My diwali long weekend trip : Bangalore - Ooty - Coimbatore - Sathy - Bangalore - Team-BHP

marutiblr · 29th October 2006, 11:03

I started around 6.30am from Malleshwaram in my 2005 baleno Lxi, took bangalore - mysore highway. There was less traffic and was averaging at 100kmph peaking to 140kmph in some stretches. Road is very good except bumpers, U-turns and people slowing down on fastest lane for right turns.

I wish they built proper bypass and exits also. Then you can see people crossing highway roads all the time. Very dangerous and there is a locality within every 20km. 1 Billion people, where would they go!!.
It was about 60kms from Mysore, one huge truck was making U-turn from the oppsite lane. Truck driver did a poor judgement on my speed and started making the U-turn and entered 1/2 of of my lane.

It would have been a spectacular side-front collission had i not applied my brakes like hell and steered to the next lane at 100kmph. Car wobbled vigorously and not sure in how many tires i was driving, only remember waving 'hi5' to yama. After 200m, I stopped the car and took rest for 5 mins. I reached mysore at 8.30am and had breakfast at 'Hotel Siddarth'. Good south indian food and don't miss 'mysore bonda soup' here.
After mysore, You have 2-lane regular roads till teppakadu. Not bad, except few bad strecthes after Gundulpet and Bandipur. The road goes via Bandipur and Mudumalai sanctuary. I was not lucky to spot any animals. After Teppakadu, I took the shortest 35km route to Ooty via Masingudi/Sigur. There are 36-harpin bends climbing up the hill for 8kms. After 2-3 bends my car stopped on a bend, as I drove bit fast and had to slow down for the vehicle in the front. Good experience to start the car in a Uphill bend. Drive offered some spectacular views of the Nilgiris and the deep valleys. There should have been more vista points for us to stop the car and take some pics. I was driving alone as well, not interested to stop in between. Around 11.30am I was on the Ooty-Conoor intersection, very bad road, probably due to heavy rain for the past few weeks. There are 14 designated hairpin bends to climb down the hill to Mettupalayam and there was heavy tourist bus traffic on the ghats. I reached Mettupalayam around 1.45PM and had a good mallu food there. I reached my house in coimbatore around 3.30PM ending my 360km/9-hr drive.
While returning, i wanted to reach Bangalore ASAP and took Sathy route. I started at 12.30PM and it was raining continuously. Very good road, lot of curves and looked very remote place, almost no traffic in the road. After Sathy, you get into ghat section with 27 hairpin bends to Thimmam. I am not sure if this was the Veerappan's area. Again very remote place, luckily had brought some food. Stopped for a while and had my lunch, Veg Biriyani. Seems like an accident prone area, I saw one lancer hit a tree and was lying there, One omni fell into a huge pit after hitting a rock and the tree.I reached mysore at reached Mysore at 4.30PM, was looking for a gas station. There was one 'prema petrol bunk' just before Bangalore-Mysore highway, I filled petrol and was offering credit card, that guy said no and I had no cash at all. Then I drove around to spot one SBI ATM, I guess we should carry enough cash for such trips. It was heavy traffic on the Mysore highway, One van going in front of me hit a pedestrain and slowed down the traffic, reached Malleshwaram at 8.30PM.

Steeroid · 29th October 2006, 16:37

Very brief and to-the-point log, but you obviously enjoyed it.

Noticed the 2002 Kembara on your signature - were you in Malaysia driving the Perodua?

marutiblr · 29th October 2006, 21:11

Yes. I was in Penang.

mobike008 · 10th November 2006, 16:15

Nice & clean outline of your trip

Cheers
mobike008

msdivy · 25th January 2007, 14:31

Good article from Maruti on the same route:

Maruti Udyog Ltd: Maruti 800, Alto, Zen, Wagonr, Versa, Esteem, Baleno, Grand Vitara, Gypsy, finance, insurance, accessories, true value, fleet management solutions

squarecut · 1st March 2007, 11:22

Nice,and lucid description of the tour. A Journey, while driving in a good road surrounded by good scenary, is often more enjoyable than reaching the destination. I enjoyed it thouroughly.

wanderind · 11th March 2007, 18:45

well, did you take 8 hrs to cover b'lore via sathy? My knowledge is that the route is the shortest from cbe..around 320kms..was it the ghats the speed breaker?

