[binand]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Mysore batheri kozhikode hasnt been affected greatly.you are good to drive

It is confirmed. I am going to Calicut tomorrow (plan to start at 4AM-ish) from Bangalore via Bathery/Kalpetta. Hopefully the rains have reduced a bit. Glad to hear about the road conditions (yesterday Asianet had done a feature on the terrible state of the Kuttyadi churam; fortunately Thamarassery churam is still holding up).

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by Manzone799

Friends, I am travelling from Guruvayoor (Kerala) to Bangalore next week. I heard that NH47 between Thrissur and Palakkad is in deplorable state. I have planned to take the following route as this has better roads:
Guruvayoor(KL) --> Shoranur(KL) --> Chelakara(KL) --> Nenmara(KL) --> Pollachi(TN) --> Palladum(TN) --> Tirupur (TN) --> Salem (TN) --> Dharmapuri (TN) --> Bangalore (KA)

This has an overall distance of around 520 Km. I came to know that the second better option is the Nilambur --> Gudlur --> Bandipur --> Mysore --> BLR route(which is around 390 Km).
Please let me know which is the best option ? Please suggest if there are any better options.

Fast drive,4laned roads go via pollachi palladam kangayam perundurai slm route.toll as well.

Slow drive,narrow roads,heavy traffic go via nilambur mysore road.no toll

Correction in your route.it is gvr wadakancheri chelakara pazhayannur alathur kollengode pollachi.from guruvayur you can take choondal kecheri wadakancheri route.

[binand]

Originally Posted by Manzone799

I came to know that the second better option is the Nilambur --> Gudlur --> Bandipur --> Mysore --> BLR route(which is around 390 Km).

The route through Nilambur was closed for a while a few days ago due to the rains/landslides. Even now I read in newspapers that the road is in a very precarious state. You can consider the Guruvayur-Calicut (bypass)-Bangalore route which would be about 370 + 90 = 460 km - I am travelling till Calicut tomorrow (and back on Sunday) so can update road conditions after that.

[deepclutch]

Originally Posted by jacs

Travelled Kochi - Muvattupuzha - Thodupuzha - Moolamattom yesterday. All good roads and no water logging issues as hyped by news. Its still raining in Idukki district and inner roads are blocked due to small landslides in many places. Erattupetta - Vagamon area is to be alert still.

Muvattupuzha town was flooded during last 2 days blocking Ernakulam highway at Kadathi . Market was completely submerged and Kothamangalam road(Munnar highway) saw floods at various places like Kakkadassery. water receded afterwards.

Still the water is not receding completely from many low lying areas around the town although main highways water receded. a relatives house ground floor flooded with water rising almost 2 meters inside the house!. absolutely horrific experience as such a flood happened many decades back. people were using country boats(odi vallam) to move along the flooded properties.

Kothamangalam and Pala town also saw worst flood but water immediately receded unlike in Muvattupuzha.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by jacs

Travelled Kochi - Muvattupuzha - Thodupuzha - Moolamattom yesterday. All good roads and no water logging issues as hyped by news.

Thanks for the update Jacs.I guess it was not entirely hyped this time,there was a large element of truth as well for a change.Its just that water has receded quickly from the main roads and highways and thank goodness for that.I know of friends in Muvvattupuzha with houses and business and still struggling with flooding issues.

Originally Posted by deepclutch

Muvattupuzha town was flooded during last 2 days blocking Ernakulam highway at Kadathi . Market was completely submergeMuvattupuzha.

[gadadhar]

Doing Bangalore (from Kanakpura Road) to Perumbavoor next week - Plan is to do BGLR --> Kanakpura --> Malavalli --> Kollegal --> Chamrajnagar --> Sathyamangalam --> Puliampatti --> Annur --> Pollachi --> Kollengode --> Alathur --> Pazhayannur Road --> Join Shornur..Thrissur Road..

1 ) On Shornur..Thrissur Road near Wadakanchery I see an option of joining Mannuthy through Thannikudam insteam of going through Thrissur town, is this an option that can be considered?

2) I use a Sedan with low GC, is the ovearall route fine to take?

3) I plan to start 4.30 from Bangalore and plan to have breakfast and lunch on way, please guide on eat outs (more important are clean wash rooms) that can be consiedered while travelling with a family

[wins2807]

Hi,

I am planning bangalore-kanyakumari-alleppy-thekady-munar-blr next week.Does this seem possible in this weather and road conditions

thanks

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

1 ) On Shornur..Thrissur Road near Wadakanchery I see an option of joining Mannuthy through Thannikudam insteam of going through Thrissur town, is this an option that can be considered?

no this is not an option to be considered,there is hardly any road on that section.

drive straight to thrissur and follow this map and it would take you to the nh47.no need to backtrack to Mannuthy from Thrissur.You join nh47 much ahead of mannuthy

http://goo.gl/maps/X8i90

Originally Posted by gadadhar

2) I use a Sedan with low GC, is the ovearall route fine to take?

no problems with the route.good roads.

Originally Posted by gadadhar

3) I plan to start 4.30 from Bangalore and plan to have breakfast and lunch on way, please guide on eat outs (more important are clean wash rooms) that can be consiedered while travelling with a family

Good places to eat are less on this route as compared to the NH7-NH47 route.I would prefer the NH7 route simply for the reason of better facilities enroute and 4 lane availability.Washrooms availability is still worse on this route.I can only think of Nijaguna Residency with good washroom option http://www.nijagunaresidency.com/

Originally Posted by wins2807

Hi,

I am planning bangalore-kanyakumari-alleppy-thekady-munar-blr next week.Does this seem possible in this weather and road conditions

thanks

Expect bad roads everywhere.its still raining in kerala.You might want to remove munnar from your itinerary as the place is fresh from landslides and loose soil-no point adding to existing troubles.kanyakumari alleppey also expect rough roads.thekkady in rains is a bad idea,the boat service in all probability would be closed thanks to the rains? so not sure what is the point of going to thekkady.please go through earlier threads as well on munnar so that you can gauge for yourself before you make a decision.

