Chennai - Coimbatore - Munnar

[Luke]

Hi All

I am planning for a trip to Munnar on 5th July. My car is an Accent CRDI & my driving style is fast to very fast I have recently bought a new set of alloy rims(HR) & upsized my tyres to 185/60-R14.

What I am looking for is for good scenic roads with minimal traffic & POTHOLES.

I will be halting in Coimbatore & leave to Munnar on 6th morning.

Based on other members comments, I have shorlisted the route below...

Chennai -> Krishnagiri -> Dharmapuri ->Mettur->Ammapet->Andhiyur->Athani->Sathyamangalam->Annur->coimbatore

Coimbatore -> Pollachi -> Udumalaipettai ->Munnar

Please let me know your comments & the current conditions of these roads.

Thanks
Luke

[hvkumar]

Good roads, except for road construction works going on in Krishnagiri-Toppur section. You could also reach Munnar the same day if you have an early start from Madras and are fast. Being he rainy season, do not rule out fog in some sections after Udumalaipet. In Munnar, fog is very heavy on Munnar-Devikulam road in case you are staying at Club Mahindra/Serling at Chinnakanal.

[jack33]

What about Mettur-bhavani-avanashi-palladam-udumalpettai.I'm not sure about the present road condition of avanashi-udumalpetta sector.

[hvkumar]

I prefer to go directly to Munnar (instead of via Coimbatore) via Bhavani, Perunthurai, Chennimalai, Gangayam, Dharapuram and Udumalipet.

[pypkmsrikanth]

I was just about referring the same route...if somebody is a fast driver, then one can reach Munnar the same day without any stress by starting early in Chennai, correct me if I am wrong HVK this could be done in about 12 hours comfortably isnt it.

[hvkumar]

Yes, it is an easy 12 hour drive for a fast driver. Took me 6 hours from Salem on this route. Reaching Salem from Madras in 5 hours is not difficult.

[jack33]

@hvkumar,Teni-munnar(83kms) road is very good and can be covered in 2hrs.So any possibility of Munnar-theni-chennai.(580 kms)

[hvkumar]

Yes, Theni-Munnar is 87 kms and can be covered in 2hours, except that you may have to slow down if it rains or there is heavy fog (possible in Bodi Medu-Poopara and Devikulam-Munnar sections).

You can always take NH45 via Tindivanam, Villupuram, Trichy till Dindigul, and then go via Periakulam to Theni, Bodinayakanur, Bodi Medu and Poopara to Munnar. Except for the road widening sections after Villupuram (still a bottleneck?), the rest of the road is good. Allowing for 5 hours to Trichy, 1.5 hours to Dindigul and another 4 from there to Munnar, you could do your drive to Munnar in similar time as the Udumalipet route too.

You could go via Vellore, Krishnagiri, Bhavani, Udumalaipet route and return via Theni, Dindigul, Trichy, Villupuram route. Would not like to do night driving on Trichy-Madras tthough.

[pypkmsrikanth]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Yes, Theni-Munnar is 87 kms and can be covered in 2hours, except that you may have to slow down if it rains or there is heavy fog (possible in Bodi Medu-Poopara and Devikulam-Munnar sections).

You can always take NH45 via Tindivanam, Villupuram, Trichy till Dindigul, and then go via Periakulam to Theni, Bodinayakanur, Bodi Medu and Poopara to Munnar. Except for the road widening sections after Villupuram (still a bottleneck?), the rest of the road is good. Allowing for 5 hours to Trichy, 1.5 hours to Dindigul and another 4 from there to Munnar, you could do your drive to Munnar in similar time as the Udumalipet route too.

You could go via Vellore, Krishnagiri, Bhavani, Udumalaipet route and return via Theni, Dindigul, Trichy, Villupuram route. Would not like to do night driving on Trichy-Madras tthough.

