[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Judemayne

Help:-Will driving from Bangalore to Munnar via Dindigul on 19 Dec. Stay at Munnar for the night (Second visit-last time vai Cochin -NH 47) and then on to Alleppy-which route?? and how long will it take?
Can I make it in one day from Alleppy to Bangalore-i drive pretty fast but safely??
BHPians-help.

Budget 8-10 hours for Bangalore-Munnar via Dindigul.
Allow extra time for fog approaching Munnar.
Expect high traffic leaving Bangalore city since the vacations will be starting this week, and going by the experience earlier this year - of Onam - the roads leading to KL are going to be choked up, whichever direction it is from.
Sabarimala traffic will be at peak.
For Alapuzha, take NH49 till Kothamangalam, then switch over to MC Road via Muvattupuzha, Kottayam and Changanaserry, where you connect with SH11 via Monkombu to Alapuzha.
Drive from Alapuzha to Bangalore is going to be quite stressful in view of the high daytime traffic in KL, the road widening after Kochi, bad sections between Trissur & Palakkad and check post snarls at Walayar on KL-TN border.
How much time? Anywhere from 10-14 hours negatively.

[kala]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

For Alapuzha, take NH49 till Kothamangalam, then switch over to MC Road via Muvattupuzha, Kottayam and Changanaserry, where you connect with SH11 via Monkombu to Alapuzha.

JACS had reported a couple of weeks ago that the Muvattupuzha-Kottayam stretch isn't in great shape. ( http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post2152355 )

Moreover MC road can be a pain to drive on between Ettumanoor and Changanacherry, the traffic on that stretch can be terrible (Last time I travelled that way, it took me 45 minutes to get from Ettumanoor to Kottayam, a distance of 12 kms).

So I think the NH-49 / NH-47 combination would probably be the fastest way to get from Munnar to Alleppey as of now.

[Judemayne]

Dear , Kala, Vasoo and HVK, thanks guys for the input-I will concentrating on the passengers in my car (My sister and her husband-visiting India from Australia after nearly 30 years-they scream at every bike, car or cow on the road- Iam a wreck where my nerves are concerned-for the trip I have instructed my wife to share the co-driver seat and relegated my Ozzy folks to the rear seats) Kerala here I come

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Budget 8-10 hours for Bangalore-Munnar via Drive from Alapuzha to Bangalore is going to be quite stressful in view of the high daytime traffic in KL, the road widening after Kochi, bad sections between Trissur & Palakkad and check post snarls at Walayar on KL-TN border.
How much time? Anywhere from 10-14 hours negatively.

Dear HVK,

How will it be if I follow the Alleppey-Changanessary-Theni-Periyakullum-Theni-route-Stop over at Kodai-and next day reach Bangalore (I have to attend a wedding the same day 22 Dec)-road conditions and correct route please.
Thanks
Col Jude Mayne

[kala]

Originally Posted by Judemayne

How will it be if I follow the Alleppey-Changanessary-Theni-Periyakullum-Theni-route-Stop over at Kodai-and next day reach Bangalore (I have to attend a wedding the same day 22 Dec)-road conditions and correct route please.

From Alleppey, go south on NH-47. After about 3 kms turn left at Kalarkod junction onto SH-11 towards Changanacherry. You'll hit MC road near Changanacherry in about 25 kms. At the T junction turn left-go about 2 kms (may be slightly less) to reach Changanacherry junction (The junction comes about 100 metres after you pass the KSRTC bus depot on the left) - take a right onto Changanacherry Vazhoor road. This road will join NH-220 at Vazhoor (about 25 kms). Continue on NH220 to Kanjirappally-Mundakayam-Peermade-Vandiperiyar-Kumily-Kambam-Theni (approx. 175 kms from Changanacherry to Theni).

At Theni make sure you continue on the road towards Dindigul via Periyakulam. (There's another road towards the right that goes to Madurai - NH 49). After about 45 kms on the Dindigul road you reach a place called Batlagundu from where you need to take a left turn to go to Kodai (another 60 kms from there).

From Kodai to Bangalore : Get back to Batlagundu, turn left to go to Dindigul, and then take NH7 all the way to Bangalore (via Salem-Dharmapuri-Krishnagiri-Hosur)

Road conditions : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post2173794 has the latest update. (That is for Kottayam-Bangalore via Theni, so all except the first 20-22 kms is applicable for your route)

[hvkumar]

I have an update on the Dindigul-Theni-Kumili-Kanjirapalli road from 2 hours ago.
Road is great all the way except:
- all TN town (Periakulam, Then, Uttampalayam, Kambam) are in a mess
- the ghat climb to Kumili is in bad condition

Rest of road is good to very good

[Judemayne]

[).

At Theni make sure you continue on the road towards Dindigul via Periyakulam. (There's another road towards the right that goes to Madurai - NH 49). After about 45 kms on the Dindigul road you reach a place called Batlagundu from where you need to take a left turn to go to Kodai (another 60 kms from there).

Thanks a ton for the update and also read HVK's update will follow this route -why?-I have been on 47 twice before wanted to see a new route thanks guys-will give a feed back when I get back

Col Jude

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Judemayne

[).

At Theni make sure you continue on the road towards Dindigul via Periyakulam. (There's another road towards the right that goes to Madurai - NH 49). After about 45 kms on the Dindigul road you reach a place called Batlagundu from where you need to take a left turn to go to Kodai (another 60 kms from there).


