[guyfrmblr]

Originally Posted by ampere

Also from Cherkala, I think one does not need to go to Kasargod for Bekal right? In that case how is Cherkala-Bekal? As per what @Khan mentioned, the roads seem to be good.

Yes, No need to go to Kasargod if going to Bekal. One needs to take left at Cherkala and just follow the the sign boards to Bekal. The roads are in decent condition between Cherkala and Bekal except for a few rough stretches and a bad section over a railway bridge.

Once can take a small break at this small hanging bridge if anyone is travelling through Sullia. Its located on the state highway just after crossing the Sullia town.







There is one more hanging bridge built across the same river after crossing Jalsoor towards Kasargod.

[RajeshK]

Originally Posted by ampere

Also from Cherkala, I think one does not need to go to Kasargod for Bekal right? In that case how is Cherkala-Bekal?

You can go via Poyinachi - Uduma - Bekal. Road should be in good condition.

Instead of this Jalsoor, Sullya route, why not Madikeri - Bhagamandala - Panathur - Kanhangad road..? I have no idea about the present condition, it was easily drivable during summer. This should be the shortest route.

Thanks
Rajesh

[Fauji]

I travelled to Nileshwar over the weekend.

Onward journey - Bangalore - Hassan - Kukke Subramanya - Sullia - Jalsoor - Cherkala - Nileshwar

Road condition

Bangalore - Sakleshpur :- Excellent

Sakleshpur - Kukke:- Excellent except at some curves in Shiradi which is broken and small potholes. No big deal.

Subramany - Valalambe :- Single road, small potholes. Doable.

Valalambe - Jalsoor - Cherkala - Nileswar/Kasargod :- Excellent. You will find small stretches on the way on Karnataka side which is singe lane - they are only 200-300 mtrs - and except for that it is a lovely road. It is a pleasure to drive.

Return route

Nileshwar - Taliparamba - Srikandapuram - Iritty - Virajpet - Madikeri - Bangalore

Road condition - Excellent throughout except for one KM before Srikandapuram. Due to road widening, this stretch has become a mess. But is doable with caution for low GC vehicles. There is a small deviation to reach Sirkandapuram before the start of this road work and you can see the "diversion" board. Except for this one KMs, it is a pleasurable drive throughout. Specially through Brahmagiri WLS after crossing Kerala.

The road between Ilvala - Srirangapatna was surprisingly good with new patch work except for 500 meters under railway bridge which seems to be perennial problem. Watch out for unsigned humps on Madikeri-Mysore road as well.

[kala]

Originally Posted by Fauji

Nileshwar - Taliparamba - Srikandapuram - Iritty - Virajpet - Madikeri - Bangalore

Do you think the detour via Madikeri is really worth it ? (It's quite a bit of extra distance : Virajpet-Periyapatna via Ammathi-Sidhapura is about 44 kms whereas via Madikeri it is almost double - about 83 kms). How long did the Virajpet-Mysore journey take via Madikeri ?

I travelled via the Ammathi-Sidhapura route on Sunday and it took me 1 hr 50 minutes from Virajpet to Yelivala. The road via Sidhapura was generally quite OK except for the last 10kms before Periyapatna which resembles the lunar surface.

[Thilak29]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Why is no one trying the Madikeri-Bhagamandala-Panathur route to Bekal?

I took this route last year around same time frame and I had mixed experiences.
While its scenic, at certain places road gets really bad. Note that I took my brand new Brio in this route.

Originally Posted by Fauji

I travelled to Nileshwar over the weekend.

Onward journey - Bangalore - Hassan - Kukke Subramanya - Sullia - Jalsoor - Cherkala - Nileshwar

Road condition

Bangalore - Sakleshpur :- Excellent

Sakleshpur - Kukke:- Excellent except at some curves in Shiradi which is broken and small potholes. No big deal.

Subramany - Valalambe :- Single road, small potholes. Doable.

Valalambe - Jalsoor - Cherkala - Nileswar/Kasargod :- Excellent. You will find small stretches on the way on Karnataka side which is singe lane - they are only 200-300 mtrs - and except for that it is a lovely road. It is a pleasure to drive.

Return route

Nileshwar - Taliparamba - Srikandapuram - Iritty - Virajpet - Madikeri - Bangalore

Road condition - Excellent throughout except for one KM before Srikandapuram. Due to road widening, this stretch has become a mess. But is doable with caution for low GC vehicles. There is a small deviation to reach Sirkandapuram before the start of this road work and you can see the "diversion" board. Except for this one KMs, it is a pleasurable drive throughout. Specially through Brahmagiri WLS after crossing Kerala.

The road between Ilvala - Srirangapatna was surprisingly good with new patch work except for 500 meters under railway bridge which seems to be perennial problem. Watch out for unsigned humps on Madikeri-Mysore road as well.

