[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by arjithin

Thanks for the update. When did you start and when did you reach Muthanga?

Started from Sarjapur road at 4:45am reached gundlepet around 8:15. Took a break at CCD. Left there at 8:45 and passed muthanga around 9:30. This is my regular time at muthanga for most of my drives. So guess I was lucky this time in not getting stuck. Reached home in calicut around 1pm.
One more unique thing. Encountered a huge herd of deers crossing the road during the forest ride. Waited patiently for them to cross. Have never seen such a herd in all my drives. :-)

[VindyWheels]

Hi Kala,

Any idea on the road conditions for this route now? Planning to take this tomorrow. Took the usual Muthanga route while coming, but "truck-jam" at the checkpost wasnt pleasant.

Cheers

Vindy

Originally Posted by kala

As a matter of fact this route (or rather a variant - you don't have to touch Manjeri - when coming from Calicut you can go on Mavoor Road, turn right at Cherooppa and go via Edavannappara-Areekode-Edavanna-Nilambur) is not really 40 kms longer. I travelled from Calicut to Bangalore on this route yesterday, and my trip odometer read 158 kms when I reached Gundlupet. Even if you travel via Bathery, Gundlupet would be about 155 kms, so the extra distance is not more than 5 kms certainly.

[kala]

Originally Posted by VindyWheels

Any idea on the road conditions for this route now? Planning to take this tomorrow. Took the usual Muthanga route while coming, but "truck-jam" at the checkpost wasnt pleasant.

Sorry, haven't taken that route for a long time now, so no updates on the conditions - but since we haven't heard anything contrary here for quite a while, I would expect the roads to be decent.

But I suspect the Nilambur route might take longer in terms of time even if the road is 100% perfect - basically because the traffic on that road till Vazhikkadavu (abt 10-12 kms after Nilambur) is quite dense, and the road isn't as wide as NH212 and is quite curvy - so overtaking opportunities are limited.

[VindyWheels]

Stuck to Muthanga route. It was the best drive I had so far. Started from Calicut at 5:00am and reached Bannerghatta road at 12:15 with a 45 min break.

Th ghats were peaceful, there was no truck-jam at the checkpost and till Kanakpura the road was by large easy to drive.

We had taken the Mysore route while going. Though we started at 4:30am it was one unpleasnt drive with the number of speed breakers much higher than earlier. Wifey and kid could not sleep properly. Could reach Calicut only by 1:15pm.

It will be Kanakpura-Kollegal route for me any time of the day henceforth.

Cheers

Vindy

[Rajeevraj]

I returned from Calicut on 31st. Left from Meenchanda at 5.30am and reached NICE Road-Mysore Rd intersection at 1:15pm with total breaks of 1 hr. Similar to VindyWheels experience above, it was a peaceful drive. Since it was early morning, minimal traffic in the normally heavy traffic Calicut-Bathery section. Wayanad was covered in mist and beautiful. Roads in the Kalpetta- Border stretch are very drivable now as compared to 2 months back. Should be perfect once works are complete (maybe another month or 2). No jams at Muthanga.Was at Gundlepet CCD by 8.45. Left at 9:15 and decided to take the regular Mysore route. It was a good decision since the Mysore Bangalore traffic was minimal (probably because it was Monday morning). Additional benefit was the stop at Corner House for a round of Ice Creams. I think this has been opened very recently. Located in a nice compound with lots of tree shade and couple of swings for kids. Good place to unwind. [But I assume this place will be packed during rush hour periods]

[binand]

Had gone to Calicut for a quick trip - Monday out, Wednesday return. Started from Bangalore at 4:45 AM on Monday and reached home (near Baby Memorial Hospital) at around 12:45 PM. In the return started even earlier - 4:00 AM but still reached home only at 12 noon. 8 hours each way for about 380 km.

Anyway, I had been collecting the best advice here in a Google Doc that was really helpful. This is it:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...Dc2yjwvWg/edit

In any case, my Android phone directed me through all these towns exactly as documented.

I only wanted to do the Bangalore-Kanakapura-Malavalli-Kollegal-Chamarajanagara-Gundlupet-Sultan Bathery-Kalpetta-Calicut route, so the doc focuses on that. My observations:

1. It is a beautiful drive throughout. You are communing with the nature. Leave the windows down and soak in the air.

2. The road surface is perfect on NH 209 and the KA side of NH 212. SH 81 is passable. NH 212 on KL side is good between Kalpetta and Calicut. From Kalpetta it progressively deteriorates to the point of being a crumbling mess near the interstate border.

