Team-BHP > Travelogues > Route / Travel Queries


Reply
  Search this Thread
4,554,085 views
Old 25th September 2017, 16:41   #10771
Senior - BHPian
 
sandsun7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 1,080
Thanked: 1,203 Times
Re: All Roads to Kerala

Quote:
Originally Posted by SAPVEN View Post
Hi Friends,

Am planning a trip with family from Bangalore to Thallasheri . Want to take
the Blr-Mys-Hand Post-Bavali-Manathavadi-Thallasheri route. Some questions to the friends who have recent experience on this route :

1. How is the road condition(especially the Kattikulam-Mananthavadi section)?
2. Is there any forest closing time on this route ( since it just skirts the
Nagarhole forest ) ?
3. From Mananthavadi to Koothuparambu, which is better route (deviation
from Boys Town ) , the Periya route or the Peravoor route ?

Thanks in advance
Any particular reason you would want to go via Mananthavady? The shortest and easiest route to Talasshery is via Hunsur-Gonikoppal-Virajpet bypass-Makutta Ghats-Iritty. There are some diversions in the Iritty-Mattanur-Talasshery stretch due to road work, but is manageable.
sandsun7 is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 25th September 2017, 16:55   #10772
BHPian
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BANGALORE
Posts: 119
Thanked: 26 Times
Re: All Roads to Kerala

Quote:
Originally Posted by sandsun7 View Post
Any particular reason you would want to go via Mananthavady? The shortest and easiest route to Talasshery is via Hunsur-Gonikoppal-Virajpet bypass-Makutta Ghats-Iritty. There are some diversions in the Iritty-Mattanur-Talasshery stretch due to road work, but is manageable.
Hi Sandsun,

I know , and always use that route (including 2 weeks back). However, the
almost continuous and monotonous winding section between Bittangla and Iritty , was creating problems for my family , hence the try for an alternate
route.
I have used the Bavali route before and found it OK, as far as the windings and slopes are concerned.
SAPVEN is offline  
Old 25th September 2017, 19:42   #10773
Senior - BHPian
 
sandsun7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 1,080
Thanked: 1,203 Times
Re: All Roads to Kerala

Quote:
Originally Posted by SAPVEN View Post
Hi Sandsun,

I know , and always use that route (including 2 weeks back). However, the
almost continuous and monotonous winding section between Bittangla and Iritty , was creating problems for my family , hence the try for an alternate
route.
I have used the Bavali route before and found it OK, as far as the windings and slopes are concerned.
I don't really think the routes differ in terms of the curves as far as the ghats are considered. Could be just a placebo effect you felt. The boys town-Kottiyoor stretch has much shorter but steeper ghat section, but the road is in shambles I hear. Moreover, the road between Kattikulam and Bavali I heard had few potholes when another member took it a fortnight ago. Since then, it has rained heavily in Wayanad too, so the condition could have deteriorated. I would say, if you are merely looking for a change from the routine, then take the bavali-Mananthavady route and go via Periya ghats - Nidumpoil-Kuthuparamba.
sandsun7 is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 26th September 2017, 11:26   #10774
BHPian
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BANGALORE
Posts: 119
Thanked: 26 Times
Re: All Roads to Kerala

Quote:
Originally Posted by sandsun7 View Post
The boys town-Kottiyoor stretch has much shorter but steeper ghat section, but the road is in shambles I hear. Moreover, the road between Kattikulam and Bavali I heard had few potholes when another member took it a fortnight ago. Since then, it has rained heavily in Wayanad too, so the condition could have deteriorated. I would say, if you are merely looking for a change from the routine, then take the bavali-Mananthavady route and go via Periya ghats - Nidumpoil-Kuthuparamba.
Thanks a ton !
I will use the Periya-Nidumpoil route from Boys Town and hope the total
journey is worthwhile . Since the Kattikulam -Mananthavadi stretch is
only about 10 km, is is manageable.
SAPVEN is offline  
Old 26th September 2017, 11:39   #10775
Senior - BHPian
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 1,525
Thanked: 1,364 Times
Re: All Roads to Kerala

Gents; what would be the traffic condition on the Mysore state highway on the 28th afternoon hours? Are there any big festivals happening in Mysore side, which may see more vehicles from Bengaluru on the roads? I understand that many companies/govt. establishments have a holiday on the 29th. Considering the below advice, I may stick to the Mysore Road-Kutta route as most likely I would not be able to leave the city before 4PM.

