[Tassem]

Guess what? My wife and I are travelling to Pondi during the same time! As with most of you, the plan is to leave Bangalore in the wee hours of Friday, 1st Nov and return on Monday, 4th Nov.

The issue is that I'm yet to find a decent place at a reasonable rate. Dumas looks interesting. We want a place close to the beach and with some good places to walk around. So no resorts far from town.

Any suggestions?

Do wave if you see a white fluidic verna with KL plates. Chances of seeing the team-bhp sticker are low as I have just the small ones on my plates.

Edit - Tentatively booked at Hotel Sun Park. Place looks good and is close to most of the 'worth-visiting' places.

[sandsun7]

Originally Posted by Tassem

Guess what? My wife and I are travelling to Pondi during the same time!

Seems like we could very well have a T-bhp mega meet at Pondy next weekend so many heading there!

You could also try St. James court - had read some positive reviews in the forum. We have booked at Prince park farm house. Non A/c Cottages at Rs. 1598 with breakfast. Read good reviews on Tripadvisor.

[Tassem]

Originally Posted by sandsun7

Seems like we could very well have a T-bhp mega meet at Pondy next weekend so many heading there!

You could also try St. James court - had read some positive reviews in the forum. We have booked at Prince park farm house. Non A/c Cottages at Rs. 1598 with breakfast. Read good reviews on Tripadvisor.

So true! Looking forward to bumping into fellow members. Who knows, a mega meet may well happen!

Has anyone stayed at Swades Guest House? So many great reviews, but I'm not sure the place is all that great. A gut feeling..

[WheelWake]

Hi all,
Just back from my short pondy trip. And I would just like to inform I did the suggested route Blr hosur krishnagiri arcot by pass via bridge cheyyar by pass vadnavasi by pass tindivanam via college by pass. I was able to it in 6 hrs. Started at 7.30 and reached windflower at 1.30 while I did limit my speed within 70 while doing there two lane stretch as it had some speed breakers and wifey was sleeping at middle row. While returning I started from auroville at 5.30 pm and drove sedately as my 9 month old was bit cranky and then there were rains and me being bit tired. I reached home at 12.30 am.

Resort was good with huge rooms and bathrooms. Buffet breakfast was decent lunch options were decent. Went to villa shanti for dinner all firang crowd. Very nice seating and good Conti food. They even made fresh daal to order for my kid. Next day lunch was at Roma kitchen. they had Sunday feast. It was a decent spread. All in all great experience and drive would recommend a 2 nighter stay for sure.

I hope this helps other team bhpians who wanna do this trip.

[sandsun7]

A couple of queries to the route experts here:

1. Where exactly should we be taking a 'U' turn to get back to the arcot bridge in the opposite direction to reach Arcot town bypass- Is it under a flyover immediately after the bridge towards Chennai (saw this flyover in Google earth satellite view) OR get down the flyover, and take U turn at the break in median little ahead (saw this in gmaps satelite view) ?

2. While coming back from Pondicherry, how do we turn right to get onto the Tiruchi Chennai highway just before Thindivanam town (eventually to take the college road bypass)? I see a flyover going straight across the NH 66, but no cut in the median on NH 66 to take right to move towards Chennai side on NH 45. Do I Need to go further ahead, take a U turn at the next break, and then take left? Google map/earth does not show a road towards Chennai side from Thindivanam side either here. The attached snapshot is what I see


Kindly help.

Slightly OT: Does anybody know that is the new number for Krishnagiri-Pondy highway? It used to be NH 66, but I presume the old NH 17 from Edappally to Panvel is now the NH 66!

[ampere]

Originally Posted by sandsun7

A couple of queries to the route experts here:

1. Where exactly should we be taking a 'U' turn to get back to the arcot bridge in the opposite direction to reach Arcot town bypass- Is it under a flyover immediately after the bridge towards Chennai (saw this flyover in Google earth satellite view) OR get down the flyover, and take U turn at the break in median little ahead (saw this in gmaps satelite view) ?

When you cross the bridge, you would see an immediate left. That you should NOT take. I think that goes into Ranipet town. Go past and below the next flyover take a U and come back.

