[M35]

Planning: Palakkad [Kerala] to Anand [Gujarat]- help needed


Vehicle: Scorpio M-Hawk

• Since I have not driven beyond Bangalore, I need your help.
• I am not planning any night drive at all.
• I need help from you to help me by-pass traffic in major cities, especially Bangalore and Mumbai.
• I could be leaving home at Palakkad as early as 4.00am and cover the maximum on the first day.
• The Google map says the total distance to be covered as 1850km.

Will I be able to do it in two days with just one halt ?

My plan

Day -1

Palakkad- Salem-Bangalore –Satara [1150 km] & stay at Satara

Day-2

Satara-Pune-Mumbai-Anand – [700 km]

thanks in advance.

Manoj

[ampere]

Originally Posted by M35

[b]
I need help from you to help me by-pass traffic in major cities, especially Bangalore and Mumbai.

Bangalore is quite easy. NH7 to NH4 via NICE road. One clean road and you are out.

Route Link

For Bombay, see this by HVK

https://sites.google.com/site/hvkuma...bypass---south

Palakkad- Salem-Bangalore –Satara [1150 km] & stay at Satara

Instead of Satara, I would suggest Kolhapur as a better option for a break.

[GTO]

You might also find this thread to be immensely helpful.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by M35

Planning: Palakkad [Kerala] to Anand [Gujarat]- help needed

Palakkad- Salem-Bangalore –Satara [1150 km] & stay at Satara

Day-2

Satara-Pune-Mumbai-Anand – [700 km]

Day 1:Palakkad-Pollachi-Palladam-Kangayam-Perundurai-Salem-NICE Road-Tumkur-Chitradurga-Belgaum. http://goo.gl/maps/U8bMK

Stay at Sankam Residency @ Belgaum or at Ananth Executive,Dharwad or Clarks,Hans,Metropole all at Hubli(depending on your stress levels)

Reaching Satara is an over ambitious target considering the fact that you dont intend to do night drives

Palakkad-Salem:4-5hrs
Salem-Ecity:2.5hrs
Ecity-Tumkur:45mins-1hr
Tumkur-Belgaum:7-8hrs

Day2:

Belgaum-Kolhapur-Satara-Pune bypass-MPEW-Panvel-Vashi-Airoli-Thane-Ghodbunder-NH8-Vapi-Surat-Baroda-Anand

BGM-Pune bypass: 3hrs
Pune BP-MPEW Entry:1hr-1.5hr
MPEW-Panvel:2hrs
Panvel-Thane:1.5hr
Thane-Baroda-Anand:6.5hrs

http://goo.gl/maps/IfJrd

[M35]

Originally Posted by ampere

Bangalore is quite easy. NH7 to NH4 via NICE road. One clean road and you are out.

Route Link

For Bombay, see this by HVK

https://sites.google.com/site/hvkuma...bypass---south

Instead of Satara, I would suggest as a better option for a break.

Thanks a lot for the NICE- road link.
I guess you meant Hubli or Belgaum instead of Satara.

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Day 1:Palakkad-Pollachi-Palladam-Kangayam-Perundurai-Salem-NICE Road-Tumkur-Chitradurga-Belgaum. http://goo.gl/maps/U8bMK

Stay at Sankam Residency @ Belgaum or at Ananth Executive,Dharwad or Clarks,Hans,Metropole all at Hubli(depending on your stress levels)

Thanks a lot for the very detailed route map.

Reaching Satara is an over ambitious target considering the fact that you dont intend to do night drives

First I thought I should try satara on the first day and halt there. Because I used be in and around Satara/Mahabaleshwar/Panchgani back in 1999-2003.
My big concern was identifying correctly to by-pass Bangalore,Pune and Mumbai. Now I am a bit relieved,thanks to you and Ampere.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by M35

Thanks a lot for the NICE- road link.
I guess you meant Hubli or Belgaum instead of Satara.