I took Subramanya - Jalsoor - Cherkala route last week and I found 50% of road till Jalsoor not so good but other half was excellent ( Rain made it much better ) . Jalsoor to Cherkala is exceptionally good (i take frequent drive here)

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[Fauji]

Originally Posted by kala

Do you think the detour via Madikeri is really worth it ? (It's quite a bit of extra distance : Virajpet-Periyapatna via Ammathi-Sidhapura is about 44 kms whereas via Madikeri it is almost double - about 83 kms). How long did the Virajpet-Mysore journey take via Madikeri ?

I travelled via the Ammathi-Sidhapura route on Sunday and it took me 1 hr 50 minutes from Virajpet to Yelivala. The road via Sidhapura was generally quite OK except for the last 10kms before Periyapatna which resembles the lunar surface.

Last time around, we took Virajpet - Hunsur road. It was being widened then and cursed myself for the decision. We avoided that. I did not look at Ammathi option as i was not sure of road condition. The road from Viarjpet to Madikeri is top class and we had a nice drive in the rain. Yes, the detour could have costed us more distance. which we did not realise because of good condition of the road

Originally Posted by Thilak29

I took this route last year around same time frame and I had mixed experiences.
While its scenic, at certain places road gets really bad. Note that I took my brand new Brio in this route.

The road via Bgamandala is just not an option as it is in bad condition. The road near Bhagamadala gets flooded during this time. We did not want to take risk.

Originally Posted by Thilak29

I took Subramanya - Jalsoor - Cherkala route last week and I found 50% of road till Jalsoor not so good but other half was excellent ( Rain made it much better ) . Jalsoor to Cherkala is exceptionally good (i take frequent drive here)

As i said, the road till Valavambe - 16 KMs - from Subramanya is not great. But definitely doable even in small cars. Need to be careful when you get a vehicle opposite as the road is single lane. Beyond Valavambe, the road has been widened and good. But there are small patches say 200-300 meters in between where the widening is not den and that is where it becomes a single lane and has to be careful. One need not have to go to Sullia but take deviation at Jalsoor checkpost at Sonnegeri.

Yes, the road beyond Jalsoor is just bliss.


We left Bangalore at 7 AM - EC entry at NICE road - and we were in Nileshwar at 3.30.

45 Mins break at Shark Dhabha for BF and one hour 15 mins in Kukke.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Fauji

Last time around, we took Virajpet - Hunsur road. It was being widened then and cursed myself for the decision. We avoided that. I did not look at Ammathi option as i was not sure of road condition. The road from Viarjpet to Madikeri is top class and we had a nice drive in the rain. Yes, the detour could have costed us more distance. which we did not realise because of good condition of the road

Viarjpet-Ammathi-Siddapur-Periyapatna is very good till about 5-8 km before Periyapatna. That small stretch is moon surface. But for reduction in distance you get, its worth taking this option.

[androdev]

Folks, planning to drive to Bekal from Bangalore. Any information on:

1. Bangalore > Sakleshpur > Jalsoor > Bekal
2. Bangalore > Mysore > Hunsur > Madikeri > Jalsoor > Bekal

I am leaning towards Sakleshpur route due to excellent roads up to Sakleshpur. I generally don't like the Mysore route due to congestion, speed breakers, etc. but I keep reading about Shiradi section being terrible to drive through. Hence the confusion.

Also I would to doing this route in two days with an overnight stay at either Sakleshpur or Coorg-area depending on the route I take.

Thanks!

Edit: How much time should I budget for "Sakleshpur to Bekal"?

[guyfrmblr]

Originally Posted by androdev

Folks, planning to drive to Bekal from Bangalore. Any information on:

1. Bangalore > Sakleshpur > Jalsoor > Bekal
2. Bangalore > Mysore > Hunsur > Madikeri > Jalsoor > Bekal

I am leaning towards Sakleshpur route due to excellent roads up to Sakleshpur. I generally don't like the Mysore route due to congestion, speed breakers, etc. but I keep reading about Shiradi section being terrible to drive through. Hence the confusion.

Also I would to doing this route in two days with an overnight stay at either Sakleshpur or Coorg-area depending on the route I take.

Thanks!

The Madikeri - Sampaje stretch (ghat section) has some deviations at a place called Koynad since the road caved in around 2 months back and the repairs are in progress. The Sampaje - Sullia - Jalsoor takes around 2 hours due to bad roads. It'll be a problem if it rains else you can manage.

I haven't driven in Shiradi ghat recently but heard that the ghat is in bad condition. I'll ask my cousin who travels there frequently and will update you.

[prasad14]

Originally Posted by androdev

Folks, planning to drive to Bekal from Bangalore. Any information on:

1. Bangalore > Sakleshpur > Jalsoor > Bekal
2. Bangalore > Mysore > Hunsur > Madikeri > Jalsoor > Bekal

There is one more less traveled route:
Bangalore-Srirangapatna-Madikeri-Bhagamandala-Panathur-Kanhangad-Bekal (Google map). This goes thru thick forest (Bhagamandala-Panthur) and scenic winding roads later on. The road conditions were decent about an year ago when I went (choose this only if you are bored of regular routes and want to have some adventure).

