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Is the Mysore-Mananthavady road closed around Kabini? Google maps has been showing only Mysore-Hunsur-Kutta route. Even when I give HD Kote as the starting point, it is not showing the Mananthavady road. It shows thick dotted red line for some portion of the route.

There are probably two issues here. GM not showing the SH33 route at all when you checked must have been because of the time at which you searched for the route. You have to select a starting time that takes you through the Kakanakote forest stretch between 6AM and 6PM in order for GM to show you that route. (See the screenshot below)

The second problem is that GM still has the closed stretch through the forest (from Dammanakatte gate to Nisna) marked as SH33 whereas it has been closed for traffic for at least 7-8 years now (or probably even more). The road is however shown as a red dotted line in some views (Can't quite recall how to get it to display that view, but I distinctly remember seeing it marked that way) and GM never routes you through that section. But it does route you through the actual SH33 route as it exists now from Dammanakatte onwards - i.e through some 5-6 villages along the Kabini shore and rejoining the original SH33 after about 15 kms. From then on it follows the route through the Kakanakote forest and DB Kuppe to Bavali/Kattikkulam.

Hi, I am planning to drive down to Kerala this Saturday. My plan is to start from Bangalore by 3.30 AM.

I guess Sree73 would have reached Omalur at around 6 AM or so. Is it really needed to take this detour at that early morning? Or will the regular route do?

Our usual breakfast stop is Sree SharavanaBhavan at Vaikuntam - this detour will bypass that, so Sree73, where did you stop for breakfast? I will either follow your lead, or will turn towards vellaiyampalayam so that we can reach Sharavanabhavan for breakfast.

This is the route I am planning to take:


--Anoop

Anoop, for an early morning start, you don't have to take the SH86 route via Omallur, unless you want to try it out.

3 o'clock used to be our usual start time from Bangalore, and we would reach the Saravana Bhavan (NHAI Amenity centre) at Vaikundam before 6 o'clock. With rather sedate driving, you can reach this place when they start serving breakfast, around 7 o'clock.

We would stop for breakfast at a small hotel (sorry, forgot its name) on the service road, about midway between Vijayamangalam toll and Karumathampatty toll - it'd always worked out cheaper and the food tastier than Saravana Bhavan.

Thank you. Then I will stick with the normal route, but while returning will take the alternate route.

The main reason to stop at Sharavana Bhavan is the clean restrooms and ample parking space. Food is just bonus ;)

--Anoop

:thumbs up

It has always been that way during our onward trips, but we seldom get the bonus considering our timings ;)

Heh. You are right. :-)

- The Vandalur one seems to be work on the final connection between Chennai ORR and GST Road.

- The Salem one is construction of flyovers on Salem bypass.

- The Kochi one must be the Palarivattom flyover (inaugurated last week, so no longer relevant).

- The Gundlupet-Bathery route was getting widened, that could be the reason. But that work is all over now.

Proof that Team BHP wisdom sometimes trumps Google Map info. Planning to take this route this weekend. Thanks a lot guys ! :thumbs up

Not entirely correct. It routes through Gudalur only after 9PM and before 6AM. See the start times in the two screenshots below. (The first one is for 1:45 AM)



And this is for a 6AM Start



That said - the first routing is also incorrect because the route via Bandipur-Mudumalai is also closed between 9PM and 6AM, so that route via Gudalur is also invalid at that time !

Note : A few months back Google Maps did have some issue with routing through the Muthanga forest - it would never route that way at any time of the day. But that got fixed quite some time ago.

It's better to go via Salem early in the morning. The other route might take 5 - 10 mins extra. There are a lot of eateries on the NH 47 these days. My regular stop for the past 6 years in Hotel Annalakshmi near Perundurai. Decent food, parking, fast service. Toilets are also OK. With 3:30 AM start, you will reach this place by 7:30 AM.

You can take Edappadi - Tharamangalam - Edappadi route while returning. I have been doing that for the past 1 year.

I find that the alternative road is best enjoyed in the early morning time. With a 4 AM start from Whitefield I normally reach Omalur around 6:30-640 AM and join back NH after 45 minutes. Less traffic on the 2 lane road and no headlights to worry about are the plus points of early morning drive in that road! 15 minutes later we stop at Hotel Annalakshmi (Perundurai) for breakfast.

Can you give the GPS coordinates of the small hotel you mentioned? Will try next time. Do they have good rest rooms?

Anoop - I suggest you consider one of these places for breakfast:
1. Sai Sangeet - quite new and very good. This is just before the Thoppur toll on right side so you need to make a U-turn, it is inside an Indian Oil bunk campus.
Note:When you make the U-turn, you will first see a Bharat Petroleum campus with A2B, avoid this one and proceed another 0.5-1Km ahead to the IOC campus.
Place may not be open before 6:30am though so chances are less that you can stop here if you're starting at 3:30am

2. There is a Saravana Bhavan on right side (also has Sri Saai Stay Inn lodging on first floor of same building) at Reddypalayam. If you take the Omalur detour, when you merge back to NH47, this place is about 5Km there. Though you miss the Saravana Bhavan at Vaigundam, this one is an option for you.

*Regardless of which route you take - either direct one via Salem town or the one via Omalur-Tharamangalam-Sankari you will see both these eateries since #1 comes before Omalur turn off and #2 comes after you merge back onto NH47 at Sankari.

3. At Perundurai, just after the Bhavani bridge over river cauvery, you have Annanlakshmi on left and on the right side you have a newish A2B which is good, again inside a NHAI amenity complex. Needs a U-turn to get there.

I haven't been to the A2B at Perundurai but as you said the other 2 places have decent rest rooms and food is a bonus too :)

I'm planning to drive from Malappuram to Bangalore with family. Since we are starting only after 10-11am, I need some suggestion for good restaurants on the way. Are there any good ones between Bandipur & Nanjangud with quality food & clean restroom? I guess it will be too late for lunch when we reach Mysore.

Since we will be traveling on Nov 1st , end of long weekend, which route will be better from Mysore - Kanakpura road or Mysore road?

We usually reach Saravana Bhavan Vaikundam by 6:30 ~ 6:45 and wait until 7 for breakfast. If there are other options with good restroom will definitely give a try next week.
I wanted to try Hotel Sri Annalakshmi for a long time. Now looking at the reviews its worth making a stop over.

Can you share GPS coordinates alone? Anyway what's there in the name :)

Again please share the coordinates.

Thank you in advance.

Assuming that you are taking the Gudalur route, I suggest Sasthapuri hotel inside Gudalur town. You have to take a small deviation, though. Take right (marked - Ooty) at the first signal in Gudalur town, proceed for around half a km on the Ooty road, you will find the hotel after a curve, on your right side.
The next good option would be Pugmarks restaurant attached to the Jungle lodges, a KM after the Bandipur exit gate. Then there is Nijaguna residency after Gundlupet town, on your left side.