[ampere]

Originally Posted by naveenroy

But you mean ride from Kochi to Pollachi in the day? And then ride to Valparai and back to Pollachi? Or any places to stay in Valparai?

From Kochi ride via Chalakudy/Valparai. Enjoy the drive via Valparai, come down to Pollachi and stay at Pollachi for the night.
Continue the next day from Pollachi towards Bangalore. Kochi to Pollachi should be hardly 200km and not more according to me.

Valparai has estate bungalows but they may be full. Do check. You can also check out some hotels in Valparai town.
Very few are present though. Most are estate bungalows.

[manjubp]

Originally Posted by ampere

From Kochi ride via Chalakudy/Valparai. Enjoy the drive via Valparai, come down to Pollachi and stay at Pollachi for the night.
Continue the next day from Pollachi towards Bangalore. Kochi to Pollachi should be hardly 200km and not more according to me.

Valparai has estate bungalows but they may be full. Do check. You can also check out some hotels in Valparai town.
Very few are present though. Most are estate bungalows.

Is this route is doable in car. I mean in swift.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by manjubp

Is this route is doable in car. I mean in swift.

Yes very doable. Good but narrow roads. Many people who visit Valparai from Bangalore or other cities, stay at Valparai,
visit Athirapally and come back to Valparai to continue their stay.

[naveenroy]

Originally Posted by ampere

From Kochi ride via Chalakudy/Valparai. Enjoy the drive via Valparai, come down to Pollachi and stay at Pollachi for the night.
Continue the next day from Pollachi towards Bangalore. Kochi to Pollachi should be hardly 200km and not more according to me.

Valparai has estate bungalows but they may be full. Do check. You can also check out some hotels in Valparai town.
Very few are present though. Most are estate bungalows.

Thanks for that. Was asking specifically since Google maps doesn't seem to think that I can ride from Chalakudy to Valparai directly. It is only suggesting a route through Pollachi. But if there is a route from Chalakudy to Valparai direct - I can do this route. Then ride down to Pollachi for the night!

[naveenroy]

Update!

Started off from Bangalore on 22nd early morning. A friend who was riding to Trissur rode with me till Krishnagiri. I then took the right from the Chennai highway towards Pondicherry. Sections of road were bad but I made good time and after Tindivanam, it was good ECR (?). The road was so good that I dozed off and suddenly woke up to find the bike veering towards the median

Anyways, reached Pondi by 1:00 or so. Cancelled plans to stay an extra day and started off from Pondi towards Nagapattinam the next day - 23rd. Reached Velankanni fine and stayed the night. Rode from Velankanni to Rameshwaram on 24th and stayed the night. Visited Dhanushkodi - what an experience! Started for Nagercoil on 25th morning from Rameshwaram and reached at 12 in the afternoon.

Now chilling out at home and will be starting off to Kochi on 28th. Hope to be in Bangalore on 30th evening.

I will be posting up a nice thread soon. Just collecting my thoughts

Some teaser pics...

[ampere]

Originally Posted by naveenroy

Update!

Nice !
Tindivanam-Pondi is NH66 and not ECR. Yes its the same cursed highway which is so horrible from Krishnagiri to Tiruvannamalai. Its a 4-lane from Tindivanam to Pondi ! ?
Did you find any hotels along ECR between Velankanni to Ramnad? If yes, do share, that would be really helpful.

All the best and ride safe on the way back