Cross Country Trip down the West Coast and Up the East Coast.

[wanderernomad]

IN june this year I am planning to do the following trip.
Car : Indigo Marina, DICOR.First Leg.
Delhi - Pune. The number of People 2-3 Adults, 1 Child.
Guys please give the best route p[ossible alongwith detailed kms between suggested stops with Fuel station info and info on places of interest enroute.
Car : Scorpio. Second Leg. No of people : 5 Adults, 1 Child, 1 Infant.
Pune-Goa-Ooty-Tvndm-Kanyakumari-Chennai-Bangalore-Hybd-Pune.
Alternate routes to cover more places of interest are also welcome.

Team bhpians along the way kindly provide some contact details in case anything goes wrong not that am expecting anything but just in case.

We will be looking for Army/Navy accomodation where ever possible and have accomodation at Goa, Tvdnm, Chennai, Bangalore, Hybd, Cochin but need stay information alongwith probable costs at all other places.

Special needs that need to be taken care of?
Road conditions?
Weather conditions?
Do's & Donts?
Places/routes to be avoided.

[govigov]

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

Pune-Goa-Ooty-Tvndm-Kanyakumari-Chennai-Bangalore-Hybd-Pune.

i would suggest,
pune - goa - bangy - ooty - cochin- tvm- kanyakumari- madurai - chennai- hyderbad

or

pune- goa - mangalore - calicut - cochin - tvm - madurai - chennai - hyderbad .


hvkumar, should have some intresting inputs.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

If you are coming via Mangalore, you can access the Ezhimala Naval academy off Payyannur (NH 17), between Kasargod and Kannur. Dunno if every body (I mean Services people also) are accomodated there - the place is still under construction. There is also a CRPF camp near Payyannur - not sure that qualifies.

I guess you can cover Goa - Payyannur - Ezhimala in a 12 hour trip and stay at Ezhimala before proceeding further.

[hvkumar]

Pune - Delhi is ideally done on the following route:

Pune-Bombay/Thane, NH4
Bombay/Thane-Surat-Baroda, NH8
Baroda-Ahmedabad, NE1
Ahmedabad-Udaipur, NH 8
Udaipur-Chittorgarh-Bhilwara-Kishangarh, NH76/79
Kishangarh-Jaipur-Delhi, NH8

Can be done in 2 days, with overnight halt at Udaipur, assuming early morning start from Pune.


For the South Indian leg, Govigov's second route option is optimal - add Kanyakumari after TVM, Ooty after Madurai, and Bangalore Ooty, finally going to Hyderabad from Chennai.

This means the following routes:

Pune-Nippani, NH4
Nippani-Savanatwadi
Savantwadi-Goa, NH17
Goa-Mangalore-Cochin, NH17
Cochin-Trivandrum-Kanyakumari, NH47
Kanyakumari-Madurai, NH7
Madurai-Dindigul-Palani-Coimbatore-Ooty
Ooty-Mysore-Bangalore
Bangalore-Madras, NH4
Madras-Chittoor,NH4-Cudappah-Kurnool-Hyderabad
Hyderabad-Pune, NH9

Extra places that can be covered without deviating too much from the above route are:

Goa-Gokarna-Murudeshwar-Udupi-Mangalore
Cochin-Kumarakom-Trivandrum
Madurai-Dindigul-Kodaikanal-Palani-Coimbatore-Ooty

Well -travelled routes, good facilities, los of options to stay at, safety not an issue, most of the roads good.

June is the worst time of the year for this route since rains would be very heavy starting first week of June. Better time would be May, or in September, after roads are repaired post-rain.

Please be free to contact me through PM. Have log books for all the places you mentioned, can provide you detailed info on the routes.

[wanderernomad]

Thanks @hv but june is the only time both me n my brother can spare so it would have to be a monsoon run.
@backseatdriver : NAVAC accomodation can be arranged not an issue.
Other places which are off the beaten track but still should be seen along the way alongwith some details on as to what is on offer?

[jack33]

If you want to drive through some of the best parts of the western ghats at the expense of an extra 100kms, you can try the following route.
Ooty-Coimbatore-Pollachi-Udumalpet-Chinnar (wildlife santuary)-Marayoor (3000ft-Natural sandalwood forest), Munnar -Cochin.
The Coimbature-Cochin stretch is about 190 kms and can be covered under 4 hrs.But if you choose the above road it's about 290 kms and will consume at least 8 hrs.But there are good accommodations at Marayoor and Munnar,,both are good hill stations and the roads are windy with excellent views.And when you pass Chinnar, you can spot some wild animals too.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

@Wanderernomad - in that case, you schedule yourselves to reach Payyannur / Ezhimala in afternoon. Spend night there, and early morning, start off to Ooty. There is a route via Wynad. From Ooty, follow Jack33's suggestion up to Cochin. I suggest that timing because I have read here that the Wynad - Ooty route goes through thick forests where night driving is not advisable.

The route is something like Ezhimala - Payyannur - (turn left at Taliparamba and byepass Kannur) - (Need help here) (- Mysore?) - Ooty.

See the post by "joecherian" at:-
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...-kerala-5.html (Current Condition of Road To kerala)

There are posts in subsequent pages too. Most of the roads, except those going to Virajpet / Gundulpet are good now. I cannot assure that they will remain in same condition during Monsoons. :-)

The next link ought give you some idea of Mysore - Ooty route. Check if you can byepass Mysore - if you want to, that is.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...condition.html (Need info on Mysore-Ooty road condition)

Here are some links which may help you in Ooty - Munnar route.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...irections.html (Temple Visiting Spree in TN-Part II. Ended up @ Munnar! Am I tht bad @ directions?)

