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-   -   3 States : MH-KA-KL Drive in a Polo GT TSI (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/173322-3-states-mh-ka-kl-drive-polo-gt-tsi.html)

It was during monsoon (and monsoon drives) that my wife and I toyed with the idea of planning longer journeys by road. Weekend getaways were being ticked off one by one, the colours of nature beckoning us to go further. But the real inspiration came from the numerous (passionate) travelogues on Team Bhp with incredible attention to detail. We even started factoring a few Team Bhp angled shots (especially of the car if not faces) wherever we travelled.
The post and the photos took many many weeks (months!) in the making, nonetheless, I felt compelled to go through the whole lot of photos and share our travelogue. Our steed for this journey was our (then) 1 year old Polo GT TSI with just under 10000 on the Odometer (again, back then). The Car has been used almost entirely for weekend drives with my office commute fortunately only a short two wheeler ride away. This is also only my second travelogue on Team Bhp, hope to experience (and post) many more!

The annual visit to my (and wife’s) hometown down South is usually planned well ahead and one of the two mandatory visits in the year’s travel itinerary. My home town Kozhikode (CLT), KL was eyed first, advance (deal seeker) reservation given a miss, well-meaning travel related queries from parents were given vague answers as we wanted to surprise my folks, not sure how far we sounded convincing.
Another teambhp tip we noticed was an option where one could book hotels on the go (HVK), which meant there was no routes nor travel plans cast in stone! The flexibility of Hotels-on-the-go (India 501) encouraged us to open the map and literally pick our spots to cover enroute.


Thanks to HVK (we plonked for the India 501 plan of HVK), we received an incredibly comprehensive route plan, and the trip was on in our minds! Trip MH-KA-KL was officially born, we still could not hold back our disbelief (and smiles) at our road trip for a destination, so synonymous with Konkan Railway travel from the time I can remember (an evening train from Panvel takes you to Kozhikode next day noon). Vacation was ‘blocked’ in calendar, out of office set in advance, so as to not dilute the driving experience (not even calls on Bluetooth were welcomeclap:)
Route was planned as follows, decided to split it over 3 days (though we realised point-to-point travel was doable in 2 full days)
Day 1 Navi Mumbai to Gokarna (entirely on the road covering 700+ kms)
Day 2 Gokarna – Udupi (visit Gokarna temple, explore sights enroute Udupi, covering around 250 kms)
Day 3 Udupi – CLT (visit Udupi temple, explore sights enroute CLT covering approx 350 kms)

Day zero went on packing (resizing is more like it, to fit the Polo’s boot), bags were loaded the previous evening so that we walk into the car and drive the next morning without breaking a sweat. That the polo did not have boot light (compounded by our cramped parking area) also prompted this.
Stuff required en-route were placed in rear foot-well, including our newly acquired cool-box

remaining bags secured on rear seats with seat belts.

Lesson for future road trips on small hatches – Take multiple ‘squashy’ bags than large hard luggage so that every cubic centimeter of the boot is utilized and bags piled up with abandon.


Despite ambitious plans, we manage to start the car by 05:29 hours (which was still the earliest we ever managed to). We consoled ourselves by saying we have an edge being on the outskirts of Navi Mumbai


Expressway before day break *disclaimer : all pics whilst moving were clicked by the co-passenger


The fog setting in



Ghats misty as ever


Going past our usual diversion to Lonavala


Late September, still in monsoon glory


Surprisingly not a drop of rain encountered while driving



Hoping to cross Pune before city wakes up (being a working day)


Here we have to mention that HVK’s travel plan included finer details including recommended eateries and petrol pumps. We unfortunately missed some of the recommended ones (that meant lunch at a nondescript Dhaba near Kolhapur) which were just a few kms ahead of the point where we stopped. Considering the relatively long travel involved, we decided to stick to simple food as much as possible, with all refreshments/snacks being in-car catering
On Asian Highway AH47


Progressively closely spaced rumbler strips make you slow down instinctively


Beautiful surface of the AH after Kolhapur, which made us realise how (and why) so many bhpians drive down Mumbai-Bangalore without breaking a sweat. Smooth tarmac (as opposed to expressway like concrete) meant little tyre noise and a whisper quiet ride. A regular sight along Kolhapur-Belgaum route were the yellow-green NWKRTC (Ashok Leyland) buses maintaining a good 90+ average speed (sounding smooth rather being strained)