[vinucv]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

1 ) On Shornur..Thrissur Road near Wadakanchery I see an option of joining Mannuthy through Thannikudam insteam of going through Thrissur town, is this an option that can be considered?

Please do not take this route. I was once taken to this route by google maps and had to wade through some really bad roads.

[samish_g]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Expect bad roads everywhere.its still raining in kerala. You might want to remove munnar from your itinerary as the place is fresh from landslides and loose soil-no point adding to existing troubles.

Can Munnar be approached via the Theni-Bodinayakanur? I heard this road was under repair. I am not sure whether the repair work is complete or not!!

Regards

Samish

[anarkanu]

Originally Posted by anarkanu

Thanks Ranjit, Finally decided to go to Ooty itself and take the Gudalur Nilambur route to cherai. Hope things are ok around Nadugani ghat section still with all the rain pounding happening around kochi & Ikkudi area. Weather forecast online seems to suggest the heaviest rains are over and will probably subside now. Any other reliable source which could corroborate this?

Return trip would thru kollengode-pollachi route.

Hey guys, kindly advise if its better to take a longer Ooty - pollachi - kollengode instead of nilambur one on to cherai! Someone said nilambur is in bad state. Thanks

[mallumowgli]

Originally Posted by anarkanu

Hey guys, kindly advise if its better to take a longer Ooty - pollachi - kollengode instead of nilambur one on to cherai! Someone said nilambur is in bad state. Thanks

There is an alternate : Instead of Pollachi which is an extreme roundabout route, you can take this to reach NH47 at Thalore

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=O...,9,11&t=m&z=14

You can take this if you are confident of driving through inner roads. But the roads are as good and wide as two-lane highways and are not as confusing as it seems in the map

Roads conditions are also good all through, with only a small portion at Velanthavalam needing attention (Also there is an outside chance of getting stuck at the Check-post )

And at Thrissur, don't take the traditional TUDA Road-Stadium Road-Jubilee mission hospital stretch (If you are aware of this). Roads are a mess here now

[shyamwestwind]

I was reading through all the posts and suddenly realized they were as old as 2007 !!
After the latest heavy spell of rains in Kerala, the heaviest ever in a long long time, could someone tell me what route I should take from Bangalore to Ernakulam ? I have an Automatic Wagon R and four of us want to travel on the 28th/29th of this month, AUGUST 2013 .
I will be grateful for some good first hand experienced advice.
Thanks in advance.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by shyamwestwind

I was reading through all the posts and suddenly realized they were as old as 2007 !!
After the latest heavy spell of rains in Kerala, the heaviest ever in a long long time, could someone tell me what route I should take from Bangalore to Ernakulam ? I have an Automatic Wagon R and four of us want to travel on the 28th/29th of this month, AUGUST 2013 .
I will be grateful for some good first hand experienced advice.
Thanks in advance.

This is a nobrainer.Salem perundurai kangayam palladam pollachi kollengode alathur chelakara wadakancheri athani thrissur kuttanellur nh47 chalakudy angamaly edappally

[shefeeqyr]

Not sure if this route is discussed in an earlier thread. Drove up and down Palakkad to Coimbatore the day before yesterday. NH47 is bad right from Palakkad town all the way till Madhukkarai where the NH enters the L&T toll road. Moderate to severe dilapidation of roads and several diversions due to construction work where the roads are nothing but mud, gravel and boulders.
Ironically, a new Land Rover/Range Rover/Jaguar showroom has opened up just before Madhukkarai beside the L&T Toll Road. When you travel from Palakkad to Coimbatore, you can see a huge advertisement on treatment for back pain and spinal cord problems on the way to Walayar – These are the two wayside amenities worth remembering.
While coming back it was around 9 PM when I reached Madhukkarai. Decided to try a de-tour, as I had to decide which way to take on my return to Bangalore this Sunday night. I had parked my vehicle a month back at home. Its time to take it back.
From Madhukkarai, went further till KG Chavadi. Took a left near RTO Checkpost at Chavadi.
The first couple of kilometers were good. Then there was a point of no road due to bridge construction, followed by a long stretch of work in progress roads. One good thing was that the road was soft – there were a lot of craters, but they had laid mud, gravel etc and put rock powder over it and the road was ready for a final tarring. Hence the surface was smooth on tires. Drove past that to meet a long stretch of moderate to bad roads. Being night time, it was totally isolated.
Took 11 km to reach Velanthavalam junction. Further ahead was Menonpara via Ahalya hospital. Roads were moderately good. From Menonpara I proceeded straight to the junction where we can take a right to Palakkad – BPL Koottupatha Junction. Left would have led us to Kozhinjanpara – Pollachi. Straight leads to Chittoor.
The right to Palakkad was a pleasure – very nice single lane road – enjoyed the 19 km drive there.
Palakkad – Nattukal Velanthavalam Road – Madhukkarai – 46 km per Google Maps
Palakkad – Madhukkarai via NH47 – 40 km
Out of 46, the first 20 km are really good. Next 9 Km are okay. Rest 17 are moderate to bad calling for slow drives.