[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Thanx for the info,just a curious question,are there petrol pumps that accept cards between Calicut and Mysore?

Originally Posted by jeeva

... Better to fill it up at Mysore or Bathery, I am wary about the quality of fuel sold in between.
At Bathery, when you are driving down from Mysore, there is one company owned pump on the right side towards the end of the town (Dhottapankulam).Petrol Bunk

The COO pumps at Thamaraserry/Adivaram don't accept cards though, as I learned the last weekend.

Well, most pumps in Wayand Accept Credit cards. After the pump that Jeevan mentioned, almost immediately, one comes in the left, which also accepts card payment.

In Meenangadi, there is this pump(BP) on the right side just after town. And in Kalpetta, after about 2kms from town towards calicut, a BP pump is there which also accepts CC's.

One thing though. Most of the times, the connections here are not so reliable, and these pumps may not accept cards temporarily.

[ranjitp1]

Thanx this is good info.Happy to see that most pumps all over Kerala have begun to accept cards now a days.A welcome change.I have been driving all over Kerala for the past one month and this was a welcome change that I noticed,even in remote locations I saw a few pumps to be card-ready with their swipe machines.Does the pump at Batheri accept cards?

Originally Posted by jeeva

At Mysore, most of them accept cards. Then at Nanjangud, the one just after the Kabini bridge on the right, they accept cards. Better to fill it up at Mysore or Bathery, I am wary about the quality of fuel sold in between.
At Bathery, when you are driving down from Mysore, there is one company owned pump on the right side towards the end of the town (Dhottapankulam).Petrol Bunk

The COO pumps at Thamaraserry/Adivaram don't accept cards though, as I learned the last weekend.

[ampere]

How is the one at Gundlupet CCD?
Does he take card? How is the fuel quality? Ever tried?

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by ampere

How is the one at Gundlupet CCD?
Does he take card? How is the fuel quality? Ever tried?

The Gundulpet CCD guy does not accept cards.I filled at the same pump a couple of weeks back,quality seemed good.

[ampere]

I have been there all the time, but never filled petrol. But on the whole bunk looked OK.
Hence wanted if others had any experience! I totally forgot you yourself had filled it up there!

[jeeva]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Does the pump at Batheri accept cards?

Yeah they do. I normally fill up from this place.

[ranjitp1]

I finally did the Mangalamkunnu-Hyderabad route via Kozhikode-Blore this weekend.A couple of observations:

1.Took the Cherplasserry-Perinthalmana-NH17 bypass route to Kozhikode.Road is excellent from Perinthalmana to NH17 BP.Cherplasserry to Perinthalmana road is just about average.Dense traffic just like any other Kerala road.

2.Kozhikode bypass pumps all accept credit cards.I filled at at an IndianOil pump to the left side.

3.Kozhikode-Adivaram-good roads but very dense traffic.Horrible roadside coffee at the tea stalls:(I know I should have stuck to the tea at the tea stalls!

4.Washrooms inside kerala restaurants leave a lot to be desired,irrespective of how good the places look from outside!

5.Looks like the Kerala PWD has given up on the famous Thamarasserry Churam,I have driven the ghats in much better conditions,the most of the hairpins are in pretty average state.

6.Kalpetta looks ever so lovely and the roads were a treat to drive on.Looks like Wayanad district administration has taken more interest in the welfare as compared to Kozhikode.I was amazed to see the number of restaurants and resorts in Kalpetta.I tanked up at the BP COCO pump and they too accepted cards.Surprise of surprise,there is even a CCD outlet in Kapetta to your left just after the ghats.It must be the CCD's first outlet in Kerala?

7.The MINT restaurant at Batheri looked very good,but just did not get place to even step in,it was packed.A mistake because in hindsight should have stopped at Kalpetta for lunch.Now it was a forced lunch break at CCD Gundulpet!

8.The drive through Muthanga was lovely,was back in the forests after close to 15years and nothing much seems to have changed,the forest guards still look as bored as ever.

9.Mysore-Bangalore Saturday traffic was killing and the speedbreakers are just mindblowing.I still dont understand the logic of having speedbreakers on a fast 4 laned corridor.Or the least they can do is have them marked!

10.I was shooed away by the guards at Adigas and Lokaruchi.They just couldnt take in any more people.I was shocked,sooo many people?A reason why I liked Kadambam,noting fancy,but very tasty food,clean washrooms and super quick service and hot food.The only downside is that it is on the other side of the road towards Mysore.Bangalore-Mysore road is one long food court now.Also there is no break in the median near the Mcdie.I counted atleast 4 kamats with two kamats next to each other in a distance of less than 1km.

