330 - Nelemangala
2355 - Home

(accuracy of logs - Timestamp on the Dachcam clips)

Going by this, Kalasa (1715) to Ujire (1923) via Kuduremukha took just about 2 Hours without break. This means Kalasa to Dharmasthala would have been 2H20M max.

Now If I consider that with Kalasa Kottigehara, it had taken me 1 Hour and Ujire Kottigehara almost nearing an hour with no breaks. So that's 2 Hours again. Means Kalasa to Dharmasthala via Charmadi also would gave taken same time as via Kuduremukha.

Between the 2, I will pick Kuduremukha option for lesser traffic and less twisty roads and even Bajagoli Guruvayanakere is well done now.

[spiler]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Between the 2, I will pick Kuduremukha option for lesser traffic and less twisty roads and even Bajagoli Guruvayanakere is well done now.

If that's the case, i would prefer taking the Kudremukha option as i will be driving with a 4 year old and would take a route with less twisty roads.

Originally Posted by deehunk

The temples of Sringeri and Horanadu can be covered in one day, you can stay at Horanadu. The road conditions are good. I would suggest you take the Charmadi ghat option to reach Dharmasthala, the other route is longer than it looks on the map in terms of time. Refer my last post on this page.

How are the stay options at Horanadu?, since i could not find many options online, hence the plan to stay at Kalasa.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by spiler

How are the stay options at Horanadu?, since i could not find many options online, hence the plan to stay at Kalasa.

Kalasa has limited options. Earlier Suprabha Regency is what I would recommend and that I heard latest from a friend has gone down in terms of quality.

Then there is Ashirwad which is a new entrant and has quite a good reviews. You can check this and decide in case you haven't froze the Hotel in Kalasa yet.

[autospeaker]

Originally Posted by spiler

How are the stay options at Horanadu?, since i could not find many options online, hence the plan to stay at Kalasa.

The temple provides the basic accommodation and of course, food, for all the visitors. This applies in both Horanadu and Sringeri.