[govigov]

Reaching ernakulam - vytilla at 2:30Pm and driving it till tvm at 8PM, i wouldnt suggest that, you will be really tired and sleepy after that long drive and the traffice would be a menace at that point of time. i would suggest you stop over at some place so that you will be driving through kerala at night. And a good 8 hours sleep will definitley do you good.

[Bigzero]

This should work ok if there were two drivers. But IMHO its a bit risky if you are driving alone - Dont underestimate driving fatigue and effects of lack of sleep.. You have scheduled 21 hours of non-stop driving in the first leg which is quite a lot in my opinion.

My suggestion will be to take the first break at Hubli and get a good 6-7 hours of sleep before you proceed further. Second break can be at Mangalore or Kasargode.

[KVS]

Sugeest you to avoid driving till Udipi in one go, that to after long days work. Night driving is very strenuous on eyes. You should break in between and travel again.

You mentioned that you are traveling alone, so there is no one around you to keep you awake. Also you do not have prior exp in long driving. It is very risky to drive that long in one go.

Enjoy your driving.

KVS

[tmanish76]

Originally Posted by govigov

Reaching ernakulam - vytilla at 2:30Pm and driving it till tvm at 8PM, i wouldnt suggest that, you will be really tired and sleepy after that long drive and the traffice would be a menace at that point of time. i would suggest you stop over at some place so that you will be driving through kerala at night. And a good 8 hours sleep will definitley do you good.

Thanks for the heads up. I understand Ernakulam will give me quite a bit of traffic. But the reason I did not plan the night drive through Kerala is coz the roads are not as straight as the rest of the stretch prior to Kerala and being my first time, did not want to risk unknown turns in the dark...not to mention those late night lorries with only one headlight functional which travel in the middle of the road....

Do not fancy taking a rest in the car. And during that season the chances of finding a hotel empty are slim. Could you recommend something economical enroute?

[tmanish76]

Originally Posted by Bigzero

This should work ok if there were two drivers. But IMHO its a bit risky if you are driving alone - Dont underestimate driving fatigue and effects of lack of sleep.. You have scheduled 21 hours of non-stop driving in the first leg which is quite a lot in my opinion.

My suggestion will be to take the first break at Hubli and get a good 6-7 hours of sleep before you proceed further. Second break can be at Mangalore or Kasargode.

I understand that the first leg is scheduled for 21 hours. But have really stretched the timings to max limits and kept the average speed at 60. But am sure that I should be able to average much more than that and complete the first leg in maybe 16 hours or less. Would be taking a stretched out nap before I start and do not plan to hog on anything that might make me drowsy. Have improved my ICE as well so I do not get bored. Any other suggestions for staying awake?

Would not like to take two breaks as time and finance would be scarce.

[tmanish76]

Originally Posted by KVS

Sugeest you to avoid driving till Udipi in one go, that to after long days work. Night driving is very strenuous on eyes. You should break in between and travel again.

You mentioned that you are traveling alone, so there is no one around you to keep you awake. Also you do not have prior exp in long driving. It is very risky to drive that long in one go.

Enjoy your driving.

KVS

Hi...slight change in plans. Will be starting on X'mas which is a holiday. So would sleep and be fresh when I start off.

If you see hvKumar's post earlier in this thread, he has done the complete drive in 22 hours keeping up speeds of 100kph.

Would appreciate a little help on options of where I can stay enroute. Will definitely stop at the first signs of fatigue.

[tmanish76]

Could someone pls guide me on the petrol pumps on NH4 after Pune, Nh63 after Hubli and NH17 after Ankola. It would help to know if these are 24 hour pumps in case I need to refuel at night.

[tmanish76]

Guys,

I am travelling tomorrow and I still have unanswered questions. Would appreciate some help on this.

1. Need to know some of the major petrol pumps on the NH4-NH63-NH17 route specifically the ones which are open all night

2. Would like to know which are the points at which I need to pay toll and what would the amount most likely be?

3. Are there any points on the route which I have mentioned where I might end up taking a wrong turn or miss one for lack of signboards?

4. Is there anyone on this forum who might be travelling tomorrow so that we can travel as a convoy?

5. Is there any point on the route where it would be dangerous to travel after dark?

Pls let me know as I travel tomorrow and am still in the dark on the first two questions.

Regards
Manish T.

