[NPV]

Did a Bangalore-Gobi-Thalavadi-Bangalore trip.
Onward journey:
Part 1 : Bangalore-Hosur-Krishnagiri-Dharmapuri-Salem(NH7)-NH47-Sankari-Turn off to SH 15 near Chithode-Gobi
NH7 + 47 combo has excellent roads all the way some diversions on Hosur-Krishnagiri section for bridges under construction.
From NH47, the turn off to SH15 and the down ramp back to NH47 on other side of the road is a muddy path and it's been like this for a long time, don't know why.
Just after the Chithode turn off you can see the ramp leading to a bridge across the NH47 - this is SH15 Erode-Ooty road.

Part 2: Gobi-Sathyamangalam(SH 15)-NH209-Bannari-Dimbam-Hasanur-turn off to Thalavadi
Again Excellent roads. Dimbam ghats is in great condition and driving on the the 27 hair pin bends is a great experience.

Return journey: Thalavadi-Merge with NH209-Chamarajanagar-Kollegal-Malavalli-Kanakapura-Bangalore
From Thalavadi to merge back to NH209 we did not take the same road as in onward journey and instead took the bus route taken by KSRTC buses. This 8Km stretch starts off well from Thalavadi but is rough in the last 3-4 Km. Once back on NH209, excellent roads all way

Some picture here:
Gobi-Sathy section


Sathy-Bannari section


Dimbam Ghats


Dimbam-Hasanur section

[TaureanBull]

Hi folks!

Planning to travel from Gopalpur-On-Sea (Odisha) to Pathankot in last week of July. My tentative route is as under:-
Day 1 : Gopalpur - Puri-Bhubaneshwar.
Day 2 : Bhbaneshwar-Balasore-Jamshedpur-Ranchi.
Day 3 : Ranchi-Hazaribagh-Allahabad.
Day 4 : Allahabad-Mathura.
Day 5 : Mathura-Ambala-Pathankot.

Any modifications to routes would be welcome. How is the condition of road likely in this time of the year?

[rapidrahul]

My yearly home trip from Pune to Jammu beacons and would appreciate if you guys could let me know the current road conditions from Mumbai to Ajmer via Chittorgarh and Ajmer to pathankot via Abohar.
Car being Driven - XUV 500 W6.
People on-board - Wife, my kid and myself.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by TaureanBull

Hi folks!

Planning to travel from Gopalpur-On-Sea (Odisha) to Pathankot in last week of July. My tentative route is as under:-
Day 1 : Gopalpur - Puri-Bhubaneshwar.
Day 2 : Bhbaneshwar-Balasore-Jamshedpur-Ranchi.
Day 3 : Ranchi-Hazaribagh-Allahabad.
Day 4 : Allahabad-Mathura.
Day 5 : Mathura-Ambala-Pathankot.

Any modifications to routes would be welcome. How is the condition of road likely in this time of the year?

Avoid Balasore> Kharagpur> Bahragoda> Jamshedpur route if you are planning that way. Guiding you through the section I know:

Day 2: Bhubaneswar> Balasore> Baripada> Rairangpur> Jamshedpur> Ranchi.
You will see fantastic road surface with minimal traffic. However, Jamshedpur-Ranchi section, about 130 kms is strictly ok.

You will get fantastic road surface again from Ranchi (Rnc> Hazaribagh (NH-33)> Then to NH-2 Barhi> Sasaram...) to Allahabad.

Good luck!

[JoseVijay]

Originally Posted by TaureanBull

Hi folks!

Planning to travel from Gopalpur-On-Sea (Odisha) to Pathankot in last week of July.

Originally Posted by saket77

Avoid Balasore> Kharagpur> Bahragoda> Jamshedpur route if you are planning that way. Guiding you through the section I know:

Day 2: Bhubaneswar> Balasore> Baripada> Rairangpur> Jamshedpur> Ranchi.
You will see fantastic road surface with minimal traffic. However, Jamshedpur-Ranchi section, about 130 kms is strictly ok.

You will get fantastic road surface again from Ranchi (Rnc> Hazaribagh (NH-33)> Then to NH-2 Barhi> Sasaram...) to Allahabad.

Good luck!

