[androdev]

Friends,

Need to plan a hard earned vacation to a beach with parents and small children, hence journey comfort is very important and budget is flexible.

Family hates going by car, so have to do a relaxed break-journey considering Bangalore doesn't have any beach within 5 hrs of travel time.

Options
Bangalore - Yercaud - Pondichery
Bangalore - Yercaud - Mahabalipuram
Bangalore - Wayanad??? - ???(Calicut)
(Goa ruled out because we have been there before)

I am leaning towards Bay of Bengal for better roads and better hotel options. But if you can think of some great route to Kerala beaches with good hotel options, I would be interested in that as well.

Please suggest route and hotel recommendations. Thanks in advance.

[reignofchaos]

Mahabs has nicer beaches than Pondy. Also Radisson at Mahabs is quite nice - has really sweet sea facing chalets and an awesome sea food restaurant on the beach.

If you are planning to go to Pondicherry, please stay in the french quarters - I stayed in Hotel De L'Orient last time round and it was quite nice. The other option would be to stay outside Pondy at The Dune.

Another interesting option if you love secluded beaches is Tranquebar. The water is way cleaner than Pondy and Mahabs and has a delightful little hotel called Bungalow on the Beach which is literally on the beach beside an old Danish fort.

Cheers!

[ampere]

If you just want to go to a beach, Tranquebaar is a nice place.
Initially access to that place was bad, as the road via Tiruvannamalai was bad. But you have the option to go via Arcot/Cheyyar/Tindivanam.

Bungalow on the beach is a nice place. Look at TL by @starvegabond and @laulks combined!

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...elankanni.html

[androdev]

Thanks roc, ampere.

bungalow on the beach looks perfect. hope it has got clean beds and toilets! family will kill me otherwise having gone that far by car.

Route:
blr - yercaud (halt @ GTR one night)
yercaud - trichy (halt @ grand gardenia one night)
trichy - tanjavur - nagapatnam - tranquebar (halt @ bungalow two nights)

We can't travel for more than 5 hrs (max 6) without halting. Can it be done in two hops?

[mayankjha1806]

Originally Posted by androdev

Route:
blr - yercaud (halt @ GTR one night)
yercaud - trichy (halt @ grand gardenia one night)
trichy - tanjavur - nagapatnam - tranquebar (halt @ bungalow two nights)

We can't travel for more than 5 hrs (max 6) without halting. Can it be done in two hops?

This route you are doing is in two stops (Yercaud, and Trichy), I am assuming you want to do it in one stop (i.e. two hops).

If you dont stop at Trichy then it looks possible.

1. Bangalore->Salem->Yercaud (about 230 Kms could be done in 5-6 hours). Its NH all the way till Salem so quiet fast.
2. Yercaud->Tranquebar (253 Kms, NH all the way) can be done under 5 hours.

This route is skipping Trichy, to make sure you take less time start very early (Like 4 in the morning) so as not to face any traffic. When we went to Kodai i think we did Bangalore->Salem in like 2-3 hours.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by mayankjha1806

This route you are doing is in two stops (Yercaud, and Trichy), I am assuming you want to do it in one stop (i.e. two hops).

If you dont stop at Trichy then it looks possible.

1. Bangalore->Salem->Yercaud (about 230 Kms could be done in 5-6 hours). Its NH all the way till Salem so quiet fast.
2. Yercaud->Tranquebar (253 Kms, NH all the way) can be done under 5 hours.

This route is skipping Trichy, to make sure you take less time start very early (Like 4 in the morning) so as not to face any traffic. When we went to Kodai i think we did Bangalore->Salem in like 2-3 hours.

Thanks Mayank. You are correct, I prefer to do this journey in two segments instead of three. Bangalore to Yercaud is a very comfortable segment.

I am not sure Yercaud to Tranquebar can be done as easily - I thought it will be 8 hours whichever way I take it - definitely not less than 7 hours. I can see it is 253KM from Google maps via Attur, Vriddhachalam, Chidambaram but I am not sure this route will permit a swift drive.

Based on the link given by ampere (page#12), Chidambaram to Tranquebar (50KM) itself takes 2 hours :(
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...nkanni-12.html

Can you give me details on way-points and road conditions for that route you have in your mind that will make it less than 6 hrs?

[//M]

How about some options on the west coast? Marari Beach in Alapuzha and Varkala near Kollam are good options.

[androdev]

West coast has fewer accommodation options unless it is Kochi or Goa and family will refuse to go by car and opt for a flight. So I have to look for good accommodation, good roads and without a flight option ;-)

[ampere]

You want to do both Yercaud and Tranqubaar?

Also note Tranquebaar is just a relaxing place. Not much see. But, it was the only Danish settlement in India.

If you dont want to go Tranqyebaar directly:

1. Via Tindivanam:

Bengaluru, Karnataka to Tharangambadi, Tamil Nadu - Google Maps

2. If you are planning from Yercaud,

Yercaud, Tamil Nadu to Tharangambadi, Tamil Nadu - Google Maps

[reignofchaos]

Originally Posted by androdev

Thanks roc, ampere.

bungalow on the beach looks perfect. hope it has got clean beds and toilets! family will kill me otherwise having gone that far by car.

