[unni246]

I'm planning to make a trip with my Car early morning on Sunday (hope to start @4:00am) as we are having some days off next week.
We would be travelling to Tirur preferably via Manjeri from KR Puram.

Please can some one confirm if the NICE Ring Rd - Kankpura Rd - Chmrj Ngr - Gundlupet would be a wise choice?
Would there be any good eateries in this route as we would like to stop for Breakfast.
And importantly would this route be safe for travel (as it's just me & my wife travelling) ?

Updates on current Road conditions, Tolls, deviations / shortcuts and other points to be taken care of are all welcome from fellow BHPians!

"binand" since you should be experiencing some parts of the same route tomorrow, request you to post your Comment as soon as you should be at your destination

Cheers..

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by unni246

Please can some one confirm if the NICE Ring Rd - Kankpura Rd - Chmrj Ngr - Gundlupet would be a wise choice?
Would there be any good eateries in this route as we would like to stop for Breakfast.
And importantly would this route be safe for travel (as it's just me & my wife travelling) ?

Safety wise I have not felt or read any thing to be concerned about, though should say compared to Mysore road Kanakpura road is empty.
Eateries are almost nill apart from Nijaguna near Chamarajnagar, you will be able to reach there in about 3 hours drive from NICE road Kanakpura side exit.
This route will make sense due to stress free driving compared to Mysore road, however do note that with a 4AM start you wont be encountering much traffic on Mysore road also.

[treadmark]

Originally Posted by unni246

I'm planning to make a trip with my Car early morning on Sunday (hope to start @4:00am) as we are having some days off next week.
We would be travelling to Tirur preferably via Manjeri from KR Puram.

Please can some one confirm if the NICE Ring Rd - Kankpura Rd - Chmrj Ngr - Gundlupet would be a wise choice?
Would there be any good eateries in this route as we would like to stop for Breakfast.
And importantly would this route be safe for travel (as it's just me & my wife travelling) ?

Updates on current Road conditions, Tolls, deviations / shortcuts and other points to be taken care of are all welcome from fellow BHPians!


Cheers..

As suhas mentioned the only good eatery on the entire stretch is Nijaguna Residency near Chamarajnagar. Since the normal running time for a 4 AM start will be less than 3 hours to Njaguna Residency, beware they start serving only at 7 AM, hence don't start early if you would like to break here else you may end up waiting for breakfast. Also heard there was no fog menace last week which was not the case on week before Chrstmas.

Have a Scenic drive mate!

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by unni246

I'm planning to make a trip with my Car early morning on Sunday (hope to start @4:00am) as we are having some days off next week.
We would be travelling to Tirur preferably via Manjeri from KR Puram.

Please can some one confirm if the NICE Ring Rd - Kankpura Rd - Chmrj Ngr - Gundlupet would be a wise choice?
Would there be any good eateries in this route as we would like to stop for Breakfast.
And importantly would this route be safe for travel (as it's just me & my wife travelling) ?

Cheers..

For a 4am start I would recommend Mysore route. I felt the kanakpura route a little to deserted for my liking especially beyond kanakpura. There will be minimal difference in The time taken to gundlepet via both routes with a 4am start. With a 4am start you can reach gundlepet between 7.30 and 8 and stop at coffee day before gundlepet.

The road in the forest in the mudumalai section is pretty bad as per november report. And the nadugani section was also patchy. So in my December drive to tirur, I went via calicut. Not sure if condition has changed.

OT: are you from tirur?

[unni246]

Originally Posted by treadmark

As suhas mentioned the only good eatery on the entire stretch is Nijaguna Residency near Chamarajnagar. Since the normal running time for a 4 AM start will be less than 3 hours to Njaguna Residency, beware they start serving only at 7 AM, hence don't start early if you would like to break here else you may end up waiting for breakfast. Also heard there was no fog menace last week which was not the case on week before Chrstmas.

Have a Scenic drive mate!

Thanks 'treadmark'. I Guess I might skip Nijaguna in case it is not Open. We could skip having breakfast for another hour or so rather than waiting for it to Open & Supply. Probably at Gundlupet? Would there be better eateries there?

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Safety wise I have not felt or read any thing to be concerned about, though should say compared to Mysore road Kanakpura road is empty.
Eateries are almost nill apart from Nijaguna near Chamarajnagar, you will be able to reach there in about 3 hours drive from NICE road Kanakpura side exit.
This route will make sense due to stress free driving compared to Mysore road, however do note that with a 4AM start you wont be encountering much traffic on Mysore road also.

Thanks Suhas. I guess I would better stick to Mysore Rd then, as suggested by other BHPians. This would be my first ride via this route hence a little wary about the traffic & deviations in Mysore city.

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

For a 4am start I would recommend Mysore route. I felt the kanakpura route a little to deserted for my liking especially beyond kanakpura. There will be minimal difference in The time taken to gundlepet via both routes with a 4am start. With a 4am start you can reach gundlepet between 7.30 and 8 and stop at coffee day before gundlepet.

The road in the forest in the mudumalai section is pretty bad as per november report. And the nadugani section was also patchy. So in my December drive to tirur, I went via calicut. Not sure if condition has changed.

OT: are you from tirur?

Thanks Rajeev. Hope I stick to Mys Route. Are there better options in Gundlupet than Coffee day, as we prefer Dosas to Sandwiches in the morning !!

The Nadukani stretch seems to be quite bad from a long time I heard. However would that be driveable? I actually do not prefer the Calicut Route as I guess this would be quite a longer route.

And yea, am not from Tirur but my Wife is. I'm actually from Trichur and have only driven once via CBE - Salem route which I found to be too good, except no SCENERIES, too many construction works, Hefty Tolls and Yes the bad TCR - CBE stretch !!

However Fingers crossed - All decision's pending with what happens with my WAITING LIST ticket for Tomorrow night !

[treadmark]

Originally Posted by unni246

Thanks 'treadmark'. I Guess I might skip Nijaguna in case it is not Open. We could skip having breakfast for another hour or so rather than waiting for it to Open & Supply. Probably at Gundlupet? Would there be better eateries there? Thanks Suhas. I guess I would better stick to Mysore Rd then, as suggested by other BHPians. This would be my first ride via this route hence a little wary about the traffic & deviations in Mysore city. Thanks Rajeev. Hope I stick to Mys Route. Are there better options in Gundlupet than Coffee day, as we prefer Dosas to Sandwiches in the morning !!

If you decide to go through Mysore then there is Kamat at Mysore, this will be immediately to your left once you enter Gundlupet road, I think even this will be opened between 6:30AM and 7:00AM not sure though.
I haven't tried any restaurants at Gundlupet, but have seen one Hotel Guruprasad, this will be to your right at the junction before you get into Calicut/Ooty road. This looks to be a tidy one from outside but don't know about the food quality.

Cheers!

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by unni246

Thanks Rajeev. Hope I stick to Mys Route. Are there better options in Gundlupet than Coffee day, as we prefer Dosas to Sandwiches in the morning !!

The Nadukani stretch seems to be quite bad from a long time I heard. However would that be driveable? I actually do not prefer the Calicut Route as I guess this would be quite a longer route.

And yea, am not from Tirur but my Wife is. I'm actually from Trichur and have only driven once via CBE - Salem route which I found to be too good, except no SCENERIES, too many construction works, Hefty Tolls and Yes the bad TCR - CBE stretch !!

However Fingers crossed - All decision's pending with what happens with my WAITING LIST ticket for Tomorrow night !

Coffee day now serves south Indian stuff for breakfast. Idli is defn there. Dosa is there on the menu but have not checked for availability. There is another place diagonally opposite CCD which is new and looks OK from outside.

Nadugani is drivable. The worse stretch was between theppakadu and gudalur. If you decide to drive please update on the latest condition.

[unni246]

Originally Posted by treadmark

If you decide to go through Mysore then there is Kamat at Mysore, this will be immediately to your left once you enter Gundlupet road, I think even this will be opened between 6:30AM and 7:00AM not sure though.
I haven't tried any restaurants at Gundlupet, but have seen one Hotel Guruprasad, this will be to your right at the junction before you get into Calicut/Ooty road. This looks to be a tidy one from outside but don't know about the food quality.
Cheers!

Cheers.. treadmark. KAMAT seems to be a wise choice. Will look out for it.

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Coffee day now serves south Indian stuff for breakfast. Idli is defn there. Dosa is there on the menu but have not checked for availability. There is another place diagonally opposite CCD which is new and looks OK from outside.

Nadugani is drivable. The worse stretch was between theppakadu and gudalur. If you decide to drive please update on the latest condition.

Thanks again Rajeev. Never knew CCDs turned more Indian! Hope their "Days" are followed by "Dosas" !
Will definitely update this thread with the Current situation of the Road if I take up this Drive.

[binand]

Originally Posted by unni246

Please can some one confirm if the NICE Ring Rd - Kankpura Rd - Chmrj Ngr - Gundlupet would be a wise choice?

And importantly would this route be safe for travel (as it's just me & my wife travelling) ?

"binand" since you should be experiencing some parts of the same route tomorrow, request you to post your Comment as soon as you should be at your destination

I just woke up and checked TBHP for any last minute updates before I start at 4AM. :-)

I always recommend the Kollegal-Chamarajanagar route; but if you need multiple and varied food options perhaps the Mysore route is better. I generally carry breakfast (the wife insists!) and reach home in Calicut before lunch time.

I have averaged a trip every six weeks or so via this route in the past year; never have I had even the slightest reason to worry about my safety.

[coolclouds]

For 4 am start, Mysore road would be faster, safer and stress free. It usually takes two hours+ till Mysore and the stress levels on four lane would be minimal compared to driving on an unknown two lane road with headlights on. There won't be much traffic towards Mysore once you cross Bidadi.

[sandsun7]

Originally Posted by unni246

We would be travelling to Tirur preferably via Manjeri from KR Puram.

I had done Bangalore-Tirur (vattathani) via Bathery-Thamarashery-Manjery on 25th December. I had read reports that Theppekadu-Gudalur is bad and so is nadugani, so did not want to take a risk then. Hence took the wayanad route. But since I had to visit few relatives in Manjeri, had to deviate to Manjeri from Thamarassery.
As many others recommend, for a 4AM start, Mysore road is any day best. You could plan up for breakfast at Gundlupet- there are plenty of restaurants there, many serve kerala style Puttu kadala kind breakfast also. If you start a bit late, you could stop at Kamat Maduvan on Ooty road, Mysore.

If you opt for Nilambur route, be ready to face heavy traffic all the way till Tirur from Nilambur. But being a sunday, it might be much lesser compared to other days. You can get out of Manjeri and Malappuram towns easily, but Kottakkal town remains a bottle neck. Also expect lot of vehicles headed to Shabarimala for makaravilaku darshan.

I feel the bathery route would be better for a peaceful drive in the roads in Kerala. Roads are good all the way if you opt for Bathery-Kalpetta(Bypass)-Thamarashery-Malaparamba jn-Kozhikode bypass-Chelari-Chettipadi-Parappanangadi-Tanur-Tirur. The railway flyover construction at Devdar school gate between Tirur and Tanur is almost over and small vehicles including cars are now allowed to pass underneath the bridge.

OT: where exactly in Tirur are you headed to? My wife is from Vattathani, between Tirur and Tanur.

[unni246]

Originally Posted by binand

I just woke up and checked TBHP for any last minute updates before I start at 4AM. :-)

I always recommend the Kollegal-Chamarajanagar route; but if you need multiple and varied food options perhaps the Mysore route is better. I generally carry breakfast (the wife insists!) and reach home in Calicut before lunch time.

