[ampere]

Originally Posted by RSUDARSANAN

Agree, a great find it is.

Thanks Sudarshan. Not possible for me. Most times its a "heavier" weekend for me than the weekdays!

[sachinpk]

Time to bounce back this thread. Has any one travelled this route recently?
https://www.google.co.in/maps/dir/Ma...11.3530022!3e0
--------
It is time for me to think about the annual "Drive Pilgrimage" in December. Wanted to know more on these aspects:-
1. Refer to the map, is the road driveable by a Mahindra Quanto/Jeep?
2. Is this route family friendly? Or more precisely baby friendly? More worried on the higher number of hair pin bends, which can cause vomiting tendency to babies (and adults).
3. Places to halt (mainly for bio breaks). If no good hotels are available, food etc. can be taken as picnic lunch/breakfast.
4. My current plan is to reach Conoor a day before, halt there and then proceed to Mannarkkad via this route. More than sight seeing at Ooty, focus is more on trying a new scenic route.

Any advice would be immense help.

[mallumowgli]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Time to bounce back this thread. Has any one travelled this route recently?

You are looking for this

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post3538945

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

You are looking for this

Also looking for the roads on the Kerala side - i.e Anaikatti, Attapadi, Mannarkkad route. Will check the thread you mentioned any ways.

[mallumowgli]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Also looking for the roads on the Kerala side - i.e Anaikatti, Attapadi, Mannarkkad route. Will check the thread you mentioned any ways.

Mannarkad to Anaikatti is pretty good. Lots of twists and turns, though. Broken at a few locations, but nothing worrying. Only thing is that this road sees less traffic and the population is also sparse. Does not go through any deep jungles but more like scrub vegetation. Hardly any eating options

The other thread covers the stretch you had asked about

[denver85]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Time to bounce back this thread. Has any one travelled this route recently?
https://www.google.co.in/maps/dir/Ma...11.3530022!3e0
--------
It is time for me to think about the annual "Drive Pilgrimage" in December. Wanted to know more on these aspects:-
1. Refer to the map, is the road driveable by a Mahindra Quanto/Jeep?
2. Is this route family friendly? Or more precisely baby friendly? More worried on the higher number of hair pin bends, which can cause vomiting tendency to babies (and adults).
3. Places to halt (mainly for bio breaks). If no good hotels are available, food etc. can be taken as picnic lunch/breakfast.
4. My current plan is to reach Conoor a day before, halt there and then proceed to Mannarkkad via this route. More than sight seeing at Ooty, focus is more on trying a new scenic route.

Any advice would be immense help.

Drove this route in my Ertiga from Ooty to Mannarkkad last Saturday. Roads are good almost 95 %. The best option is to take reach directly to Kottathara from Mulli through Elachivazhy. This road is not shown in Gmaps. The first 3 kms after entering to Kerala at Mulli is not having tarmac. In thi section the first one km is uneven and you need to be really careful on this. Just giving my answers below:
1. Definitely yes, I know people who have done this route in Punto/Linea. I have done it in my Ertiga 3 times in last one year.
2. The first section between Conoor and Mulli has around 50+ hairpin bends, take it slowly and as the roads are good it should be ok. The ghat section after Mukkali is having 10 hairpin curves which also have decent road conditions.
3. Facilities are nil between Manjoor and Kottathara. Between Kottathara and Agali there is a KTDC Vazhiyoram which has decent toilets, really good and fresh food, and parking space. There are some other hotels also after Kottathara. Don't forget to have a tea at the Chamrajpet Tea estate (highest tea estate as they state) outlet. They do have a toilet facility also.
4. Conoor to Mannarkkad will take around 6 hours on a sedate pace. So plan your drive accordingly. If you want to avoid the 3kms bad section near Mulli, you can take the Mulli-Dhayanur-Anakatti-Kottathara route which is longer but has good roads all the way.
Please let me know if you need any further information.

[laluks]

I have driven there in my Civic, so you can put all your fears to rest
Enjoy the drive

Some pictures to set some expectations

A great view of the pristine lakes of Ooty from Ooty Manjoor route


One of the hairpins from Manjoor Mulli Route


A nice view from Mulli Attappadi route

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Google Maps does not even show the route through Agali and Kottathara. It shows a direct way between Mulli, Elachivazhy and then straight through Thavalam. Does this route only exists in the maps? .

Considering that you are descending to Mulli from Ooty, you will see two checkposts at Mulli. One to your right, and one straight ahead. One to your right takes you through the route you have seen on Google maps. If you take the checkpost staright ahead, you can reach Mannarkad via Anaikatty, etc...longer route, scenic also. You can also get a glimpse of Siruvani river in this route!

I am in the process of updating my log with this routing

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by denver85

The best option is to take reach directly to Kottathara from Mulli through Elachivazhy.

Please refer to the map (click URL) in my original post. The road shown in that map is direct from Mulli to Elachivazhy. I don't see it going through Kottathara at all. After Elachivazhy the next place marked is "Thavalam". So I guess the Google Maps online version is showing the correct route?

The first section between Conoor and Mulli has around 50+ hairpin bends

Which route do you take? The one through Glendale, Selas, Kendhala etc.? Or there is another route which goes through Lovedale etc.