Quote:
Originally Posted by NPV View Post
If it's Gundlupet route that you're considering, the checkposts on both sides close at 9pm ..... Given this, you will be taking a big chance with a 4pm start
Quote:
Originally Posted by mpksuhas View Post
1. Due to time constraints, Kutta is the only option available.
sachinpk is online now  
Old 26th September 2017, 11:58   #10776
BHPian
 
treadmark's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 548
Thanked: 337 Times
Re: All Roads to Kerala

Quote:
Originally Posted by sachinpk View Post
Gents; what would be the traffic condition on the Mysore state highway on the 28th afternoon hours? Are there any big festivals happening in Mysore side, which may see more vehicles from Bengaluru on the roads?
You can expect that to be on the higher side not only because of long weekend but for Dasara, guess what during last year Dasara weekend even NH 948 via Kanakapura had traffic on the higher side. I used Kanakapura since we went through Chamarajnagar ~ Dhimbam ~ Thrissur and ended up as a bad decision because of a block in Dhimbam which made it even worse.
So be prepared for more vehicles!

Cheers!
treadmark is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 26th September 2017, 12:01   #10777
NPV
Distinguished - BHPian
 
NPV's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Namma Bengaluru
Posts: 7,206
Thanked: 10,232 Times
Re: All Roads to Kerala

Quote:
Originally Posted by sachinpk View Post
what would be the traffic condition on the Mysore state highway on the 28th afternoon hours? Are there any big festivals happening in Mysore side, which may see more vehicles from Bengaluru on the roads?
Friday is a holiday for many establishments/offices, so Thursday afternoon/evening may see more traffic on Mysore Road.
Dasara festival is on, so generally Mysore will have more tourist crowds. The main procession is on the last day of Dasara, I think it is Sep 30.
NPV is offline  
Old 26th September 2017, 14:28   #10778
Distinguished - BHPian
 
mpksuhas's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: KA03/KL11
Posts: 3,923
Thanked: 7,315 Times
Re: All Roads to Kerala

Quote:
Originally Posted by sachinpk View Post
Gents; what would be the traffic condition on the Mysore state highway on the 28th afternoon hours?
As others mentioned, due to long weekend there will be additional traffic on Mysore road. However, the usual tourist traffic will peak only on Friday. So you should be able to manage with minimum issues.
mpksuhas is offline  
Old 26th September 2017, 16:30   #10779
BHPian
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BANGALORE
Posts: 119
Thanked: 26 Times
Re: All Roads to Kerala

Quote:
Originally Posted by NPV View Post
Friday is a holiday for many establishments/offices, so Thursday afternoon/evening may see more traffic on Mysore Road.
Dasara festival is on, so generally Mysore will have more tourist crowds. The main procession is on the last day of Dasara, I think it is Sep 30.
What about traffic restrictions and diversions in Mysore city ? Remember this
was an unexpected delay for us a couple of years back ! Will there be
such issues on 29th also ( am sure definitely it will be there on 30th ).
SAPVEN is offline  
Old 27th September 2017, 07:14   #10780
Senior - BHPian
 
pramodpk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 1,089
Thanked: 580 Times
Re: All Roads to Kerala

Drove Vaikom- Trivandrum and back yesterday.

Route - Vaikom- Kumarakom - Kottayam -Changanasseri - Thiruvalla - Chengannur - Adoor - Kottarakkara - Trivandrum

Onward - 6:00 AM to 9:30 AM
Return - 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM

Some craters in the Vaikom Kumarakom stretch. Road work between Changanassery and Thiruvalla.

Watch out for interceptor between Chengannoor and Venaramoodu apart from Speed camera.

Work on Changanassery - Thiruvalla progressing at snail's pace.
pramodpk is offline  
Old 27th September 2017, 07:17   #10781
BHPian
 
ece2k2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Coimbatore
Posts: 524
Thanked: 348 Times
Re: All Roads to Kerala

Quote:
Originally Posted by pramodpk View Post
As per reports, the NH should be repaired by month end. If that is the case, take the NH. Watch this thread for updates.
has there been any updates lately? Thanks in advance for your help.
ece2k2 is online now  
Old 27th September 2017, 10:02   #10782
BHPian
 
Ashwin Morey's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Pune
Posts: 119
Thanked: 226 Times
Re: All Roads to Kerala

Hi Everyone,

I am planning for a trip from Pune to Kochi, starting from Pune on the weekend before Diwali and planning to reach Kochi not later than Saturday night. I have a GLA and will be traveling with Wife & 2 kids so I guess for both the journeys (to & fro), I will be starting Friday morning, night halt somewhere and then reaching destination on Saturday night.

Given the background, I am hoping to get some information/opinion/advice/suggestions from all distinguished members on the following:

There are 2 routes that I am interested in -
a) The quickest & simplest is Pune-Banglaore-Hosur-Salem-Coimbatore-Palakkad-Kochi (NH 48) route as per Google.

b) A longer though much more interesting route is the Pune-Udupi-Mangalore-Kasargod-Kochi. If you enter this search criteria in Google you will notice that from Udupi onwards till you reach Kochi it's a straight road almost parallel to India's South-Eastern coastal line, with picturesque coastal towns, beaches etc.

