[Samurai]

Originally Posted by speedsatya

I was speaking to a relative who does Bangalore Kundapur regularly and he was asking me to do via Sringeri and Chikmagalur instead of NH206. Any updates on this route ?

It was horrible 3 months ago, bad roads and too many curves.

Originally Posted by speedsatya

Has anyone driven through Hulikal recently ?

Another terribly maintained road, I haven't been here in years though. I'd be surprised if anything has changed.

Originally Posted by speedsatya

Wouldn't recommend this for people travelling with families. The restaurant doesn't even have bathrooms. Didn't try the food.

The food is very good. But no toilets, seems like entire stretch is made for Kim Jong-un.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Another terribly maintained road, I haven't been here in years though. I'd be surprised if anything has changed.

Its fantastic for most part. Last year end, had been to Kodachadri. Shimoga-Ayannur-Ripponpete-Hosangara-Nagara-Hulikal was briliiant. Work is going on between Hulikal and Ampar. Once done it would be the best option for Kundapur. I had actually suggested this option to @speedsatya. But I think he went against. Ayannur-Ripponpete-Hosangara is a very good road but a tad narrow. However there is hardly any traffic.

The same I had posted on the Kollur thread.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post3644489

Cross posting the snap here :

Ayyanur-Ripponpete-Hosanagara road

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by ampere

Its fantastic for most part. Last year end, had been to Kodachadri. Shimoga-Ayannur-Ripponpete-Hosangara-Nagara-Hulikal was briliiant.

Ok, I am very surprised.

Is Shiradi opening on schedule? I am hearing rumours that they are still calling tenders for half the stretch. At this rate how can they open end of May?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Ok, I am very surprised.

Is Shiradi opening on schedule? I am hearing rumours that they are still calling tenders for half the stretch. At this rate how can they open end of May?

On the way back from Hosanagara we did:

Hosanagara-Nagara-Hulikal-Mani-Kaval Durga-Thirthahalli-Mandagadde-NR Pura-Balehonnur-Aldur-CKM-Hassan-Bangalore (Just for the drive).

As I said earlier the road till Nagar was awesome. Beyond Nagara, there was ongoing work at some of the ghat sections towards Hulikal. I am sure they should get completed till Ampar soon. And in 2013 while doing Udupi/Kundapur/Ampar/Vandse/Kollur, I saw Kundapur-Ampar sections being re-laid. Putting the two together I expect later this year, it should amazing to drive.

But I dont know the latest status from Kundapur-Ampar-Hulikal. But thats about 55km of which I am sure about 30-40 km should be good roads.

[automobilophile]

I took this shortcut both on to and fro journey. Yes it is easy to miss, but my offline maps helped me.
Check this map (Here Maps for android by Nokia). I had the map active throughout my journey, even when the network was lost. If I miss a road, it reroutes too even without network.

With the help of this map i was able to try this shortcut for the first time and that too while driving solo!

Originally Posted by ampere

Hope you did not lose your way and were able to make it to Bangalore without any trouble. As regards to bypassing Shimoga the following is what I meant:

Route Link

But I am sure, in the dark, you could have easily missed it. Hence did not want to suggest.

Also did you finally stay at Presidency? If yes, how would you rate the place?

[carmania]

Travelled to Mangalore and Udupi over the long weekend. For the onward journey took Bangalore - CR Patna - Agrahara - Holenarasipura - Arakalagud - Kushalanagara - Madikeri - Sullia - Mangalore. Started from South Bangalore at 7 AM and was in Mangalore by 4:30 PM. Roads were good all the way except for about 500 mts between Arakalgud and Kushalanagar.

Watch out for the interceptor just before entering Madikeri. It is supposedly a 40 Kmph zone and they were stopping vehicles doing over 50 Kmph. Saw mostly whiteboards stopped!

Mangalore to Udupi was ok but not to forget the diversions.

Drove back from Udupi to Bangalore via Hebri - Agumbe - Koppa - NR Pura - Umblibail - Lakkavalli - Tarikere - Arasikere - Tumkur. Road conditions are good except for a bad stretch on a tank bund between Umblibail and Lakkavalli. Work was in-progress to repiar the stretch. Started from Udupi at 11 AM and reached home by 8:30 PM. There was an interceptor positioned near Gubbi to catch offenders driving from Tumkur!

Tumkur to Bangalore was absolutely chaotic with trucks hogging the right most lane and cars in super hurry. The two wheelers wanted their piece of pie resulting in rolling bottlenecks.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by carmania

Drove back from Udupi to Bangalore via Hebri - Agumbe - Koppa - NR Pura - Umblibail - Lakkavalli - Tarikere - Arasikere - Tumkur. Road conditions are good except for a bad stretch on a tank bund between Umblibail and Lakkavalli.

