[mpksuhas]

What about the Nanjanguad- Sathyamangalam- Metupalayam route, is the night closure of road inside forest followed in this strech also?
We were planning a weekend Ooty trip from Bangalore on 19-20 June weekend, if Sathyamangalam route was open we could have used that on 18th night and reached Ooty by 19th morning.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

What about the Nanjanguad- Sathyamangalam- Metupalayam route, is the night closure of road inside forest followed in this strech also?
We were planning a weekend Ooty trip from Bangalore on 19-20 June weekend, if Sathyamangalam route was open we could have used that on 18th night and reached Ooty by 19th morning.

Ideally if you leave Blore by 4am you would reach Ooty for breakfast by 830-9am via the normal route.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Ideally if you leave Blore by 4am you would reach Ooty for breakfast by 830-9am via the normal route.

Add another half an hour for "slow drivers" like me . I take 6!

Could have done but for my kid, who could not take the drive for some and throwing up.
Trick is not to stop anywhere between Bangalore and Mysore for BF. That easily hogs about 45 minutes to an hour.

[mpksuhas]

Yes, we had thought of that too. Have kept that as our plan B; Plan A being going through Sathyamangalam the previous night itself. That way we could start sightseeing on the next day without any further delay since the trip just for two days. Provided night traffic through Sathyamangalam- Metupalayam route is not blocked.

[vicky76]

I am driving to Ooty next weekend. Can somebody who has travelled recently please confirm the road conditions from Mysore? Since I am travelling with my wife & 2 yr kid, I was wondering whether to take the steeper Masinagudi route or the safer Gudalur route. As in, do these roads on the Masinagudi route have barricades on the sides? Is it so narrow that you may need to get off the road to allow oncoming traffic? I don't mind driving 30 kms more via Gudalur if it is safer. Please advise.
I have driven earlier to Wayanad, Mlore, C'magalur, etc. And I drive a 2006 Accent with T-BHP sticker proudly displayed on the rear bumper .

[kala]

Originally Posted by vicky76

I am driving to Ooty next weekend. Can somebody who has travelled recently please confirm the road conditions from Mysore? Since I am travelling with my wife & 2 yr kid, I was wondering whether to take the steeper Masinagudi route or the safer Gudalur route. As in, do these roads on the Masinagudi route have barricades on the sides? Is it so narrow that you may need to get off the road to allow oncoming traffic? I don't mind driving 30 kms more via Gudalur if it is safer. Please advise.
I have driven earlier to Wayanad, Mlore, C'magalur, etc. And I drive a 2006 Accent with T-BHP sticker proudly displayed on the rear bumper .

Check out this thread for reports from people who travelled that way in the last couple of weeks :

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ndition-4.html

The Masinagudi route is quite good and easily doable with an Accent. The initial portions after you turn left from Theppekkadu (till Masinagudi) is the stretch that is quite narrow and has a few potholes. After that it's generally a breeze - except for the fact that the climb is quite steep.

[raihan]

Originally Posted by vicky76

I am driving to Ooty next weekend. Can somebody who has travelled recently please confirm the road conditions from Mysore? Since I am travelling with my wife & 2 yr kid, I was wondering whether to take the steeper Masinagudi route or the safer Gudalur route. As in, do these roads on the Masinagudi route have barricades on the sides? Is it so narrow that you may need to get off the road to allow oncoming traffic? I don't mind driving 30 kms more via Gudalur if it is safer. Please advise.
I have driven earlier to Wayanad, Mlore, C'magalur, etc. And I drive a 2006 Accent with T-BHP sticker proudly displayed on the rear bumper .

Drove to Ooty 15 days ago and there aren't any barricades if you choose the steeper/shorter masinagudi route. You will have to use 1st gear mostly to climb. Yes, it is so narrow that 2 vehicles cannot pass in some places, I remember in 2003 I had to reverse my Cielo in a hair-pin bend to let a bus through!
I usually take the shorter route on my way to Ooty & return via gudalur.

[vicky76]

Thanks Kala & Raihan for the info. I may probably stick to the longer route.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by vicky76

Thanks Kala & Raihan for the info. I may probably stick to the longer route.

I just drove to Ooty and returned back last weekend. There are no barricades in masinagudi route.
If you take masinagudi route, for accent, probably you may need to reverse in some places, if there is any oncoming vehicles. Watch out for some taxi cabs coming fast in wrong side of the road.

If you are taking the longer gudalur route, mind you that it will take additionally atleast 1.5 hrs more to reach Ooty and it is quite tiring too. There are many blind curves in that route.

-Ravi

[asdon]

A common question to all, though I never refused to give but always think if I should give Rs 10 to the gate keeper at Bandipur while going towards Ooty? Once I asked for receipt which he denied, but never fought. My question is why the gate keeper is asking for money when the road is NH and its not an NHAI toll booth?

[ravib]

Strictly speaking, its not necessary and they shouldn't be asking. But the reality is they do ask many people/vehicles which is illegal.

I did pay 10 bucks this time to the gate keeper in mudumali entrance at TN border. We are just avoiding to confront with those police guards unnecessarily and don't want to spoil the mood while on the way to enjoy the nilgiris and bandipur/mudumalai forests

-Ravi

[mykal shoemaker]

I got a receipt when I paid something at Mudumalai entrance.
They gave some echo tourism related receipt and a Do and don'ts while driving through the route notice alongwith that.

[sumannandy]

We traveled to Ooty recently but we did not have to pay any such 'toll' at bandipur.

Road is bad for about 20-25 kms from Mysore. We took the longer Gudalur route this time.

[ajithbr]

We travelled Calicut-Nilambur-Gudalur-Gundlupet-Mysore-Bangalore yesterday and there is no such toll fees either in Mudumalai or Bandipur. Never heard of such toll fee collection in the last couple of years as well. Some people used to bribe the gatekeeper there to avoid thorough checking of vehicles (remember once a private tour bus driver giving 20 or 50 Rs note for not stopping his vehicle for checking) causing delay and inconvenience to passengers. Generally, they dont even stop if a family is travelling in smaller vehicles and just glance and wave to move on.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by ajithbr

We travelled Calicut-Nilambur-Gudalur-Gundlupet-Mysore-Bangalore yesterday and there is no such toll fees either in Mudumalai or Bandipur. Never heard of such toll fee collection in the last couple of years as well. Some people used to bribe the gatekeeper there to avoid thorough checking of vehicles (remember once a private tour bus driver giving 20 or 50 Rs note for not stopping his vehicle for checking) causing delay and inconvenience to passengers. Generally, they dont even stop if a family is travelling in smaller vehicles and just glance and wave to move on.

Oh yea, its not an "official" toll. Totally unofficial

-Ravi