Sorry for that blip ! I meant Kolhapur. But that also would be a stretch I think. You should target till Belgaum/Hubli.
Thats about 900km. Though its 4-lane all the way, you will have some sectors that would slow you down. Esp. Krishnagiri-Bangalore.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by M35

Thanks a lot for the very detailed route map.

Satara is going to be tough as there is road widening on NH7 between Salem and Krishnagiri and Hosur and then again on NH4 around Chitradurga plus the food breaks,bio breaks etc..I would suggest you target Hubli or Belgaum on day 1

Depending on when ypu start you can target to reach Saravana Bhavan at sankari for breakfast,Kamat at dobbespete for lunch.

[M35]

All set for the big trip. I will be sending my Scorpio to A.S.S tomorrow for a general check and will be starting off at 4.00am the next day[29/06].
I shall update here on the route experience during my trip as and when I get time.

[M35]

Originally Posted by M35

I shall update here on the route experience during my trip as and when I get time.

Update:

Back from the excellent road trip and thanks to all for the route suggestions and help.

Day 1:Palakkad-Coimbatore by Pass[L&T]-Salem-NICE -Road-Tumkur-Chitradurga-Belgaum-Kohlapur.[in 16 hours]

Stayed in Hotel Ayodhya.

http://hotelayodhya.com/

Took a Delux room with two extra bed for 3100 INR+ tax.Good rooms and service.

Bad stretch between Walayar and L&T by-Pass but beyond that very good roads all the way.

Day 2: Kohlapur- Satara-Pune-Thane-Surat-Vadodara-Anand

Due to the ongoing work, lots of diversions and bumpy the stretch between Satara and Pune.Excellent 6-Lane road, mostly after Thane till Vadodara and beyond that the Vadodara-Ahmedabad Mahathma Gandhi Exp.way was the best in the entre trip.Took the exit at Anand.[.

Stayed in Anand at La casa in.
http://www.lacasainn.in/

Excellent hotel[the best in the trip] with very good service.[.

Took its Diamond suit for two people for 2500 INR + tax per day.

Return:

While returning, we took a detour to Panchgani/Mahabaleshwar and spent two days there. It was raining through out, thus couldn’t click many. Most of the Points were invisible as well.But enjoyed the typical monsoon Panchgani/Mahabaleshwar weather.

Stayed in Hotel Mount View Executive at Panchgani on the first day for INR 5250 in its executive suite.Not so clean and impressive.
http://www.hotelmountview.co.in/executive.html

Went down to Wai on the second day and stayed in Hotel Pearl. We took two rooms for INR 2000. Very good rooms with excellent service.
http://www.tripadvisor.in/Hotels-g31...ra-Hotels.html

Also spent some useful time around Dhom Dam in Wai as well.It was very much refreshing indeed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhom_Dam

The next day, we started our return journey at 5.15 am and got back home in Palakkad at 11.15 pm on the same day.I was able to consistently do 110-130 km/Hr all the way till Avinashi.[.


My Scorpio performed exceptionally and unbelievably well with no issues and zero rattles that, even the perfectionist in me did not even bother to prompt me for a visit to A S S, after this trip of around 4500km.While in Thane, took it to Global Gallarie and did a wheel alignment.

The roads in bad shape are

1.The stretch between Walayar and Coimbatore by-Pass[L&T]

2.Though almost finished, didn’t find the stretch between L&T by-pass and Avinashi pleasant and comfortable.
3. The stretch between Satara and Pune.

Except that the roads were beautiful though had to shell out very close to INR 4000 at various Toll Plazas in the entire trip.

Pictures taken from Panchgani/Mahabaleshwar & Wai

[vdi]

Why don't you come out with a full fledged travelogue?

Rajesh.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by M35

Back from the excellent road trip and thanks to all for the route suggestions and help.

So you finally completed ! Great to know that. As you said the pain is crossing the Kerala sector from Palakkad-CBE. I would have wanted to suggest Pollachi option, but given you were driving much longer, I was not sure, if I should suggest the same.

Now on second thoughts, looks it would have been a worthy option.

Rest of sections are just brilliant 4-lanes. And Wai was an added bonus. I hope to visit the same some day.

Great update