Bangalore -Madurai -Kanyakumari-Rameshwaram

[kaushik_s]

Hi Friends,
Need some help on planning a trip to Kanyakumari. Please give some update on the route from Bangalore-Madurai-Kanyakumari-Rameswaram and back to Blr. How is the road condition? How much time normally it would take from Bangalore to Madurai? What are the decent places to stay in Madurai and Kanyakumari.
What are the options for food enroute? Mostly it'll be a day time driving.
We'll have 5 days in hand and the trip will be during the new year's time. So any advance booking required taking into consideration the new year rush?
Are 5 days enough for this trip? Or we need more time? Will it be too hectic to have only 5 days?
What other places that can be covered along on this route (not planning for any big detour though, mostly will be sticking to the planned route)
Waiting for response..
Regards,
Kaushik

[hvkumar]

NH7 from Bangalore to Madurai is in a bad condition - thanks to road widening - between Salem and Karur, especially around Namakkal.

Similarly, NH49 between Madurai and Rameswaram was badly damaged in the last rains.

Allow for a day's drive to Madurai, 4-5 hours from there to Rameswaram, and 5-6 hours from Madurai to Rameswaram. You can take a much shorter and direct route from Rameswaram via Kizhakarai, Sikkal, Vembar, Tutiucorin and Tiruchendur - should take you less than 5 hours - but that road is in a bad condition too.

Day 1 - Bangalore-Madurai
Day 2 - Madurai-Rameswaram
Day 3 - Rameswaram-Kanyakumari
Day 4 - Kanyakumari-Bangalore, via Madurai

Lots of hotels to choose from in all places, depending on your budget. No need to make any advance bookings, unless you have a specific hotel preference.

[csentil]

Expect roadwork from Krishnagiri till Madurai. 90% completed from Krishnagiri to Salem. Beyond Salem roadwork is still in progress. Drive carefully.

Plenty of eating options all over the place. You will pass through a lot of towns and lot of eateries there.

Madurai there are dime a dozen hotels. Starting from College House, Sulochana Palace, Hotel Supreme and others. Just get to the Gandhipuram and on the road parallel/perpendicular to the railway station there are a lot of places to stay.

Madurai itself has a lot of temples to go to. You can cover them all in one day if you start early in the morning.

Sikkal temple is famous, so is Tiruchendur. Suchindaram near Kanyakumari is another great temple to visit.

Kanyakumari to Mdu via Nagercoil is also being 4 laned. Expect deviations.

[kaushik_s]

Thanks HVkumar and Csentil for your replies. How bad is the road condition? I mean how much would be average speed on that road? I wish I had got the rail tickets :-(
And while coming back can we take a different route or that'll be too time consuming?

[hvkumar]

Return could have been via Kerala (Trivandrum, Kollam, Alapuzha, Kochi, Trissur, Edappal, Kozhikode, S.Battery, Gundulpet and Mysore, but that route is too long and time-consuming in view of the high day traffic in Kerala.

[csentil]

Should be smooth sailing till Salem. Average speed depends on ur driving. So its not easy to predict. You could do upto 140 kmph on the 4 lanes provided they are all done with or you can stick to a safer 100 kmph... upto you entirely. Lets say average of 80 kmph. Salem to Madurai could be the tricky part.

Madurai - Rameswaram roads were good before monsoon. Don't know how it is now. Lot of rain these few weeks.

Kanyakumari - Madurai is also 4 lane in progress. Lot of traffic as well. Do not do night driving. You should average around 60-70 kmph.

[amohit]

Originally Posted by kaushik_s

Hi Friends,
Need some help on planning a trip to Kanyakumari. Please give some update on the route from Bangalore-Madurai-Kanyakumari-Rameswaram and back to Blr.

Kaushik, I am planing the exact same trip. Starting on 25th Dec morning.
Is there any chance that we can group together?

Regards,

[rudrah]

Plan to start early from Madurai to Rameshwaram. After temple visit, you will be able to cover Dhanushkodi and Coral islands. Also there are boat jetty from Rameshwaram. They take you for 30-40 mins in the sea. You will enjoy those. Plan to take 4 wheel drive from Rameshwaram to Dhanushkodi, costs around 1000-1200 per trip depends on the season and your negotiation ability.

