Exploring Kerala & Tamil Nadu in my pre-owned Hyundai Elantra

Initially I planned to stay overnight at Madurai, but after a quick Biri at Trichy, we continued in veery clear roads, and reached Madurai in no time.

BHPian jacob.d.mathew recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Hello dear Team-BHP-ians. I would like to type in my travel experiences in Kerala. As a person who has sought advice from this thread before the trip, it is only fitting if I give back to the community I took from, so it may benefit someone someday.

Let me first introduce the premise and the participants.

The man: I am a middle aged computer programmer, more adept at crunching numbers, and travelling to office in. Chennai. Generally I prefer taking the motorcycle, but if I have the discipline to wake up early enough, the car is not a bad opinion.

The machine: The vehicle I own, and used for this trip, is a 2nd hand Hyundai Elantra VTVT 1.8 manual transmission. Originally registered in 2016, he was mine since 2024 (someday I'll place a review about the buying process from Spinny).

The premise: A colleague was getting married in Kerala, Kottayam District. My hometown is hardly 2-3 hours from there. I hadn't visited the place I was born in decades. Mostly because the house has been sold, and work in Chennai/Bangalore kept me busy. May I also add that life happened - a welcome and unwelcome distraction. This year - everything just fell in place. The entire department (at least the ones who come regularly to office) were travelling to the place, projects had all been completed, and a longing to go home suddenly crept in. So it was decided that we (as in Elantra and I) take a drive to Punalur, Kollam district, then return to Chennai after the Kottayam wedding.

Flight Plan: We planned to trace the route of the 6105 Quilon mail - major cities Chennai - Trichy - Madurai - Sengottai - then arrive in Punalur. This entire trip can be accomplished in a single day, but both man and machine would have to strain themselves for it. The last time I went that way (2015), I ended up travelling in night, in rather dangerous roads (as in headlamps from other vehicles blazing on the face). This time, we decided - no night travel (unless no other alternative).

Preparations:

Before the trip, I had to condition myself. Long hours of travel means, I get up early everyday for a week, so as to acclimatise to early morning start and "before dark" end. Food needs to be minimised too, so bowels don't cause trouble throughout the trip. Unlike my previous travels (Bangalore <-> Chennai), this route isn't known for the best restrooms. I also had to visit my car tuner - Alex Robin (proprietor, AR Rides, Chennai). He gave a comprehensive checkup, and said that the vehicle is roadworthy for the long drive. He also explained that I should not push it too hard, since Elantra might not handle best in high speeds in the rain.

Prior to Elantra, I had used a Diesel Verna for 7 years. Compared to the nimble Verna, Elantra is a veritable Albatross. He is much huger, bigger wingspan, stands out in any background. But once he gets going he is a lot lot graceful compared to most other birds (and cars). The Verna CRDI I was using earlier had an automatic transmission, and was very quick off the blocks. Most of the power in the initial start comes from the 1.6L diesel engine. Once the turbocharger kicks in, you are guaranteed to never feel a lack of power, no matter what the elevation, and no matter at which speed you are trying to overtake anyone. Elantra is a lot smoother, but being a manual transmission, he struggles in 1st gear (at least that's what I felt in comparison with the 253 Nm pull of Verna). But in my daily drives to office (55+ km), I felt that Elantra is way better in longer drives. While Verna is an excellent T20 player, Elantra has the capability to take the long drives better.

Day 1: Chennai to Tirumangalam (Madurai District)

We started from Chennai around 8:30 in the morning. Though we planned to start earlier, we were delayed by work in the office in the previous day. The Chennai to Trichy highway is in good condition. Even though the road I was used to (NH4 Chennai-Bangalore) is wider, there is more traffic there and a bigger number of slow moving buses/lorries. But NH45 was less crowded. Maybe owing to the fact that it was Diwali. We were able to maintain a healthy average speed of 76kmph.

Another reason why we were able to travel faster than our general speeds (we planned not to cross 100 kmph) was because we used a tactic called "wake-driving" - driving in the wake of a faster vehicle. Somewhere after Villupuram, we saw a BMW travelling quite fast. So we went a little bit behind him. The term I used as "wake-driving" is not tail-gating (where we can see the leading vehicle's number plate, and possibly the occupants too). Wake-driving is like following in the wake of a boat/aircraft, while being careful not to get inside the vortices. Thanks to that BMW, we were able to reach Trichy within a few hours from Villupuram.

