[deepv]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

I guess the best route would be Trivandrum - Cochin - Coimbatore byepass - Annur - Metupalayam - Ooty. This will help you avoiding Coimbatore city traffic.

...

Mpksuhas .. I was looking for route info on Coonoor to Dindigul stretch, and after fishing around at various locations found this to be optimal solution:
(Mettupalayam - Annur - Avinashi - Palladam - Dharapuram - Dindigul)

Would like to get idea on how are various sections on this stretch?
Or any other deviations work better?

Let me know if anyone has insights on these.

Thanks!

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by deepv

([i]Mettupalayam - Annur - Avinashi - Palladam - Dharapuram - Dindigul
s!

Mettupalayam - Annur is a good road, I had driven through that route last year and also a friend of mine did that few months ago.

There was a report about Coonoor Metupalayam going bad in some thread, not sure about the conditions though.

Regarding best route to Dindugal, I am not sure of the conditions past Palladam.

Also, I think the fastest route from Annur towards Avinash will be Annur - SH 165 - Avinash bypass. Apart from the slightly U turn looking turn from Annur the road is very much devoid of any deviations. It will come and join NH 47 below a road over bridge. This may be the fastest route since you will avoid driving via Annur town.

From there SH 166 to Palladam is also good. However past that I am not sure of the road conditions.

[reverse_gear]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Taxis are easily available. Last June I paid ~1200 for a 35 km distance. Vythiri is approximately 90 km from the Airport. So expect a charge of at least 3500-4000. Also, most of the Airport Taxis are Ambassadors and they go in a sequence. So not sure if you can be guaranteed to get an Indica. Cannot expect any other vehicle (say an Etios or a Fiesta).

Originally Posted by dhanushs

Whoa, I dont think the cost will be this high. Should definitely be below 2k. I have a driver whom I call frequently to drive my Jeep. Give me some time, i'll quote the prices from Major towns in Wayanad to the Airport/Railway station in Calicut.

FYI, I had a hatchback taxi arranged from Calicut airport to the homestay (5km down from Vythiri) by a local travel company, cost us 2k for the journey. The name of the agency was Vishnumaya Travels, Kalpetta. Our local host managed to arrange it.

Thanks for the inputs.

[deepv]

Originally Posted by deepv

.. after fishing around at various locations found this to be optimal solution:
(Mettupalayam - Annur - Avinashi - Palladam - Dharapuram - Dindigul)

...

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Mettupalayam - Annur is a good road, I had driven through that route last year and also a friend of mine did that few months ago.

There was a report about Coonoor Metupalayam going bad in some thread, not sure about the conditions though.
...

Took the above route with a little modification.
After Annur didn't go towards Avinashi, instead took direct road towards Palladam after Annur (GM shows its to be SH165).
Got some input from my hotel owner at Coonoor about the route and took the plunge, the road turned out be very good without much traffic either.

Otherwise also didn't face many bad stretches all the way till Oddanchatram.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by deepv

Took the above route with a little modification.
After Annur didn't go towards Avinashi, instead took direct road towards Palladam after Annur (GM shows its to be SH165).

Looks like you've taken the Annur-Mangalam-Palladam route which is in good condition (this passes below the NH47 on the Avinashi bypass section).
The Mangalam road was our regular route for Bangalore-Pollachi-Palakkad till a few months ago.

[deepv]

Originally Posted by NPV

Looks like you've taken the Annur-Mangalam-Palladam route which is in good condition (this passes below the NH47 on the Avinashi bypass section).

No .. not the route through Mangalam, that was the original plan.
Here is link for route I am talking about, comparing on GM its looking almost same distance to the one through Mangalam.

[luvurride]

Originally Posted by deepv

No .. not the route through Mangalam, that was the original plan.
Here is link for route I am talking about, comparing on GM its looking almost same distance to the one through Mangalam.

That's the Karumathampatti-Karanampettai road. I believe it was a little rough earlier. Good to know that it is decent now - one more option!

[nagarjun]

I am planning for a trip to Wayanad, specifically the Vythiri area during end of April, first week of May. Can somebody please let me know how the weather is going to be at this time of the year? I know the calicut area would be too hot, but is it the same in Wayanad as well?