2. While coming back from Pondicherry, how do we turn right to get onto the Tiruchi Chennai highway just before Thindivanam town (eventually to take the college road bypass)? I see a flyover going straight across the NH 66, but no cut in the median on NH 66 to take right to move towards Chennai side on NH 45. Do I Need to go further ahead, take a U turn at the next break, and then take left? Google map/earth does not show a road towards Chennai side from Thindivanam side either here. The attached snapshot is what I see

While coming on NH66, go below NH45 (GST). Take you U, come back , take left before the NH45. You would join the NH45.

[sandsun7]

Originally Posted by ampere

When you cross the bridge, you would see an immediate left. That you should NOT take. I think that goes into Ranipet town. Go past and below the next flyover take a U and come back.

Thanks! In case I miss going under the flyover and instead climb up the flyover, is there a gap in the median somewhere ahead where I can take the 'U'? I could see one gap not far away after the flyover, as seen on google earth. Hope there is one there.

[Jeash.vk]

Didn't know that the toughest part of planning a Pondi trip would be to finalise the optimal route. I have a trip of my own planned, but that is for the US Thanks giving weekend - 28th Nov to 1st Dec. Two things that I would like to request help from the fellow TBHP Pondi-experts.

- Can some one share the link to google map which shows the complete end to end optimum route map that some one should take (BLR - Pondi)? I found a few junctions covered, but I am looking for end to end.

- After hours of pouring over tripadvisor and umpteen similar sites, I booked myself a room in Accord Pondi. The reviews were all praise, but I would like to hear from some one who has an experience of having been there.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Jeash.vk

- Can some one share the link to google map which shows the complete end to end optimum route map that some one should take (BLR - Pondi)? I found a few junctions covered, but I am looking for end to end.

Here is the route link :

Link

[hungrygamer]

Originally Posted by sandsun7

Seems like we could very well have a T-bhp mega meet at Pondy next weekend so many heading there!

You could also try St. James court - had read some positive reviews in the forum. We have booked at Prince park farm house. Non A/c Cottages at Rs. 1598 with breakfast. Read good reviews on Tripadvisor.

We are booked in St james court hoping that it will be a ok enough place, was in Nalla 3 years back - not so good and going by Tripadvisor reviews, has not improved.

One request to fellow travellers, anybody has a return route map from Pondy to Blore like the one posted thankfully by Ampere

[Jeash.vk]

Originally Posted by ampere

Here is the route link :

Link

Thank you ampere. That was super quick reply and a super detailed map. Much appreciated.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by hungrygamer

We are booked in St james court hoping that it will be a ok enough place, was in Nalla 3 years back - not so good and going by Tripadvisor reviews, has not improved.

One request to fellow travellers, anybody has a return route map from Pondy to Blore like the one posted thankfully by Ampere

Here you are
https://www.google.com/maps/preview#...m1!1e1&fid=0i1

[hungrygamer]

Originally Posted by joslicx

Here you are
https://www.google.com/maps/preview#...m1!1e1&fid=0i1

Thanks mate but doesn't this route go via Thiruvanmalai which is supposed to be pretty bad and needs to be avoided.. I just created a back map using the one posted by Ampere as reference, please let me know if this looks feasible
Disclaimer : all my knowledge of routes is purely theoritical

BackJourney

[sandsun7]

Originally Posted by hungrygamer

Thanks mate but doesn't this route go via Thiruvanmalai which is supposed to be pretty bad and needs to be avoided.. I just created a back map using the one posted by Ampere as reference, please let me know if this looks feasible
Disclaimer : all my knowledge of routes is purely theoritical

BackJourney

Here you go, this link takes you through all the bypasses
http://goo.gl/maps/NbBWE

[dhuli]

Originally Posted by sandsun7

Here you go, this link takes you through all the bypasses
http://goo.gl/maps/NbBWE

Thanks for the one single reference. This route has been discussed so much and in so many posts that I used to find it intimidating to search. Of course, search within thread with @ampere helps.

I am bookmarking this map link and hope that it serves well till April/May 2014 when the NHAI's NH66 2-Laning of Krishnagiri-Tindivanam project will be completed, albeit some delays, naturally. NHAI MIS report for sep13 states 39.39% completion against a target of 50.85%.

For those with academic interest in monitoring progress of all NHAI projects, this link will be useful. Tindivanam - Krishnagiri NH66 stretch is included under NHDP Phase III.