[Safety is Param]

Completed the trip successfully. Reached Bangalore yesterday evening at 20:00 hrs.

While returning, Hosur - Bangalore was a nightmare

To avoid further traffic snarls from Electronic City to Banashankari, we took the NICE Road all the way. Paid 115/- as toll, but was worth every penny!

For the 2nd time in a row, I was lost enroute, this time while returning back (for 45 mins). The last time, on my way to Goa, I had lost my way post Belgaum (for 90 mins).

Yesterday, after passing Tindivanam, I reached the location 12.498845,79.601862; but instead of taking a left to bypass Vandavasi, I took a right, crossed the bridge, and went inside Vandavasi. As if that wasn't enough, I found myself on the Vandavasi - Kanchipuram road after sometime.

Took corrective actions and was on SH-5 again, but not before losing precious 45 mins of travelling time.

Going through Vandavasi was a nightmare and I was barely able to not run over tomatoes and cabbages on sale in the market.

I think I should plan my routes properly in advance and not rely on Sygic and Google Navigation all the time. Guidance from locals was also of no help as I don't speak Tamil. Simply asking "Arcot" also didn't elicit proper response from them.

On a separate note, Google Navigation proved to be more useful than Sygic on this trip. I have an unlimited GPRS plan on Vodafone, so using Google Navigation was not going to cost me anything additional.

Even while trying to get hold of Nice Road from Electronic City, I tried feeding PESIT on Outer Ring Road in Sygic, hoping I would get one of the route's through NICE Road, but that was not the case. Google Navigation immediately gave the route via NICE Road, and I stuck on to that.

All in all, a very good trip. Krishnagiri - Chennai route is a dream road, easily the best I have driven on till date, in terms of surface quality.

Stay is Ginger was as expected. No complaints, except that Wi-Fi is hard to connect to, even in the lobby. Saw a Jharkhand Swift with TBHP stickers parked in Ginger. Most probably it had arrived for the Vintage Car Rally that was flagged off on Sunday, from Pondy to Chennai.

More on this and pics to come soon.

Thanks everyone for your inputs. It went a long way in making this trip a success

[samish_g]

Congratulations for completing the trip. May be slightly Off Topic, but which version of Sygic were you using? Although I am not a very big fan of sygic, (i prefer google maps anyday) there is a free online version available for Android phones. I downloaded the same in my wife's phone (her phone is smart, mine isn't ) and used it in city limits only. Found it to be OK. Yet to use it in the highways though!!!

Regards,

Samish

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Safety is Param

I think I should plan my routes properly in advance and not rely on Sygic and Google Navigation all the time. Guidance from locals was also of no help as I don't speak Tamil. Simply asking "Arcot" also didn't elicit proper response from them.

A dedicated GPS device here can help. Once you chart a route on the device, and once you have taken it, it forms a trail overlayed on the map. While coming back you can also see the trail that you had taken while going.

So that way if you are deviating, you will know.

[cool_dube]

Hi folks,

How about this route to Puducherry?

Thanks in advance for your inputs...

[ampere]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

Hi folks,

How about this route to Puducherry?

Thanks in advance for your inputs...

Anyone who stays on the Whitefield side of Bangalore takes this route. Perfectly fine. You also have enough break options. 4-lane till Mulbagal. Good 2-lane till Chitoor (albeit some heavy truck traffic can be present).

From Chitoor take the Chennai bypass and drive to Ranipet and there and there you are same Pondicherry road.

[satan's_valet]

Originally Posted by ampere

I was not referring to that one. I thought there were 2 (one each on either at Pallikonda. I may be mistaken)

As per what I know :
While going towards Chennai CCDs include:
- Shoolagari (drive side)
- One at Pallikonda (Opposite)
- One at Kanchi (I think drive side)
- Sriperumbudur (Opposite side)

CCDs 1, 3 and 4 confirmed.

If I am not mistaken, the CCD you are referring to at Pallikonda is actually the one close to Vellore. It comes on the drive side while coming from chennai about 10kms after Vellore. There is a HP bunk and a Aryas or Arya Bhavan (not sure) at that place.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by satan's_valet

If I am not mistaken, the CCD you are referring to at Pallikonda is actually the one close to Vellore. It comes on the drive side while coming from chennai about 10kms after Vellore. There is a HP bunk and a Aryas or Arya Bhavan (not sure) at that place.

I am sure of that one too. But what I was not sure is if there is one more in the same location but on the opposite side of the road.

[satan's_valet]

Originally Posted by ampere

I am sure of that one too. But what I was not sure is if there is one more in the same location but on the opposite side of the road.

