[vinuchel]

Yet another drive completed from Trichur-Thamarasery-Mananthavady-Kutta-Virajpet-Kukke Subramanya.
Except for 5-6 km of horrible roads in the Kalpetta mananthavady (bypass) stretch, most of the road is excellent. Managed around 400km in 10hrs (with 1 hr for breaks).

[binand]

Had gone to Kerala for a wedding last weekend. The destination was Edappal, so had the opportunity to take a look at two roads that connect NH 544 to NH 66.

On my way out, took Palakkad-Pattambi-Thrithala-Thrikkanapuram. Was also curious to see the development work undertaken by Thrithala MLA who was in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. Palakkad-Pattambi has been repaired after all the rain damages from about 4 months back (last trip of mine was in September) and is now looking quite good. After the turn off from Nhangattiri the road is fine for a while, then deteriorates and picks up quality as you near Thrithala. Once past Kumbidi town it becomes terrible and a pain till you join the SH near Thrikkanapuram. But the beauty of this route, which meanders along the curves of the Bharathapuzha river, is astounding and is well worth the short bad stretches.

The return was from Tirur. I was a bit hesitant to take the unknown Tirur-Ezhur-Vettichira route that Google Maps was taking me through; instead preferring the Tirur-Vailathur-Puthanathani route from my childhood - but a cousin from the region assured me that the road is good and I think it was well worth the risk. Much less traffic than the Vailathur route and quite good quality roads. From Valanchery I took the Koppam-Cherpulassery route to Mundur on NH 213. This road is bumpy between Thiruvegappura and Koppam (a short stretch is riddled with potholes too) but otherwise was quite fine. Passing through Cherpulassery town was a pain.

I think I had mentioned somewhere that the Mangalamkunnu-Kongad stretch of the Cherpulassery-Palakkad route has been repaired; I am mistaken. It is still the same bumpy road that I have been seeing for 3 years now.

[venkyhere]

Originally Posted by binand

New A2B alert - between Coimbatore and Palakkad, about 12 km from the end of Coimbatore bypass and 2 km shy of the interstate border. On the south side of the road, so no U-turn access for people going towards Kerala. Addresses a void I think.

Originally Posted by binand

No, I did mean south side of the road. Why would there be any confusion? What you have written also doesn't contradict what I had said.

I missed the "no" between so and U-turn in your post. My bad

[venkyhere]

Planning a trip to tirunelli (overnight stay) & then onward (2nd leg) to thrissur round. I have the following route doubts.
Priority is smooth roads, restroom opportunity, lesser traffic, in that order. Will have elderly folks and small kid. I dont mind few extra kms since doing it over 2 legs.

Which would be better for 1st leg :
1) mysore ring road -> hunsur -> nagarhole forest road (time restrictions?) -> kutta -> thirunelli
2) mysore ring road -> hunsur -> gonikoppa -> kutta -> thirunelli
3) mysore city exit via "manathavady road" -> jayapura -> HD kote -> nisna -> bavalli -> kaattikulam -> thirunelli
4) any other modifications in above routes that you suggest ?

Which would be better for 2nd leg :
5) thirunelli -> mananthavady -> kalpetta bypass -> vythiri -> adivaram -> kuthiravattom pappu -> koduvally -> kunnamangalam -> kuttikkattoor -> pantheeramkavu -> thenhipalam -> tirurangadi -> kottakkal -> puthanathani -> valanchery -> kuttipuram -> changaramkulam -> kunnamkulam bypass -> punkunnam -> thrissur.
6) any modifications or totally different options to 5 above

Thank you.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by venkyhere

Planning a trip to tirunelli (overnight stay) & then onward (2nd leg) to thrissur round. I have the following route doubts.
Priority is smooth roads, restroom opportunity, lesser traffic, in that order. Will have elderly folks and small kid. I dont mind few extra kms since doing it over 2 legs.

Which would be better for 1st leg :
1) mysore ring road -> hunsur -> nagarhole forest road (time restrictions?) -> kutta -> thirunelli
2) mysore ring road -> hunsur -> gonikoppa -> kutta -> thirunelli
3) mysore city exit via "manathavady road" -> jayapura -> HD kote -> nisna -> bavalli -> kaattikulam -> thirunelli
4) any other modifications in above routes that you suggest ?