Between Kottathara and Agali there is a KTDC Vazhiyoram which has decent toilets, really good and fresh food, and parking space.

Google Maps does not even show the route through Agali and Kottathara. It shows a direct way between Mulli, Elachivazhy and then straight through Thavalam. Does this route only exists in the maps? . Okay, so Chamraj Tea Estate point can be a place for a break - when travelling with family.

Thanks for providing all the details. Looks like you are a regular on this route. Now need to work out on the possible passengers and tentative date of travel etc. As you righly mentioned, I wanted to have a sedate drive, including buffering time for lost ways. The behavioural pattern of the co-passengers is a very very important here.

[denver85]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Please refer to the map (click URL) in my original post. The road shown in that map is direct from Mulli to Elachivazhy. I don't see it going through Kottathara at all. After Elachivazhy the next place marked is "Thavalam". So I guess the Google Maps online version is showing the correct route?

No idea about the direct route from Elachivazhy to Thavalam as I have never did that. When coming from Mulli you will reach the first junction with a road going going left with a bridge(Chavadiyoor bridge) over the river. If you are zooming in Gmaps just above Kottathara you can spot this. You will be able to see the Goolikadavu-Kottathara road which is marked just as a black line. This road takes you to Kottathara directly and the road condition is really nice. I just attached the screenshot from the gps tracks for your reference:

The exact location of Vazhiyoram is here:http://goo.gl/maps/86Kof

Which route do you take? The one through Glendale, Selas, Kendhala etc.? Or there is another route which goes through Lovedale etc.

For the last drive I have driven from Ooty, so took the deviation from Lovedale(http://goo.gl/maps/k4dsb). I have driven through the Conoor (Glendale and Selas) route also multiple times. Both the routes has excellent views and great road surface.

Thanks for providing all the details. Looks like you are a regular on this route.

Manjoor-Mulli-Agali route I have done only 4 times. But, many times I have done the Mannarkkad-Agali-Anakatti-Karamadai-Sathy-Kollegal route to Bangalore if starting from Thrissur/Palakkad. Compared to the other regular routes, this route always offers a very pleasant driving experience

[ampere]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Thanks for providing all the details. Looks like you are a regular on this route. Now need to work out on the possible passengers and tentative date of travel etc. As you righly mentioned, I wanted to have a sedate drive, including buffering time for lost ways. The behavioural pattern of the co-passengers is a very very important here.

From Mulli take the road to Karamadai. About 20-25 km further down, you should see Dhayanur. This is the point where you join the CBE-Mannarkad road via Attapadi. Take left here. Dont take left at Mully to Mannarkad. That section is quite high on wild life esp. Elephants.

[sachinpk]

Thanks for all the inputs, comrades. What I am going to do next is to review all these posts at leisure, identify major towns/villages/points on this way and mark it. Let me see if MMI navigator also is having some clue on the route. Now need to work out on the date of travel .

I don't know about you all, but for me finding a good travel companion is a very complex task. Most of them want to reach from Point A to Point B in the least time possible, with possible no unplanned routes/moves.

[denver85]

Originally Posted by ampere

From Mulli take the road to Karamadai. About 20-25 km further down, you should see Dhayanur. This is the point where you join the CBE-Mannarkad road via Attapadi. Take left here. Dont take left at Mully to Mannarkad. That section is quite high on wild life esp. Elephants.

From Mulli forest check post, right will take you to Mannarkkad through Elachivazhy-Kottathara-Agali-Mukkali. And the left from the check post will take you to Dhayanur and then to Karamadai. If you want to reach the CBE-Mannarkkad road, you should take a right from the T-junction (before a small bridge) in Dhayanur, it will go through some forest/ghat sections and will reach the CBE-Mannarkkad road just before Anakatti town.

[mallumowgli]

Originally Posted by ampere

Dont take left at Mully to Mannarkad. That section is quite high on wild life esp. Elephants.

But does a road exist? Seems to be a very interesting route Now to get hold of some guys who are willing to be chased by elephants!!

From Mulli take the road to Karamadai. About 20-25 km further down, you should see Dhayanur. This is the point where you join the CBE-Mannarkad road via Attapadi. Take left here.

Hope you meant 'turn right' coming from Mulli, correct?

[laluks]

Guys I'll post my GPS trail, once I get access to my wifey's phone
Almost all possible routes there was explored on a lazy day by me

Left and Right, I am confused too...

All I can say is coming from Manjoor to Mulli, you will reach a Bridge with a Checkpost.

Once this Checkpost is opened you see checkpost ahead of you by some 100m and another checkpost RIGHT of you.

If you chose the checkpost ahead of you, you will hit another checkpost after some 15+KMs. From here you can chose route towards Anaikatti, etc.

If you chose the Checkpost to the RIGHT, you will immediately get some terrible roads for three kilometeres leading towards Attappadi and further...

[ampere]

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

Hope you meant 'turn right' coming from Mulli, correct?

Sorry for the typo. I meant what Lalu mentioned. At Mully on a broad basis you hit a T-Junction. Left would take you to Karamadai and right to should you into the forest.

I meant this location.