Saket,

You have taken ages to answer his query man. As quoted he must have undertaken the journey in the last week of July. Now an update about his road trip is pending from TaureanBull.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by JoseVijay

Saket,

You have taken ages to answer his query man. As quoted he must have undertaken the journey in the last week of July. Now an update about his road trip is pending from TaureanBull.

Time for me to look for a table to go under it! Caught napping!

Anyway, would love to get an update from TaureanBull about the road he took and the feedback on the surface.

Thanks!

[TaureanBull]

Sorry guys because of work schedule had to take flight and transport the XUV. Sadly the trip report can not be generated and will have to wait.

[Bhargava_sr]

I have shortlisted the below route options for my weekend trip to Guruvayoor, Sabarimala and Kanyakumari.

Day-1 : 19th Sep - Bangalore - Guruvayoor
(Distance - 500 Kms)
Start at 8AM from Bangalore and reach Guruvayoor approx by 5PM
Route - Bangalore-Hosur-Salem-Coimbatore-Palakkad-Wadakkancherrt-Guruvayoor.

(Iam avoiding Mysore-Gundlupet Road as I heard that road conditions are not good and most of stretch is single lane).

Start from Guruvayoor at 8PM and reach Erumeli by 2AM
Route - Guruvayoor - Chalakudy - Perumbavoor - Pala - Erumeli
(Distance - 190 Kms)
Rest at Erumeli (Rest/Fresh up/Breakfast - 4 to 5 Hours)

Day-2 : 20th Sep - Erumeli - Pamba (Distance - 50 Kms)
Start from Erumeli at 7AM and reach Pamba by 10AM)
Route - Erumeli-Nilakkal-Pampa.

Climbing Neelimala from Pamba- Sabari (Sannidhanam) - (3-4 Hours)
Darshan - Cannot predict the time to be taken (Still Approx 4-5 Hours)
De-Climding from Sabari-Pamba - (3-4 Hours)

Based on the time taken for the Darshan - either stay back at Sabari for the overnight else start to Pamba.

Back to Pamba by 10 PM. (Rest/Fresh up/Dinner - 2 to 3 Hours)
Start to Kanyakumari
Route- Pampa - Punalur – Shenkottai – Courtallam - Kanyakumari.
(Distance - 290 Kms).
(I am trying to avoid Trivandrum due to city traffic)

Try Reach Kanyakumari approx by 6AM to watch Sunrise J

Day-3 : @ Kanyakumari
Rest/Fresh up/Breakfast/Visits to Vivekananda Rock/Shopping.
Start to Bangalore from Kanyakumari by 6PM
Route - Kanyakumari - Tirunalveli - Kovilpatti - Madurai - Dindigul - Namakkal - Salem - Hosur - Bangalore.
(Distance - 670 Kms)
Reach Bangalore by 6AM.

1_ Iam trying to avoid conjusted Roads and traffic related areas.
2) Covering 1700 Kms in 3 days feel too tight, however Plans might change based on the Darshan timings.
3) My start and reach timings are approximate.

Queries to Tbhp -
1) How are the road conditions for the above routes.
2) Are there any other better routes suggested.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Bhargava_sr

Queries to Tbhp -
1) How are the road conditions for the above routes.
2) Are there any other better routes suggested.

Its extremely optimistic to assume you arrive in Guruvayur at 5 and are done by 8 and drive back too.

Road wise: Better start much earlier. (4/5AM if possible.)
Bangalore-Salem-Avinashi-Palladam-Pollachi-Alathur-Wadakkancherry-Kunnamkulam-Guruvayur.

Guruvayur-Erumeli : Go via Tichur to Angamaly and take the MC road. Easily 4-5 hours.

Again saying extremely hectic plan.

[arun_josie]

Bangalore-Hosur-Salem-Coimbatore,
Complete 4L stretch with excellent road condition, except couple of diversions around hosur and few speed breakers on flyovers near Avinashi (at least on 4-5 flyovers), you need to keep this in mind.

Kanyakumari - Tirunalveli - Kovilpatti - Madurai - Dindigul - Namakkal - Salem - Hosur - Bangalore.

Again its a complete 4L stretch with excellent roads. Madurai bypass will be little bumpy. Crossing salem during peak hours will be a pain.