Route:
blr - yercaud (halt @ GTR one night)
yercaud - trichy (halt @ grand gardenia one night)
trichy - tanjavur - nagapatnam - tranquebar (halt @ bungalow two nights)

We can't travel for more than 5 hrs (max 6) without halting. Can it be done in two hops?

Yup nice and clean hotel and has air conditioning. But it doesn't have the usual tv and fridge that most places have. Food is a bit basic but very tasty. Its mostly european fare as other than us, almost everyone else in the hotel seemed to be foreigners. As ampere mentioned, there's nothing much else to do at that place other than lazing on the beach with a beer .

We were there for a night and both me and my wife loved the experience.

[prabingade]

I stayed in Tranqubar in Dec 2010 and would not recommend the place. The Bunglaw on Beach is good but the beach is dirty, flooded with the tourists and not at all maintained. With small children and parents, this is not an enjoyable beach. With this rainy weather, I am sure beach is going to be extremely dirty (the water can be cleaner than Pondy but whats the use if the beach is not clean)

I also stayed in Radisson, Mahab in Dec 2010 for 4 nights and would highly recommend for a vacation with small children and parents. It is a clean resort, the beach facing chalets have great view and the beach is very well maintained.

Though I have not stayed there personally, suggest you to consider "The Lalit" in Bekal, north Kerala. Google maps gave me <400 kms from Bangalore.

[Fauji]

Originally Posted by androdev

Thanks roc, ampere.

bungalow on the beach looks perfect. hope it has got clean beds and toilets! family will kill me otherwise having gone that far by car.

Route:
blr - yercaud (halt @ GTR one night)
yercaud - trichy (halt @ grand gardenia one night)
trichy - tanjavur - nagapatnam - tranquebar (halt @ bungalow two nights)

We can't travel for more than 5 hrs (max 6) without halting. Can it be done in two hops?

Androdev,

No doubt, Baungalow on the beach is excellent. We have stayed there. Having said that, there is nothing in Tranquebar to do except for the beach which gets crowded by locals during weekends as Prabir rihtly said above. Good to stay for day just to enjoy the beautiful rooms of BOB. Go for the rooms on the first flloor which has lovely views of the sea. The food is OK but not great. It is a small village with old Danish houses. Going all the way only to Tranquebar is not worth an effort and i strongly recommend that you should club that with Tanjavur/Kumbakonam - which is at a distance of 70 KMs - rather than Yercaud which can be doen from bangalore on any weekend. Don't waste time in Yercaud.

I would recommend that you can stay in Sterling Swamimali which has excellent ambience of Tamil Agaraharam and food is excellent. This will help in exploring World Heritage sites of Chola temples in Tanjavur, Dharasuram and Gangaikonda Cholapuram which are awesome.

Anandham Swamimali | Sterling Swamimalai | Accommodation | Tariff | Details - Oneindia Travel

Alternately, Bangalore - Wayanad - calicut is a great option if you haven't been to these places. You get best of both worlds. Wayanad will be lovely in during this time and from Wayanad, it is a short drive to Calicut - with excellent valley veiws of Western ghats - which has excellent beach. I just happened to see this cute place on web. Not tested.

Beach Heritage Pvt Ltd.

Calicut also has Taj Gateway and Kadavu resorts which are also good options. Of course, you can have a feast as far as food is concerned, specailly sea food in Calicut. And famous Calicut halwa. You can also do a house boat cruise if you stay in Kadavu.

Kadavu Resort-Malabar Cuisine Resort Malabar culture Star hotels Malabar Traditional resort Malabar Architecture

[androdev]

Originally Posted by ampere

You want to do both Yercaud and Tranqubaar?

Also note Tranquebaar is just a relaxing place. Not much see. But, it was the only Danish settlement in India.

If you dont want to go Tranqyebaar directly:

1. Via Tindivanam:

Bengaluru, Karnataka to Tharangambadi, Tamil Nadu - Google Maps

2. If you are planning from Yercaud,

Yercaud, Tamil Nadu to Tharangambadi, Tamil Nadu - Google Maps

I won't be able to reach Bay of Bengal without an overnight stop in between. So I thought I will use Yercaud as a place to take a break. I am also considering BLR - Trichy (stay) - Tranquebar and dropping the Yercaud stop. Need a good place to halt and hence Trichy. Also my basic research shows even though Trichy route is longer by 100KM, considering we are doing it in two sessions, I am leaning towards it. (I may get to catch up with a friend in Trichy but not important)

Originally Posted by reignofchaos

Yup nice and clean hotel and has air conditioning. But it doesn't have the usual tv and fridge that most places have. Food is a bit basic but very tasty. Its mostly european fare as other than us, almost everyone else in the hotel seemed to be foreigners. As ampere mentioned, there's nothing much else to do at that place other than lazing on the beach with a beer .

