[denver85]

Originally Posted by arjithin

Thanks Deepak. "Anechoukoor Check post" - What kind of a checkpost is that? or just a place name?

Its a forest check post. You can do a search to get the exact location in Google. There are no travel restriction here though.

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by arjithin

I have to travel to Kunnamangalam ( near CLT) this Friday evening. At this point of time reaching the gundlupet checkpost before 9 pm looks slim due to office commitments..

Arjithin : If its OK for you to reach Kunnamangalam by around 9AM on Sat I guess the best option will be for an early morning start from Bangalore (~3AM). You will reach Gundlupet around 06:00 - 06:30AM soon after forest traffic is opened.

[arjithin]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Arjithin : If its OK for you to reach Kunnamangalam by around 9AM on Sat I guess the best option will be for an early morning start from Bangalore (~3AM). You will reach Gundlupet around 06:00 - 06:30AM soon after forest traffic is opened.

Just came back. I was planning to help someone getting their car to Kerala and accordingly made some plans at Calicut for Y'day; but he pulled back last minute and I couldn't pull back from my commitment. Hence ended up driving my bullet.

Started at 4:20 AM on saturday and reached REC (Chathamangalam) @12:45 PM.
On return started at 1:30 PM today and reached HSR Layout @ 10:20 PM. Took SH17 route both ways.

Roads are excellent throughout. The resurfacing work @ Muthanga is almost complete. Traffic jams @ Muthanga checkpost should get reduced as the roads are made very wide (enough for 3 lane traffic) near the checkpost.

[Rajeevraj]

Just back from a Bangalore-Calicut trip. Onward was on 11th May and return on 19th. Good to see the roads in perfect condition all through after a long time. The Bathery-Kalpetta stretch seems wider after the re-laying work. While going left Belandur ar 4.15am and reached Nallalam at 1pm. Got stuck in a jam in Thamarassery town for close to 45 min. Rest Rooms at the CCD in Gundlepet have been closed for renovation. Any other decent halt in Gundlepet Area with clean rest rooms? Finally stopped at Upavan Resort-Just before the ghat descent. Nice calm place with clean rest rooms and a refreshing atmosphere.

On the return, left from Nallalam at 5.30 and was home in Belandur at 1.15. Great drive on the Wayanad roads during early morning time.

Took the SH17 both ways.

Originally Posted by arjithin

Started at 4:20 AM on saturday and reached REC (Chathamangalam) @12:45 PM.

Looks like we left at the same time. Wonder if we passed each other at some point

[arjithin]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Looks like we left at the same time. Wonder if we passed each other at some point

There is every possibility. In fact we probably traveled at the same time on 19th as well. I started from chathamangalam (REC) @ 5.15 am and reached HSR around 2.45 pm. I took a detour to gopalswamy hills and my drive was slow with my pregnant wife. Unfortunarely those forest officials didnt allow us to go up hills seeing all kind of food items inside the car :( ( mangos, jackfruits, coconuts, bakery items etc etc ). Any idea why?

What was your drive.?

[kala]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

On the return, left from Nallalam at 5.30 and was home in Belandur at 1.15. Great drive on the Wayanad roads during early morning time.

Originally Posted by arjithin

There is every possibility. In fact we probably traveled at the same time on 19th as well. I started from chathamangalam (REC) @ 5.15 am and reached HSR around 2.45 pm.

Even I was on NH212 at around the same time yesterday. Started from Kalpetta at 7:45 AM and reached ISRO Layout (near Banashankari) at 12:05 PM. But I deviated at Gudlupet towards Chamarajanagar (took NH209 from there on).

May be we could have been in the forest stretch at around the same time ? (I was in a Red Figo with an LCLC sticker on the rear, don't recall seeing any other car with TBHP stickers during that drive though)

[arjithin]

Originally Posted by kala

May be we could have been in the forest stretch at around the same time ?

I crossed kalpetta around 630 am. I am sure rajeev too should have crossed before 7 am.

Kalpetta to banashankari in 4 hrs 20 mts? That's a really fast driving.