Both 1 and 3 have 6 pm to 6 am restrictions. But I assume you will travel in the day time, so these do not apply. For the same reason route 2 can be taken off the list since it is longer and beneficial only for night trips as there are no restrictions.

I would recommend 3 as I think the road surface is better. On the down side,once you leave Mysore, the next decent hotel/rest room stop will be only at kattikulam.

Originally Posted by venkyhere

Which would be better for 2nd leg :
5) thirunelli -> mananthavady -> kalpetta bypass -> vythiri -> adivaram -> kuthiravattom pappu -> koduvally -> kunnamangalam -> kuttikkattoor -> pantheeramkavu -> thenhipalam -> tirurangadi -> kottakkal -> puthanathani -> valanchery -> kuttipuram -> changaramkulam -> kunnamkulam bypass -> punkunnam -> thrissur.
6) any modifications or totally different options to 5 above

Thank you.

This looks about right. Only point is that the route does not touch Tirurangadi as it is a little off the NH. Also not sure if Kunnamangalam-Kuttikattoor-Pantheerankav makes sense or whether it would be better to continue on the NH and connect at the bypass at Thodayad. Others can probably add inputs on this.

Also, when you start off- check if the ghats looks ok (from maps or from some local input at Manathavady). It has become notorious for long jams now a days.

[venkyhere]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

This looks about right. Only point is that the route does not touch Tirurangadi as it is a little off the NH. Also not sure if Kunnamangalam-Kuttikattoor-Pantheerankav makes sense or whether it would be better to continue on the NH and connect at the bypass at Thodayad. Others can probably add inputs on this.

Also, when you start off- check if the ghats looks ok (from maps or from some local input at Manathavady). It has become notorious for long jams now a days.

THank you for the useful tip. Noted.
2nd leg driving time shown by gmaps is 6.5 hrs. Do you know of a good vegetarian restaurant for lunch stop enroute (tough in this region) with clean restrooms ? I will back calculate and set my morning departure after breakfast accordingly.

[treadmark]

Drove back from Thrissur on last Sunday, started at 5 PM.
Few KMs just after the three lane road ends while coming from Coimbatore.
A SUV (was told by folks who gathered there) hit a pedestrian who darted from the divider bushes and went without stopping. Since it was at an exit of right hand corner it should have been hard for the driver to spot such squids.
Witnesses claim it was the fault of the pedestrian but still don't no what made the driver to speed away without stopping.
In the mean time an ambulance arrived at the spot, I kept moving since I had my wife, mom and kid with me.
On another instance just after Karuppur (Salem) toll please be aware of a barricade on the right lane without any reflectors, be cautious as it is really hard to spot.
Also felt the number of barricade had gone up between Perundurai and Salem.

Cheers!

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by venkyhere

THank you for the useful tip. Noted.
2nd leg driving time shown by gmaps is 6.5 hrs. Do you know of a good vegetarian restaurant for lunch stop enroute (tough in this region) with clean restrooms ? I will back calculate and set my morning departure after breakfast accordingly.

Tough one. Ideally should be around Kozhikode as you will be half way through. One option is Pure South (Location) on the Calicut Bypass near thondayad. It will be on the way (but you need to make sure you don't take the Kuttikatoor route-If so you will miss it). Not extremely good, but I guess should serve the purpose.

May be wrong, but before and after this, on the highway, I don't think there are any Pure veg places.

If you are not in a hurry and willing to get into Kozhikode Town, there are a few options. Dakshin on Mavoor Road, Punjabi Rasoi are a couple I can think of.

[rajesh1868]

Originally Posted by venkyhere

Planning a trip to tirunelli (overnight stay) & then onward (2nd leg) to thrissur round.

Will you please update the route you took and the condition? Will be going to Thirunelli this Sunday

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by venkyhere

Which would be better for 1st leg :
3) mysore city exit via "manathavady road" -> jayapura -> HD kote -> nisna -> bavalli -> kaattikulam -> thirunelli

My selection would be option 3 by considering forest closure. Somehow have felt this route to be faster and less tiring. Kattikulam till Thirunelly left turn near Kuttettans Uniappam shop was bit patchy last year, not sure of situation now though.

Do stop at Kuttetans shop for a pack of Uniappam on your way back. Though there was lot of rave reviews, I felt it was just good uniappam. Nothing exceptional, still.

