[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by Renjith Rajan

Guys,

Planning to drive to Vadakara this friday (from bangalore). Never drove to north kerala from blr, so really need your suggestions

- what is the best route to take (faster)
- we are planning to start at around 2:30pm from BLR, is it possible for us to make it before the check post closes?
- Google suggests this route http://*******.com/bpwnzwp , how is this route (somehow it doesnt look right to me)

Thanks,
- renjith

Fast route imo would be Blore-NH209-Kanakpura-Gundlupet-Batheri-Meenangadi-Thamarasserry-Koyilandi-Vadakara.Approx 350kms.Roads are good.230 would mean you would reach the CP latest by 6-7pm.CP closes only at 9pm.

[pariwar]

I am thinking of taking the below mentioned routing from Banashankari to Guruvayur.

Kanakapura - Chamarajanagar - Gundlupet - Gudalur - Nilambur - Perinthalmanna - Pattambi - Kunnamkulam - Guruvayur

Intent is for a leisurely drive without any time constraints. Plan to leave at about 1100 hrs. Question!

Chamarajnagar - Gundlupet road conditions??
Nilambur - Perinthalmanna - Pattambi road conditions?

[Path_Finder]

Originally Posted by pariwar

Chamarajnagar - Gundlupet road conditions??

Quite patchy - even though some repair is done, it is not a smooth ride

Originally Posted by pariwar

Nilambur - Perinthalmanna - Pattambi road conditions?

Good - only the traffic will take toll on time.

Note - had driven that route on April 22nd

[prasad14]

Originally Posted by pariwar

I am thinking of taking the below mentioned routing from Banashankari to Guruvayur.

Kanakapura - Chamarajanagar - Gundlupet - Gudalur - Nilambur - Perinthalmanna - Pattambi - Kunnamkulam - Guruvayur

Intent is for a leisurely drive without any time constraints. Plan to leave at about 1100 hrs. Question!

Chamarajnagar - Gundlupet road conditions??
Nilambur - Perinthalmanna - Pattambi road conditions?

Though Chamarajanagar-Gundlupet is relatively rougher, BHPians doing Bangalore-Gundlupete section regularly are recommending taking kanakapura-chamarajanagar route. Check the BLR-Ooty thread, specifically #399 for an update of this stretch by @Fauji.

Prasad (RamP!)

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by pariwar

I am thinking of taking the below mentioned routing from Banashankari to Guruvayur.

Kanakapura - Chamarajanagar - Gundlupet - Gudalur - Nilambur - Perinthalmanna - Pattambi - Kunnamkulam - Guruvayur

Intent is for a leisurely drive without any time constraints. Plan to leave at about 1100 hrs. Question!

Chamarajnagar - Gundlupet road conditions??
Nilambur - Perinthalmanna - Pattambi road conditions?

If you are leaving at 11,expect heavy traffic throughout.You could stop for a late lunch at Nijaguna Residency (http://www.nijagunaresidency.com)at C.R.Nagar.

Nilambur-Wandoor-Pandikkad-Pattikad-Perinthalmana-Koppam-Pattambi roads are good,but expect very heavy traffic.You could break at Nakshatra Regency at Koppam.Good place and clean washrooms.

Would be a good idea to check with people in Kerala as to how are the tint-glass removals being enforced.

[pariwar]

Originally Posted by Path_Finder

Quite patchy - even though some repair is done, it is not a smooth ride

Thanks, is there a sensible alternate if I want to stick broadly to the overall routing??

Originally Posted by prasad14

Check the BLR-Ooty thread, specifically #399 for an update of this stretch by @Fauji.

Thanks, that was useful.

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

late lunch at Nijaguna Residency.................. Nakshatra Regency at Koppam.Good place and clean washrooms..

Appreciate the tip!

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Would be a good idea to check with people in Kerala as to how are the tint-glass removals being enforced.

Thanks, I don't have tinted windows!

[pramodpk]

Originally Posted by pariwar

Thanks, is there a sensible alternate if I want to stick broadly to the overall routing??

Chamarajnagar - Gundlupet is decent with very less traffic. You can easily do 60 - 100 KM/H. It is not butter smooth. That's it. No need to look for alternatives.