I am driving down to Pondy next weekend.. Will confirm it by then.

Originally Posted by ampere

But what I was not sure is if there is one more in the same location but on the opposite side of the road.

During my last trip from Bangalore to Chennai on 11 Feb 2014, I did not see any CCD outlets on the LHS while driving from Krishnagiri to Vellore. CCD store locator too doesn't show any on LHS of NH 46 apart from the one attached to HP COCOO. Here is the link: http://www.cafecoffeeday.com/ccd-storelocator

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by Safety is Param

Yesterday, after passing Tindivanam, I reached the location 12.498845,79.601862; but instead of taking a left to bypass Vandavasi, I took a right, crossed the bridge, and went inside Vandavasi

Hey Param - did you drive through Tindivanam? I believe there is a bypass as well.

[Safety is Param]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

Hey Param - did you drive through Tindivanam? I believe there is a bypass as well.

Here is what happened -

One day prior to the journey, I had finalized this route http://goo.gl/maps/6KTkl

This is the exact route, that by-passes at Tindivanam.



The problem was, this route was computed using Google; however, I use Sygic in the car for navigation. So, I actually traversed Tindivanam through this route -



I took the same route while returning as well; again because I was using Sygic.

The place where I took the wrong turn was here - indicated by the black arrows (excuse the poor drawing). I had to turn left, but instead, took a right and joined the Kanchipuram road.



On a lighter note, I am used to getting lost now! But seriously speaking, it's not a good thing when you are with family, people know you are a tourist and you don't speak the local language!

Might be a silly question, but does a dedicated GPS unit help? Like Ampere had suggested in his post; once you take a route and save it, you can ask the device to take the same route back (of course, one-ways are not included).

Currently, I am using the Samsung for GPS duties.

Also, I am not at all bashing Sygic; it shows correct routes more than 85% of the time. For the rest, I should use common-sense!

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Safety is Param

On a lighter note, I am used to getting lost now!

Thats what helps you finds you new roads ! Yes it does help with a dedicated GPS. But I think more than a dedicated device, we just need the right app to be used in the right. Let me move this discussion to the GPS thread.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by ampere

Anyone who stays on the Whitefield side of Bangalore takes this route. Perfectly fine. You also have enough break options. 4-lane till Mulbagal. Good 2-lane till Chitoor (albeit some heavy truck traffic can be present).

From Chitoor take the Chennai bypass and drive to Ranipet and there and there you are same Pondicherry road.

Has anyone tried the Karimangalam, Morappur, Harur, T V Malai and Vilupuram route to Pondy?

Vilupuram-Pondy stretch is a good 2L road and quite scenic one.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

Has anyone tried the Karimangalam, Morappur, Harur, T V Malai and Vilupuram route to Pondy?

Vilupuram-Pondy stretch is a good 2L road and quite scenic one.

Most dont take that route.

- Narrow 2-lane (in spite of the fact that its good)
- Krishnagiri-Vellore is a beatiful 6-lane
- You have more break options for food.
- Most use the Harur route for Tiruvannamalai but not for Pondicherry.

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by ampere

Anyone who stays on the Whitefield side of Bangalore takes this route. Perfectly fine. You also have enough break options. 4-lane till Mulbagal. Good 2-lane till Chitoor (albeit some heavy truck traffic can be present). From Chitoor take the Chennai bypass and drive to Ranipet and there and there you are same Pondicherry road.

Did the trip over this weekend - thanks for all the inputs from this forum. Overall, the Chittoor-Ranipet route is a good option for people staying in/around Whitefield and who want to avoid the painful construction activities around Hosur. Road conditions are excellent for almost the entire Bangalore-Ranipet stretch except for a few small patches. I clocked 7 hours (Blr-Pondi) while going, including a b'fast break plus 15 min lost in a minor jam. On the way back, however, there was a major jam b/w Chittoor and Palamner due to a truck moving some huge cargo, which blocked almost the entire 2-lane highway. Lost almost an hour there but discounting that as an instance of bad luck, I would recommend this route to anyone who enjoys my kind of driving - easy cruising at ~90 kmph with excellent scenary, lots of trees along the road, and most importantly, less traffic. Some reminiscences of the good old highways of years gone by Couple of good eating options are (a) Nandi Food Court (Reliance A1 Plaza taken on contract) just before Chittoor (b) Vasudev Adiga's somewhere near Mulbagal.

Note: For people who prefer to zip along a 4/6 laner at triple digit speeds, the K'giri-Vellore route is a better option. After Arcot, the route is anyways common (via Tindivanam).