[ampere]

@Ramesh the second option is the same route that you mention.
Bhavani is on NH47 and bypasses Erode completely. But as you said for night drive its better to go via NH7 and Theni/Bodi.

[luvurride]

@nfsfreak

Route 1 is the fastest and the safest in nights which is what you are attempting both ways. There is no night restrictions in this route. It is the NH from Madurai to Kochi.

Route 2 is definitely scenic and roads are good too. They are also safe except for the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary part where you may have some encounters. But it is closed entry past 6pm. Atleast that is how it was, you can maybe check up with them -Chinnar wildlife sanctuary, Western Ghats, Kerala, India
Note: This link is for the Kerala check post. Please specifically ask them if the entire route is permitted to drive at nights.

Route 3 is not advisable to avoid Tirupur and anyway Route 2 is better than Route 3.

Please be cautious to drive at nights in Munnar ghats as Munnar is a misty place and your visibility may at times be restricted to few meters. I have been on a jeep to Club Mahindra from Munnar once at night and the jeep driver used to look out by jutting his head out on the side to stay on the road! I have attempted the Udumalpet section at night by just gaining entry into Chinnar by 5.45pm. The ride was really thrilling and exciting thereafter.

Safe Driving!

[NPV]

@nfsfreak - plan your night drive after making sure that the forest check posts will be open or you may encounter nasty surprises.

Route 1 which is via NH7 upto Dindigul is superb and the fastest route. Roads on Dindigul - Bathlagundu - Theni and then upto Bodi is also good. After Bodi there is a forest checkpost, so again check their timings. From Bodi the road to Munnar is good, but at few places it is narrow and maybe an issue if you're driving in darkness (factor in the effect of monsoons on this stretch of road) - this route will first get you to Chinnakanal and then from there Munnar town is another 20km or so.

Udumalaipet route also is good but you have about 5 forest checkposts so again you need to check their timings.

I took the Udumalaipet route while going to Munnar (but I stayed overnight at Coimbatore as there was a strike in Kerala that day and wanted to avoid that) and on my return I did Munnar-Theni-Dindigul-Bangalore.
You can see my tlog for details - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...re-4-days.html

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by nfsfreak

Friends,

Planning for a trip to Munnar from Bangalore this weekend with friends.

Planned start would be by around 7 PM from bangalore on Friday (1st July 2011).

Came across below routes in the same thread.


1. Bangalore - Hosur - Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri - Salem - Namakkal - Karur - Dindigul - Theni - Bodinaykanur - Munnar

2. Bangalore - Hosur - Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri - Bhavani - Kangayam - Dharapuram - Udumalaippettai - Maraiyoor - Munnar

3. Bangalore - Hosur - Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri - Bhavani - Perundurai - Tirupur - Palladam - Udumalaippettai - Chinnar - Maraiyoor - Munnar


I am planning to take Route 1 from Bangalore (heard its 4 laned till Dindigul and route is very good till batlagundu) and return via udumalpet as I heard that it will be more scenic.

Based on current conditions, Please suggest which one will be faster in these three and which one to take for my return (route 2 or 3).


Also, I guess, I would reach Bodi at 4 AM. Are we allowed to drive the ghat section to Munnar in the nights?

I would plan my return also, based on this. My plan is to leave Munnar by 8 PM on Sunday (3rd July 2011)


Thanks in advance

I dont see a major gain in time by driving to Munnar at night and driving on the ghats and forests with fog and reduced visibility,IMHO is not a great proposition & if it begins to rain,it just complicates your matters.Ofcourse if the idea is to experience night driving,its a different story.AFAIK,even the private buses that go to Munnar from Bangalore start the climb only after 530-6.

Instead why dont you leave Bangalore by 3-4am,,and you would be in Munnar by 10-11.This way you get to enjoy the scenic beauty of the route and the added advantage is you would still have more than half the day at your disposal even after catching up on your sleep.

With a night drive to Munnar,my hunch is you would end up paying the hotel guys just to sleep on day1.

If you are driving night,then you cannot take the Udumulpet route.It opens only at 6am.Bodi route is the only route at night.