[joecherian]

any solo drivers on the cochin/trivandrum to bangalore route this sunday ? I am trying for a ticket from trivandrum/cochin to bangalore this sunday (13th) (with no positive results till now) and hence was wondering whether anyone is driving on the same date with a seat to spare.

[Sanoop.Patteri]

Hi, I am trying to get some momentum on chennai - Kerala road map.

Anyone tried Chennai - Ulundurpet - Trichy - Dindugal - Plani - Udumalpet - Pollachi - Meenakshipuram - Kollangode - Vadakanchery - Cochin route.

The usual route via krishangiri- coimbatore- palakkad is more than 720 Kms and the above mentioned route is close to 670 Kms. The roads are good till Pollachi but not too sure about Kollangode - thrissur section.

[mpksuhas]

How is the road condition of Dindigul- Cumbum- Kattapana strech.

Need to go to Kattapana on June 1st weekend from Bangalore, was thinking of following NH-7 till Dindigul and taking deviation as mentioned before. Any other alternative?

[freakmuzik]

Hi guys, I would like to get some information regarding the road from Thrissur to Kannur. Have heard people saying it's a treacherous stretch. Can someone please guide the routes available and if possible the best route? And also the approximate time of travel?

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

Hi guys, I would like to get some information regarding the road from Thrissur to Kannur. Have heard people saying it's a treacherous stretch. Can someone please guide the routes available and if possible the best route? And also the approximate time of travel?

Its by no means treacherous,you have been misinformed I guess.Its approximately 220kms and would take you around 5hours traffic dependent.The route is Thrissur-Kecheri-right turn towards Akkikavu-Kuttipuram-Nh17 all the way till Kannur bypassing Kozhikode city using the NH17 bypass and connecting to the Kozhikode-Kannur road which is again NH17.If you leave very early from thrissur around 4am it should be an easier drive as daytime traffic is very dense on the route,consider yourself lucky if you are able to touch 80kph as once daytime traffic starts overtaking becomes difficult.

[binaiks]

Just back from a trip to Kannur. It was a 7 hour drive each way from Kodungallur to Mayyil (Kannur). The route taken was Kodungallur-Guruvayur-Kunnamkulam-Kuttipuram-Kozhikode bypass-Vadakara-Thalassery-Pinarayi-Ancharakandy-Chalode-Mayyil.

Another stretch of Kozhikode bypass has been opened. They have opened the Malaparamba-Pooladikkunnu stretch of the bypass. One can bypass all the traffic between Malaparamba and Puthiyangadi using this stretch - the distance advantage is only about a km, but the time advantage is huge.

The route is: At Pooladikkunnu, one has to take a right (the bypass ends at a rotary - left goes to Puthiyangadi, while right goes to Kuttiyadi). After taking a right, travel towards Kuttiyadi. About 6kms after Pooladikkunnu, one reaches a place called Atholi. (the places in between are Purakkattiri, Thalakulathur, Andikode) Take a left here. One would pass a long bridge over Korapuzha, and join NH17 at a place called Venganoor. Pooladikkunnu to Atholi is a narrow road, with fairly heavy traffic.

If you coming from Kannur side, the way to identify this turn is: Chemancheri Rly Stn on the right, then a Kerala Feeds factory on the left. The next junction after the factory is Venganoor - there is a small hand written board claiming "Kochi Bypass <---". There is a traffic cop posted at this junction as well.

[freakmuzik]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Its by no means treacherous,you have been misinformed I guess.Its approximately 220kms and would take you around 5hours traffic dependent.The route is Thrissur-Kecheri-right turn towards Akkikavu-Kuttipuram-Nh17 all the way till Kannur bypassing Kozhikode city using the NH17 bypass and connecting to the Kozhikode-Kannur road which is again NH17.If you leave very early from thrissur around 4am it should be an easier drive as daytime traffic is very dense on the route,consider yourself lucky if you are able to touch 80kph as once daytime traffic starts overtaking becomes difficult.