Caused by the crosswinds? :D


Suvarna Vidan Sowdha just after Belgaum, a vast structure suddenly appearing out of nowhere


Milestone for the day (also highest we ever achieved in a day, till date)


Divine Co-traveller - Ganpati Bappa heading towards some Mandal near Hubli. Quite disconcerting to see the 'sail' catch the wind


Deviation off the AH after Dharwad, towards Ankola


South Indian Temple architecture makes its appearance (we were thrilled at the progress

Approaching Ankola, the tree lined roads appear darker than what it really was



We had Gokarna as the stop over destination for day1, thanks to HVK’s suggestion, we changed it to Kumta and had a lovely accommodation for the night (not specifying details, as it was through HVK)
Unfortunately we missed a pic of the dials during end of day 1. It ended at 733kms, at 19:30 hours. There is a detailed summary at the end of the post too



Day 2
We were refreshed after a good night’s sleep and a nice breakfast, made all the more appealing by good coffee (we were in Coffee Land KA after all). We were close to coastal Karnataka's beaches (Karwar, Gokarna, Kumta all had pristine unspoilt beaches), however, decided on Gokarna considering the limited time on hand. Gokarna is less than 30 kms from Kumta, we started around 08:30 after breakfast


Numerous bridges – it’s the Konkan route after all


Started to look like Kerala already

Wet and green – exotic volley ball venue


Roads were narrow (bad in patches), but heavenly all the same


Heading towards the temple at Gokarna


Colours change in front of our eyes



Locals directed us towards the temple ‘parking’ , but roads started getting incredibly narrow. There was no way of taking a U turn, pray, even giving way to vehicles in the opposite direction

I was quite nervous, so much so that we have no dash pics of the narrow path. Moved slowly with road turning at almost right angles


After which we found ourselves at the ‘parking lot’!
This was a hurried and relieved shot clicked from inside


Found ourselves at a spectacular open spot, a far cry from what it was just a few yards behind


Attachment 1477212

Nonetheless, we retraced our path just to capture the ‘ordeal’ we went through (uncalled for in hindsight, it was a one way)

The 90 degree turn towards the ‘sea facing’ parking spot


The non descript entrance to the important temple


It was another narrow road from temple back to the highway, now we knew this was a one way!


Went back to Kumta, checked out of our room by 11 am, initial plan was to head towards our destination for Day 2 Udupi. It was courtesy timely tips from HVK, that we added two important stops (and temples) to our itinerary – Murudeshwar and Mookambika
Ah! The Konkan road route - lost track of the number of bridges. Would have been nice to keep a log of the same


Turn off towards Murudeshwar

Temple visible from a distance

Hugely popular tourist spot, packed with cars.

Towering Gopuram with more than 20 floors, serviced by an elevator!

Gopuram is a modern structure inside with windows, elevator shaft, look out points

Temple is on an outcropping of land, with water almost 270 degrees around


Can make out in this, a narrowing ‘V’ of land, shore visible on both the left and the right


Imposing Shiva statue and the main altar are situated at a height behind the temple complex



Can very easily pass off as an outdoor studio, given the detailed massive exhibits. Restaurant extends out on the sea

Reasonably priced food with a priceless view out from the table!


After food we headed for Baindoor where we took a deviation towards Mookambika

Mookambika (also a wild life reserve), can be seen in the distance

Lovely winding roads with views to match

Every stream traversed was gushing in full glory post monsoon


The temple Arch. Made it just before temple reopens in the evening at 16:00, thereby skipping the monster tourist buses from KL

The quick stop at the temple took all of 30 minutes, after which we resumed our journey towards Kundapura and then on to Udupi. Reached We reached Udupi by 17:45, our Hotel booked at the very heart of the bustling town. It also had a fantastic (and hugely popular) restaurant, parking space was tight but managed to fit in, determined not to take out the car till we set off the next day. After a cup of real good coffee (after what seemed like ages), we went to the famous Udupi Sri Krishna Temple

The temple is unique in that the idol of Krishna is turned away to the side, where one prays through a small window.
Dinner was at the hotel (blockbuster) restaurant where we were lucky to find tables.