3. The road through the national park on KA side is peppered with speed breakers. For fun, I counted - 35 (32 of them humps) in an 18 km stretch, out of which 22 are in the 8 km nearest to the state border. Beats Hosa Road hands down.

4. The heavy urbanization of Kerala has a positive - the road had street lighting all the way from Calicut till Adivaram, which was good for me in the return direction.

5. Stopped at Mintflower in Sultan Bathery for breakfast in the outbound journey. Good food. Stopped at a hole in the wall (room in the basement) called Gokul at Kanakapura in the return direction - terrible. Made several tea breaks at small roadside places.

6. Things to worry - the bridge that spans the Kavery river between Malavalli and Kollegal is very, very narrow. Be careful.

7. Another thing to watch out for: some villages between Kollegal and Yelandur see the NH go really narrow - about a car's width. Again, be careful and hope that a bus wouldn't come in the opposite direction.

Got caught in a traffic jam in Kalpetta town. There was a protest march, an explanation march and a jewelry store inauguration all happening on the same day. There was also a Wayanad bandh - oops! hartal - planned for Tuesday but apparently it was called off at the last moment.

The early start in the return direction meant that I was driving through Wayanad between 5 and 6 AM. I had not factored in the fog - big mistake. Visibility was so low that I was happy to see my headlamp's beam lighting up the road in front of me

[binand]

Just back from a trip to Kerala via NH209/NH212 combination. I am glad to report that the resurfacing of the road from KA-KL border till Kalpetta town is now completed; the road condition is now fantastic throughout.

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by binand

Just back from a trip to Kerala via NH209/NH212 combination. I am glad to report that the resurfacing of the road from KA-KL border till Kalpetta town is now completed; the road condition is now fantastic throughout.

Are the cuts on road on KA side before border re-surfaced? I guess those were left out when they removed speed breakers.

[binand]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Are the cuts on road on KA side before border re-surfaced? I guess those were left out when they removed speed breakers.

Nope. The 18 km jungle road from edge of the forest till the KA-KL border still has 32 humps and 3 dips/cuts.

I wasn't aware these 3 cuts are the result of speedbreaker removal.

[arjithin]

I have to travel to Kunnamangalam ( near CLT) this Friday evening. At this point of time reaching the gundlupet checkpost before 9 pm looks slim due to office commitments.

What is the best route I should take.? We are 3 people in a santro with 2 drivers, and the car will leave for chelakkara after dropping me.

Bus and going separate are not an option.

[binand]

Originally Posted by arjithin

I have to travel to Kunnamangalam ( near CLT) this Friday evening. At this point of time reaching the gundlupet checkpost before 9 pm looks slim due to office commitments.

What is the best route I should take.?

The only practical route for you is perhaps Mysore-Hunsur-Gonikoppal-Mananthavadi-Kalpetta. The three other routes to Calicut go through wild life sanctuaries and hence are covered under the high court order banning night traffic.

[arjithin]

Originally Posted by binand

The only practical route for you is perhaps Mysore-Hunsur-Gonikoppal-Mananthavadi-Kalpetta.

Thanks. Is Hunsur - Gonikoppal - Kutta - Mananthavadi section safe to travel after midnight? I remember reading earlier in this thread that the road conditions are not that good. Any information on which stretches are bad?

[binand]

Originally Posted by arjithin

I remember reading earlier in this thread that the road conditions are not that good. Any information on which stretches are bad?

I haven't taken this route myself. But remember reading in the papers that road repair works have started - this was a few months back. Should be fine now. In any case, your options are limited - next is Virajpet-Iritty and then Satyamangalam-Palakkad.

[denver85]

Originally Posted by arjithin

Thanks. Is Hunsur - Gonikoppal - Kutta - Mananthavadi section safe to travel after midnight? I remember reading earlier in this thread that the road conditions are not that good. Any information on which stretches are bad?

The road works are started between Hunsur and Gonikoppal. But it is not advisable to take this route in the night. The roads are still in real bad condition. It's better to take the route Hunsur-Periyapatna-Anechoukoor Check post-Gonikopal. The roads after the check is in better condition as compared the direct route from Hunsur to Anechoukoor Check post. The google map link is here: http://goo.gl/maps/PFLCw
The stretches between Periyapatna-Check post and Gonikopal-Kutta are bumpy and has some bad patches. But nothing much to worry as you don't another better option.Even the private buses takes this alternate route to avoid the bad stretch.

[arjithin]

Originally Posted by denver85

It's better to take the route Hunsur-Periyapatna-Anechoukoor Check post-Gonikopal.

Thanks Deepak. "Anechoukoor Check post" - What kind of a checkpost is that? or just a place name?