Hi All,
Reached home safely yesterday noon by 11:40AM starting 12:10AM early morning, odo showed 581KMs door to door. Yes 11 hours 30 minutes with different breaks of almost 2 hours for breakfast, nature calls, sightseeing, fuel filling etc and around 20 minutes for traffic halt in Hosur. Below are the details for your reference, figures can vary slightly as I plotted from my memory (no logbook due to hurry)
Bangalore to Dindigul - 370KMs approx - 5 hours approx - Max speed < 120Kmph
Its just a breeze with all 4 lines and less traffic compared to coimbatore route after Salem. I consistantly maintained 100Kmph (-/+20

) on Accent CRDI, never tried above 120 since my vision is not very good to the misfocused headlight assembly. Its less than 370KM for sure from Electronic City but I missed the diversion to Madurai route from Dindigul since I travelled over the bridge and travelled 10minutes extra making it 370 in odo (need to take the service road in Dindigul and take right underpass in second bridge). Took diversion to Madurai route from Dindigul by 5:20AM (lost almost 20 minutes in Hosur traffic jam due to Pongal travel rush and couple of breaks for attending nature calls and fuelling from Salem)
Dindigul to Cumbom - 110KMs Approx - 2 hours approx - Max speed < 100Kmph
2 line but decent roads, potholes are already filled making it bit uneven while cruising in high speeds. I never crossed 100kmph in this route, sticked to 80kmph most of the time since lot of people on sides and junctions etc. Reached Cumbom by 8:30AM (Breakfast from Theni, Hotel name was Sri Annapoorna if i recollect correctly. Good food but unclean rest rooms).
Cumbom to Arakkulam (near Moolamattom) - 100KMs approx - 2.5 hours approx - Max speed <80Kmph
Cumbom ro Cumbommettu (Kerala Border) is just around 14KMs away but will take more than 30minutes due to the climb through bad forest roads - no lanes (18 hair pin curves). Its amazing drive, scenic and adventurous! Cumbommettu to Kattappana is less than 20KMs again 2 laned but good roads. Kattappana to Arakkulam is also 2 laned but good roads, distance is around 60KMs. You could spot wild elephants in Meenmutty during early morning and late evening if lucky. We stopped in couple of view points to see Idukki Arch Dam, Tamil nadu areal view, buying vegeatables etc and reached home by 11:40AM.
We were not very tired like in normal Salem-Palakkad route drives, good scenary slowed us down but worth stopping. Would advice this route to anyone, only issue is Cumbommettu to Cumbom which is to be taken up very carefully. Almost every directions highlighted properly throughout the route, careful only about the turns in Salem and Dindigul which is to be taken through the underpass of bridge.
@hvk, I could find the turn to Bodi-Munnar before Cumbom.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bijuks Your route through Idukki is the shortest by distance to reach Muttom  . . |
Yes Biju, its shortest for sure. My odo showed 581 Kms door to door compared to 600+ via Palakkad