[kala]

Originally Posted by arjithin

I crossed kalpetta around 630 am. I am sure rajeev too should have crossed before 7 am.

Kalpetta to banashankari in 4 hrs 20 mts? That's a really fast driving.

Not sure if I would call it super fast since I hardly ever exceed 120 kmph on this route.

I always cover the Gundlupet-ISRO Layout stretch (approx 200 kms) in 3 hours, the major advantage being the fact that my place is just off Kanakapura road, and so drive through city traffic is very little.

The normal breakup is : 20 to 30 minutes Kalpetta - Batheri, 1 hour for Batheri to Gundlupet and 3 hours from there to home.

[binand]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Rest Rooms at the CCD in Gundlepet have been closed for renovation. Any other decent halt in Gundlepet Area with clean rest rooms?

Back in March, the rest rooms at the CCD were in pretty pathetic condition - no water supply, stinking loos etc. I had written an email to CCD about it. So in early May (when the CCD rest rooms were closed for renovation), we stopped at a nearby restaurant. I forgot its name, but here are directions (from Chamarajanagar side):

- At the point where SH17 meets NH212 where you need to take a left and an immediate right towards Calicut, turn right.

- In about 1 km, you will see a restaurant adjacent to a petrol pump to your left.

This restaurant has a public access toilet. The wife, who used it, said it is passable (which means she wasn't disgusted by it).

Location: http://goo.gl/maps/rb7DR

In our return journey she used the toilet at Hotel Rajdhani which is at the point where SH17 meets the main road at Chamarajanagar (close to the KSRTC bus station).

Location: http://goo.gl/maps/cp8SC

Edit: in the past have also used Mint Flower at Sultan Bathery for its clean restrooms. Location: http://goo.gl/maps/c4PP1

[ampere]

Originally Posted by binand

- At the point where SH17 meets NH212 where you need to take a left and an immediate right towards Calicut, turn right.

The other option if you are coming via Kanakpura Road (Nh209) is Nijaguna Residency at Chamarajanagar. Have read very good reviews about the place.
And its I think one of the best places in NH209.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by arjithin

There is every possibility. In fact we probably traveled at the same time on 19th as well. I started from chathamangalam (REC) @ 5.15 am and reached HSR around 2.45 pm. I took a detour to gopalswamy hills and my drive was slow with my pregnant wife. Unfortunarely those forest officials didnt allow us to go up hills seeing all kind of food items inside the car :( ( mangos, jackfruits, coconuts, bakery items etc etc ). Any idea why?

What was your drive.?

Thats a typical luggage load for a Kerala return car during summer. My boot content was almost exactly the same . My ride is a Silver SX4. I guess I would have passed you when you took the detour. Where exactly do you turn off to visit this place?

Originally Posted by kala

May be we could have been in the forest stretch at around the same time ? (I was in a Red Figo with an LCLC sticker on the rear, don't recall seeing any other car with TBHP stickers during that drive though)

Originally Posted by arjithin

I crossed kalpetta around 630 am. I am sure rajeev too should have crossed before 7 am.

Yup, I passed Kalpetta at around 7 and Bathery around 7.30am. Stopped after Gundlepet at a hotel on the right. Forgot the name. Its the one little below the road level where the KeSRTC buses stop. I guess you would have been a few minutes behind and would have turned off towards Ch. nagar.

Originally Posted by kala

Not sure if I would call it super fast since I hardly ever exceed 120 kmph on this route.

I always cover the Gundlupet-ISRO Layout stretch (approx 200 kms) in 3 hours, the major advantage being the fact that my place is just off Kanakapura road, and so drive through city traffic is very little.

The normal breakup is : 20 to 30 minutes Kalpetta - Batheri, 1 hour for Batheri to Gundlupet and 3 hours from there to home.