[tmanish76]

Team,

I have completed the journey and reached TVM on 27th at 10pm after starting from Mumbai at 7pm on 25th Dec.

Was able to reach Hubli by 7am in the morning and that was the best part of the journey. From there, NH63 had several bad patches where the roads were literally dirt. NH17 after Ankola was much much worse. The car took a real beating in crater sized potholes until Bhatkal.

Took a break at Udupi for 12 hours and resumed. Progress through Kerala was indeed slow. On the return journey plan to do Kerala in the night.

Total cost for fuel came up to Rs.5800/- and for tolls about Rs.464/-. Distance was about 1653 kms. One learning was that it made more sense to leave the NH17 from Trissue and take the NH47 which is a better road.

Total travel time was 51 hours and driving time in that was 37 hours. Hope to reduce this on the way back. Will be starting back on 6th Jan at about 7pm.

Cheers...

[ravibhat]

Thats good update, yea I travelled in nh17 between Ankola and Honnavar they have filled potholes but very rough surface its tired journey :(

I have heard they will soon put new coat throughout, hopefully its true.

Regards,

ravi.

great effort manish. have been watching this thread for some time to see how things went. i want to do the same route sometime in february. just for the heck of it, probably do as much photography on the way as i can. hope i finally do it, instead of just dreaming about this route, which i have been doing for more than 10 yrs anyway.

[tmanish76]

Have just got back to Mumbai yesterday. Seeing the condition of NH17 and the slow progress I did not dare to venture through Goa considering that I was alone and had a long way to go. Decided to go through Hubli on my way back as well.

The only downside was after Ankola when I turned onto NH63, I got stuck in a bad jam full of trucks. Had turned in at 5am and until 8am, had progressed less than 7 kms. The road was lined up both ways with trucks...still do not know why. In this slow progress, many trucks stalled which had worsened the jam. Have never seen so many in my life at one go.

Compared to NH63 and NH17, the NH4 is a dream. Despite the damage to the car, I was able to keep the needle above 90kph.

Oh yes...the car did get damaged...it is with Sreenath Hyundai service station now. The wheel aligmnent is gone and so are the weights which were used for balancing. The stabilizer bar for the suspension had been replaced in Kerala and there was a tin like rattle from the right front wheel well. The exhaust has been damaged [torn is what the Hyundai A.S.S.guys told me] and would need replacement [this would explain why the car now sounds hoarse]. The fog light on the right has broken loose of its bracket from the resounding thumps to the front fender on the bad roads. Still....the accent got me to Mumbai in one piece....

The trip had its downsides....but it was an experience...the scenery is something to be experienced...and includes the sea, lush forests, winding turns, temples, churches, a turtle nursery and a lot more.

Originally Posted by ravibhat

Thats good update, yea I travelled in nh17 between Ankola and Honnavar they have filled potholes but very rough surface its tired journey :(

I have heard they will soon put new coat throughout, hopefully its true.

Regards,

ravi.

They have filled the potholes with powdered gravel and that too only at few locations. At night, coming up on a foot deep pothole when you are doing 80 is scary....

Originally Posted by rippergeo

great effort manish. have been watching this thread for some time to see how things went. i want to do the same route sometime in february. just for the heck of it, probably do as much photography on the way as i can. hope i finally do it, instead of just dreaming about this route, which i have been doing for more than 10 yrs anyway.

My biggest woe on this trip is that I left my camera at home and my cell [W950] is not equipped with one. Else, this was one trip I had been looking forward to capturing.

If you plan to do this route...go ahead. Just a few words of advice...take it slow...

[Jeep]

That was an awesome drive.. It would have been better if you had friends accompanying you

[ramkya1]

Hai,

I've been following this thread to see how you did, great to see you'r back in mumbai. That was a great feat and good timings, considering the road conditions.

I would anytime advise to take in chunks, driving non-stop through the night and day has its risks. NH4 is a dream ride, except for sections near C'Durga and after Hubli its a silk run to Mumbai.

Happy driving,

--Ramky
--------

[~~h]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

.....traffic intensity does increase. You can be spared the Trissur city traffic which you have to face if you come from Kunnamkulam through Trissur and Chalakudy.

Hi hvkumar, I'm planning to Mumbai-Punalur sometime next week, is it advisable to take the Madurai Route ? (NH-7, map below) heard the roads are good on TN with very less traffic.
http://maps.google.co.in/maps?f=d&so...AW1w-TkCg&pw=2