Tally for the day stood at 243 km



Day 3
Started the day with a sumptuous Udupi breakfast (wait for this) At Udupi!, checked out and hit the road by 09:00, towards Mangalore

Passed Surathkal just before Mangalore


Mangalore is a bustling industrial port town, dotted with factories and conveyors, quite heavy traffic, but roads were wide and smooth


Massive 6 lane bridge which can put Vashi bridge to shame

Behold! Gods own country (and my own home state), entering Kerala border. The 3rd and the 4th lane just disappeared from this point, for the rest of our journey

Bridge number 50+ (I can be fairly certain) near Kasargod


The positive camber just looks quaint even funny


Lovely backwaters as always, funnily in Kerala this sight remain largely unchanged anytime of the year


Short detour to visit Bekal fort, visible from the parking lot

Mid day sun blazing mercilessly as can be seen from the shadows (or the lack of them)

Entrance to the fort, we were possibly the only tourists this time of the day (weekday too!)


This was the very location the Movie Bombay where the hero famously crooned ‘Uyire’ (or Tuhire in Hindi). Well, that was during breezy monsoons


Sprawling walkway

along the edge by the sea



Look out points into the sea


Highway sights continued to astonish us (rear overhang or hanging down?)


Lunch break at Parassinikadavu KTDC Motel

Loved the parking available at all State Run Hotels!


Approaching Mahe



Narrow British Era (Moidu) Bridge (now I understand a modern 2 lane bridge has been inaugurated at last!)

Where one entire lane (and its 2km long traffic jam) was due to this one Truck which cannot squeeze through oncoming traffic, no one around to regulate one way flow on the narrow bridge :Frustrati


Mahe, a tiny Union Territory which has regn plate of PY03 (Yes! under Pondicherry's administration) in the heart of Kerala. Nothing could be more self contradicting


The other specialty of Mahe being Petrol sold at (almost) the price of diesel in Mumbai, dutifully tanked up (was low on fuel much before Mahe, filled for a measly 500/- at an earlier Pump)


Vadakara (outskirts of Kozhikode), stopped for tea at this shack owing to its rather interesting name board (KL friends can relate)

Destination (Kozhikode) at 18:11 with 294 kms taking almost 10 hours, thanks to KL roads where one cannot cruise
(cannot forgive myself for not setting trip meter)


Tally for day 3



In all 3 days, 1270 kms, 33 hours of well spaced driving with plenty of stops (and sightseeing)

After surprising family and relatives at Home (except HVK, nobody knew about our road trip), notwithstanding curious glances at MH regd car at the Garage, we were readying ourselves for some ‘local’ drives in our MH vehicle

Kozhikode local sights
Car wash with hose, personal effort and more importantly once own microfiber cloth. A regular affair at KL, a luxury at Mumbai.
VAG Family as one can observe :D


Local rides and the Kozhikode beach


Newly extended ‘beach’ road, our very own Marine Drive



After lunch we set off on a drive (folks could not fathom the itch to hit the road, that too after a long drive from Mumbai!) this time, chose something my wife had in sights as a must visit from CLT. A place where neither my parents nor myself had visited (its always like that I guess, one covers more places as a tourist than ones own backyard)

A 90 km drive, but this being KL, takes a good 2 hours and then some.
But with scenes like these, no one complains

Not all the sights all the time though (definitely not with monster buses). Do note the typo riddled 'Keep DistEnce' warning!


Teak Museum, Nilambur

Beautifully recreated natural settings


A massive exhibit of a teak root


Trunk patterns


A real tree trunk cross section – The age in years (or rings) depicted.
This one has seen the Mughal empire, East India Company, through Independence and till liberalization!


Miss such traditional creations in real wood nowadays


Also housed a bio (biological) park within its premises
Tangled roots (or are they vines?)


Butterfly park really attracted a zillion butterflies


and other creatures


Not to mention the beautiful flora




Summary of our local drive#1



Were we done yet and resting till our return drive? Not really!
The next morning we were off again!
This time headed towards the family deity in outskirts of Palakkad

Misty morning, monster buses not yet enveloped the roads

Typical Narrow well surfaced KL roads

Past Cherpulassery, Ottapalam

Through plantations and fields, Pazhayannur (Yes, KL names are a mouthful to pronounce correctly)

Village roads of Thenilapuram

Destination! Never imagined would drive down to this oft visited temple in an MH regd vehicle!


