[binand]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Kollur does not have any good stay options except for lodges and temple accomodation.

This is no longer true. This hotel (http://www.tripadvisor.in/Hotel_Revi...Karnataka.html) is a very good option in Kollur. I stayed here in 2013 October. It is just about 100m from the temple too, on the main approach road to the town.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

I would suggest that you stay in Udupi and do Kollur as a day trip from Udupi as Kollur does not have any good stay options except for lodges and temple accomodation.You could also stay in Mangalore and do Mangalore-Kollur-Udupi-Mangalore as a day trip that is what I have done in the past and is very convenient as Mangalore has a host of stay options.

When I visited last year, there was a new hotel called Mookambika Palace that had opened few months earlier. It is owned by the Vasudev Adigas group and they also have a restaurant on the ground floor. This is on the road that leads straight to the Temple when coming from Vandse side.

EDIT:@binand and myself are referring to the same hotel

[ampere]

There are good hotels in Kollur now, but still the options are limited as compared to Udupi. Even I went to Kollur as a day trip and stayed in Udupi. Worked out well for me. Started from Udupi after breakfast and was back for lunch. Of course if one can get a good accommodation with Kollur as the main destination nothing like it. But if not, Udupi option works well. And you can also one more temple.

[guruji]

Originally Posted by ThomasZach

Manorama reports huge delays at the Aryankavu checkpost on the Kollam - Thirumangalam route. It seems that vehicles were held up for up to 13 hours yesterday.

Any updates on the delays in Aryankavu? I am planning to drive on 26th. If it is too much delay, is it better to take Dindigul -> Theni -> Kumily -> Punalur route? How is the road condition on Kumily route?

[binand]

Originally Posted by ampere

Even I went to Kollur as a day trip and stayed in Udupi. Worked out well for me.

The thing is, I had gone there for the vidyarambham of my daughter. That process starts quite early in the morning, so staying nearby made sense. That is, the decision where to stay is use-case dependent (yes, I work in IT :-).

I had taken a Savaari rental from Mangalore airport and back.

[kala]

Originally Posted by binand

This is no longer true. This hotel (http://www.tripadvisor.in/Hotel_Revi...Karnataka.html) is a very good option in Kollur. I stayed here in 2013 October. It is just about 100m from the temple too, on the main approach road to the town.

Originally Posted by NPV

When I visited last year, there was a new hotel called Mookambika Palace that had opened few months earlier. It is owned by the Vasudev Adigas group and they also have a restaurant on the ground floor. This is on the road that leads straight to the Temple when coming from Vandse side.

EDIT:@binand and myself are referring to the same hotel

I too stayed in Mookambika Palace when I went to Kollur about a year ago, but from reports I heard afterwards there's another hotel named Abimon Residency that is also very good and better maintained. Slightly further from the temple, but not really a big deal - it would still be only walking distance, under a km.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by binand

The thing is, I had gone there for the vidyarambham of my daughter. That process starts quite early in the morning, so staying nearby made sense. That is, the decision where to stay is use-case dependent (yes, I work in IT :-).

Even I had gone for Vidyarambam for my kid. We started by 8AM from Udupi and were there by 10. We were done by 11:30 and drove back to Udupi by 1; in time for lunch.

[kavu75]

Originally Posted by guruji

Any updates on the delays in Aryankavu? I am planning to drive on 26th. If it is too much delay, is it better to take Dindigul -> Theni -> Kumily -> Punalur route? How is the road condition on Kumily route?

I have taken this route yesterday (24th afternoon around 3.30pm), NO ISSUES at all. Haven't faced any traffic issues and not seen much truck traffic also. And road condition is also not bad, only 1 or 2 small bad sections but easily manageable.
In RTO check post they will ask you to slowdown and just glance through the windows, may be because of Christmas eve. It took me 1hr 30minutes to cover Thenkasi - Punalaur.

[longhorn]

Drove down from Chennai to Perumbavoor yesterday. 12 hours travel time door to door including breaks totalling to 1.5 hrs. Started from south Chennai at 2:45 AM. Took the Ulundurpet - Salem - Avinashi - Mangalam - Palladam - Pollachi - Vadakkenchery - Mannuthy route. Roads (tarring) are good all throughout.Just need to watch out for those humps/bumps on the flyovers as you near Avinashi.

There was a slight traffic block at the 4th toll gate from Chennai (Sengurichi?), the one just before the Ulundurpet turnoff. Took 10-15 minutes to cross that toll. Reached Salem by 7:15 AM. Took left turn at Salem Nandhi circle to escape the town traffic. Tanked up at the KPN BP pump on this road before entering NH 47. Had breakfast at Sree Saravana Bhavan on the highway. They have put up boards from 2 kms before this hotel so its easy to spot. Highly recommended for veg food.

Your speed drops drastically from after Pollachi onwards. Although the tarring was good throughout save for 4-5 potholes, the narrow roads coupled with twists and turns typical of KL roads ensure that your average time takes a hit. All hell breaks loose once you hit the NH at Vadakkenchery. The tarring is good but the truck traffic and narrow highway gives little scope for overtaking. There was another block at Kalady town (not on the bridge). MC Road is seeing high density of traffic nowadays. Its difficult to drive even at 50 kmph on the Angamaly - Perumbavoor route.

[sachinpk]

Gents after the Manjur trip, I am planning for another drive. The target is Bangalore. Bakel Fort has been in my TODO list for quite some time, so with an extended holiday I thought I would be able to make a visit there. My fellow traveller wants to see Coorg desperately. So this is the route plan I have in mind. I request experienced Team-BHP-ians for advice...

