[airfoil]

We have finally taken the plunge and committed to a long weekend getaway to Masinagudi from Hyderabad. This is with the wife and our two toddlers in a Swift.

We're starting from Hyderabad at 0600 on the 14th, and should be in Bangalore by 1600. While we may stay over at Bangalore and start for Masinagudi the next morning, I'm considering continuing without stopping at Bangalore and staying the night at a place closer to Masinagudi, such as Nanjangud or Chamarajnagar. This way we park ourselves for a leisurely final 100-ish km drive on the 15th and arrive fresh and rested; close to check-in time at Masinagudi. Any suggestions about where we can park ourselves for the night between B'lore and Masinagudi?

While I'm familiar with the entire route, I'd like to explore route alternatives between Bangalore & Masinagudi, to avoid the B'lore/Mysore highway. Looking at a map, it does look like there's an alternative via Kanakapura ~ Sivasamundaram ~ Chamarajnagar, from where there's a road to Bandipur via Gundlupet. (http://www.trailsindia.com/routemap.asp?Resort_ID=8)

* Is this road a decent alternative to the regular B'lore ~ Mysore ~ Nanjangud route with respect to traffic & road conditions?
* Is the distance significantly higher on this route?


Thanks!

[agag]

Hey airfoil,

I just drove down to Mysore y'day. The road is excellent, except for 3 bridges and around 15-20km within 3 town limits (Mandya, Chennapattana, Ramnagaram) yet to be completed. You can cover the distance in max 2.5 hrs once you cross Bangalore. I would suggest you avoid the alternate route via Kanakapura. Though you might save some distance, the road via Chamarajnagar is not good (afaik).
Regarding stay, it is better to stay at Mysore, you get good accomodation. (Provided you can cover additional 150km on the same day). Nanjangud and Chamarajnagar are not good places to stay.

Best of luck and have a nice time

[quicksilver]

Bangalore - Mysore highway is a good one to take, only with very few areas where the road work was not completed as of three weeks ago when I had a drive. But it surely is one of the best drives I had done recently, averaging 90+ KM with my wife. The best thing may be is to stop over in Mysore... you got some real nice places to stay out there. Mysore to Gundulpet road is also very good. Only after Gundulpet it gets bad for about 15 KMs or so. Tank up in Mysore cuz there are no big Fuel stations after Mysore.. I did a mistake hoping there would be some big one on the Mysore - Nanjangode - Gundulpet road....

Hope you have a good time... Be prepared for a very hot weather though...

Godspeed

[airfoil]

Thanks guys, this is pretty helpful. The B'lore/Mysore highway it is!

I had pretty much figured on a stay in Mysore - doesn't look like there's any decent accomadation available in Nanjangud/Chamarajnagar.

[akroy]

Airfoil, Take break in Mysore...also dont take any food break in bangalore, break up in kamat Lokaruchi (after Ramanagram) or Indraprashta (as Samurai suggested)...u will relish every moment...

A qs to all the folks: I am plannning for a ooty drive in the month end. Can anyone throw some light on the quality of roads in the following section:
1) Mysore - Gundulpet
2) Gundulpet - Gudalur - Ooty

Also How is the road inside the jungles?

-- Abhi

[nitinbhag]

Airfoil, if you are skipping Bangalore, make sure to take the Outer ring road bypass, right turn from Hebbal flyover.. Also, time yourself in such a way that you are out of Blr city limits towards Mysore by 5.30pm.. Evening traffic on both Hyd and Mysore roads is horrendous and can delay you by a couple of hours or more..

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by akroy

1) Mysore - Gundulpet
2) Gundulpet - Gudalur - Ooty

Why would you want to do Gundulpet-Gudalur-Ooty? Its long winded and a route taken by all the trucks....why dont you take Gundlupet-Masinagudi-Ooty instead? Shorter (by about 50 kms) and definitely more fun with those 36 hairpin bends.

[akroy]

Thanks Steeroid...so it wud be better to take the masinagudi route...initially i thought about it but was apprehensive thinking how the roads will be...whether good for car or just a biking road...

in that case, how good and safe is the masinagudi route / roads ? i have gone to yercaud and sakleshpur ghatroad, is the hairpin / hill road like that? kindly give a comparison so that I can visualize better...

Thanks
Abhi

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by akroy

Thanks Steeroid...so it wud be better to take the masinagudi route...initially i thought about it but was apprehensive thinking how the roads will be...whether good for car or just a biking road...

in that case, how good and safe is the masinagudi route / roads ? i have gone to yercaud and sakleshpur ghatroad, is the hairpin / hill road like that? kindly give a comparison so that I can visualize better...

Thanks
Abhi

Roads were good in January, in fact they had just been relaid. It was a decent motoring surface.

