[manjubp]

Just back from Bangalore--> Ramanathapuram --> Bangalore trip.

Route Bangalore --> Salem --> Madurai --> Manamadurai --> Ramanathapuram
Return Ramanathapuram --> Paramakudi --> Ilayanagudi --> Melur --> Natham --> Dindigul --> Salem -->Bangalore.

Onward trip was ~7.5hrs and return trip was ~9.5 hrs excluding breaks. Return trip was slow due to the route taken and sand trucks hugging right lane on NH7 :-(

Considering rad condition, I would recommend Madurai (Airport road bypass) for both onward and return. Less stress and faster. Road condition via Natham is mixed from very good to bad.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by manjubp

Just back from Bangalore--> Ramanathapuram --> Bangalore trip.

Route Bangalore --> Salem --> Madurai --> Manamadurai --> Ramanathapuram
Return Ramanathapuram --> Paramakudi --> Ilayanagudi --> Melur --> Natham --> Dindigul --> Salem -->Bangalore.

....
Considering rad condition, I would recommend Madurai (Airport road bypass) for both onward and return. Less stress and faster. Road condition via Natham is mixed from very good to bad.

Thanks for this update. I also took the airport ring road during our Madurai-Kanyakumari-Rameswaram-Madurai-Bangalore trip.

What time did you reach Salem ? Asking since I've got stuck there during the last few trips on the way back home. 4pm-8pm usually has bumper to bumper traffic.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by manjubp

Considering rad condition, I would recommend Madurai (Airport road bypass) for both onward and return. Less stress and faster. Road condition via Natham is mixed from very good to bad.

So looks like Natham route is not helping much in cutting down travel time. Esp give the fact distances are almost same and NH7 offers more of 4-lane tarmac as well. So looks like its more of a hobbyist's route !

[ark_rover]

I am planning to do a trip down South and need some help on the route
Travel plan: Bangalore - Madurai - Rameswaram - Kanyakumari - Bangalore

Need suggestions on the route from Rameswaram to Kanyakumari

Option 1: Come back to Madurai from Rameswaram and take NH7 to go to KK
Option 2: Rameswaram via Kizhakarai, Sikkal, Vembar, Tutiucorin and Tiruchendur - Kanyakumari
Option 3: Google suggested: SH 75 - Rameswaram via Kizhakarai, Tirunelveli, join NH7 - to KK.

Which is the best option with good road conditions?

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by ark_rover

Option 2: Rameswaram via Kizhakarai, Sikkal, Vembar, Tutiucorin and Tiruchendur - Kanyakumari

Option 4 - Use option 2 till Tuticorin then take NH7A towards Tirunelveli and join NH7 towards Kanyakumari.

[ark_rover]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Option 4 - Use option 2 till Tuticorin then take NH7A towards Tirunelveli and join NH7 towards Kanyakumari.

Thanks for the suggestion, any idea about the road condition till Tirunelveli?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by ark_rover

Thanks for the suggestion, any idea about the road condition till Tirunelveli?

You should do Kanyakumari-Tirunelveli - Ottapidaram - Sayalgudi - Ramnad


Take the second exit (SH75) on Tirunelveli bypass. The road OK till ECR. Beyond that its good.


This the route I meant : Route Link

PS : I just realised you are doing the opposite. So basically take ECR. Once you reach Kulathoor, dont turn to Tuticorin. Contunue on that road. It would cut the Tuticorin-Madurai 4-lane and will lead you to Tirunelveli.

[sswaroop]

Going for a trip to Madurai and Ramshwaram from Bangalore starting Friday (Oct 3rd). Itinerary as follows:

Day 1: Leave by 6am from Bangalore. Breakfast either at A2B near Hosur or A2B near Thoppur(Thanks @NPV) Reach Madurai by Lunch time(1-130). Visit Meenakshi Temple after it opens around 1630. Main purpose of the visit is to see Dasara Idols on display at the temple premises and photography. Overnight in Madurai. Hotel is close the Bypass road near Andalpuram. Planning to take auto to the temple looking as suggested by many BHPians. Route Link

Day 2: Leave to Rameshwaram by 7-8 am after breakfast. Route Link

Reach Rameshwaram by 12pm. Visit temple and beach. Planning to visit Dhanushkodi if possible. Is it a good idea to stay there till sunset? Drive back to Madurai by late night.

Day 3: Check out temple again since we are pretty much free till post lunch. Any other suggestions to check out places in Madurai or on the road back to Bangalore are welcome. Drive to Bangalore post lunch.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by sswaroop

Day 2: Leave to Rameshwaram by 7-8 am after breakfast. Route Link

Reach Rameshwaram by 12pm. Visit temple and beach. Planning to visit Dhanushkodi if possible. Is it a good idea to stay there till sunset? Drive back to Madurai by late night.

Quite hectic. Difficult to do both and drive to Rameshwaram and back. Its about 4 hours of drive one way. You start at 8, you reach Rameshwaram by 12. Temple would be closed. So evening darshan followed by Dhanushkodi and then drive back would be quite hectic.