That is why we all go Umblibail-Bhadravathi-Tarikeri.

Originally Posted by carmania

Tumkur to Bangalore was absolutely chaotic with trucks hogging the right most lane and cars in super hurry. The two wheelers wanted their piece of pie resulting in rolling bottlenecks.

That is why we all go Arasikere-C.R.patna-Kunigal-Nelamangala.

The above route namely ampere's route has been carefully designed to avoid all the bad roads. You deviate at your peril.

[paragsachania]

Charmadi is now becoming a bane. Thanks to Sand lorries and their frequent breaking down. Adding to this, private cars who always preferred wide roads manage the "Narrow" Charmadi Ghats with a lot of pain to other road users.

Met my uncle's friend who still drives a Canter to Karkala twice a week transporting Jaggery and returns back to base, Belur. He was stuck at Charmadi (Hairpin No 10 which actually is the second one when you are counting town from Ujire side) for 4 hours (7PM to 11PM) as a Sand Lorry's Axle broke right at the Hair Pin curve.

To add to the woes, Private cars were following so closely that the Jams started building up almost instantly as traffic was constant on both sides even on a Saturday evening! No one, just no one was ready to make way for each other and getting impatient.

Also heard that these Sand Trucks that fetch the sand from the bed of Nethravati near Bantwal now prefer Charmadi over Sampaje due to lesser checking on this route.

Private buses too have started to ply happily on Charmadi taking anything from 3-8 attempts of Forward-Reverse action at every Hairpin curve.

They calls someone at Kottigehara (And Kakkinje on the other side) to confirm its a particular Inspector of Police is on duty that night before hand and take a decision to take Charmadi or not.

I pray that Shiradi opens soon and Charmadi gets back to its old charm for regular 2 lane drivers!

Originally Posted by Samurai

That is why we all go Arasikere-C.R.patna-Kunigal-Nelamangala.

The above route namely ampere's route has been carefully designed to avoid all the bad roads. You deviate at your peril.

This was a classic route many folks from Kadur & Birur used to take when Arasikere-CR Patna was in good shape. In between this went to Shambles and then no one preferred this.

Last weekend when I drove to Belur, I was driving along with a KA14 Innova and simply guessed that he will Turn right at the end of CR Patna bypass and he rightly did so.

When I drove to a Saw mill at Kadur Forest Checkpost to pick some wood for furniture ( T Junction of KM Road with BH road), we had taken the same too way back in 2006 too.

Thanks to Team-Bhp, Its only now that we are re-defining existing routes .

The CR Patna - Arasikere passes through Gandsi village that was earlier famous for a Homeopathic Doctor whom many folks around Mysore and Bangalore used to visit too.

[Pakman]

Originally Posted by guyfrmblr

Don't go to Kushalnagar. The stretch between Arakalagud - Ramanathapura is not that great. I have modified the route through Somawarapete: https://goo.gl/maps/6aibv. Good roads all the way. I have also modified the route between Channarayapatna - Holenarasipura so that you can avoid a 2 km bad stretch.

Thanks guyfrmblr for this route. Travelled last weekend on the exact route (took a printout + Gmaps as well!) and had a relaxed scenic drive. We started from Bangalore at 4.00PM and reached Puttur by 11PM after a dinner break at Madikeri. The daughter had an additional excitement watching the windmills at close distance on the Agrahara road.
Would recommend this route to anyone going towards Mangalore/Kasargod.

[Falcon_blr]

I will be travelling from Bangalore to Udupi next Saturday (11th April). Please suggest the best and shortest route for the journey. It would be great if you can provide a map link.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Falcon_blr

I will be travelling from Bangalore to Udupi next Saturday (11th April). Please suggest the best and shortest route for the journey. It would be great if you can provide a map link.

You can refer to Samurai's update on this post and take the route. He is a regular between Udupi and Bangalore!

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Falcon_blr

I will be travelling from Bangalore to Udupi next Saturday (11th April). Please suggest the best and shortest route for the journey. It would be great if you can provide a map link.

Here is the google route. Its been mentioned earlier.

Route Link

[livyodream]

Took below route over the weekend and i was impressed with the road condition. The only bad patch i could find was from padubidri to udupi..
Total travel time - 6.5 hours with lunch break.
Highly recommended route.

Took shimoga- chitradurga- bangalore while coming back.

https://www.google.co.in/maps/dir/En...1151!3e0?hl=en

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by livyodream

Took below route over the weekend and i was impressed with the road condition. The only bad patch i could find was from padubidri to udupi..
Total travel time - 6.5 hours with lunch break.
Highly recommended route.

You are recommending Charmadi as the highly recommended route?

[livyodream]

Originally Posted by Samurai

You are recommending Charmadi as the highly recommended route?

There was absolutely no bad stretch anywhere. The tar was relaid i suppose. Even widened at few stretches.