Information available online is quite confusing, so I am looking forward to some first hand information from people who have visited wayanad earlier in this season or some locals.

PS: I would be travelling from Bangalore.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by nagarjun

I am planning for a trip to Wayanad, specifically the Vythiri area during end of April, first week of May. Can somebody please let me know how the weather is going to be at this time of the year? I know the calicut area would be too hot, but is it the same in Wayanad as well?

Expect it to be very hot during the day time. Nights may be cooler, but don't expect Hill Station kind of cold.

Wayanad is not at that high an altitude, so it will not escape the peak of the Kerala Summer.

Note: I am not a local, drive regularly via Wayanad to Calicut. Input based on that.

[kala]

Originally Posted by nagarjun

I am planning for a trip to Wayanad, specifically the Vythiri area during end of April, first week of May. Can somebody please let me know how the weather is going to be at this time of the year? I know the calicut area would be too hot, but is it the same in Wayanad as well?

Information available online is quite confusing, so I am looking forward to some first hand information from people who have visited wayanad earlier in this season or some locals.

PS: I would be travelling from Bangalore.

February to May is generally the hottest season in Kerala - including Wayanad. You do get the occasional pre-monsoon showers once in a while which cools down things for a few days, but in spite of that it would be fairly hot during the daytime if you're out in the sun. Not as bad as it would be in Calicut (or even Bangalore these days) though.

Evenings and nights tend to be cooler - thanks to the plentiful vegetation that you'll see all around. And most resorts tend to have a lot of greenery around, so that makes it quite pleasant.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by nagarjun

I am planning for a trip to Wayanad, specifically the Vythiri area during end of April, first week of May. Can somebody please let me know how the weather is going to be at this time of the year? I know the calicut area would be too hot, but is it the same in Wayanad as well?

Information available online is quite confusing, so I am looking forward to some first hand information from people who have visited wayanad earlier in this season or some locals.

PS: I would be travelling from Bangalore.

The Climate, I'd say will be exactly same as Bangalore. With a little bit of greenery thrown in.

At noon it'll be really sunny and hot, but dry. And at night it'll be cool.

[ansumaan]

Planned a trip to Vythiri on this goodfriday weekend. Please indicate best route from Bangalore ? Google map shows 2 routes
1. Blr-> Mysore-> Nanjanagude->Gundlupete ->Vythiri ( Some woad work signs near Nanjanagude)
2. BLR-> Kanakpura->Chamarajanagar->Gundlupete ->Vythiri

Any good options for food (preferably non veg) en route & in Vythiri is welcome.
Current plan is to start early morning on Friday from Bangalore. and start the return journey on Monday morning to avoid the crazy Mysore rode traffic on Sunday afternoon.

[Klub Class]

Originally Posted by ansumaan

Please indicate best route from Bangalore ? Google map shows 2 routes

Bangalore - NICE Road - Kanakapura - Malavalli - Kollegal - Chamrajnagar - Gundlupet - Sultan Bathery - Vythiri if you want to avoid the traffic on Mysore - Bangalore Highway. Good roads throughout. But limited number of good eateries enroute (Sangam Paradise in Kanakapura and Nijaguna Residency in Chamrajnagar)

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by ansumaan

Planned a trip to Vythiri on this goodfriday weekend. Please indicate best route from Bangalore ? Google map shows 2 routes
1. Blr-> Mysore-> Nanjanagude->Gundlupete ->Vythiri ( Some woad work signs near Nanjanagude)
2. BLR-> Kanakpura->Chamarajanagar->Gundlupete ->Vythiri

If you can start by 5 am latest, route 1 should be good. If it is past 5-5.30, traffic wise 2nd route will be better. As mentioned by Klub Class, no real good eateries on the 2nd route.

Several options for non veg food once you reach Bathery.

[ansumaan]

Thank you Klub class & Rajeevraj for quick response . I am planning to start by 4:30 AM. My preference would be route 1 as that's familiar. For some unforeseen reason if its delayed I'll take route 2.

Cheers!