In the times I have taken this route, I usually have taken around 3hr 30min from Gundlepet to NICE-Kanakpura Jn. My comfort zone is around 90-100km/h speeds. On this trip I started after the Gundlepet stop at around 8.50am and reached NICE road-Mysore Road intersection at 12.50pm with a 30 min stop at Corner House. SH 17 traffic was low as expected on a Sunday Morning. But got stuck for 10 min each at Mandya and Ramanagara Signals and 10-15 min at the WonderLa turn-off.

Originally Posted by binand

I forgot its name, but here are directions (from Chamarajanagar side):

- At the point where SH17 meets NH212 where you need to take a left and an immediate right towards Calicut, turn right.

- In about 1 km, you will see a restaurant adjacent to a petrol pump to your left.

This restaurant has a public access toilet. The wife, who used it, said it is passable (which means she wasn't disgusted by it).

Location: http://goo.gl/maps/rb7DR

In our return journey she used the toilet at Hotel Rajdhani which is at the point where SH17 meets the main road at Chamarajanagar (close to the KSRTC bus station).

Location: http://goo.gl/maps/cp8SC

Edit: in the past have also used Mint Flower at Sultan Bathery for its clean restrooms. Location: http://goo.gl/maps/c4PP1

Thanks for the info. The one i tried this time was ok. My wife did not want to go check out the ladies rest room since there was 2 KeSRTC buses and few vans stopped there and it was very crowded.

We have stopped at woodlands, Mintflower and this time Upavan. As you mentioned these are clean options. These are good for the to journey to Calicut. But only problem is that while returning these are too early in the drive to stop.

[kala]

Originally Posted by binand

At the point where SH17 meets NH212 where you need to take a left and an immediate right towards Calicut, turn right

The Chamarajanagar-Gundlupet road is SH-81, not SH-17 (SH-17 is the Bangalore Mysore highway).

Originally Posted by binand

In about 1 km, you will see a restaurant adjacent to a petrol pump to your left.

This restaurant has a public access toilet. The wife, who used it, said it is passable (which means she wasn't disgusted by it).

Another restaurant that has a "passable" toilet is Hotel Rasana which is about 2-300 metres from the RTO Checkpost junction on the Gudlupet-Bathery highway (On the right if you're going towards Bathery). The definition of "passable" the same as yours

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

We have stopped at woodlands, Mintflower and this time Upavan. As you mentioned these are clean options. These are good for the to journey to Calicut. But only problem is that while returning these are too early in the drive to stop.

This time I tried out a new restaurant at Vythiri for lunch on my way from Calicut to Kalpetta on Saturday. It's "Sahara Sea Food" at old Vythiri on the LHS of the road when coming from Calicut. New place, hence spotlessly clean, and the lunch was pretty good too. (Tried some Mussels also, but that wasn't all that great)

[NPV]

Originally Posted by kala

This time I tried out a new restaurant at Vythiri for lunch on my way from Calicut to Kalpetta on Saturday. It's "Sahara Sea Food" at old Vythiri on the LHS of the road when coming from Calicut. New place, hence spotlessly clean, and the lunch was pretty good too. (Tried some Mussels also, but that wasn't all that great)

I think I saw this place just after Upavan (or just before Upavan?) on LHS/same side as Upavan when coming from Calicut. Why I'm asking is I saw a nice looking building (possibly a hotel?) opposite this sea food restaurant, do you know which hotel is that ? I do not remember seeing this on my previous trip in 2012.

[arjithin]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Where exactly do you turn off to visit this place?

here is the link. http://goo.gl/maps/ASjcd
I didn't take this route as the road was very bad, hence I went via Gundlupet, turn right to Ooty road and then join from other side.

[kala]

Originally Posted by NPV

I think I saw this place just after Upavan (or just before Upavan?) on LHS/same side as Upavan when coming from Calicut. Why I'm asking is I saw a nice looking building (possibly a hotel?) opposite this sea food restaurant, do you know which hotel is that ? I do not remember seeing this on my previous trip in 2012.

The one I'm referring to is at least 1 or 2 kms beyond Upavan when coming from Calicut. The only building opposite it that I can recall is a Dharmasastha temple, don't remember noticing any hotel there.