[sbraj]

Originally Posted by NFS2024

Guys - need your help here to plan my year end drive to different places in kerala. This will be my first drive to kerala and appreciate all the minute information that you can provide me on the routes.

Be careful of Kerala State RTC buses, especially the 'Super Fast' ones. It is better to give way to them and adequately space yourself out of the way, as most of these are driven in really reckless manner.

[hvkumar]

Bangalore-Munnar, via Dharapuram
Bangalore-Salem 200 kms-Perunthurai 90-Dharapuram 70-Udumalipet 40-Munnar 90, totalling 490 kms.

This is based on actual trip logs, and not based on mythical plotting of routes by computer programs.

You can check out the log book of the trip when this trip was done in teh following link:
SOUTH INDIA Jan 2005 - hvkumar | Google Groups

Don't waste your time comparing distances, computer programs have their own convoluted logic in computing routes. The route I have suggested has been driven by me and several in this forum.

Munnar-Trivandrum, via Changanaserry
MUnnar-Poopara 30 kms-Puliyanmala 40-Kattapana 15-Kuttikanam 40-Kanjirapalli 35-Vazhoor 17-Changanaserry 25-Adoor 43-Kottarakara 20-Trivandrum 90-Kovalam 15, totalling 370 kms

Kovalam is a suburb of Trivandrum and 13 kms away from city centre.

[jkdas]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Munnar-Trivandrum, via Changanaserry
MUnnar-Poopara 30 kms-Puliyanmala 40-Kattapana 15-Kuttikanam 40-Kanjirapalli 35-Vazhoor 17-Changanaserry 25-Adoor 43-Kottarakara 20-Trivandrum 90-Kovalam 15, totalling 370 kms

Kovalam is a suburb of Trivandrum and 13 kms away from city centre.

How was this route? Any surprise pothole etc?

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by jkdas

How was this route? Any surprise pothole etc?

Road from Munnar to Puliyanmala and from there to Kuttikanam is good. I heard that KK road is also good till Vazhoor. Not driven the Vazhoor-Changanaserry route recently (it is a narrow road which is a good short-cut to avoid Kottayam). Thanks to road widening, MC Road is slow.

[NFS2024]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Bangalore-Munnar, via Dharapuram
Bangalore-Salem 200 kms-Perunthurai 90-Dharapuram 70-Udumalipet 40-Munnar 90, totalling 490 kms.

This is based on actual trip logs, and not based on mythical plotting of routes by computer programs.

You can check out the log book of the trip when this trip was done in teh following link:
SOUTH INDIA Jan 2005 - hvkumar | Google Groups

Don't waste your time comparing distances, computer programs have their own convoluted logic in computing routes. The route I have suggested has been driven by me and several in this forum.

Munnar-Trivandrum, via Changanaserry
MUnnar-Poopara 30 kms-Puliyanmala 40-Kattapana 15-Kuttikanam 40-Kanjirapalli 35-Vazhoor 17-Changanaserry 25-Adoor 43-Kottarakara 20-Trivandrum 90-Kovalam 15, totalling 370 kms

Kovalam is a suburb of Trivandrum and 13 kms away from city centre.

hvkumar - thanks a lot for all the help and patiently answering all my queries. My idea was just to check on the map as well and not to contest the suggestion you have given which is so valuable.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Road from Munnar to Puliyanmala and from there to Kuttikanam is good. I heard that KK road is also good till Vazhoor. Not driven the Vazhoor-Changanaserry route recently (it is a narrow road which is a good short-cut to avoid Kottayam). Thanks to road widening, MC Road is slow.

Till Changanasseri, the route is brilliant. No need to worry! But I have not travelled in the rest of the route to Trivandrum. The last time I travelled was 1.5 years back and route was not so great [there were some stretches which were BRILLIANT].