Actually the Tindivanam - Villupuram (did two weeks back) is far better than earlier with quite a few stretches opened on new roads. The Villupuram - Tricy is also not bad (did that a month back), lot of stretches are on new roads between Ulundurpet - Trichy. The bottlenecks are the places where flyovers are being constructed. I would say a fast driver can do Chennai - Trichy - Dindigul in about 8 hours. So this also is a very good option in terms of going to Munnar, rather this is the more direct option.

[hrag]

I have done Chennai - Devikulam in 9 hours (2 breaks). If not for a landslide at Devikulam when I went, it would have been another hour max to Munnar.

Unless you have to go via Coimbatore, I'd recommend the straightforward route: Chennai - Trichy - Dindigul - Periakulam - Theni - Bodi - Poopara - Devikulam - Munnar.

Chennai - Trichy took me 5 hours (with 1 break). Trichy - Dindigul is doable in an hour depending on the time of day.

Trichy - Chennai during night is not advisable as hvkumar says. Although I have done this in exactly 5 hours with an evening start of 5 pm from Trichy.

Note: not encouraging rash driving here but hvkumar's method of non-stop fast driving does have its advantages when one has to cover huge distances in a day. I have found his timings doable and comfortable. Always travel at your own comfortable pace.

[esteem_lover]

Originally Posted by Luke

My car is an Accent CRDI & my driving style is fast to very fast

You sound very much like our dear headers who incidentally has the same car too. Sorry for being offtopic.

[Luke]

Thank you all for your response & suggestions. I am in no hurry to reach Munnar in the same day. I am taking a break from work & plan to explore new routes. I read somewhere the route Coimbatore -> Pollachi -> Udumalaipettai ->Munnar is very scenic & should be driven early in the morning. Based on this review i have planned to halt at Coimbatore. I am also made my hotel reservation in Coimbatore. So no turning back from this plan Hope I dont get disappointed.

My return direction should be the straightforward Munnar -Devikulam -Bodi - Theni - Dindigul - Trichy - Chennai.

[hvkumar]

Early in the morning, watch out for wild life on Chinnar-Marayoor-Munnar road.

[jraj]

Did Coimbatore Chennai today morning.
I used the following route.
Coimbatore - Sathyamangalam - Gopi - Chithode - Salem - Ayothyapattnam - Arur - Uthangarai - Thirupattur - Vaniyambaadi - Vellore - Kanchipuram - Chennai.

Route from Coimbatore to Chithode was amazing.It is an undivided road,but less traffic and good roads were you can do very good roads.At Chithode joined NH7.Chithode to Salem was Ok with good roads and diversions at places were roadwork was going on.From Salem to Vaniyambaadi,the route was amazing.Very nice roads and virtually no traffic at all.At Vaniyambaadi we joined NH4.Started from Coimbatore at 8:45 and reached my apartment at Velachery by 6:15 including 2 tea breaks and lunch break at Salem.

Kumar sir:What do you think on this route when compared with the other routes to coimbatore.I am planning to use this route for all my coimbatore trip...

[hvkumar]

Interesting route - quite a dicovery that the Salem-Uttangarai-Vaniyambadi road is in good condition, only reservation would be that I would avoid that sector at night.

How were facilities on Salem-Vaniyambadi route?

But once widening of NH47 between Coimbattore and Salem via Avinashi, Perundurai and Chittode is over, maybe I would go back to the original road.

Another interesting idea is that once widening work is over, it may be a better idea to go to Salem on NH47, then switch over to Uttanagari and go via Tiruvannamalai, Gingee and Tindivanam to Madras, since NH45 from Tindivanam is double roaded and there is very litttle traffic on NH66 beween Uttangarai and Tindivanam. How were the drives through Sathy, Gobi, Tirupattur and smaller towns, since I am sure there were no bypasses?

Just a few corrections, if I may. You join "NH 47" att Chittode, not "NH 7" and at Vaniyambadi, it is "NH 46" and not "NH 4".