[M35]

Originally Posted by Bhargava_sr

Start from Guruvayoor at 8PM and reach Erumeli by 2AM
Route - Guruvayoor - Chalakudy - Perumbavoor - Pala - Erumeli
(Distance - 190 Kms)

The route to Erumeli via Eratupetta was preferred over the one via Pala, when we did Sabarimala last month. Erattupetta route in slightly better shape than the one via Pala.

Perumbavur-Moovattupuzha-Thodupuzha- Erattupeta -Erumeli

[Bhargava_sr]

Originally Posted by ampere

Its extremely optimistic to assume you arrive in Guruvayur at 5 and are done by 8 and drive back too.

Road wise: Better start much earlier. (4/5AM if possible.)
Bangalore-Salem-Avinashi-Palladam-Pollachi-Alathur-Wadakkancherry-Kunnamkulam-Guruvayur.

Guruvayur-Erumeli : Go via Tichur to Angamaly and take the MC road. Easily 4-5 hours.

Again saying extremely hectic plan.

@ ampere, yes It is a Hectic Plan, I might skip Kanyakumari in worse case.
Any reason to avoid Coimbatore and take the Pollachi-Alathur road to reach Guruvayoor ?

[poloman]

Originally Posted by Bhargava_sr

I have shortlisted the below route options for my weekend trip to Guruvayoor, Sabarimala and Kanyakumari.

Day-1 : 19th Sep - Bangalore - Guruvayoor
(Distance - 500 Kms)
Start at 8AM from Bangalore and reach Guruvayoor approx by 5PM
Route - Bangalore-Hosur-Salem-Coimbatore-Palakkad-Wadakkancherrt-Guruvayoor.

(Iam avoiding Mysore-Gundlupet Road as I heard that road conditions are not good and most of stretch is single lane).

Start from Guruvayoor at 8PM and reach Erumeli by 2AM
Route - Guruvayoor - Chalakudy - Perumbavoor - Pala - Erumeli
(Distance - 190 Kms)
Rest at Erumeli (Rest/Fresh up/Breakfast - 4 to 5 Hours)

Day-2 : 20th Sep - Erumeli - Pamba (Distance - 50 Kms)
Start from Erumeli at 7AM and reach Pamba by 10AM)
Route - Erumeli-Nilakkal-Pampa.

Climbing Neelimala from Pamba- Sabari (Sannidhanam) - (3-4 Hours)
Darshan - Cannot predict the time to be taken (Still Approx 4-5 Hours)
De-Climding from Sabari-Pamba - (3-4 Hours)

Based on the time taken for the Darshan - either stay back at Sabari for the overnight else start to Pamba.

Last week I did a Sabarimala trip very much similar to your plan. Started from Guruvayur at 8PM, reached Erumeli by 2AM. Planned to rest there till 5 but pushed on to Pampa after a 30 minutes halt. Lost way in between for some time and reached Pampa by 5AM. Slept for 2.5 hours and started climb by 8.30-9. Reached Sannidhanam by 11.30.
There was absolutely no rush and we could stand in front of sreekovil for 5 minutes. Had free onasadya at temple premises. Started climb down by 1.30. Again slept for 1.5 hours. Reached Pampa by 4.30 and left immediately for my hometown at Kunnamkulam. Reached home by 10 pm.
Of course this was very hectic and tiring since I was the only one driving. Climbing will take min 2.30 hours and declimbing 1.45 with no queue.
Better to take route via Erattupetta, Muvattupuzha- Ettumanur road is in absolute shambles.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Bhargava_sr

@ ampere, yes It is a Hectic Plan, I might skip Kanyakumari in worse case.
Any reason to avoid Coimbatore and take the Pollachi-Alathur road to reach Guruvayoor ?

That section is crowded and bad. You will lost lot of time. Better to avoid it via Palladam/Pollachi.

[sriturl]

I need to drive from Goa to Hyderabad, and prefer to complete in a single stretch. I will prefer a 4 laned tolled road after sun down.

Will it be possible to do a Gadag-Hospet-Bellary-Gooty or Koppal-Gangavathi-Adoni-Kurnool ? How are these roads?
What would be best way to get to NH7 before sun down ?

Alternatively, how is Solapur-Hyderabad road?

thanks in advance.