We were there for a night and both me and my wife loved the experience.

That is good to know. Was not sure if you had first-hand experience with the place. I am always on the lookout for such places because when they click the experience far exceeds the typical 5-star resorts. Of course, when it turns out be a bad place, you regret taking chances and ruining family member's time. Based on what I gathered, this place should click for us.

Originally Posted by prabingade

I stayed in Tranqubar in Dec 2010 and would not recommend the place. The Bunglaw on Beach is good but the beach is dirty, flooded with the tourists and not at all maintained. With small children and parents, this is not an enjoyable beach. With this rainy weather, I am sure beach is going to be extremely dirty (the water can be cleaner than Pondy but whats the use if the beach is not clean)

I also stayed in Radisson, Mahab in Dec 2010 for 4 nights and would highly recommend for a vacation with small children and parents. It is a clean resort, the beach facing chalets have great view and the beach is very well maintained.

Though I have not stayed there personally, suggest you to consider "The Lalit" in Bekal, north Kerala. Google maps gave me <400 kms from Bangalore.

Few things working in favour of Tranquebar: My wife is keen on paying a visit to Velankanni and I might get to meet a friend in Trichy. Kids are under 4yrs, so they wont complain if we just laze around.

@Fauji, prabingade
I am interested in Calicut/Bekal options also. Need to do some research on that. I might do it on a slightly longer vacation trip. My wife is a Christian so it is easy to get approval for Velakanni itinerary :-) Hope to do these other itineraries (Calicaut, Bekal, Radisson) soon - right now I feel Tranquebar fits the bill. Provided I get the bookings!!

Agreed, decided to drop the Yercaud, will do it on a weekend as suggested. It will be just Blr - Trichy (halt) - Tranquebar.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by androdev

I won't be able to reach Bay of Bengal without an overnight stop in between. So I thought I will use Yercaud as a place to take a break. I am also considering BLR - Trichy (stay) - Tranquebar and dropping the Yercaud stop. Need a good place to halt and hence Trichy. Also my basic research shows even though Trichy route is longer by 100KM, considering we are doing it in two sessions, I am leaning towards it. (I may get to catch up with a friend in Trichy but not important)

Best place to halt in Trichy:

Royal Southern. 2 years back, I paid a tariff of about 2700 for a room. But boy, I was floored by the place. In Bangalore, I am sure, they could command at least 10K for the same!

Food was also good. Its the SRM group (which runs educational insititutions). They also run a hotel management institute, and I think, most of the staff come from there!

"School on the house" !

Highly recommended in spite of the price.

SRM Hotels

[samm]

Originally Posted by Fauji

Androdev,

Alternately, Bangalore - Wayanad - calicut is a great option if you haven't been to these places. You get best of both worlds. Wayanad will be lovely in during this time and from Wayanad, it is a short drive to Calicut - with excellent valley veiws of Western ghats - which has excellent beach. I just happened to see this cute place on web. Not tested.

Beach Heritage Pvt Ltd.

Calicut also has Taj Gateway and Kadavu resorts which are also good options. Of course, you can have a feast as far as food is concerned, specailly sea food in Calicut. And famous Calicut halwa. You can also do a house boat cruise if you stay in Kadavu.

Kadavu Resort-Malabar Cuisine Resort Malabar culture Star hotels Malabar Traditional resort Malabar Architecture

Originally Posted by androdev

Friends,

Need to plan a hard earned vacation to a beach with parents and small children, hence journey comfort is very important and budget is flexible.

Family hates going by car, so have to do a relaxed break-journey considering Bangalore doesn't have any beach within 5 hrs of travel time.

Options
Bangalore - Yercaud - Pondichery
Bangalore - Yercaud - Mahabalipuram
Bangalore - Wayanad??? - ???(Calicut)
(Goa ruled out because we have been there before)

Of all these, if you love the journey, it has to be Bangalore - Wayanad - Calicut (Kappad beach). Nothing in your list beats this. Best, to drive - its simply great for its refreshing nature and scenery.

Bangalore - Wayanad : Till Gundalpet (midway - about 200km, 4 hrs, not very exciting. Now you enter the forest. 2 lane road, decent, right through the Bandipur tiger reserve. From here to Wayanad, it is about 50km ( 1hr). This time of year will be excellent to drive through the lush green forest, and enjoy the atmosphere. There are plenty of resorts in Wayand, you can select based on your budget.

From Wayand to Calicut, its 100km (2 hrs), through the western ghats. Drive will be simply great, and the view from the top is fantastic. All through, you will see lush greenery on both sides of the winding roads. Roads are not too wide, but there are no humps and potholes. 60-80kmph is possible, but be careful about the buses coming from opposite side. Not too many, though.

From Calicut to Kappad, its about 20km (30mins), and the beach is lovely. You can wade into the sea in knee deep waters. Calicut beach is not very great, but you can still spend time there. There are good resorts in Kappad as well. As @Fauji indicates, there are good hotels also.

If you eat non veg, and fish, you can have a feast!