Initially I planned to stay overnight at Madurai, but after a quick Biri at Trichy, we continued in veery clear roads, and reached Madurai in no time. The evening skies were darkening, and first I thought I'll stop at Coutrallam (the place I stopped in the last drive 10 years back). But that drive was on a summer. The Falls weren't a particularly alluring destination on a cold winter. So the plan was changed to Virudhunagar. While trying to find the way round Virudhunagar, we ended up in the highway to Tirunelveli/Kanyakumari. So we backtracked to Tirumangalam (Madurai district), and sojourned there for the night.

Day 2: Tirumangalam to Punalur

Early in the morning, we started from Tirumangalam. We had initially planned to stop at Coutrallam, but it would have been cold. In summer, the falls will be filled with water, and more people. But during winter, it would be nice to drive there, at least for the memories. By the time I was able to get up and get prepared for the trip (post breakfast), it was already quite late to attempt Coutrallam. There are colas all over the World, but our own Tamilnadu "Bovonto" has a unique taste - energising and invigorating. So with some sips of Bovonto, we decide to continue onward to Punalur.

The scene would be changing from a plain city route to idyllic villages, towns and fields. The route is being modernised, so in many places both lanes have been merged to a single lane. I resisted the urge to use 6th gear, since there were quite a few places where the footing wasn't tight. Our way took us through Rajapalayam, Srivilliputhur and Kadayanallur. These town roads were highly congested, and there were many one-way-traffic diversions. Unlike Day 1, where we did not touch GPS, here we had to rely on it to reach the correct destination. One thing I did note about my schooldays and now - is that the train stretch has been electrified. Back in school days, the electric locomotives would run only upto Villupuram. After that, when metre gauge was upgraded to broad gauge, the stretch upto Madurai was electrified. The Madurai - Tenkasi stretch was still not electrified, owing to technological challenges and terrain. However today, the entire stretch : Chennai to Kollam has been electrified. While some of us fans have some attachment to diesel locomotives slowly hauling rakes across mountain routes, there is a duty for our generation (and the next) to think about the future sustainability of our planet - so electric it is.

Back during school days when the Quilon Mail crossed from Sengottai to Aryankavu (and thus from TN to KL), there used to be a sign - close to Bagavathipuram Railway Station. "Ghat section begins, 30kmph day, 28kmph night". By road, the sign is no longer there, but one can clearly understand that we have to slow down. Crossing the border, we entered Aryankavu. Progress was very slow, since it had rained previously. Down the hillsides, rainwater was streaming down many portions of the road. Some of these roads had precipices. But the real danger lies in the way some people drive. They have not yet mastered the art of descending in low gear. And they love to honk the person out of the way in their mad rush for downhill racing. Thankfully the Elantra is the best vehicle I have ever driven - to go downhill (while Verna is better while going uphill/overtaking).

The ghat section between Aryankavu and Punalur is a very beautiful stretch while driving, and much more exquisite by train. After Aryankavu, we cross the Thenmalai dam. In last decade's trip, we had stopped at a local hotel - just after the observation platform for Tenmala dam. That time round, it was after visiting Coutrallam, so the travellers were famished. We had a nice meal of "Karimeen" then. This time round, we were hungry too. We found a hotel in the same location (it may have been the very same one). However the Karimeen was over. The patron at the restaurant gave me a "thala curry". I clearly told him "No Eri" (or no spice, in non-Malayalam languages). The way the food tasted, I think that the Chetta had added all the "Eri" in the world!!

The biggest challenge for Elantra was to exit the parking lot and on to the street. That hotel was in a very steep incline. I have a habit of parking in reverse. So while exiting, I found that the vehicle was just not going uphill. Added to that, the last few days of rain had made sure the traction was non-existent. My previous car being an automatic diesel, I had a lot of trouble just climbing out of that incline, but we made it with just centimetres separating us from the glass door of the restaurant. But before that, for every step forward, we felt we were taking two steps back!!

After Thenmalai, the winding road ends in Punalur. There was a compulsory stop at the cemetery where my kin were interred. It wasn't the plan to arrive on time for "All Souls' Day", but it just happened. However the stretch from Thenmalai to Punalur is even more challenging, thanks only to the pace at which people were descending downhill. An added obstacle was the pounding drizzle - creating more blind spots. Somehow we were able to safely dock at Punalur - in a drive where patience is more skilful than skill. The place where we stayed, was close to my ancestral home. There were many nostalgic moments seeing that the town has changed and modernised, but most of the old landmarks are still there.