29th October 2006, 11:03	#1 (permalink)
marutiblr Newbie Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 4	I started around 6.30am from Malleshwaram in my 2005 baleno Lxi, took bangalore - mysore highway. There was less traffic and was averaging at 100kmph peaking to 140kmph in some stretches. Road is very good except bumpers, U-turns and people slowing down on fastest lane for right turns. I wish they built proper bypass and exits also. Then you can see people crossing highway roads all the time. Very dangerous and there is a locality within every 20km. 1 Billion people, where would they go!!. It was about 60kms from Mysore, one huge truck was making U-turn from the oppsite lane. Truck driver did a poor judgement on my speed and started making the U-turn and entered 1/2 of of my lane. It would have been a spectacular side-front collission had i not applied my brakes like hell and steered to the next lane at 100kmph. Car wobbled vigorously and not sure in how many tires i was driving, only remember waving 'hi5' to yama. After 200m, I stopped the car and took rest for 5 mins. I reached mysore at 8.30am and had breakfast at 'Hotel Siddarth'. Good south indian food and don't miss 'mysore bonda soup' here. After mysore, You have 2-lane regular roads till teppakadu. Not bad, except few bad strecthes after Gundulpet and Bandipur. The road goes via Bandipur and Mudumalai sanctuary. I was not lucky to spot any animals. After Teppakadu, I took the shortest 35km route to Ooty via Masingudi/Sigur. There are 36-harpin bends climbing up the hill for 8kms. After 2-3 bends my car stopped on a bend, as I drove bit fast and had to slow down for the vehicle in the front. Good experience to start the car in a Uphill bend. Drive offered some spectacular views of the Nilgiris and the deep valleys. There should have been more vista points for us to stop the car and take some pics. I was driving alone as well, not interested to stop in between. Around 11.30am I was on the Ooty-Conoor intersection, very bad road, probably due to heavy rain for the past few weeks. There are 14 designated hairpin bends to climb down the hill to Mettupalayam and there was heavy tourist bus traffic on the ghats. I reached Mettupalayam around 1.45PM and had a good mallu food there. I reached my house in coimbatore around 3.30PM ending my 360km/9-hr drive. While returning, i wanted to reach Bangalore ASAP and took Sathy route. I started at 12.30PM and it was raining continuously. Very good road, lot of curves and looked very remote place, almost no traffic in the road. After Sathy, you get into ghat section with 27 hairpin bends to Thimmam. I am not sure if this was the Veerappan's area. Again very remote place, luckily had brought some food. Stopped for a while and had my lunch, Veg Biriyani. Seems like an accident prone area, I saw one lancer hit a tree and was lying there, One omni fell into a huge pit after hitting a rock and the tree.I reached mysore at reached Mysore at 4.30PM, was looking for a gas station. There was one 'prema petrol bunk' just before Bangalore-Mysore highway, I filled petrol and was offering credit card, that guy said no and I had no cash at all. Then I drove around to spot one SBI ATM, I guess we should carry enough cash for such trips. It was heavy traffic on the Mysore highway, One van going in front of me hit a pedestrain and slowed down the traffic, reached Malleshwaram at 8.30PM. __________________ 2005 Baleno Lxi 2002 Kembara 2001 Hond Civic Ex Last edited by normally_crazy : 29th October 2006 at 16:47.

29th October 2006, 16:37	#2 (permalink)
Steeroid Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: DXB Posts: 5,341 View My Garage	Very brief and to-the-point log, but you obviously enjoyed it. Noticed the 2002 Kembara on your signature - were you in Malaysia driving the Perodua? __________________ Cheers Steer Where all think alike, no one really thinks very much.

29th October 2006, 21:11	#3 (permalink)
marutiblr Newbie Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 4	Yes. I was in Penang. __________________ 2005 Baleno Lxi 2002 Kembara 2001 Hond Civic Ex

10th November 2006, 16:15	#4 (permalink)
mobike008 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,852 View My Garage	Nice & clean outline of your trip Cheers mobike008 __________________ [b][i]The nail that sticks out gets hammered !!!

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25th January 2007, 14:31	#5 (permalink)
msdivy BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 474	Good article from Maruti on the same route: Maruti Udyog Ltd: Maruti 800, Alto, Zen, Wagonr, Versa, Esteem, Baleno, Grand Vitara, Gypsy, finance, insurance, accessories, true value, fleet management solutions

1st March 2007, 11:22	#6 (permalink)
squarecut BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Jabalpur Posts: 87	Nice,and lucid description of the tour. A Journey, while driving in a good road surrounded by good scenary, is often more enjoyable than reaching the destination. I enjoyed it thouroughly.

11th March 2007, 18:45	#7 (permalink)
wanderind Newbie Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Palakkad Posts: 1	well, did you take 8 hrs to cover b'lore via sathy? My knowledge is that the route is the shortest from cbe..around 320kms..was it the ghats the speed breaker?