For someone who had learnt driving in Kerala (family hatchbacks), I was quite used to the narrow winding 'dual carriageway' where one practices 'point and shoot' overtaking techniques. This I would say was the true test of the GT TSI's depth, (apart from crawling traffic of Mumbai) as overtaking opportunities are very short timed. A sluggish auto could ruin the drive as people otherwise stay in 3rd, waiting for the opportune overtaking moment. After some time on KL roads, I could make the DSG execute perfectly timed kickdowns to slingshot past slower vehicles with ease.
(P.S. I still maintain with all humility that one should not mess with Monster Private Buses of KL)

Sights common place in KL, such payloads on trucks

Scenic sand river beds


Summary of our second local drive



The return Drive

As always, time flies at your favourite places, it was time to start back. This time we were overwhelmed by advice as well as wishes, and seen off (or should I say flagged off?)
Our plan was to not retrace our path via Mangalore and Udupi, but to hit Wyanad, and visit Mysore

Early morning start with customary click of the dials


Sun peeking through the horizon, past Kunnamangalam, Areacode (Pronounced Arieecode’ )

Approaching Adivaram, the foothills of Wyanad


Plantations by the hill side

Rubber plantations (rabar, as it is locally pronounced without stressing the ‘B’), the other specialties of this region being cardamom and Tea (higher up the range)


Drivers delight (a nightmare with heavy truck traffic and jams during peak hours). Can you imagine this arterial road to KA has heavy truck traffic?

High G force inducing cornering? Or shaky cam? :D


Morning sun from the top


Woe betides a convertible driver with such aggressive simians around


More views of the valley

An official view point with unofficial parking (out of harm’s way)

The sighting from the top,

of the hair pin bends – Quite a phenomenon at Wyanad, where smaller vehicles cut into the wrong lane to accommodate long buses and trucks negotiate really sharp bends


Entering Vythri, the popular town at Wyanad famous for resorts

And scores of tea plantations


Approaching the KL-KA border past Kalpetta (if one travels further along KL, past Mananthavadi enters Nagarhole reserve into KA and then Coorg


Bandipur Forest Reserve. Brought back fond memories of scores of trips through this very route from Amby/ Omni days with parents as a child, to KSRTC/Airavat Volvo rides to Bangalore after college


Was not uncommon to spot Elephants at night emerging from the foliage (seasoned drivers turn off headlights and wait for the animal to pass)


After an uneventful drive past Bandipur, we reached Mysore around Lunchtime, checked into a smart service apartment accommodation (courtesy HVK). Lunch had to be at this iconic restaurant, its old world charm (not to mention food) drawing crowds even today



Summary of our Return Drive day1

Since we had rest of the day at Mysore, visited Mysore Palace
One of the most popular spots for most of Malabar to visit (Malayalam with multitude accents were predominant)


Never fails to impress with its grandeur



Towards end of the day at Mysore, had a bit of a scare. Heard this news that the next day was a Karnataka bandh. Having grown up in KL, am not new to bandhs at all (during its peak KL witnessed as much as 100 days of bandh a year). But this time was different, we were on a road trip, not even halfway through, with a schedule to meet.
A quick chat with family and HVK had us prepared to stay put if need be and reach a day late (Monday gone at work!) However HVK encouraged us to leave early, avoid certain routes and towns which were bandh strongholds. So stocked up on bread and other food/water (were mentally prepared to stop under a tree and spend a day in the car if stopped enroute) and started before dawn. Decided against breakfast stop, in-car catering to the rescue!



Glorious shares of the rising sun


Dropped by at the temple town of Srirangapatna enroute



To our disappointment, found the main temple closed (opens only by 7 30 am) but for the bandh,we would have waited. But we decided to make a move anxious to not encounter any 'incidents'.