However, instead of taking route through Mysore city, you can reach Manathavady road by taking Mysore ring road.

Better take the right arm from Columbia Asia hospital junction on Mysore Bangalore highway in case you reach Mysore during peak traffic time. Proceed on the same circling the city and reaching Manthavady highway.

At Kattikulam, Holiday hill next to the highway is a good breakfast point. It has clean restrooms too. This comes about 500 meters ahead of your turn towards Thirunelli.


Location

Originally Posted by rajesh1868

Will you please update the route you took and the condition? Will be going to Thirunelli this Sunday

Bavali route as mentioned above will be better.

Which would be better for 2nd leg :
5) thirunelli -> mananthavady -> kalpetta bypass -> vythiri -> adivaram -> kuthiravattom pappu -> koduvally -> kunnamangalam -> kuttikkattoor -> pantheeramkavu -> thenhipalam -> tirurangadi -> kottakkal -> puthanathani -> valanchery -> kuttipuram -> changaramkulam -> kunnamkulam bypass -> punkunnam -> thrissur.

If you are aware of the roads and area you can proceed with Kuttikatoor road. Else, I would suggest you stick to NH itself.

[rajesh1868]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Bavali route as mentioned above will be better.

Is the route scenic as the one through Nagarhole? Have 2 kids with me expecting to spot deers on the way.

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by rajesh1868

Is the route scenic as the one through Nagarhole? Have 2 kids with me expecting to spot deers on the way.

Yes and no.

The route mentioned above - Mysore - Jayapura - Hamapura - Handpost - Nagarhole forest checkpost - Bavali (SH 33) does pass through forest section.

You can spot spotted deer, Malabar giant squirrels and Indian rollers abundantly in this route. Do check out a watering hole some 2 KM's after the check-post on your right side.


There is another Nagarhole route, which is - Mysore - Hunsur - SH 86 - Right turn near Ummathur and then proceed through this road till Kutta. This road also passes through Nagarhole, however it is a slower option. Plus, roads were not in best conditions inside the forest when I traveled last year.

[venkyhere]

Originally Posted by rajesh1868

Will you please update the route you took and the condition? Will be going to Thirunelli this Sunday

My trip is sometime in feb, hence bouncing the ball back to you , please update this thread

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

My selection would be option 3 by considering forest closure. Somehow have felt this route to be faster and less tiring. Kattikulam till Thirunelly left turn near Kuttettans Uniappam shop was bit patchy last year, not sure of situation now though.

Do stop at Kuttetans shop for a pack of Uniappam on your way back. Though there was lot of rave reviews, I felt it was just good uniappam. Nothing exceptional, still.

sure, will do option 3, as suggested by @Rajeevraj as well.
Yes, kuttettans shop is in my bucket list, what time is the unniappam available from. Do they run out of stock ?

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

However, instead of taking route through Mysore city, you can reach Manathavady road by taking Mysore ring road.

Better take the right arm from Columbia Asia hospital junction on Mysore Bangalore highway in case you reach Mysore during peak traffic time. Proceed on the same circling the city and reaching Manthavady highway.

At Kattikulam, Holiday hill next to the highway is a good breakfast point. It has clean restrooms too. This comes about 500 meters ahead of your turn towards Thirunelli.

Curious to know, why the right arm and not the left arm of mysore orr ? shorter or less traffic ?
Yes, if I am leaving early morning hours, Holiday hill will be my breakfast stop.

Considering that I will be driving 12-13 kmpl petrol guzzler, if possible, let me know good quality petrol bunks (COCO preferred) for both leg1 and leg2 ?

Thanks a lot, Suhas.

[NKN]

Plan to travel will family & small kids frm BLR to CLT tomorrow or day after. Intend to take the BLR- Mysore- Bandipur- SBattheri- CLT route. Driving on this route after a gap of 4 yrs.
Plan is to start by @2pm frm BLT so that i can get to calicut by 11pm. Are there any good restaurants to stop over once I enter the Kerala side

[bejoy]

Originally Posted by NKN

Are there any good restaurants to stop over once I enter the Kerala side

There is Hotel Great Jubilee in Bathery town which is quite good. Its actually on the main road, but just before the hotel, the main road becomes one way and you need to take left. Once you take left and then the next right, go forward and on the right side you can see the rear entrance of the hotel. There is ample parking and good restrooms.