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-   -   Bangalore - Wayanad: Route & Accommodation (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-travel-queries/102166-bangalore-wayanad-route-accommodation-21.html)

Hi. Just bear with me for rehashing the information, listing it here, just to get nod on the summary as the information is present across posts.. This is about checkposts/traffic restrictions due to wildlife ; Bangalore to Thirunelli. Is the below correct ?

1) Gundlupet - Sultan Battery - Payyampally - Kaattikulam - Thirunelly : No traffic allowed after 9 PM from either side of the state. However if one has entered / crossed the first gate before 9 PM, you will be let out of the checkpost on the other side even if it's after 9 PM. Traffic restrictions are relaxed after 6 AM.

2) Mysore - Bavali - Kaattikulam - Thirunelly : Same as above.

3) Hunsur - Gonikoppal - Kutta - Tholpetty - Thirunelly : No traffic restrictions at any time(?)


If I have to start Friday evening from Bangalore and need to be at Thirunelly by 6 AM next morning,

a) Is #3 above the only way if I want to drive down ?
b) If I take public transport, will it still take #3 ? Or is limited public transport allowed on #1 and #2 even after 9 PM ?

TIA.

1. Correct.
2. I think the routes through Nagarhole are closed from 6pm to 6am. The Hunsur-Kutta one is definitely 6-6. The Bavalli route also should be the same.
3 Correct.

3a. Correct. No other option.
3b. Couple of buses of KaSRTC and KSRTC are allowed as far as I know. Most private buses take the Gonikoppa-Kutta route. May work better as you can get down at Kattikulam and can reach Thirunelli faster.

Thank you.

Seems no KeSRTC night service through Bavali ( from Blr or mysore ): all services through Gonikoppa
http://aanavandi.com/search/results/...m/timing/night

Likewise for KaSRTC - both night services to Manandavady through Kutta.

Did you check on

http://www.ksrtconline.com/ (Kerala)
http://www.ksrtc.in/ (Karnataka)

Both show the night Multiaxle Volvo Services as going via Sultan Bathery.

Note: you need to check for Sultan Bathery/Kalpetta/Calicut. If you check Mananthavady it will show only via Kutta.

One more question.

From Bangalore to Wayanad for a 3.30 or 4 am start on Saturday early morning - Is it better to take the Kanakapura road or the Ramnagar - Mandya route ?

Is there any road work going on on the Kanakpura road ?

If you are starting by 3.30-4 max, Mysore road should be good. In fact at these times, would recommend Mysore Road. One issue I have noticed in Kanakpura road (between Kanakpura and Bangalore) at these pre dawn hours is that there are lot of mini lorry/good vehicles coming into Bangalore, so encountering these vehicles coming at you on high beam in a 2 lane road is not a pleasant experience.

Not aware of any roadwork happening.

For a 4 AM start, Mysore NH 275 (via Ramnagar-Mandya) would be quite OK. But go via Kanakapura-Malavalli if you are starting after 5.30-6.
The stretch between Chamrajnagar and Gundlupet in the Kanakapura-Gundlupet route is undergoing renovation. Other than that most part of the route is good.

For going to Thirunelli, the Kutta route is fine (and the only option for a night drive in your own vehicle).

If going by public transport, you can probably get down at Thettu Road bus stop (the turn off towards Thirunelli from the Kutta-Kattikkulam road), but I'm not sure about availability of buses from there to Thirunelli temple at that time of the day (It's about 12 kms from there). Tholpetty may be the closest point where you may find some cabs or jeeps for hire but not 100% sure about that either. Safest would be to go upto to Mananthavady and hire a cab from there - though that would mean having to backtrack for about 15-20 kms through the same route you came on.

Ah! My "real old" friends had a conference call today and were catching up after a long time, and as it happens so often, we have decided to go on a trip tomorrow evening. The plan is to start Saturday evening and reach Wayanad by morning. We do not plan to stay overnight and hence have not booked any resort. This is more about the journey and not the destination. We have traveled together so often that we love each other's company. We are starting in my i10 Sportz.