A trip for me to Punalur, is not over without a visit to the railway station. Earlier, Punalur had a comparatively smaller railway station, lengthwise. This was because the gradient allowed only a maximum of 10 car rakes. But now, with improvements in technology, I see that the length of trains has increased. The platform has also increased to double length. The stretch has been electrified, but there are still a pair of diesel engines, looking like they are guarding the fort.

I even bought a platform ticket (even though the populace there is not very particular about it). After all, I wouldn't want to be known as the fella who came back home after ten years and got caught for entering the railway station without a platform ticket)!!

The rest of the day and the next were spent walking around Punalur, buying things that we don't get in Chennai, and reliving the ghost of christmases past. We have these narrow lanes between houses and going uphill - called "Edavazhi". There was a lingering thought of taking Elantra through the Edavazhi, but that thought was slayed. Even if one vehicle were to come in the opposite direction, it would mean going in reverse in a gradient.

The fourth day of the travel, we travel to Kottayam district for the wedding.

Day 4: Punalur - Kottayam - Thekkady

(God's own country)

In continuation of the travelogue, I got up early in the morning to travel the hop to Kottayam from Punalur. The wedding was scheduled at 11am. It was imperative that we start early, so as to reach on time. Coming from an office that is known for its punctuality, it wouldn't be good for our reputation to be late, even if it is off-duty. So we started around 8am. We first stopped at the Church that I used to attend as a kid in the holidays. Now the only way up that Church is another Edavazhi, so Albatross gets his chance to fly up the Edavazhi after all!! Being a Sunday, I prayed there and then started the drive to Kottayam.

From this point onwards, I would be flying blind - relying completely on the GPS. Even though I have travelled this way before, that was way before when I remembered routes. The GPS said that the town we were visiting is around 90km away, however the estimated time of arrival was close to 3 hours. The reason why this is so, is because this is a winding road, flanked by vivid greenery scenery and hills. However good a driver you are, you will always have that itch to take selfies. Still, we may not forget that we have a reputation of punctuality to uphold. So there was no stopping on the way, except for a little shop for breakfast. The appams there tasted like nectar.

The drive from Punalur to the wedding venue is the popular Sabarimala route. Every year, especially in winter, devotees arrive from all over the world for their Darshanam. The season hasn't yet begun, so travel was less crowded. It was in these hills that Elantra came to life really. Earlier I had my doubts whether he would handle the inclines properly. While Elantra has a 1.8L petrol engine, he is much heavier than Verna. Thus he is more planted, and can easily clock 160kmph on the Chennai-Trichy highway, with enough power for more, constrained only by the caution of the driver. Overtaking on the hills is a different beast altogether. When you are cruising in 6th in an incline, and you come across a bus, you have to sometimes shift to 4th and pass him. In the more common cars, you have to down-gear from 5th to 4th. But this slick gear-box takes getting used to. My previous travels in Chennai Outer Ring Road / bypass had prepared me to do that smoothly. Nowadays, the automatic gearbox is slowly replacing the manual, even in India. So we 6th gear manual-shifters may become rare, if not limited edition. In the meantime, if you are new to this kind of a gearbox, you could consider downshifting to 5th and then to 4th. It may take a fraction of a second longer, but it feels a lot better.

As we neared the Kottayam limits, the weather became bright, and warm. By the side of the road was a sparkling stream/river. Maybe I'm just not used to seeing all these everyday, city-clicker as I am, however I realised why all over the world this place is called as "God's own country". If I didn't have a pressing time deadline (and a need to go to the restroom), I would have cantered a lot slower. The last section of the route had near vertical climbs and descents. This is one kind of driving you will never encounter in Chennai. Even though we left quite early, we just about managed to reach on time before the wedding. Everyone else was late!! So late that I thought we were at the wrong venue. Luckily I know to read Malayalam. They had written down the names of the bride and groom in Malayalam, so we have reached the correct venue.

The weather changed dramatically during the wedding ceremony. During the start, it was hot and humid. A gentle breeze flowed through as the couple circled the fire. By the time they were pronounced man and wife, we travellers experienced a cool breezy spray shower. After the shower, as we settled for the banquet, the rains picked up and became powerful. For a person who grew up in Kerala, this is just an other regulation day. But our colleagues came from all over the country. Some of them were experiencing it for the very first time.

