Route Advice : Bangalore to Kasargod

[analyse]

Friends,

The Mangalore road SH48 over Shirdi Ghat is closed for repairs - so what is the best alternative to take to go to Kasargod (North Kerala) from Bangalore.

[RajeshK]

Going to Kasaragod, better to take Madikeri - Jalsur - Cherkala - Kasargod route. Another alternative is Madikeri - Bhagamandala - Panathur - Kanhangad - Kasargod. Except the strech from Kushalanagara to Madikeri, other places roads not so bad

[deepak_ms]

sorry analyse for hijacking your tread, din't wanted to start a new thread so asking it here..

planning to go to bekal fort, kasaragod, Kerala from bangalore via mysore route. wanted to know the road condition of the following route.

Bangalore - Mysore - Hunsur - Gonikoppal - Virajpet - Kannur - Kasaragod

[speedzak]

Ok! Let me put down the fact first.
If you're planning to reach Kasargod driving, there's no way you will unless you see the 1000th car breaking capable pothole. No matter what route you take.

Regarding the Bangalore-Mysore-Madikeri-Sullya-Jalsoor-Cherkkala-Kasargod, the roads are great till SriRangaPatna. Good till Hunsur. Not bad till Kushalnagar. Then, it's bad or worst till Sullya. Some parts are capable of eating a bus/truck in one gulp! Jalsoor to Kasargod is good again.

The other option, Madikeri-Bhagamandla-Panathur-Kanhangad-Kasargod. You'll have to suffer the Kushalnagar-Madikeri stuff anyway. After that, It's not that bad, manageable. Kanhangad-Kasargod via Bekal is not very good.

There used to be a road connecting Virajpet and Kannur some years ago. Seems it has vanished now. People are looking for photographs of this scenic route so that they can frame it and send it to museums.

[deepak_ms]

thanks for the update speedzak...
i will not be entering Madikeri i will be taking

bangalore - mysore - Hunsur -Gonikoppal -Virajpet - Mattannur-Kanhirode-Munderi-Chelora-Elayavoor-Kannur-Puzhathi-Pallikkunnu
-Valapattanam-Pappinisseri-Kalliasseri-Taliparamba-Cheruthazham-Payyannur-
Kanhangad- BEKAL

got this route from mapmyindia .. is this route also in a bad state????

[ganeshtp]

Hi Deepak_ms,
I have travelled to nileshwar in Oct end through Mysore- Madekeri-Sullya-Jalsoor - Cherkala - Kanhangad. Only around 60-70 km of bad roads as pointed out by others. Still managable. Approx 9 hours it took from blore(Best timings i feel, use to reach in 7.5 hours through Hassan-sakleshpur once upon a time).
The route which you have planning will be round about I feel.

[speedzak]

Of course, Deepak! If you're going to Virajpet, you don't have to go to Madikeri. But what difference does it make? Because the road which requires to be in museum is the one from Virajpet to Kannur ie... The route you've marked out. You won't be able to keep up anything above 30kmph. And then You've got to struggle thru Taliparamba-Kanhangad stretch which was recently carpet bombed by George Bush & Osama together. Heard V.S & co is trying to get it all fixed as soon as possible.
I suggest you try the Madikeri-Bhagamandla route.

But there's also a saying; when you're faced with 2 evils, try the one you've never tried before.

[ganeshtp]

I Strongly advise to avoid Virajpet route. Even Buses are getting stuck i believe. Also have come through this route 4-5 months before through bus. Was a miserable journey. Whole night coudnt sleep. There is no road in most of the places. Seems, for 20 KM u will take 3 hours. Cant Just imagine.
Feel even bhagmandla might be better than this.

[s0uljah]

Haha, Zak's given you a fair idea what to expect! Lol!!!

[deepak_ms]

thanks speedzak and ganeshtp. will take Madikeri-Bhagamandla route then.

Because the road which requires to be in museum is the one from Virajpet to Kannur ie... The route you've marked out.

is it that bad?

[rex_varghese]

Any idea/update on the Charmadi ghat road (alternate route towards Mangalore)?

Regards
Rex

Originally Posted by analyse

Friends,

The Mangalore road SH48 over Shirdi Ghat is closed for repairs - so what is the best alternative to take to go to Kasargod (North Kerala) from Bangalore.

[speedzak]

Charmadi ghat section seems to be in bad condition too. Currently, they've perfectly got all the routes to Mangalore in some very bad condition.

As of now, I'm getting humped, bumped and thrown around in a so called luxury bus somewhere between Sullya and Madikeri. This route is now become a mirror image of what Shiradi ghat route is. Buses and trucks are plying thru this route just because they're not allowed thru Shiradi it seems.

BTW, there's a passenger train service now between Bangalore and Mangalore. What took them so long?

[analyse]

Thank you all for your help.

Speedzak - does your last comment mean that cars are being allowed on Shiradi ghat again. The repairs seem to have started in mid Oct 07 and I am trying to be optimistic to think that the state has done a quick job!

[analyse]

I was looking at a map that shows a road from Sakleshpur to Kasargod -does anyone know of such a road?

[deepak_ms]

am planning to go to Bekal this week end.how is this route condition???

Bangalore - Hassan - Sakleshpura - Sakleshpura Cross to Subramanya - (Not Shiradi ghat but through Haldahalli, Hettur) - Sulya - Bekal.