I would definitely be taking both the routes however the question is which one to take when i.e. which one to take while going to Kochi and which one to take while coming back from Kochi.

Also given that i plan to drive at least 10 to 11 hours before taking a long halt, it would mean that during each journey I will be spending a night in a town midway. Any suggestions for this? Though on the coastal route I do plan to take a rest at Udupi.

If any of you have tried these options before it would be really helpful to get some insights especially on the Pune-Udupi-Mangalore-Kasargod-Kochi route.



Look forward to the comments.


Best,
Ashwin
Ashwin Morey is offline  
Old 27th September 2017, 10:26   #10783
Distinguished - BHPian
 
Rajeevraj's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 4,604
Thanked: 17,633 Times
Re: All Roads to Kerala

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ashwin Morey View Post
There are 2 routes that I am interested in -
a) The quickest & simplest is Pune-Banglaore-Hosur-Salem-Coimbatore-Palakkad-Kochi (NH 48) route as per Google.

b) A longer though much more interesting route is the Pune-Udupi-Mangalore-Kasargod-Kochi. If you enter this search criteria in Google you will notice that from Udupi onwards till you reach Kochi it's a straight road almost parallel to India's South-Eastern coastal line, with picturesque coastal towns, beaches etc.

I would definitely be taking both the routes however the question is which one to take when i.e. which one to take while going to Kochi and which one to take while coming back from Kochi.

If any of you have tried these options before it would be really helpful to get some insights especially on the Pune-Udupi-Mangalore-Kasargod-Kochi route.
Don't have all the answers but couple of small comments. With the Bangalore-Salem route, 90-95% of the route is 4 laned. So it would be faster and more importantly much less tiring.

The Udupi-Mangalore-Kasargod route is no doubt more scenic, but need to keep in mind that it is pretty much a 2 lane road most of the way and you are going to encounter very heavy traffic- Especially on the Mangalore-Kasargod-Calicut-Cochin stretch. The roads are relatively narrow and traffic is heavy. In addition once you enter Kerala, the highway is dotted with towns every few km's which can make progress slower.

End result is that it is going to make your drive in this section more tiring. Maybe you can plan to spend a day somewhere in north kerala on the return leg (Kannur/Bekal Fort) to enjoy some sights and also recover from the driving stress.
Rajeevraj is offline  
Old 27th September 2017, 10:32   #10784
BHPian
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 185
Thanked: 239 Times
Re: All Roads to Kerala

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ashwin Morey View Post
b) A longer though much more interesting route is the Pune-Udupi-Mangalore-Kasargod-Kochi. If you enter this search criteria in Google you will notice that from Udupi onwards till you reach Kochi it's a straight road almost parallel to India's South-Eastern coastal line, with picturesque coastal towns, beaches etc.
Google does make it look tempting but reality is quite opposite. It is a 2 lane highway passing through a lot of towns with heavy traffic - local as well as long distance, including slow moving trucks, reckless private buses and race car drivers. Given a generous dose of rainfall this season, I am not too sure if the road surface would've held up. If at all you plan to do this, I recommend doing this from Kochi to Pune when it will be at the beginning of your journey. While the scenic quotient of towns is subjective, I've not found the towns on this route to meet the picturesque coastal town definition. But then they may appeal to some But in general there are quite a few scenic spots though.

The route from Pune - Udupi needs to be considered. The coastal highway of course is scenic but would be quite painful on a long trip considering state of roads and traffic.
Mnjdnght is online now  
Old 27th September 2017, 11:52   #10785
BHPian
 
Ashwin Morey's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Pune
Posts: 119
Thanked: 226 Times
Re: All Roads to Kerala

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mnjdnght View Post
Google does make it look tempting but reality is quite opposite. It is a 2 lane highway passing through a lot of towns with heavy traffic - local as well as long distance, including slow moving trucks, reckless private buses and race car drivers. Given a generous dose of rainfall this season, I am not too sure if the road surface would've held up. If at all you plan to do this, I recommend doing this from Kochi to Pune when it will be at the beginning of your journey. While the scenic quotient of towns is subjective, I've not found the towns on this route to meet the picturesque coastal town definition. But then they may appeal to some But in general there are quite a few scenic spots though.

The route from Pune - Udupi needs to be considered. The coastal highway of course is scenic but would be quite painful on a long trip considering state of roads and traffic.
I think the 2 lane only starts once you enter Kasargod (Kerala) otherwise till then it is quite scenic and beautiful. Honestly i have been warned about the riskier and frustrating route from Kasargod to Kochi however I don't know of an alternate route from say Mangalore to Kochi.

Any suggestions?


Best,
Ashwin
Ashwin Morey is offline  
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks