[gadadhar]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

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

Thanks for the tips. I am familiar with the Kuttanallore route that joins near Ousadhi, will take that.

Originally Posted by vinucv

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.

Thanks for saving the day for me

[vindrider2626]

For anyone travelling to ettumanoor or palai,thodhupuzha from tvm i would advise them to take the puthupally,manarcad route from thiruvalla which takes you to kidangoor from where it is a smooth road,The roads are also fine with no potholes and less traffic,the road via changanassery,kottaym is a terrible mess and will eat up lot of time.

[denver85]

Dont know whether this is reported in this thread. In the Palakkad-Kozhikode NH 213, the roads are completely gone in between Mundoor-Manarkkad. There are no roads for most of the sections. Better stick to Mundoor-Kongad-Cheruplasseri-Perinthalmanna. The are not the best here also. But anyday better than Manarkkad route.

[Kaimal]

Hi,
I am planning to drive down to Tiruvalla from Bangalore(during the October Holidays) in a single trip. As Coimbatore - Palghat - Thrissur road doesn't seem to get fixed in the near future(Though still hoping that the strike by the private bus owners will have some impact), I am planning to take the Pollachi - Alathur - Wadakkancheri - Thrissur road.
Will start from Bangalore at around 5.00AM(Have a 1 and 5 year old kid, so don't think I can start early than this). Planning to take breakfast at Saravana Bhavan on the NH after Salem.I think it will take about 6.5 hours from this place to Thrissur(Hotel Bharath at Thrissur has been my long time favourite), but this will be too late for lunch. Can you suggest some good restuarants for Lunch in this route.

Thanks
Regards
Girish

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by Kaimal

Hi,
I am planning to drive down to Tiruvalla from Bangalore(during the October Holidays) in a single trip. As Coimbatore - Palghat - Thrissur road doesn't seem to get fixed in the near future(Though still hoping that the strike by the private bus owners will have some impact), I am planning to take the Pollachi - Alathur - Wadakkancheri - Thrissur road.
Will start from Bangalore at around 5.00AM(Have a 1 and 5 year old kid, so don't think I can start early than this). Planning to take breakfast at Saravana Bhavan on the NH after Salem.I think it will take about 6.5 hours from this place to Thrissur(Hotel Bharath at Thrissur has been my long time favourite), but this will be too late for lunch. Can you suggest some good restuarants for Lunch in this route.

Thanks
Regards
Girish

Village county to your left as you enter kollengode
Noopura residency at pazhyannur to your left at ambalanada
Deliza on vazhani road at wadakancheri
There is a good restaurant at the junction of the valparai road and the kollengode road to your right

Perundurai thrissur shouldnt take you more than 5hrs

[ranjitp1]

Avoid drivng to Trivandrum tomorrow as there is huge political gathering planned in the city and the city resembles a fort now.

[aajohn]

Planning for a bangalore to kottayam trip on Aug 15. Usually take the route via Kumily, but not sure this time because of the heavy rains. Could anyone give an update?

[thoma]

Originally Posted by aajohn

Planning for a bangalore to kottayam trip on Aug 15. Usually take the route via Kumily, but not sure this time because of the heavy rains. Could anyone give an update?

This post could be of help to you. It was updated last week.

[jacs]

Originally Posted by aajohn

Planning for a bangalore to kottayam trip on Aug 15. Usually take the route via Kumily, but not sure this time because of the heavy rains. Could anyone give an update?

Originally Posted by thoma

This post could be of help to you. It was updated last week.

Reached home yesterday early morning after a Velankanni trip and below is the latest update.

Road condition

Kottayam - Mundakkayam : Excellent, do not recollect any potholes.

Mundakkayam - Peermade : Good, do expect some surprise potholes here and there in curves. Avoid driving too fast. Its easy still.

Peermade - Kumily : Okay, bad stretches around Pambanar and after Vandiperiyar. Manageable on low speeds no doubt.

Kumily to Lowercamp : Excellent, nothing to be cautioned except the curves incase you are driving first time.

Lowercamp to Cumbom : Good, expect some deviations due to widening

Cumbom to Bathalgundu : Okay, some rough stretches here and there but nothing like Pambanar and Kumily

Bathelgundu to Dindigul : Good, expect some deviations due to widening

[pkumar]

Originally Posted by aajohn

Planning for a bangalore to kottayam trip on Aug 15. Usually take the route via Kumily, but not sure this time because of the heavy rains. Could anyone give an update?

I travelled yesterday on this route.
Route is clear all the way till Kottayam.
Dindigul to Kumily is newly laid fast road. Kumily onwards also the road is good. No water logging, etc.

[pkumar]

On 9th Aug drove on Kumarakom-Pala-Erattupeta-Vagamon road and on 11th from Vagamon to Kumily.
Slightly patchy road between Neendor and Ettumanoor. From here to Pala to Erattupeta is excellent road. From Erattupeta ghat road till Vagamon. At 3-4 places landslides had happened earlier, but road was open now. On this couple of hundred meters of very bad road is there, but possible to do in any car at low speed.
Vagamon to Kumily is good road.

[gadadhar]

Bangalore Pollachy route in Google ( http://goo.gl/maps/2gW35) shows deviation from NH 209 from Annur to join NH 47 at Karumathampatti, continue on NH47 and taking left turn after Karpagam University on to NH 209. I was just wondering whether it will be better to continue on NH 209 and pass through Coimbatore (or is it foolish to pass through the city), request experts to advise

Edit : I see that passing through City is only 5 kms shorter, so sounds like not an intereseting option?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

Edit : I see that passing through City is only 5 kms shorter, so sounds like not an intereseting option?

Not worth it I would say. And surely BLR-Pollachi should see more traffic than Palladam-Pollachi.

[gadadhar]

Originally Posted by ampere

Not worth it I would say. And surely BLR-Pollachi should see more traffic than Palladam-Pollachi.

Ampere - Sorry if my post was confusing. I was weighing between continuing on NH 209 and pass through Coimbatore VS coming through Karumathampatti --> NH47 and then getting on to NH209.
My overall plan is to go via Kanakpura road through Sathyamangalam to enjoy the forest and winding roads plus avoid the long queues at Toll Plaza (saving Toll money is a bonus, but not a must)
Please let me know if you have alternate suggestions

[Abhnag]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

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.

Ranjit, thanks a ton for your map - put it on google maps and drove to Alleppey and back over the extended weekend. This route has absolutely no problems.

Started from Bangalore at ~6pm Thursday, stopped overnight at Salem (slight annoyances due to the highway being widened but otherwise not many issues)
Started from Salem next morning and drove to Alleppey through perundurai, kangayam, palladam, pollachi route - really good roads without any problems.

While returning, started off at 10am from Allp and reached Bangalore only by 11pm - mostly because of the toll plaza traffic (not to mention people who zoom ahead and decide to nose their way into the lane somewhere in front) but the roads are really good.

Thanks again for the inputs