Historic city of Srirangapatna with its fort walls



Now we were in Bandh slot (7 am) as suggested by HVK, we chose countryside roads via Belur, Turuvekkere. Mandya and its outskirts were notorious for demonstrations so had an anxious 2 hour drive till we cleared such spots

The countryside was beautiful nonetheless, quite desolate but for the odd truck encountered



Roads were patchy in bits with smooth stretches to taunt us

Clouds opened up in spurts making us forget the anxiety of the bandh

Past Hiriyur we were heading towards the highway (AH)


Finally joined the AH at Chitradurga (from where we were sure there would be no disruption on account of bandh. Was never this glad to leave a country road and enter a highway!

Windmills galore



Stopped at the highway for a tea break, couldn’t help notice local breaking news update on the bandh. Despite not following Kannada, one word being repeated made us very uneasy – Chitradurga!
There were demonstrations aired on TV, on what unmistakably looked like a highway. We pulled out of the hotel parking onto the highway where we noticed a traffic hold up ! Felt a lump down our throat as we could guess what could have caused it! The bandh!

There was a long line of trucks, with people coming the other way gesturing nothing’s moving. We had a few cars ahead, who moved out of the line, crossing in and out of the gaps between trucks. Though opportunistic driving is something I never do (a Teambhpian, no less stickler for traffic rules) today was no day by the rules. We were close to the mouth of the hold up where we could see something burn and black smoke. Feared the worst, but realized they were tyres (phew!), but there was a big group shouting slogans and causing the blockade at the mouth of a junction.

Followed the cars, took a left at the junction then a U turn back to the main junction, thus skirting the protestors around their back. We suddenly found ourselves on a vast empty stretch of the AH! Couldn’t believe our eyes (nor our luck) was so relieved! Redlined in 2nd and 3rd just to vent out, then cruised along hoping we don’t encounter any more of such incidents, we were lucky to have an uneventful drive ahead

Hilarious highway sights were back to amuse us


The same Suvarna Vidhan Soudha (now on our right) near Belgaum. Although we were officially retracing our path from Hubli, this was the first recognisable landmark that we were on the right route


Milestone captured for the day

And another one of 12000 on the Odo


Aamchi Maharashtra!

From dawn to dusk on the road (Near Kolhapur)


Reached Kolhapur around 18:00, and though HVK did suggest we could make it to Navi Mumbai in one go if we wanted to, we chose to stop over at Kolhapur

Summary of return drive day#2



Interesting signboard at the hotel’s steep ramp (recommends 1st gear, maybe might add ‘low ratio if available\' :D

Checked into the Hotel suggested by HVK (fantastically popular hotel and restaurant) decided to visit the famous Mahalaxmi Temple at Kolhapur, after a whole day of highway driving, happily jumped into an auto

Ganpati sights, Kolhapur

Temple entrance and premises



Last day Home-Run. Checked out by 6 am eager to have an early start


More shots of yet another day break from within the car




Crossed Pune bypass and headed for the expressway (luckily being a Sunday there were no Pune snarls)
Spotted a Polo taxi (!) on the expressway – probably a diehard VAG fan (can think of no other reason! :Frustrati)


We were pleasantly surprised at the last day dash, reached home on Sunday 11:15 (typically when we just warm up to a Sunday!)
Earning one's dirt?


356 kms on last day

With a 19+ FE on home run!




A complete summary of the drive is mentioned below (deliberately excluded Hotel details as it was through HVK CHD, coupled with stay with family)
Toll and Fuel for the trip. Union Territory of Mahe bags the lowest fuel price award, among 'regular' states KA (I must add Bangalore may be an exception) did have lower fuel prices than MH. These were as on Sep'15


Day wise summary of road trip


Overall Summary

Round trip summary on map (local KL drives not shown)