After the wedding, when it was time to beat the retreat, our plans changed. Initially we had planned to Travel to Trichur, then Salem, and all the way to Chennai. However the Salem host was not available. Trichur was doubtful too. So instead, we decided to travel back to Tirumangalam. The route seemed doable in one day. This would make us reach one day earlier than planned. GPS said that the journey would take 6 hours.

We left Kottayam district, and saw that the road would be taking us through the heart of Idukki district. Though I had travelled this way before - it was way back in the past. The first test for the Albatross was to soar over steep hills. Here is where man and machine combined for an exhilarating experience. With a vehicle like this, going uphill, I would recommend that you upshift only after you cross 2000 rpm. This route took maximum fuel, but it was worth it. Uphill climbs were so steep that many vehicles were struggling, but we were able to sail past them.

There was more difficulty in going downhill, because the rain had made the entire region slippery. We were able to maintain some amount of control. The route from Mukkada to Kumily goes through many hairpin bends. There were panoramic mountains and valleys, with valleys descending into ravines. Clouds rolled on the mountain like cotton stuck in Christmas tree decorations. Mist hung over the place even in the late afternoon and the evening. We even saw a mini-waterfall close to the road. The closeness to the road adds puddles of water. Slow and steady wins the race. Patience is a virtue here - when you have to pass lorries.

If ever you are traversing Idukki, try to fill your fuel tanks at Kottayam itself. There are very few petrol bunks in the mountain route, and even if you find any, there will be a long line waiting there. Earlier I spoke about the Punalur - Kottayam route being "God's own country". At this time of the year, I would refer to the Kottayam - Kumily route as the heaven itself. But remember that you have to drive with a careful foot. One scene will always remain in my memory. St Anthony's college Peruvanthanam is perched on a commanding view of the hill, with valleys on all sides.

After we pass that area, we come across a continuous group of tea plantations. I particularly remember Pambanar. Darkness falls very quickly in the hills, and soon I was watching an inky darkness painted over the landscape with darkening shades. When starting, I felt Tirumangalam would be a good pit stop. While executing that plan, Theni sounded more practical. After a while Kumily just made more sense. With all the time lost taking photos of/selfies with tea plantations, greenery, hills - we considered it good pace to have made it to Thekkady. This is the same Thekkady that our previous generation knew through that blockbuster hit - "Neela Ponman".

Thekkady is known for boating, and for its Tiger Reserve. But for now, I just needed a place to sleep. After checking in to a convenient hotel and typing my experiences for the day, it didn't take long for me to fall asleep.

Tomorrow we return to Chennai.

Day 5: Thekkady - Trichy - Chennai

(Home Sweet Home : The Final Chapter)

Thank you readers for patiently bearing with me all the previous chapters of the way, and all the previous kilometres of the way. We are now nearing the end of our journey, and only around 500+ kilometres separate us from Chennai.

I woke this morning to cloudy skies and laid back hill-country at Thekkady. All over the trip, I found that hotels/restaurants take a lot of time to start in the mornings. I prefer an early breakfast, early lunch and little to nil dinner while travelling. That said, in Tirumangalam, Punalur and Thekkady - the breakfast was delayed. Punalur I survived by snacking on pazham-puri, and Tirumangalam I endured. But at Thekkady I needed food, and fast.

One option was to wait for the food to be ready (like in Tirumangalam), but the road was so inviting, and the fog enveloped the entire mountainside like a gentle blanket. It would be better to have food on the way - at the first restaurant where breakfast was available. So we quickly checked out, and began descending the hill. From Thekkady we passed Kumily. Just beyond Kumily, we came across a very steep and foggy hairpin bend. At 7 in the morning, there was no traffic hurrying anyone downhill, so we took our time to take it slowly in 1st gear. If we had to travel back the entire route just to take that hairpin at that same time of the day, we would gladly do it again. The hairpin bends are lovely, foggy and romantic. But we have promises to keep. And miles, miles to go before we sleep. Passing Kumily, we came across Lower Camp. Still no breakfast in sight. There is a very real possibility of having to hold on till Theni for a proper breakfast.