Col Jude

When you are coming from Bangalore, in Dindigul bypass, you will see first the right turn towards Palani. Next turn off will be marked Kodaikanal, that is the turn to take. It is NH45 from Dindigul to Theni.

Please be careful, exits are through service roads in most places, be ready to turn off when the signage appears, else you will end up going straight on NH7 towards Madurai.

[sbkumar]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

When you are coming from Bangalore, in Dindigul bypass, you will see first the right turn towards Palani. Next turn off will be marked Kodaikanal, that is the turn to take. It is NH45 from Dindigul to Theni.

Please be careful, exits are through service roads in most places, be ready to turn off when the signage appears, else you will end up going straight on NH7 towards Madurai.

While coming from Bangalore, take the service road which is parallel to the highway when you see the entry to the service road that is marked for 'Dindigul' town. Ignore the first intersection (right under the fly over on the highway) on this service road where you would see a right turn marked for Palani and proceed on the service road further where you would see another fly over intersection where the right turn would be marked "Theni/Kodaikanal". This is a tricky exit to take as if you miss the first entry to the service lane for Dindigul/Palani, you can't get into the next one IIRC. Hope this is not too confusing as this is the best I could recall

[joecherian]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Presently the best route to take from Thrissur to Palakkad is via Wadakancherry-SHoranur-Ottapalam-Palakkad.We took this route a couple of weeks back and the roads are excellent,as compared to the craeters on NH47.Local cab drivers and some of the volvos from EKM to Blore are also taking this route now a days.

I dont expect the NH47 to improve any time soon because 4 laning
efforts have begun between Vadakkencherry and Pattikad!

Can you please post the directions to take this route when coming from palghat to trichur ?

[sv1976]

Originally Posted by joecherian

Can you please post the directions to take this route when coming from palghat to trichur ?

This post has details of detour from Palakkad on to Ottappalam road. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post2076259

It will be great if anyone familiar with this route can give details of further turns till reaching Thrissur. More specifically, is there a way to bypass Thrissur town and join Mannoothy/somewhere else in NH 47?

[Milestone]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

When you are coming from Bangalore, in Dindigul bypass, you will see first the right turn towards Palani. Next turn off will be marked Kodaikanal, that is the turn to take. It is NH45 from Dindigul to Theni.

Please be careful, exits are through service roads in most places, be ready to turn off when the signage appears, else you will end up going straight on NH7 towards Madurai.

Originally Posted by sbkumar

While coming from Bangalore, take the service road which is parallel to the highway when you see the entry to the service road that is marked for 'Dindigul' town. Ignore the first intersection (right under the fly over on the highway) on this service road where you would see a right turn marked for Palani and proceed on the service road further where you would see another fly over intersection where the right turn would be marked "Theni/Kodaikanal". This is a tricky exit to take as if you miss the first entry to the service lane for Dindigul/Palani, you can't get into the next one IIRC. Hope this is not too confusing as this is the best I could recall

^ This is little tricky. While approaching Dindigul one can see signage "5 KM Dindigul" on the highway, after few KM or so you would see flyover, just before the start of this fly over take the service road and move forward as mentioned by hvkumar and sbkumar. I missed this diversion and had go round all the way to get back.

Cheers !!!

[vasoo]

Originally Posted by sv1976

This post has details of detour from Palakkad on to Ottappalam road. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post2076259

It will be great if anyone familiar with this route can give details of further turns till reaching Thrissur. More specifically, is there a way to bypass Thrissur town and join Mannoothy/somewhere else in NH 47?

Try using Google maps for directions from Ottapalam to Thrissur. The route is through Kulappully > Cheruthuruthy > Wadackanchery > Thrissur and is pretty straight forward if you follow the sign boards. This is the exact route I took last time and is a pretty decent road.

To avoid entering Thrissur town, the best option I can suggest is to come all the way to Patturackal junction, turn left and follow the board to Palakkad. The moment you touch NH47 at Mannuthy, turn right and proceed on the bye-pass. This may not avoid entering the town altogether, but will help to avoid the most congested areas around the Swaraj Round and High road towards Ollur.

See the map below.


PS. There seems to be some other option to join NH47 from Wadackanchery. Not tried this.

[Rajesh K R]

Hello T-Bhpians, one query :

I will be driving from Munnar to GVR. Will be driving on NH-47 and my query is: For reaching GVR from Thrissur / NH-47 :

can i drive upto Mannuthy and then take a deviation into Thrissur, so that i don't get to drive too much inside the town and i can drive on and join the Thrissur - Choondal road enroute to GVR.

Or : upon approaching Thrissur, is it better to get into the town on the first major turnoff and then join the choondal road ?

Advise / suggestions / guidances - wholeheartedly welcome !!

[Milestone]

Originally Posted by jacs

Thanks Kala, hoping to hear an update from atleast one of the BHPians after this Christmas season .

I'm not sure of "Thodupuzha-Munnar" route, I guess it would be in good shape (guessed based on Thodupuzha - Idukki route). Theni-Dindigul is not in good shape, I would say 15 ~ 20% of the entire stretch is bad and rest is ok ok, on Accent you will have to "slow down" ~ to "stop" at least at 5 spots, potholes are that big. Salem-Bangalore, I dont have to comment .

Cheers !!!

[vasoo]

^^
You can actually follow the reverse of what I have mentioned above. From Mannuthy turn left and continue past Patturackal junction towards Punkunnam and join the GVR road from there.