11.Isnt the NICE road charges too steep?They charge INR45 for Mysore road to Bannerghatta-thats super expensive IMHO.From NICE road exit to Koramangala 4th block it took us exactly 3 hours.

12.Next day was a breeze,hebbal interchange to Hyderabad in 5.5hours with a steady speed of 120kph and no rash driving.Left Hebbal at 10am and was at Banjara Hills at 1530.If only the highway had more eating facilities like the Bangalore-Mysore road.

[gajadonga]

ranjitp1 I was just going through the route you have taken from Cherplasserry-Banglore.
One query how is the road from Kallidikodu via Siruvani dam to Coimbatore.
Any inputs

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by gajadonga

ranjitp1 I was just going through the route you have taken from Cherplasserry-Banglore.
One query how is the road from Kallidikodu via Siruvani dam to Coimbatore.
Any inputs

I havent driven the Siruvani route from kerala side to Coimbatore myself,but people in Cherplasserry were telling me that the route is good now a days,but I cant vouch for it.As per local reports there,rains in the dam regions have led to an increase in the water level in the dam at the moment.So you might to get to see some water

To go to Siruvani,you need to divert off the Manarkad road at Edakurrissi.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

4.Washrooms inside kerala restaurants leave a lot to be desired,irrespective of how good the places look from outside!

Very True!

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

5.Looks like the Kerala PWD has given up on the famous Thamarasserry Churam,I have driven the ghats in much better conditions,the most of the hairpins are in pretty average state.

Well, wasn't the 'work' in 'progress'?. It almost always is, without any progress!.

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Kalpetta looks ever so lovely and the roads were a treat to drive on.....
... I tanked up at the BP COCO pump and they too accepted cards.Surprise of surprise,there is even a CCD outlet in Kapetta to your left just after the ghats.It must be the CCD's first outlet in Kerala?

Its Vythiri you are talking about. And there are tons of CCD's in Kerala. IIRC, MG Road Cochin alone has about 3 of them.

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

7.The MINT restaurant at Batheri looked very good,but just did not get place to even step in,it was packed.A mistake because in hindsight should have stopped at Kalpetta for lunch.Now it was a forced lunch break at CCD Gundulpet!

There is this Jubilee restaurant on the right side immediatly you enter Bathery. Decent food and parking, if Mintflower is packed. Also, prince hotel too offers decent facilities and great parkign space.

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

9.Mysore-Bangalore Saturday traffic was killing and the speedbreakers are just mindblowing.I still dont understand the logic of having speedbreakers on a fast 4 laned corridor.Or the least they can do is have them marked!

[dhanushs]

Update: Came back from Bangalore to S.Bathery today.

Roads are excellent throughout. Even the Mysore- Nanjangode stretch is re-tarred completely.

Only after crossing the border into Kerala does the condition deteriorate. But, is acceptable.

[sameer sultan]

Hello! I am planning to drive to Windflower resort at Vythri from Chennai on July 22 2011. Will be doing a night halt at Bangalore onwards as well as in return journey. I would like to know the current road condition from Mysore to Vythri and the preferred route that I should follow.

Appreciate response from T-BHP Members!

[NPV]

Originally Posted by sameer sultan

Hello! I am planning to drive to Windflower resort at Vythri from Chennai on July 22 2011. Will be doing a night halt at Bangalore onwards as well as in return journey. I would like to know the current road condition from Mysore to Vythri and the preferred route that I should follow.

Appreciate response from T-BHP Members!

The most straight forward and simple route is Bangalore-Mysore-Nanjangud-Gundlupet-Sulthan Bathery-Kalpetta-Vythiri

At Gundlupet, take the road to the right (straight goes to the TN side towards Masinagudi/Gudalur).

Note that forest check post timings on this route are 6am-9pm so plan accordingly.

Overall, this route is good (last I traveled was 2 months ago) and don't expect it to be bad. Beyond Vythiri the Thamarassery ghat section towards Calicut may have bad patches on some hair pin bends. You should not be affected if you only go till Vythiri.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by sameer sultan

I would like to know the current road condition from Mysore to Vythri and the preferred route that I should follow.

Mysore to Kerala border, the roads are just fine. No potholes at all. Just the occasional humps at gundelpet-bathery. After Kerala border, roads start to deteriorate. But still manageable. and as NPK suggested, please watch for the timings at which forest checkpost close.

[sameer sultan]

Thank you NPV and Dhanushs. I shall be under taking the trip this weekend. Insha Allah. Will update the current road conditions.