While you are on long drives, as mentioned before, the breakfast is the most important food. It has to be heavy, so you may concentrate on what you need to concentrate on the most - the road. This was a setback that I had not accounted for, however my years of Bangaloring had prepared me to power on when this happens. Another thing that troubled me a lot in this trip is my morning coffee. Maybe it's just the fact that I am used to it, or maybe my own feelings, but my morning coffee is very important for a day to go smoothly. Now the last few days have definitely been smooth, but not the morning coffee. If you ever take long drives/rides in this way, and if you like caffeine, please keep this in mind. I know a friend who, like me, needs her morning tea - that too highly customised. Whenever she travels long, she carries plenty of tea for that very purpose. Maybe in my next travel I'll have to incorporate this idea - of bringing my coffee along. The coffee was light at Tirumangalam, white at Punalur, even more white on the way from Punalur to Kottayam and finally it disappeared completely at Thekkady. Once we crossed into Tamilnadu and entered Cumbum - I was at least able to have breakfast. The patron informed me that today we have no milk, there was a power cut last night, and the milk is spoilt. By now, I was beginning to forget caffeine, so I was no longer .

Soon we were underway, and we passed some delightful hamlets on the way to Theni. You'll find all the beautiful destinations here - Munnar, Kodaikanal nearby. Some places (example Kodaikanal) have a restriction (e-pass). I would recommend that you visit when it is not crowded. We reached the highway, and Elantra gets his preferred stretch of road - the ones where he can cruise in 6th gear. My caffeine requirements were temporarily met by another Bovonto, and the drive became more pleasant.

Unlike the onward journey, the return was a lot slower. Remember that "wake-driving" of day 1? I attempted the same with a Mercedes Benz. The Benz was a lot quicker, and there was too many other vehicles to try these manoeuvres. Around this time, I felt there was a sound coming from the clutch. Elantra has a very light clutch (at least in comparison with the previous vehicles that I used). This time, while releasing the clutch, there was a soft sound like a mouse squeaking gently. It could have been caused by hours of engine braking in the hills, or just wear and tear. Any clutch sound has to be handled with care, because it could come from multiple sources. For instance, it could be but the pedals (like I suspect it was this time), or it could be hinting to a bigger mechanical problem in the linkages, or worse the clutch could be busted.

The sound never worsened, and the car still ran, so I assumed there is nothing to worry for now. We were met by extremes of weather - bright humid sunlight followed by violent attacks of rain. Elantra handled the wind and rain better than Verna - but it is evident by its aerodynamic shape and greater kerb weight. These roads are probably dangerous for hydroplaning, since water fills up fast. Even though the roads were empty, the water levels nearby kept the speeds in control. Still, we were able to maintain 6th.

Once again, lunch was at Trichy. I wanted to have the same Biri from the same hotel. This time round we couldn't find the exact location, so I settled for Buhari's near the toll gate. Finally, nearing Perambalur, I was able to get my first good coffee in a stretch of five days. Coffee is a gamble wherever you go. In the Bangalore to Chennai route, at least I know where are the best places to gamble. But here, we were still learning. However - we coffee lovers can always bank on Karupatti Coffee. Perambalur is dotted with plenty of Karupattis. While the yellow-on-brown boards with Karupatti coffee can be seen for miles around, these coffee places appear on stretches of the highway where the rider would not want to lose momentum. After missing a few coffee places, we finally stopped at a coffee place after Perambalur. That coffee felt divine.

The reminder of the trip didn't have much to write about. This being the Diwali long weekend, people were only now returning - so most roads were empty. Tindivanam and Villupuram flew away in a flash. From Chingelpattu onwards, the crowd returns. The crowd from Chingelpattu to Vandalur (start of ORR) took several hours.

On the top right corner of Elantra's dashboard, it measures the average speed ever since you reset the scores. I reset while starting the journey and we have the statistics for you. Day 1 we travelled an average of 72 kmph. Punalur ghat section pulled us down to 60 (still a good score). The overall score came down to the 50s as we reached Kottayam. However, Idukki had slowed us down to 27 kmph. In the last hop, we were able to end at an average speed of 42 kmph for the entire trip. However this does not mean that we averaged that speed throughout. For instance if you stop somewhere with engine running, the count still continues. Any stop in traffic or bottlenecks will bring down the score too, so maybe if you take the running time alone it would be a healthy 60 kmph for the entire trip.

Since home is close to Poonamalli, we had a chance to finish this trip on a high - cruising at a moderate pace. The last leg of the journey was uneventful. It was while inspecting Elantra in the regular post-drive debriefing that I saw that Elantra is not even tired. Tomorrow if I have to for another similar or more drive, he is ready to fly with minimum repairs. All the same, a visit to Alex is due, and we may have some changes to be done.

Thank you all once again, and there a few more reviews pending regarding other vehicles / other trips.

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