Same advise on your return trip as well.Visibility might or might not be a problem especially with the monsoons in full flow in Kerala.If you do want to start in the evenings,then I would reccomend that you get down to the plains by 7pm which means you would have to leave Munnar earlier around 4-5pm and take the Theni route again.Udumulpet route is again ruled out as the route would be close.This would ensure you have a stress free drive.

[narayans80]

nfsfreak, I agree with Ranjit here, there is no point in driving up or down a hillstation at night. After all its the climb that is an enjoyable part of the journey than the stay itself. Bodi route is open at night. About fogs: Chinnakanal-Periyakanal area (22 km to Munnar) esp sees heavy fogs even at mid day.

AFAIK,even the private buses that go to Munnar from Bangalore start the climb only after 530-6.

Not just Munnar, most long distance hillstation bound buses time the climb up to around 5-6 am time.

[nfsfreak]

Thanks Ramesh,ampere,luvurride,ranjitp1,NPV,narayans80 for your inputs.

Have revised the plan based on that.

Will leave Bangalore after 11 PM. Take Route 2 (Bangalore - Dharmapuri - Bhavani - Kangayam - Dharapuram - Udumalaippettai - Maraiyoor - Munnar).Reach Udumalpet by 6 AM or so (with few breaks - with my friends, its gonna be long).
Start Udumalpet-Munnar stretch by 7 AM and would be there in our stay, max @ 10 AM.

Return - start from Munnar either by Sunday 5 PM or Monday 7 AM via Bodi- Dindigul-Salem.


Also need suggestions on decent stays in Munnar:
came across John's home stay, S N Tourist Home & Munnar Inn in one of the T'logues.

Any reviews on these options, please update or if you can suggest any other hotel/home stay which would suit Bachelors, you're most welcome

Budget is 2500 max per night.

Thanks in advance

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by nfsfreak

Thanks Ramesh,ampere,luvurride,ranjitp1,NPV,narayans80 for your inputs.

Have revised the plan based on that.

Will leave Bangalore after 11 PM. Take Route 2 (Bangalore - Dharmapuri - Bhavani - Kangayam - Dharapuram - Udumalaippettai - Maraiyoor - Munnar).Reach Udumalpet by 6 AM or so (with few breaks - with my friends, its gonna be long).
Start Udumalpet-Munnar stretch by 7 AM and would be there in our stay, max @ 10 AM.

Return - start from Munnar either by Sunday 5 PM or Monday 7 AM via Bodi- Dindigul-Salem.


Also need suggestions on decent stays in Munnar:
came across John's home stay, S N Tourist Home & Munnar Inn in one of the T'logues.

Any reviews on these options, please update or if you can suggest any other hotel/home stay which would suit Bachelors, you're most welcome

Budget is 2500 max per night.

Thanks in advance

John's stay is a good place,if you have more number of people,you could book the entire place for yourself.I have stayed there myself and is a pretty nice place.It is just beside the MSA(Munnar Supply Authority).Around 1km from the town towards Kochi.The other two are your regular hotel type of stays.John's would be in your budget.

Remember to go via Salem from Thoppur and not via Bhavani.Continue on NH7 till Salem and then divert to NH47,the thoppur-mettur road is in a not so great condition.

[neo45007]

Originally Posted by nfsfreak

Thanks
Return - start from Munnar either by Sunday 5 PM or Monday 7 AM via Bodi- Dindigul-Salem.

Thanks in advance

I would suggest to start back on Monday morning. Generally in Munnar, you will have rains in afternoon & evening. Mornings are better with little clear sky even in Mansoons.

Check out : --AYUR COUNTY--

We stayed here and found to be a good place. Though its far from Munnar town, the location is just unmatchable.

Its at Chinnakanal - on road towards Theni / Thekkady from Munnar town.

[wasif]

Hi All.

A bit of sad news from me is that the driving tour to Munnar from Bangalore that I was planning has had to be dropped due to time constraints.

Now the plan is to fly from Hyd to Coimbatore, rent a car and drive up to Munnar and spend three nights there.

I am torn between the Sienna Village and this place called The Silvertips ( said to be a Bollywood themed hotel) which comes highly recommended on Trip Advisor.

Was wondering if anyone has tried thsi Silvertips place ?

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by wasif

Hi All.