Stay over night at Rameshwaram. Visit Dhanushkodi the next day morning (hire a jeep). Start after noon from Rameshwaram and drive back. Now you can choose to drive back all the way to Bangalore or stay over night at Madurai. Check out the temple by evening and next day before you drive back to Bangalore.

[sswaroop]

Thanks @Ampere - We actually thought of doing Bangalore - Rameshwaram on the first and go ahead with visiting the temple in the evening and Dhanushkodi in the morning the next day, and driving back to Madurai later in the day. But we are getting accommodation almost for free in Madurai (Thanks to my Dad - Rs. 180 for 3 days) so decided to make Madurai as base and do a day trip to Rameshwaram.

Leaving from Madurai around 6am and reaching there by 10am is something that I've to discuss and see.

Also, do you or anyone else know of any clashes or disruptions happening enroute because of the Jayalalitha situation . Will be driving a KA registered car, so a little skeptical given that the hearing for today was postponed again to 7th.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by sswaroop

Leaving from Madurai around 6am and reaching there by 10am is something that I've to discuss and see.
...

The day trip from Madurai-Rameshwaram and back will be hectic unless you drop either the temple visit or Dhanuskodi which doesn't make sense.

In fact it will be better if you can do Bangalore-Rameshwaram on Day 1, visit the Rameshwaram temple that evening and stay at Rameshwaram overnight. Next day you can visit Dhanushkodi for sunrise - hire a Jeep from Rameshwaram itself.
After breakfast you can return to Madurai on Day 2 and then spend that day there. There are also lots of other temples, palaces, dams, etc around the place, do read up right here on Team BHP travelogues section.

[sswaroop]

@NPV - I tried to get rooms in Rameshwaram last night. Called some 5-6 hotels including ones mentioned here (TTDC, Queen Palace, Royal Park, Pearl Residency etc) but all are apparently fully booked and mostly by tour operators. So that plan is kaput. Will try and leave early from Madurai - by 430-5am - and reach Rameshwaram early on Day 2 and reach Madurai late in the night. Let's see. I will update this post when I'm back

[ampere]

Originally Posted by sswaroop

Will try and leave early from Madurai - by 430-5am - and reach Rameshwaram early on Day 2 and reach Madurai late in the night. Let's see. I will update this post when I'm back

Did you also check hotel Daiwik?
http://www.daiwikhotels.com

[sswaroop]

@ampere - Thanks, we ended staying an extra day in Madurai and went to Rameshwaram on Sunday morning. Ended up getting accommodation right next to the temple courtesy of dad's work again. I had checked with Daiwik earlier though and they had said they were booked full for the weekend. When I checked again for accommodation on Sunday their website was showing around Rs. 5000 for a night.


@NPV Thank you for suggestion of not doing a Rameshwaram day trip. It would have been very hectic indeed. After reaching Rameshwaram on Sunday at 10am and some resting and lunch, we went to beach at the Indian Navy check post for sunset. Visited the temple later in the evening and booked a jeep for a sunset at Land's end for 1300. We did not reach there on time, but we didn't miss the sunrise as such since it was cloudy. And our jeep seemed to have lost its 4x4 ability as the driver didn't take the jeep route instead keeping to the one used by Maxicabs across the puddles of water. Ended up leaving Rameshwaram by 1030 and quick stop at Panbam Bridge where we got lucky with a train passing by, we were on our way back to Bangalore. Thanks again for all your help

[venkyhere]

planning bangalore -> rameswaram for temple trip over one of the following weekends. Here is what I have in mind :

4AM : Start from sarjapur road bangalore
~ 7AM : breakfast at some decent veg restaurant around salem (preferably after exiting salem)
~1030 AM : be on the madurai bypass (airport vicinity); this is what I understood about how to do this -> take samayanallur right fork -> take left just before tirumangalam town -> pass by madurai airport -> take a right where this bypass hits a big junction (left is into town) to join NH49 (2 lane) towards rameswaram.
~2PM : check into some hotel in rameswaram and have lunch+rest
2 rounds of temple visit one in the evening (6-7 PM) and one early next morning (4-5 AM) - one of them with "11 wells snanam"
~10AM : start towards bangalore post breakfast, follow mirror image of above route
~130 PM : have lunch on some good veg restaurant on highway itself, around madurai
9PM : back in bangalore after negotiating weekend return toll booth rush.

Questions :
1) is the above plan doable in terms of timings ?
2) please suggest a good breakfast location around salem (preferably after exiting salem city )
3) are there any tolls while I am on the madurai bypass ? is signage for rameswaram present on this bypass ?
4) suggest some good hotels in rameswaram - priority order is :
- good parking ( I dont want to take out my car for temple visit)
- cleanliness
(i dont mind venturing out to local veg hotels for breakfast lunch etc)
daivik is out of my budget, but found out about "pearl residency" and "vinayaka" - both seem to be decent - anybody has stayed here before ?