Originally Posted by binaiks

Just back from a trip to Kannur. It was a 7 hour drive each way from Kodungallur to Mayyil (Kannur). The route taken was Kodungallur-Guruvayur-Kunnamkulam-Kuttipuram-Kozhikode bypass-Vadakara-Thalassery-Pinarayi-Ancharakandy-Chalode-Mayyil.

Another stretch of Kozhikode bypass has been opened. They have opened the Malaparamba-Pooladikkunnu stretch of the bypass. One can bypass all the traffic between Malaparamba and Puthiyangadi using this stretch - the distance advantage is only about a km, but the time advantage is huge.

The route is: At Pooladikkunnu, one has to take a right (the bypass ends at a rotary - left goes to Puthiyangadi, while right goes to Kuttiyadi). After taking a right, travel towards Kuttiyadi. About 6kms after Pooladikkunnu, one reaches a place called Atholi. (the places in between are Purakkattiri, Thalakulathur, Andikode) Take a left here. One would pass a long bridge over Korapuzha, and join NH17 at a place called Venganoor. Pooladikkunnu to Atholi is a narrow road, with fairly heavy traffic.

If you coming from Kannur side, the way to identify this turn is: Chemancheri Rly Stn on the right, then a Kerala Feeds factory on the left. The next junction after the factory is Venganoor - there is a small hand written board claiming "Kochi Bypass <---". There is a traffic cop posted at this junction as well.

Thanks a lot ranjitp1, binaiks for such in depth details . I've noted down all the points and am fixing the route using google maps. I'm a newbie so just really anxious about the first trip I'm going to have. I'm travelling from trivandrum. I've traveled numerous times in the Trivandrum - Thrissur route as a passenger and am pretty confident about that. I'm going to Kannur for attending a marriage, so what I've planned is,

1. 25th May(Friday) - Leave trivandrum by 5 am to get past Kollam / Haripad before the traffic sets in and reach thrissur before noon. Halt there to wait for my dad to join next day.

2. 26th May(Saturday) - Leave by 5 am to Kannur to reach there by around 10 am.

3. Leave Kannur before 2 pm to reach Thrissur before it gets very dark. And stay there overnight.

4. 27th May(Sunday) - Leave Thrissur by 5 am so as to reach Trivandrum before noon.

Are these timings ok for the travel? And as a newbie, is there anything especially to be careful in this route, like some stretches towards Kannur, like the spot where actor Jagathy Sreekumars' accident took place? I've heard that's one heck of a spot!

I'l fix the route and update it here.
Thank you

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

I've noted down all the points and am fixing the route using google maps. I'm a newbie so just really anxious about the first trip I'm going to have.

Just a word of caution: Beware of Google Maps. They are showing up certain roads that are still on the planning board! Take for instance, GM is showing the Kozhikode bypass to be complete, while the authorities are still planning how to go about building the road!! Follow the signboards to be safer.

There is no need to be anxious - its fun driving through those roads.

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

2. 26th May(Saturday) - Leave by 5 am to Kannur to reach there by around 10 am.

3. Leave Kannur before 2 pm to reach Thrissur before it gets very dark. And stay there overnight.
...

Are these timings ok for the travel? And as a newbie, is there anything especially to be careful in this route, like some stretches towards Kannur, like the spot where actor Jagathy Sreekumars' accident took place? I've heard that's one heck of a spot!

Timings are okay - that 5 hours part for Thrissur-Kannur seems a bit overstretched to me. But then, the running time depends a lot on the day of travel - if its on a working day, you'll cover a lot of distance early in the morning, and very little distance once office hours start. On holidays (especially Sundays), early mornings are horrible while things settle down towards afternoon! It would be better if you can start by 4AM, though.

Most curves on the Thrissur-Kozhikode section are now well marked. The spot where the actor had an accident has been re-laid and is now really well marked. Its difficult not to spot the curve, unless one is in the middle of an overtake.

Beware of dividers on the Kozhikode-Kannur stretch though. They are low, and unmarked. It might not case as much damage as that happened to Jagathy's car, but the dividers are enough to ruin the engine guard. Kozhikode to Kannur would take you about 3 hours. If your destination in Kannur is not in the town, please find out if there are ways to avoid entering the town, since traffic is a mess as one nears Kannur. Its an absolute pain from Chovva to Puthiyatheru.