[joecherian]

Munnar-Tvm can also be done through Munnar- Kumily- Kuttikkanam - Mundakkayam - Erumely - Plachery - Ranni - Pathanamthitta - Adoor - Kottarakkara - Tvm. Now that it is the sabarimalai season, roads will be excellent in all routes.

[Proxima]

Guys, I need to go to Palakkad from Chennai next month. What is the best route? Google asks me to go via Vellore - Tirupur - Dharmapuri - Metur - Velampalayam.

Is that the best route? I dont mind longer routes but want the best possible roads.

Also, how long will it take with reasonable driving? I need your advice ASAP because we need to book tickets if the roads/time taken is not advisable.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Proxima

Guys, I need to go to Palakkad from Chennai next month. What is the best route? Google asks me to go via Vellore - Tirupur - Dharmapuri - Metur - Velampalayam.

Is that the best route? I dont mind longer routes but want the best possible roads.

Also, how long will it take with reasonable driving? I need your advice ASAP because we need to book tickets if the roads/time taken is not advisable.

The appropriate route to take would be:
Madras-Kanchi-Vellore-Vaniyambadi-Krishnagiri-Dharmapuri-Toppur-Mettur-Bhavani-Avinashi-Coimbatore-Palakkad.

You join NH7 at Krishnagiri, leave it at Toppur and get onto NH47 at Bhavani. Take Coimbatore bypass. This is the best possible road, 4-laned till Toppur, and also from Bhavani till Perunthurai.

The drive should take you upto 8-10 hours.

[rajesh1868]

planning to drive to kochi for Xmas. Are there any LPG filling stations on the way? I will be taking salem-coimbatore route

[NFS2024]

Originally Posted by joecherian

Munnar-Tvm can also be done through Munnar- Kumily- Kuttikkanam - Mundakkayam - Erumely - Plachery - Ranni - Pathanamthitta - Adoor - Kottarakkara - Tvm. Now that it is the sabarimalai season, roads will be excellent in all routes.

What will be the distance in this route and how much time would it take to reach kovalam? Also please suggest good places for food/break and fuel in this route.

[RSimonS]

Which is the best route to TVM from Bangalore? Is it better to stick to Salem-Coimbatore Route?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Bangalore-Munnar, via Dharapuram
Bangalore-Salem 200 kms-Perunthurai 90-Dharapuram 70-Udumalipet 40-Munnar 90, totalling 490 kms.
centre.

The thing to remember is that one should plan to be in the resort in Munnnar before 6 at all costs. I got beaten by the 90 KM stretch from Udumalapetai and also the fact that the resort was in Chinakannal which is another 22km from Munnar town. Had to drive this distance in fog at 7PM, which was kind of scary, as I could hardly see ! This happened to me in spite of breaking my journey at Salem, as I dont 500km at a stretch. And since I started lated from Salem, I reached Udumalpetai only by 3PM.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by deepclutch

@ampere:Yes ,it is SH42 .From Vaikom ,You can Reach Kumarakom without touching Kottayam.

From Kothamangalam ,Continue with NH49 Till Thiruvankulam.Then ,take the left turn and it goes to a junction where,You have to Choose the Road towards Right(Left is to Chottanikkara) ,which connects to Kureekkad(Railway Gate) to Puthiyakavu in Vaikom Road(SH 15) ,Thrippunithura.I hope Kureekkad Railway gate is not closed(It was ,IIRC sometime back due to Ernakulam-Kottayam rail line work).
The Only narrow stretch is at the railway crossing at kureekkad.

Here is the google road map from Thiruvankulam to Puthiyakavu:
from: Thiruvankulam, Kerala to: Puthiyakavu Temple, SH 15, Ernakulam, Kerala - Google Maps

@ Deepcluctch.

I tried this route and it worked just fine. There is no closure of the railway gate.
I think the work is complete. The roads were also pretty smooth.
Thanks again for the help.

[motor_breathing]

How is the road from Alapuzha to Chenganacherry via Nedumudy.

Also Alapuzha Harippad NH stretch.

Thanks,