A bit of sad news from me is that the driving tour to Munnar from Bangalore that I was planning has had to be dropped due to time constraints.

Now the plan is to fly from Hyd to Coimbatore, rent a car and drive up to Munnar and spend three nights there.

I am torn between the Sienna Village and this place called The Silvertips ( said to be a Bollywood themed hotel) which comes highly recommended on Trip Advisor.

Was wondering if anyone has tried thsi Silvertips place ?

All the best for the drive.There is a car/driver that I usually reccomend to people going towards Munnar.Feel free to pm me in case you need the numbers.

No info on silver tips from me,but from the website etc,this looks more like a run of the mill regular hotel.Siena Village/Edasserry etc are spread out in terms of area and have cottages so more place to walk around etc.

[wasif]

Thanks Ranjit...will drop you a line soon. I am looking for a self drive car....more freedom

[nfsfreak]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

John's stay is a good place,
.
.
Remember to go via Salem from Thoppur and not via Bhavani.Continue on NH7 till Salem and then divert to NH47,the thoppur-mettur road is in a not so great condition.

Thanks Ranjit. The route will be Blr-Salem-Sangagiri-Bhavani-Perundurai-Kangeyam-Udumalpet-Maraiyoor-Munnar.
(Done this Salem-Kangeyam stretch for my recent Valparai trip and its good)

Regarding stay, I called up John's home stay but they are ruled out for bachelors. Rates nominal though.

Originally Posted by neo45007

I would suggest to start back on Monday morning. Generally in Munnar, you will have rains in afternoon & evening. Mornings are better with little clear sky even in Mansoons.

Check out : --AYUR COUNTY--
.

Thanks Neo. It fits our budget and looks like a nice place. Called them up and blocked the rooms.

Regarding departure, Yes I'm pushing for Monday morning start. Lets see how things turn out.

Once again, Thanks Ranjit & Neo for the suggestions

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by wasif

Thanks Ranjit...will drop you a line soon. I am looking for a self drive car....more freedom

If its a self drive why dont you hire one from Hyd itself?I have taken cars from Avis and Hertz here.Hertz was around INR 1200 per day,ofcourse this was a couple of years back.Autoriders is good as well and decently maintained cars.

Roads are excellent,7hours to Blore and another 8hours to Munnar,with a stopover at Bangalore.

[wasif]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

If its a self drive why dont you hire one from Hyd itself?I have taken cars from Avis and Hertz here.Hertz was around INR 1200 per day,ofcourse this was a couple of years back.Autoriders is good as well and decently maintained cars.

Roads are excellent,7hours to Blore and another 8hours to Munnar,with a stopover at Bangalore.

Would love to but there is a tme constraint ....driving to and back would eat up around two to four days which is not an option right now so the driving will be only between Coimbatore and Munnar this time.

On second thoughts maybe I can explore this option as if we fly we cut out Bangalore and my aunt is furious.

I have done self hire from Avis in Hyd in 2009 and had a very pleasant experience, nice new Ford Fiesta Diesel was offered as an upgrade as they didn't have the Swift I had booked.

In the old days we used to do a lot of Hyd - Bangalore - Hyd road trips and it would take close to 12 to 14 hours ( late eighties / mid nineties)

Will try to get in touch with you when I am in Hyd from around 10th Aug

You know one thing I have noticed is thr if one is driving long distance in say GCC / Europe / US....the speedo / odo readings move faster than the clock reading whereas in India th clock seams to move faster tha the odo does !

[neo45007]

Originally Posted by nfsfreak

Thanks Neo. It fits our budget and looks like a nice place. Called them up and blocked the rooms.

Regarding departure, Yes I'm pushing for Monday morning start. Lets see how things turn out.

Once again, Thanks Ranjit & Neo for the suggestions

I would suggest to take Bangalore - Dindigul - Theni - Munnar route if you are going to Ayur County. The only reason being "this hotel comes on your way much before Munnar town on this route".

Nevertheless, you can always take the other route and enjoy early morning drive from Munnar to this resort (which is on Thekkady route).

Just make sure, you take up 'Special package with all meals'.
Reason : You hardly have other restaurants near this resort & if you opt for ala carte, it is expensive.