Please suggest if Wayanad is the right place at this time of the year and secondly which is the preferred route. There are so many options on our erstwhile Google maps and also on this forum, but since road conditions and other circumstances change from time to time, it would be great to get 2 cents from frequent/recent visitors.

Your quick replies are greatly appreciated since we are starting tomorrow (ah, is it today, its past Friday midnight now, and still in office :Frustrati) evening.

Like I said, this trip is more about the journey and not the destination :thumbs up

Well, if you start in the evening from Bangalore then you have only one route option to drive to Wayanad - Bangalore-(Mysore-)Hunsur-Gonikoppal-Kutta-Kattikulam (entry point to Wayanad). The nearest large-ish town then would be Mananthavady.

Usually November in Kerala would be bang in the middle of the Northeast monsoon, with wet days and lush greenery all round. But this year apparently monsoon has failed and very recently (last week) all 14 districts of Kerala have been declared drought-hit. Still, Wayanad is always beautiful and calming.

Few comments.

• Wayanad is a good place to relax. Expect it to be a little hot during the day.
  
• On your travel plan, 2 issues. Wayanad is approximately 5hours of driving time. So your plan of leaving in the evening and reaching in the morning is not feasible. 2ndly there are 4 usual routes to wayanad( depending on which area you are headed) and all 4 pass through the forest. These routes are closed for traffic at night. 2 of them are closed from 9pm to 6 am and 2 of them from 6pm to 6am. So if you leave anytime after 3 or 4pm you will get stuck.
  
• The only route open at night is a slightly longer route. Bangalore Mysore hunsur gonikoppal kutta manathavady(in wayanad). But again won't take more than 6hours. So to reach in the morning, you will need to leave only by 12 or 1am. The driving enjoyment you are expecting will be missed.
  
• My suggestion is that you either leave a little earlier today and reach wayanad by say 9 or 10pm and stay overnight. Spend the day tomorrow and return in the evening/ night. Alternatively leave by 2-3am, this will enable you to reach the nagarhole forest by around 6 and may be you can start the day with a safari and post that drive to a couple of spots in wayanad and return.

Hope this helps.

Anyone planning their trip with Family in the month of Dec'16 during Christmas to Wayanad. It's been long pending trip and i am planning to follow as per Google map:
Bangalore>Mysore>Nanjangudu>Begur>Theppakadu>Gudal ur>Nadugani>Pandalur>Cherambadi>Muppainad>Destinat ion

Not sure if this would be best route looking into the road map and present set of road conditions (Don't want to travel on hair pin bends). Expert advice would be helpful.

That seems to be a strange routing. Where exactly are you headed to? To go to anywhere in Wayanad, you do not need to go via Theppakkadu/Gudalur. Nanjangud-Gundlepet-Muthanga-Sultan Bathery(town in wayanad) is the standard route.

This has been reported in multiple threads - that Google Maps for some reason thinks that Gundlupet-Sulthan Bathery stretch of NH 212 does not exist or is closed, which is far from reality; that stretch is in perfect condition. So you go:

Begur > Gundlupet > Muthanga > Sulthan Bathery > Meenangadi > Kalpetta > Muppainad.

Muppainad is beyond Meppadi towards Nadugani if I remember correctly; so you'd take the left turn at the far end of Kalpetta bypass, pretty much at the junction where the bypass merges with the main NH 212 carriageway coming out of Kalpetta town. I think there's a signboard there.

One thing - that Kalpetta-Meppadi road is in pretty bad condition was reported in local newspapers a few months back; don't think they've had enough time to fix it yet. Be careful and aware. Speak to your resort folks (assuming you are going to one) and check if taking the longer Chundale-Meppadi route makes sense or not.

Thanks binand...would follow the route advised as i don't want to end up in a wrong route.

Thanks Rajeevraj, this was the best route as per Google for some reason.