[superutp]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

It is strange that google is routing through Hunsur instead of even the Handpost-Bavalli route. Looking at the location of the resort, Bathery-Kalpetta may be a better option. In fact if you add Kalpetta as a stop, the time taken is less than the Hunsur route. Just some google weirdness I guess.

Yes you are absolutely right, its shorter in distance and shows lesser time

[RoadBeliever]

I have travelled from Bangalore Whitefield to Wayanad- Banasurasagar dam during March and taken standard route via Mysore, Bandipur and Kalpetta in 7 hours including 45 minutes breakfast break near Nanjagud.

On the return journey, I tried a totally different route through Nagarhole and Mysore. The roads are good but narrow state highway on Kerala side and it became bad and worse starting from Karnataka border till Hunsur but the route is very scenic with minimal traffic; infact we have encountered only two vehicles while traveling through Nagarhole national park. This is doable in any Sedan but should be done in daylight. This has taken around 7.5 hours excluding breaks. And you will not find any restaurant till you reach Hunsur. The jungle is dry and you can occasionally encounter deers.

[balenoed_]

Originally Posted by RoadBeliever

…but should be done in daylight.

This route is anyways not doable in the night as the check post here closes from 6pm to 6am.

Yes, this is scenic alternate and commonly used but road conditions are bad.

[zpekter]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

This route is anyways not doable in the night as the check post here closes from 6pm to 6am.

Yes, this is scenic alternate and commonly used but road conditions are bad.

This is the route via Kutta and Gonikkoppal, which is opened during night time also. The roads became horrible since they stopped maintaining it after last monsoon. The alternate and shortest route via Kabini is undergoing maintenance works and once that's done that'll become the default route for most people travelling towards Mananthavady side in Wayanad.

I usually travel twice in a month and I stick to Nanjangud - Gundlupette route because of the relatively better roads. For me it adds another 80km but I prefer better roads than shorter distance.

[balenoed_]

Originally Posted by zpekter

This is the route via Kutta and Gonikkoppal, which is opened during night time also..

Gonikoppal Kutta route is different, yes that’s open in night as well.

The post above is a route via Nagarhole directly to Kutta, not via Gonikoppal. That is closed at night.

[zpekter]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

Gonikoppal Kutta route is different, yes that’s open in night as well.

The post above is a route via Nagarhole directly to Kutta, not via Gonikoppal. That is closed at night.

The night travel ban is applicable on the Kabani route which goes via Bavali and HD Kotte which is not through Hunsur.

BDW I'm from Mananthavady, Wayanad

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by zpekter

The night travel ban is applicable on the Kabani route which goes via Bavali and HD Kotte which is not through Hunsur.

BDW I'm from Mananthavady, Wayanad

Is the HD Kote-Kabini-Bavali route resurfaced now? Especially inside the forest?

[kala]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

Gonikoppal Kutta route is different, yes that’s open in night as well.

The post above is a route via Nagarhole directly to Kutta, not via Gonikoppal. That is closed at night.

Originally Posted by zpekter

The night travel ban is applicable on the Kabani route which goes via Bavali and HD Kotte which is not through Hunsur.

Yes - you're correct that the route via Kabini is closed between 6PM and 6AM. However the route that @balenoed is referring to ( the one that was being discussed recently) is not that one. That is another route that runs right through the heart of the Nagarahole sanctuary (you need to take a left from Hunsur Town towards HD Kote, and take a right fork into the forest road after about 8 kms or so on that road) - this road is also closed for traffic from 6PM onwards. The forest stretch on this route is much longer - probably about 40 kms or so (it exits the WLS just after Nagarahole village near Kutta) and the road is quite narrow and has been in pretty bad shape for quite a while now. But in my experience this is the route that does offer the maximum wildlife sightings because the traffic through this road is quite sparse.

[silversteed]

We did a whirlwind impromptu trip to Wayanad over the weekend.

The plan was to start early, drive through Nagarhole, go to Kuruva Island and check in at our resort in Mananthavady. Things went as per plan till the Nagarhole forest checkpost, but we were informed by the check post personnel that the route through the forest to Kutta was closed for road work, for a week.
So we turned back, drove through the Tibetan Settlement, to Kabini via Handpost, and finally to our destination.



The road from Hunsur to Nagarhole check post was good to average. The stretch from the arch till the check post was newly laid, so I'm assuming that the road through the forest would also be up to the same level in the coming days.

Then we backtracked and turned right at the arch towards the Tibetan Settlement, per the forest personnel's instructions. This route till the State Highway was clean and beautiful, albeit narrow.

And then things went south, pun intended. The road condition turned from good to average to bad, the stretch through the forest was riddled with potholes for a while, then we were finding patches of asphalt in between potholes and then it was just rubble till Bavali check post. However, there were signs of road work about to start - equipment and material stored in some areas, with some stretches having a layer of metal already compacted.

On the return, it was the Sulthan Bathery - Muthanga - Gundlupete - BLR-MYS Highway route. Nothing to update.

[supertinu]

Originally Posted by zpekter

The night travel ban is applicable on the Kabani route which goes via Bavali and HD Kotte which is not through Hunsur.

BDW I'm from Mananthavady, Wayanad

Folks, I am planning to do a short road trip to Wayanad from BLR from 25th to 27th May. In general there is rains all around Karnataka/Kerela and we are ok with that but wanted to check if weather is extremely wet in Wayanad and a road trip should be avoided? any insights?

[zpekter]

Originally Posted by supertinu

Folks, I am planning to do a short road trip to Wayanad from BLR from 25th to 27th May. In general there is rains all around Karnataka/Kerela and we are ok with that but wanted to check if weather is extremely wet in Wayanad and a road trip should be avoided? any insights?

It's been raining daily for few days now but the intensity was reduced drastically. Should be okay for a road trip but bear in mind many of the eco tourism places are closed during this weekend.

[sandsun7]

Originally Posted by supertinu

but wanted to check if weather is extremely wet in Wayanad and a road trip should be avoided? any insights?

IMD has issued Orange Alert for Wayanad district on 24th-26th May.

https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kera...lightning.html

Most weather models are also predicting very heavy rain in the region.

[zpekter]

Originally Posted by supertinu

Folks, I am planning to do a short road trip to Wayanad from BLR from 25th to 27th May. In general there is rains all around Karnataka/Kerela and we are ok with that but wanted to check if weather is extremely wet in Wayanad and a road trip should be avoided? any insights?

An update on the weather situation, it was sunny till noon. But started raining heavily in the afternoon along with that we've got heavy rain fall alert for the next 48hrs. So I won't recommend travelling to Wayanad for any leisure trips.

[supertinu]

Originally Posted by sandsun7

IMD has issued Orange Alert for Wayanad district on 24th-26th May.

https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kera...lightning.html

Most weather models are also predicting very heavy rain in the region.

Originally Posted by zpekter

An update on the weather situation, it was sunny till noon. But started raining heavily in the afternoon along with that we've got heavy rain fall alert for the next 48hrs. So I won't recommend travelling to Wayanad for any leisure trips.

Thankyou so much both of you for your thoughts. I have cancelled the Wayanad plan and decided to go to Yercaud for those days. Itch to go somewhere was on so didnt want to cancel completely. TN rain forecast is lot milder than western ghats.