Day 1:
Thrissur->Kottakkal->Kozhikode byepass->Eranjikkal->Pavangad->Vadakara->Mahe (PY)->Thalassery->Kannnur->Karivellur->Kanjangad->Bekal (301kms approx). Where to stay is still an open question.

Day 2:
Bakel->Cheruthazham->Thaliparamba->Irikkur->Iritty->Virajpet->Madikeri (171kms approx). Where to stay and what to see in Coorg are open questions.

Day 3:
Madikeri->Hunsur->Yelwala->Seringapatna->Bangalore (267kms approx).

[joecherian]

Those who are taking the kumily entry point to kerala, please be warned that cops are diverting the traffic at cumbum through ramakkalmeddu and then you end up joining back kk road at kuttikkanam, passing through kattappana. Roads are not that good, not with pot holes but bumpy rides. Seems the lowercamp kumily has been made a temp one way duetothe heavy traffic on account of sabarimala pilgrimage. But for those who want to go to lowercamp and thekkady, I guess cops allow them to take normal route from cumbum. Hence, if possible, better to tell the cops that you are going to kumily or lowercamp so that they will not ask you to take the diversion at cumbum. Yesterday night, I also had to take the diversion. Hence warning all those who are planning this entry point to kerala

[Jeep]

Driving to Kochi from Bangalore day after tomorrow. Going through the posts, it seems Avinashi - Palladam- Pollachi - Wadakkencherry is the better option than the regular NH47? Please advise...

Also, if I am not too early in the morning to reach Thoppur, looks like Mettur - Bhavani also is in good shape? How would the timings change wrt the Salem route? Are the roads via Mettur smooth? Haven't done that route for long

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Jeep

Driving to Kochi from Bangalore day after tomorrow. Going through the posts, it seems Avinashi - Palladam- Pollachi - Wadakkencherry is the better option than the regular NH47? Please advise...

Definitely a better option. And do note its Vaddekkencherry and not Wadakkanchery. They are different towns.

Also, if I am not too early in the morning to reach Thoppur, looks like Mettur - Bhavani also is in good shape? How would the timings change wrt the Salem route? Are the roads via Mettur smooth? Haven't done that route for long

You dont save time while going via Mettur. Stick to four lane / Salem option. Its fast.

[kala]

Originally Posted by joecherian

Those who are taking the kumily entry point to kerala, please be warned that cops are diverting the traffic at cumbum through ramakkalmeddu and then you end up joining back kk road at kuttikkanam, passing through kattappana. Roads are not that good, not with pot holes but bumpy rides. Seems the lowercamp kumily has been made a temp one way duetothe heavy traffic on account of sabarimala pilgrimage. But for those who want to go to lowercamp and thekkady, I guess cops allow them to take normal route from cumbum. Hence, if possible, better to tell the cops that you are going to kumily or lowercamp so that they will not ask you to take the diversion at cumbum. Yesterday night, I also had to take the diversion. Hence warning all those who are planning this entry point to kerala

Well, missed reporting this - I had encountered this roadblock when I went that way 10 days back and thought they were diverting only bigger vehicles. A cop asked a tempo traveller who was just in front of me to turn right towards Cumbummettu and I asked him in Tamil if there's some obstruction ahead in the straight road. He told me to go ahead straight - may be he thought I was heading to somewhere close by !

I also saw quite a few other smaller vehicles headed towards the Kumily direction - so it isn't really a strict one way. Saying that you were headed for Kumily / Thekkady as you suggested might help.

[sachinnair]

Originally Posted by ampere

You dont save time while going via Mettur. Stick to four lane / Salem option. Its fast.

Originally Posted by ampere

What you should have done:

Chennai-Tindivanam-Ulundurpet-Salem-Bhavani-Avinashi-Mangalam-Palladam-Pollachi-Palakkad.

Its smooth sailing all the way.

I drove from Palakkad to Chennai yesterday. I had already decided on the Salem-Tindivanam (GST) route, thanks to advise on this thread. For the Palakkad-Erode stretch, I was initially thinking of the Pollachi route. But then, since I was driving early in the morning (planned to leave at 6:30, finally left at 7:30) I reckoned the Walayar route would be less crowded and would save time and distance. My gamble paid off, and though the bad stretches slowed us down, average speed on this streth was about 50 kmph. I could comfortably drive at 80 on the good stretches.

I stuck to the highway upto Salem. I concur with ampere- Mettur route is shorter and more scenic, but slower and tiring because of all the trucks.

The Salem- Chennai leg was usual uneventful highway driving. Past Singaperumal koil, the traffic thickens, and though you can maintain 80kmph, tipper lorries play tortoise racing, SUVs come tailgating, and local heroes in diesel autos and assorted bikes drive on the wrong side of the road

Also, it is pilgrimage time at the Sakthi temple. So prepare for busloads of pilgrims- Bus parking jams, more traffic, and people with a tendency to cross roads when you least expect. The silver lining- the pilgrims all dress in red, and tend to clump together, so their visibility is higher

Since I had to go to Kodambakkam, I took the Chennai Bypass, exited at Porur, and took the Arcot road to Kodambakkam. Filling up at the Vadapalani Shell pump for my upcoming Bangalore drive was an added bonus.

Based on the last two weeks- I think one should plan routes in such a way that the driving just before the destination is hassle free. By the time one has driven for about 8-10 hours, the stress of bad roads, bad lighting and road wars causes disproportionate fatigue. However, at the begining of the journey, when one is fresher, the fatigue felt is lesser.