[ampere]

Originally Posted by jacs

Tanjavur - Mannarguddi - Thiruthuraipoondi - Velankanni

Good idea. But I am not sure how good is Mannagudi side of the section.

How about Tanjore-Adirampatnam-Velankanni ?

[jacs]

As updated by Gopi in the Bangalore - Velankanni thread, Tanjore-Adirampatnam-Velankanni is fine.

Tanjavur - Mannarguddi - Thiruthuraipoondi is still an open question but its aound 60KMs only. Tusker is ready to take any abuse but not sure of family members .

[Mohan Mathew A]

Originally Posted by jacs

Yes Mohan, plan is to start little early in the morning. Below is my high-level plan.

Onward
3AM : Start from Kottayam
8AM : Breakfast @ Theni (165KMs - 5 hours considering mist in Idukki)
1PM : Lunch @ Trichy (175KMs - 3 hours)
5PM : Check-in @ Velankanni (150KMs - 3 hours)

Return
2PM : Start from Velankanni
5PM : Tea break @ Trichy
9PM : Dinner @ Dindigul
3AM : Reach Kottayam

this should be easily doable. I left at 6 am from pala and had breakfast at 8 am in kumili. left by around 8.45 and had lunch in tanjore (around 2 or so) and was able to check in by 4.10 in velankanni. i had 2 small kids sometimes sleeping so driving was cautious and we had to take a couple of short breaks. so you will be able to stick to the plan very easily factoring in the current horrible roads and weather conditions in kerala.

i returned during the daytime, but started from pondicherry around 6 am and reached pala around 3.30 p.m. Trichy-dindigul will definitely not take 4 hours , even if you take 1 hour for tea, the running time will be not more than 90 minutes. the highway is excellent.

[jacs]

Originally Posted by Mohan Mathew A

I left at 6 am from pala and had breakfast at 8 am in kumili. left by around 8.45 and had lunch in tanjore (around 2 or so) and was able to check in by 4.10 in velankanni.

Trichy-dindigul will definitely not take 4 hours , the running time will be not more than 90 minutes. the highway is excellent.

Hi Mohan,

Below is my distance vs time plan.

Kottayam - Dindigul : 252KMs : 6 hours including 1 hour break

Dindigul - Tanjavur : 157KMs approx : 3 hours including 1 hour break

Tanjavur - Velankanni : 100KMs approx : 3 hours including 1 hour break


Gimme tips on good Vegetarian restaurants on the way. Hygenic food & toilets is must. Breakfast @ Theni, Lunch at Tanjavur, Dinner @ Velankanni!

[Mohan Mathew A]

Originally Posted by jacs

Hi Mohan,

Below is my distance vs time plan.

Kottayam - Dindigul : 252KMs : 6 hours including 1 hour break

Dindigul - Tanjavur : 157KMs approx : 3 hours including 1 hour break

Tanjavur - Velankanni : 100KMs approx : 3 hours including 1 hour break


Gimme tips on good Vegetarian restaurants on the way. Hygenic food & toilets is must. Breakfast @ Theni, Lunch at Tanjavur, Dinner @ Velankanni!

Hi Jacs

plan looks pretty good and definitely doable.
Onward journey we had breakfast at Hotel holiday vista in kumily. we had not much option as we reached by 8 am and not many places were open. the food is overpriced and i would advise against the place. Then we had lunch at tanjore. It was a restaurant by the side of the highway itself (left side when travelling from tanjore to velankanni). unfortunately i forgot the name. we couldn't find many options and had almost given up and then we found this place. it was nice and airy place. had both veg and non-veg, a/c and non a/c. price was very reasonable and had enough parking space. it was clean. bathrooms were decent-nothing great but my wife who is very finnicky about bathrooms were ok with it. sorry, i don't remember the name. i will see if my wife remembers the name.

at velankanni we were very concerned as lot of people had warned us to be very careful about what we eat there especially with kids, so we had all meals from the hotel where we stayed, clinton park inn. It is over priced but we were all fine and had no after effects

Return we had carried food with us. i stopped at theni for eating but others didn't join so it was a basic place where i could quickly eat a meal. but theni has enough options by the side of the road itself. keep an eye open and select something which meets your requirements

[Mohan Mathew A]

The name of the restaurant in Tanjore is Tanj Oz

P.S Mods, sorry for the back to back post. the time to edit had lapsed

[jacs]

Originally Posted by Mohan Mathew A

we had lunch at tanjore. It was a restaurant by the side of the highway itself (left side when travelling from tanjore to velankanni). unfortunately i forgot the name.

but theni has enough options by the side of the road itself. keep an eye open and select something which meets your requirements

Originally Posted by Mohan Mathew A

The name of the restaurant in Tanjore is Tanj Oz

P.S Mods, sorry for the back to back post. the time to edit had lapsed

Thanks Mohan, shall try to reach Tanjavur around lunch time. Theni is quite familiar from my bangalore drives and I can manage with Saravana Bhavan or Sri Ariyaas etc

Thanks for the tip on Velankanni food hygiene.

[bobbyvictor]

Any inputs on the best route as of now on the tanjore to velankanni front - i see some reviews that the one Tanjore- thiruvarur - nagapattinam is quite bad and needs to be avoided ? - any inputs on the once through mannargudi- thiruthurai poondi?. Im basically looking for a smooth drive that saves time i cna take 15-20 kms more :-). From Bangalore i'm planning bangalore - Salem- Trichy and Thanjavur. Any better options from gurus who have travelled that way are welcome.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by bobbyvictor

Any inputs on the best route as of now on the tanjore to velankanni front - i see some reviews that the one Tanjore- thiruvarur - nagapattinam is quite bad and needs to be avoided ?