Its pretty much 1.5 lane up the ghat with very little traffic anyway. To give you an idea, those 36 hairpins are in a space of 8 kms after Masinagudi. After Gundlupet you go through some hallis and nice wide open spaces all the way till Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary. The roads inside the sanctuary were a mix of freshly tarred stretches and some small stretches that needed repair - watch out when you're speeding on the tarred sections as you may just drive into one of those small patches at full speed.

After Bandipur you drive into Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary (same forest, different names and different governments) onto Masinagudi. There are lots of little resorts in the stretch from Mudumalai to Masinagudi.

The 8KM ghat section takes you all the way to Ooty. You can either pretend to be a WRC driver or take it easy and drink in the scenery. It is recommended that you take the climb up early in the morning or about 1 or 2 hours before dusk, so that you can stop at various points and enjoy the view.

What car are you driving?

[akroy]

Thanks Steeroid...I think masinagudi route shouldnot be a problem...We plan to start early morning at 4AM...so we shud be reaching masinagudi around 10AM max...so we can enjoy the scenic beauty...
BTW, I have an Alto LXi

[airfoil]

Originally Posted by nitinbhag

Airfoil, if you are skipping Bangalore, make sure to take the Outer ring road bypass, right turn from Hebbal flyover.. Also, time yourself in such a way that you are out of Blr city limits towards Mysore by 5.30pm.. Evening traffic on both Hyd and Mysore roads is horrendous and can delay you by a couple of hours or more..

Thanks, that is a useful bit of information. Is the flyover the first one encountered after crossing Yelahanka? Also, is the right turn after the flyover? (It has been a few years since I drove into Bangalore)

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Why would you want to do Gundulpet-Gudalur-Ooty? Its long winded and a route taken by all the trucks....why dont you take Gundlupet-Masinagudi-Ooty instead? Shorter (by about 50 kms) and definitely more fun with those 36 hairpin bends. 11th April 2006 11:16

I'll second Steeroid's suggestion that you take the Gundlupet~Masinagudi~Ooty route. This is by far a whole lot more interesting for someone at the wheel and the amazing vistas make it twice as good.

I took this route about 5 years ago but only on the way back down, having unknowingly driven straight through via Gudalur at night. One strong word of advice - use engine braking on the way down as far as possible, without holding back or cringing.

When I did this downhill stretch, I did use engine braking, but apparently it wasn't enough because the brakes on my GTX overheated and resulted in a uncomfortable amount of brake fade towards the end of the ghat section. So much for my worrying about stressing a relatively new engine...

[nitinbhag]

Originally Posted by airfoil

Thanks, that is a useful bit of information. Is the flyover the first one encountered after crossing Yelahanka? Also, is the right turn after the flyover? (It has been a few years since I drove into Bangalore)
...

I think it is the first one.. you cant miss it.. Its massive with Hebbal lake on the right hand.. There are a few ramps on it and I think there is a sign for Mysore.. The right turn is at the flyover on one of the ramps.. cant remember exactly.. If you have doubts, stop and ask. The roads are not really well marked and I have taken wrong turns on that flyover a few times..

[Lukeskywalker]

[quote=airfoil]Thanks, that is a useful bit of information. Is the flyover the first one encountered after crossing Yelahanka? Also, is the right turn after the flyover? (It has been a few years since I drove into Bangalore)

yes. it is the first flyover after yelahanka, there is no board pointing towards mysore, u need to take the ramp in the centre, the one which says Tumkur, go on the stretch till tumkur highway, staggered right and then left turn towards magadi road, again a staggered right and left turn once u reach magadi road, this road will take u all the way to mysore road.

I drove through both gudalur and the masinagudi route in jan, i prefer driving uphill through gudalur and then return back via masinagudi, yes, distance will be slightly more on the gudalur, but that gives u the opportunity to stop at pykara lake which is breathtaking if u r there early in the morning, not a soul in sight til about 9 am.

brakes do heat up on the way down on the masinagudi route, be a bit careful as it is quite steep. Both the stretches are not bad, only the stretch within the karnataka art of the forest is so so.

[nitinbhag]

Quote - then left turn towards magadi road, again a staggered right and left turn once u reach magadi road, this road will take u all the way to mysore road.

Luke, where exactly does this join Mysore Road?

[quicksilver]

Originally Posted by Lukeskywalker

i prefer driving uphill through gudalur and then return back via masinagudi, yes, distance will be slightly more on the gudalur, but that gives u the opportunity to stop at pykara lake which is breathtaking if u r there early in the morning, not a soul in sight til about 9 am.

brakes do heat up on the way down on the masinagudi route, be a bit careful as it is quite steep. Both the stretches are not bad, only the stretch within the karnataka art of the forest is so so.

Guys, I know for a fact that Gudalur road is one of the worst.. iifact you have very little roads left in the middle of all the craters. Consider this.. it took me 2.5 Hours to cover the 60 KM on my OHC.... wife is still complaining about her back after nearly a month

So my advise... STAY AWAY from Gudalur road for now.... infact driving to Ooty and then back to Pykara might be better..... my 2 Cents....