This is the plan made after looking at Ramp's excellent travelogue & travel booking agent. Would be happy if you share your journey experience later. Planning to visit same on mid-January.

[kaushik_s]

Originally Posted by csentil

Should be smooth sailing till Salem. Average speed depends on ur driving. So its not easy to predict. You could do upto 140 kmph on the 4 lanes provided they are all done with or you can stick to a safer 100 kmph... upto you entirely. Lets say average of 80 kmph. Salem to Madurai could be the tricky part.

Madurai - Rameswaram roads were good before monsoon. Don't know how it is now. Lot of rain these few weeks.

Kanyakumari - Madurai is also 4 lane in progress. Lot of traffic as well. Do not do night driving. You should average around 60-70 kmph.

Would not speeding like I used to do as my parents will be there with me. 100-120kmph max. So average will be around 70-80kmph I guess. Will be careful along the Salem to madurai and Madurai to Kanyakumari. Actually after getting this info about bad roads I'm kinda hoping that they cancel the plan for Kanyakumari and instead we go to Chennai/pondicherry or likes where the roads are in good shape. No night driving on those roads for sure.

Originally Posted by amohit

Kaushik, I am planing the exact same trip. Starting on 25th Dec morning.
Is there any chance that we can group together?

Regards,

That would be great but I won't be able to start the journey before 30th as my parents will be here only by then. :-(

Originally Posted by rudrah

Plan to start early from Madurai to Rameshwaram. After temple visit, you will be able to cover Dhanushkodi and Coral islands. Also there are boat jetty from Rameshwaram. They take you for 30-40 mins in the sea. You will enjoy those. Plan to take 4 wheel drive from Rameshwaram to Dhanushkodi, costs around 1000-1200 per trip depends on the season and your negotiation ability.

This is the plan made after looking at Ramp's excellent travelogue & travel booking agent. Would be happy if you share your journey experience later. Planning to visit same on mid-January.

Thanks Rudra for the tips. Actually I'm more interested in Dhanushkodi the Kanyakumari but my parents are not. Will sure be putting the logs and photos if I make the trip. BTW can you please provide the link of Ramp's travelogue ?

PS: A diff request, any good travel guidebook for Kanyakumar/RAmeswaram/Dhanushkodi etc? I've the Outlook's BAngalore and Chennai weekend gateway, but they don't have any info on these places.

[rudrah]

Originally Posted by kaushik_s

BTW can you please provide the link of Ramp's travelogue ?

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...steem-vxi.html (Bangalore - Nanjangud - Bandipur - Madurai - Dhanuskodi trip by Esteem VXi)

[Ketan]

Hi Kaushik,

were ayou able to make this trip!
I'm in the similar situation with my parents visiting and I want to make either Rameshwaram or SriSailam. I guess, I may be doing SriSailam this time after reading about the roads to Rameshwaram!! Also, I have got only 3 days so I should be able to do SriSailam in that time.
Post your trip log once you finish that.
Thanks.

[syssol]

Please guys guide me with an accurate road map from Bangalore to Madurai to Rameswaram to Kanyakumari to Bangalore. Planning for a 3 or 4 day trip.

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[gowda79]

Syssol you can go through my travelogue in this link -

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...uth-india.html (The King who conquered Part of South India)

We had done the same stretch last month and brief description of roads are mentioned in it.

[ramkya1]

Originally Posted by syssol

Please guys guide me with an accurate road map from Bangalore to Madurai to Rameswaram to Kanyakumari to Bangalore. Planning for a 3 or 4 day trip.

Following link would be useful to you, some of the sections and Rameswaram was covered in my trip.

http://www.arkzsol.com/Abad-Tvm-Abad07.htm

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...angy-abad.html (Full Travelogue uploaded.abad-bangy-tanjore-rameswaram-tvm-bangy-abad)

Happy driving

--Ramky

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[mjothi]

NH7 from Madurai to Dindigul needs a lot of work. Especially the first 30-40KMs. Lots of traffic and you have only 2 lanes. I shoudl say single lane only. Such a narrow roads. I see that the Bypass are getting ready, but will take a long time.

From Dindigul to Salem is much better than my drive about 6 months back. Still lot of diversions. The karur, Namakkal roads are better except for very few bridges which are under construction. So, need to take the alternate routes.

Only blessing is after Thoppur to Hosur border. The toll fees of Rs.48 + Rs.25 is really justified.