I have averaged a trip every six weeks or so via this route in the past year; never have I had even the slightest reason to worry about my safety.

Thanks Binand.
Breakfast is not a priority. It's more of a point to get down and Relax for a while.

Originally Posted by coolclouds

For 4 am start, Mysore road would be faster, safer and stress free. It usually takes two hours+ till Mysore and the stress levels on four lane would be minimal compared to driving on an unknown two lane road with headlights on. There won't be much traffic towards Mysore once you cross Bidadi.

Thanks coolclouds. 2hours+ to Mysore!?
I guess that would need triple digits on the Speedo to achieve it.
My ride would be a 11 year old Santro and hence would need to stick to lower levels.

Originally Posted by sandsun7

I had done Bangalore-Tirur (vattathani) via Bathery-Thamarashery-Manjery on 25th December. I had read reports that Theppekadu-Gudalur is bad and so is nadugani, so did not want to take a risk then. Hence took the wayanad route. But since I had to visit few relatives in Manjeri, had to deviate to Manjeri from Thamarassery.
As many others recommend, for a 4AM start, Mysore road is any day best. You could plan up for breakfast at Gundlupet- there are plenty of restaurants there, many serve kerala style Puttu kadala kind breakfast also. If you start a bit late, you could stop at Kamat Maduvan on Ooty road, Mysore.

If you opt for Nilambur route, be ready to face heavy traffic all the way till Tirur from Nilambur. But being a sunday, it might be much lesser compared to other days. You can get out of Manjeri and Malappuram towns easily, but Kottakkal town remains a bottle neck. Also expect lot of vehicles headed to Shabarimala for makaravilaku darshan.

I feel the bathery route would be better for a peaceful drive in the roads in Kerala. Roads are good all the way if you opt for Bathery-Kalpetta(Bypass)-Thamarashery-Malaparamba jn-Kozhikode bypass-Chelari-Chettipadi-Parappanangadi-Tanur-Tirur. The railway flyover construction at Devdar school gate between Tirur and Tanur is almost over and small vehicles including cars are now allowed to pass underneath the bridge.

OT: where exactly in Tirur are you headed to? My wife is from Vattathani, between Tirur and Tanur.

Thanks sandsun for suggesting the new Route. But still I guess it would be a longer deviation than via Nadukani.
For reaching Tirur I normally prefer the Vylathur route (from Edarikkode / Kottakkal).

@ Tirur we would be heading to Alathiyur / Purathur Route. Thats where wifey's home is..

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by unni246

Thanks Binand.
Breakfast is not a priority. It's more of a point to get down and Relax for a while.

Thanks coolclouds. 2hours+ to Mysore!?
I guess that would need triple digits on the Speedo to achieve it.

Coffee Day is good for the relaxing part. Some times we carry breakfast, stop in front of ccd., have it and then get into the CCD for a coffee and some relaxation.

2+ hours to Mysore is easily doable while driving at speeds of ~80kmph. I normally take 2.5 hours starting from belandur going via hosur road, nice road.

[binand]

I got home at around 12:30 PM. Here are the things to note:

1. There is a place about 16 km beyond Chamarajanagar towards Gundlupet where the road is dug up to lay a pipeline. It is a short diversion and looks temporary, but watch out.

2. The Kalpetta bypass is a boon! I crossed the town in 5 minutes today (previous best: 35 mins). But I got stuck in traffic pile-ups on almost all the other towns losing between 10 and 30 mins each (Bathery, Meenangadi, Vythiri, Thamarassery, Koduvally...).

3. This time, it was quite a stressful drive once I entered Kerala - mostly due to the increased pilgrims traffic to Sabarimala.

4. There was fog between Kanakapura and Kollegal, but it wasn't too bad. Day had broken then, so I had 100-150 metres visibility.

[johnda]

I'm planning a trip to kodai, what are my options based on the road conditions, my usual route is via kumliy and the roads are good upto there (i presume) please advice.
thanks