Learning from our road trip:
These are probably the norm for Teambhp members, but as someone who had recently embraced long road trips; found them useful to share
1) Plan out the trip/route, marking potential food stops, fuel pumps. There is no bigger dampener than hunting (or worse, taking an unplanned deviation) for that elusive Petrol Pump or restaurant. It is challenging to find respectable restrooms in dhabas (especially hinterland), plan stop overs around availability
2) Top up fuel and check air pressures a day or two before the journey, than head off straight into a queue for fuel
3) Refrain from checking air pressures midway (unless you seriously suspect it is sub-optimal) after continuous running; as cold tyre pressures are specified
4) If travelling with (only) a passenger, the right rear foot well is a boon to stow essentials required for in-car catering
5) A stretch break after 2-3 hours of driving (stopping by the side and getting out of the car completely) recommended even if the driving seat beckons you to just carry on. We discovered that body fluids just disappear even with near zero activity inside the car.
6) Avoid pushing meal breaks (just a little further syndrome), more than hits you by the end of the day
7) Right hand was tanned noticeably more than left hand lol:.
Now I have a full sleeved shirt stuffed inside the glove box solely for day time driving , to counter the sun.
8) We had practiced this one much earlier, avoid carb heavy intake (carbohydrates, not the 'other' intake related to the engine) for lunch. The session of driving after lunch is most susceptible for bouts of drowsiness. I stuck to Rotis despite being a fan of the Dal-Khichdi (the latter was my unanimous choice for dinner at almost every place we stayed)
9) Have enough cash factored for fuel, tolls, food. We had a 'situation' at a derelict petrol pump near Belgaum where the attendant whole heartedly accepted by card, but his machine didn't give a print out despite by debit sms. Close to 20 minutes went into phone banking and ultimately paid cash, having being convinced by my bank and the attendant that the amount would be refunded. Smaller town hotels where you plan to check out early morning, can play spoil sport citing machine not working (card payment)

Since then, we have already applied some of these 'learnings' in subsequent trips which I hope to post soon. Happy Driving!

Wonderful write up. The roads in Southern part of our country are so beautiful with twists and turns which makes driving an enthusiast car even more fun. Glad you drove out of the bandh related mess without any issues. Your travelogue will be a guide for my upcoming trip to the South.

Just a question: Do we have a list of good fuel pumps on highways which we can be sure do no sell adulterated fuel?

Thanks for sharing this :-)

Great write up GeeTee !!

Rated 5 *

Lovely snaps clicked by your wife too !!
I would be covering some part of the route you traversed in March. Will definitely come back to your thread for tips.


Loved your 7th learning. :uncontrol

PS: Good thing you avoided the Bandh. Cheers and keep the TSi rolling.

A lovely travelogue there GeeTee and those post monsoon photos show that coastal drives are the best during this time! A part of the triangle you covered is part of my twice a year "pradakshina"!

My sister stays in Goa and I am a Mangalorean staying in Bangalore with wife from Kasaragod. Which effectively means a drive from Bangalore - Hubli - Goa - Karwar - Honnavar - Udupi - Mangalore - Kasargod - Mangalore - Hassan - Bangalore, or sometimes a Kasaragod - Mysore - Bangalore thrown in on a routine basis.

Great roads with stunning scenery is a hallmark of this route and I am sure you enjoyed every bit of it, as evident from your photos!

[ agree: Agree with you on the exploring your backyard bit, because my wifey is from Kasargod, and myself being a Mangalorean, I am yet to visit Bekal fort etc ]

Cheers to more drives, and less Bandh :) and the GT is a lovely ride indeed!

As always, travelogues are a pleasure to read on this forum. This one especially in the GT TSI has re-affirmed my faith in the car. Your rides covered most terrains, conditions and came out with a very impressive avg. fuel efficiency figure.

Is there anything more you could point out about the car's long distance performance for a prospective GT TSI buyer?

Excellent travelogue GeeTee. Monsoon drives along the western ghats is always a pleasure to go on. Those are excellent average FE you managed during this trip on TSI

Brilliant write up clap:.
I can relate to the journey and the route that you took from Mumbai to Calicut and back because I used to do the exact same route, well almost ( Pune - Calicut ), but in a GT TDi, 3 to 4 times a year when I was working in Pune.

The best thing about this route is you get a good mix of Highway and 2 lane roads. You will be happy to be on the highway as it helps you in munching miles and then the 2 lane road helps you break the boredom by throwing in lush green scenery and winding roads.

IMO VW Polo GT twins is in its best when you are out on a long road trip.

Thanks for sharing.

Just one word to describe Gee Tee's post...fantanstic!!

Sometimes while reading TBHP's travelogues I wonder if I am reading the online version of some travel (Lonely Planet) or nature magazine (National Geographic). Cars, hills, rivers, lakes, birds, tigers....seen it all here.