The only good option as mentioned earlier is Tanjore-Adirampatnam-Thiruthuraipoondi-Velankanni

[venki.bala]

Originally Posted by bobbyvictor

Any inputs on the best route as of now on the tanjore to velankanni front - i see some reviews that the one Tanjore- thiruvarur - nagapattinam is quite bad and needs to be avoided ? - any inputs on the once through mannargudi- thiruthurai poondi?. Im basically looking for a smooth drive that saves time i cna take 15-20 kms more :-). From Bangalore i'm planning bangalore - Salem- Trichy and Thanjavur. Any better options from gurus who have travelled that way are welcome.

Mannargudi - thiruthooraippondi : road is in good condition. One warning though this road is one full of curves. Less traffic and hence one tends to slam but be aware of the curves. I had been to my ancestral village in June and this road was in good condition.

[jacs]

Guys,

Reached home yesterday early mornoing after the trip. Took Kottayam - Kumily - Dindigul - Trichy - Tanjavur - Mannarguddi - Thiruthuraipoondi - Venlankanni on both ways as it was good.


Road condition

Kottayam - Mundakkayam : Excellent, do not recollect any serious potholes too.

Mundakkayam - Peermade : Good, do expect some surprise potholes here and there in curves. Avoid driving too fast. Its easy.

Peermade - Kumily : Okay, bad stretches around Pambanar and after Vandiperiyar. Manageable on low speeds.

Kumily to Lowercamp : Excellent, nothing to be cautioned except the curves incase you are driving first time.

Lowercamp to Cumbom : Good, expect some deviations due to widening

Cumbom to Bathalgundu : Okay, expect rough stretches here and there.

Bathelgundu to Dindigul : Good, expect some deviations due to widening

Dindigul to Trichy : Excellent 4 lane till city limits and good roads in city too

Trichy to Tanjavur : Excellent 4 lane till city limits and good roads in city too

Tanjavur to Mannarguddi : Good, narrow village highway kind. Less traffic so no worries at all.

Mannarguddi to Thiruthuraipoondi : Good, narrow village road. Nothing to be cautioned, recollect few small humps and rough stretches.

Thiruthuraipoondi to Velankanni - Excellent

Originally Posted by bobbyvictor

Any inputs on the best route as of now on the tanjore to velankanni front - i see some reviews that the one Tanjore- thiruvarur - nagapattinam is quite bad and needs to be avoided ? - any inputs on the once through mannargudi- thiruthurai poondi?. Im basically looking for a smooth drive that saves time i cna take 15-20 kms more :-). From Bangalore i'm planning bangalore - Salem- Trichy and Thanjavur. Any better options from gurus who have travelled that way are welcome.

You can take the above route as its in good condition. Very few bad stretches between Tanjavur and Velankanni.

[bobbyvictor]

Guys - I did the Bangalore -Tanjore- velankanni trip last weekend Bangalore departure at 5.00am and was in Tanjore by 1130am , checked into Hotel Sangam - its a pretty decent place , clean rooms and the food is excellent - a bit pricey though. freshened up had a bath and lunch and set off to Velankanni by 2 pm did the route that ampere suggested and its quite a breeze was in Vailankanni by 4pm.Was going there after 20 years and man, the place has changed for worse - there is filth everywhere which was quite saddening and the surroundings aren't clean at all. Dearest wifey was all praise for the foresight to book hotel at Tanjavur and not in Velankanni, dint let the cat outta the bag that the booking at TJR was forced upon me due to late bookings and no rooms in Clinton hotel- praise comes scarce why to lose it :-). Visited all the hotspots to visit - did the prayers etc and set sail for Tanjavur at 7.15pm reached at 9.30 pm . Next day morning visited the Big temple and left by 1pm from Tanjavur- got caught up in the weekend mess at the toll booth back by 930pm

[coolclouds]

Visited Velankanni last weekend

(Bangalore-Coimbatore-Karur-Trichy-Thanjavur-Nagapattinam-Velankanni-Thiruthuraipoondi-Mannargudi-Thanjavur-Poondi-Kallana-Trichy-Karur-Coimbatore-Walayar-Palakkad-Kuthiran-Trichur-Kochi)


Onward through good old Trichy-Thanjavur-Nagapattinam-Velankanni route. Bad sections patched up and overall, in good condition.

Return was on Thiruthuraipoondi-Mannargudi route. Here the road is more straight and in good shape.

Went to Poondi Matha Basilica (Some 18kms off Thanjavur-Trichur road). Road in good shape except for a flyover construction area.

Poondi to Trichy went through "Kallana". Its a scenic single lane road till Trichy outskirts and heavy vehicles can not take the road over dam.

First few kms on Trichy-Karur road is not in great shape as work is going on.

Had lunch at Hotel Parisudham inside Thanjavur town. Excellent place and food.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by coolclouds

(Bangalore-Coimbatore-Karur-Trichy-Thanjavur-Nagapattinam-Velankanni-Thiruthuraipoondi-Mannargudi-Thanjavur-Poondi-Kallana-Trichy-Karur-Coimbatore-Walayar-Palakkad-Kuthiran-Trichur-Kochi)

Why CBE for Return? Trichy-Dindigul (Or Karur) - Dharapuram-Pollachi-Alathur-Trichur-Kochi.

[Gokrish]

Originally Posted by jacs

Thanks Mohan, shall try to reach Tanjavur around lunch time. Theni is quite familiar from my bangalore drives and I can manage with Saravana Bhavan or Sri Ariyaas etc

Thanks for the tip on Velankanni food hygiene.

You can try lunch at Hotel Sangam at Tanjore which is near the railway station. A good vegetarian restaurant.