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ound-trip.html (Bangalore – Munnar-kannur-bangalore -1500kms Round Trip)

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...n-country.html (A drive through God's own country)

[wanderernomad]

@driver : Thanks mate, I would not be bypassing Mysore and would spend about 2 days there as I ahve been there before and liked the town.
Anybody on the routes in Kerala around periyaar? Is there a road to cross over into Kerala from that part?
@kumar : Chief still waiting for those log books.

[wanderernomad]

The dates are fixed now. June 10th till June 25th. Will start the driving from Pune onwards and do the delhi-pune thing by rail/air.
Thanks guys for the info and now some specific queries..
if i take the route as follows:- ooty- Coimbatore-Pollachi-chinnar-munnar-cochin-tvndm -kk-madurai-kodaikanal
do i have an option of a route for
1. Goa--gokarna-udupi--??? ooty?
2. Kodaikanal--??-bangalore-chennai?

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

The dates are fixed now. June 10th till June 25th. Will start the driving from Pune onwards and do the delhi-pune thing by rail/air.
Thanks guys for the info and now some specific queries..
if i take the route as follows:- ooty- Coimbatore-Pollachi-chinnar-munnar-cochin-tvndm -kk-madurai-kodaikanal
do i have an option of a route for
1. Goa--gokarna-udupi--??? ooty?
2. Kodaikanal--??-bangalore-chennai?

Goa-Gokarna-Udupi-Hassan-Mysore-Bandipur-Ooty

Kodaikanal-Palani-Bhavani-Krishnagiri-Bangalore-Chennai

[rippergeo]

Originally Posted by jack33

If you want to drive through some of the best parts of the western ghats at the expense of an extra 100kms, you can try the following route.
Ooty-Coimbatore-Pollachi-Udumalpet-Chinnar (wildlife santuary)-Marayoor (3000ft-Natural sandalwood forest), Munnar -Cochin.
But if you choose the above road it's about 290 kms and will consume at least 8 hrs.But there are good accommodations at Marayoor and Munnar,,both are good hill stations and the roads are windy with excellent views.And when you pass Chinnar, you can spot some wild animals too.

@jack- have you tried this route recently? what is the condition of the road? would you suggest using a swift on this route or the ford endeavour?
I'm hoping to do a photography trip.

also, what is the traffic like?

[wanderernomad]

Right now based on info I have chalked out the following route:-

Pune-Goa-Gokarna-Udupi-Hassan-Mysore-Bandipur-Ooty or
(Mangalore-Kannur-Thallessery-Kuttyadi-Sultan Battery-Ooty)-Coimbatore-Pollachi- Chinnar-Munnar-Cochin-Kumakom-Tnvdm-KK-Madurai-Dindigul-Kodaikanal-Trichi-Perambalur-Pondy-Chennai or( Kodaikanal-Palani-Bhavani-Krishnagiri-Bangalore-Chennai)-Hybd-Pune.
The route underlined has an alternate in brackets. Which one to take so as to have the most of the route and the sights. Where should the halting points be? Hotel rates at those points?
@HV: chief which one to take as per road conditions and what all need to be carried for these parts as you have the same vehicle we propose to take.Any misc information I might be missing out on please add on.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Hotel rates - rates for star hotels would be almost same every where, No?

I would stay at Udupi rather than Mangalore. And choose between Kannur and Thalassery depending on when I reach there. (only 1/2 hours apart).

Stay at Ooty, start by late morning (post 10 AM), stay at Munnar over night, start next day morning, stay at Kumarakom? After Kumarakom, stay at KK.

Edit:- Kumarakom - KK can be done over night to avoid heavy traffic in TVM - Nagercoil - KK sector. Go to Sherthallai = Cherthala (Not sure if there is a direct road from Kumarakom to Alappuzha - I will not suggest going back to Kottayam to take the MC road to TVM - you cannot escape the TVM city traffic if you take MC Road)from Kumarakom and take NH 47 to TVM. From TVM, take the Byepass, and if you reach during day time, consider visiting Kovalam. From Kovalam, come back to bye-pass and turn Right / Straight to reach, (I think,) Balaramapuram, on way to KK. Saves you a lot of city traffic.

[hvkumar]

Goa-Ooty - both routes have their attraction, except that if you take the Kerala route, you can go directly to Ooty on Kannur-(leave NH17)-Kuthuparamba-Gudalur-Ooty, which is a very picturesque and less-travelled route through great ghat roads and tea/coffee estates. Only problem is you have to tyake the Gudalur-Ooty road which is in shambles. The route via Hassan and Mysore is much better, and you have some chances of seeing elephants/bison en route and climbing up the 36 HPs from Masinagudi to Kalhatti.

Taking the Palani-Bhavani route is preferred, being as bad as the Perambalur route to Chennai, buty definitely the shorter route to Chennai. Needless to say, both routes are unexciting.

You can go directly from Kumarakom to Chertala (or am I wrong, a bridge is supposed tyo be there in one part of the backwater). Alernatyively, you have to return to Kottayam, take MC Road tyill Changanaserry and take a pretty route (recommended) along the backwaters through Mankombu to Alapuzha where you join NH47 and continue to Trivandrum. You can take the TVM bpass at Kazhakutam itself saving you trouble of navigating city roads.

[druva]

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

Right now based on info I have chalked out the following route:-

( Kodaikanal-Palani-Bhavani-Krishnagiri-Bangalore-Chennai)-Hybd-Pune.
.

You can include Hogenakkal in this route!