Prasad

[guyfrmblr]

Originally Posted by androdev

1. Bangalore > Sakleshpur > Jalsoor > Bekal

I asked my cousin about Shiradi. He travelled there just two days back. There is literally no tar in ghats. It took 1 hour 15 minutes from Sakaleshpur to Gundya. His Vista didn't scrape anywhere hence it shouldn't be a problem if you drive carefully.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by guyfrmblr

I asked my cousin about Shiradi. He travelled there just two days back. There is literally no tar in ghats. It took 1 hour 15 minutes from Sakaleshpur to Gundya. His Vista didn't scrape anywhere hence it shouldn't be a problem if you drive carefully.

Thanks @guyfrmblr! Sounds worse than I am prepared for!! Can someone comment on "Madikeri to Bekal" route vs "Sakleshpur to Bekal"?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by androdev

1. Bangalore > Sakleshpur > Jalsoor > Bekal
2. Bangalore > Mysore > Hunsur > Madikeri > Jalsoor > Bekal

Do this :

Bangalore-Nelamangala-Channarayapatna-Holenarasipur-Arkalgud-Shanivarsanthe-Somwarpet-Madiekeri-Sulia-Jalasoor-Bekal


No need for Mysore road.

Route Link

[guyfrmblr]

Originally Posted by androdev

1. Bangalore > Sakleshpur > Jalsoor > Bekal
2. Bangalore > Mysore > Hunsur > Madikeri > Jalsoor > Bekal

Originally Posted by ampere

Do this :
Bangalore-Nelamangala-Channarayapatna-Holenarasipur-Arkalgud-Shanivarsanthe-Somwarpet-Madiekeri-Sulia-Jalasoor-Bekal

+1 to Ampere's route. The Channarayapatna - Holenarasipur - Shanivarasanthe - Somawarapet - Madikeri is an ideal route for stress free driving. The traffic is very sparse with occasional KSRTC buses and tractors. There are some speed breakers which appear out of nowhere in the otherwise smooth roads.

One won't find any good hotels after taking left at Channarayapatna hence its advisable to have food before Channarayapatna. There is a small Iyengar's bakery situated just after taking left at Channarayapatna towards Holenarasipur. The bakery guy sells very good quality bread items. The taste of bread items reminds me of the good old Iyengar bakeries of Bangalore whose numbers have diminished.

The road between Channarayapatna - Holenarasipur - Arakalgud is in top condition except for a 1 km gravel stretch just before Holenarasipur. The Arakalgud - Mallipatna was being re-laid when I visited around 5 months back and hence the work should have been completed by now. There is a place in this stretch which passes through the backwaters of Gorur dam. Its very scenic. There is a small shop just before the backwaters which sells very tasty bananas which you won't get in Bangalore.

Backwaters:



From Mallipatna, there are two ways to reach Shanivarasante. One is a direct route and another is through Kodlipete. Its better to ask the locals at Mallipatna to check which route is in better condition. I had taken the Kodlipet route last time and it was in decent condition.

Somewhere between Mallipatna - Kodlipete:



The Shanivarasante - Somawarapet stretch is little bumpy. The Somawarapet - Madikeri stretch passes through some lovely coffee estates. The road is little bumpy but its very scenic. You can see Tata coffee estates to your right after Somawarapet. I heard that there are very good stay options at Tata coffee estates but I'm not sure if its available for everyone.

Originally Posted by androdev

Can someone comment on "Madikeri to Bekal" route vs "Sakleshpur to Bekal"?

Madikeri - Sullia - Jalsoor is as explained by me in the above posts. Its dangerous only if it rains where you can't make out the location of pot holes. Jalsoor - Cherkala - Bekal is in a great condition.

If you decide on Sakaleshpur, I guess you are planning Sakaleshpur - Mangalore (through University, Deralakatte, Thokkotu) - Kasargod - Bekal. Gundya - Mangalore is good. Four lane conversion is happening between Mangalore - Kasargod and expect some sudden traffic jams. The jam happens mostly between Ullal - Pumpwell so it shouldn't be an issue if you take the university route. I know some very good inner roads to reach Jalsoor from Gundya but it'll be confusing if you are driving there for the first time.

[JLN]

Originally Posted by prasad14

There is one more less traveled route:
Bangalore-Srirangapatna-Madikeri-Bhagamandala-Panathur-Kanhangad-Bekal (Google map). This goes thru thick forest (Bhagamandala-Panthur) and scenic winding roads later on. The road conditions were decent about an year ago when I went (choose this only if you are bored of regular routes and want to have some adventure).

Prasad

I am planning to take this route the following weekend. Any recent experiences on this road?