[rex_varghese]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

You can go direct from Nilambur via Pandikkad to Perinthalmanna and Edappal, saves you going through Manjeri and Malappuram.

I agree. I too take this route and it's much better than the Malappuram route. And, further take Shornur to hit Trichur. I find this one better than the Kunnamkulam leg.

On a side note, I heard somebody who has been living in Malappuram for a long time mentioning that it's the most dangerous district to drive, in Kerala.

Regards
Rex

[sj_koova]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

You can go direct from Nilambur via Pandikkad to Perinthalmanna and Edappal, saves you going through Manjeri and Malappuram.

Hey thanks hv and rex.
I will look at yahoo maps and mapmyindia to understand this part better.
How much can I cut down by deviating vai pandikkad?

[HotChillyPepper]

Even I will be driving down from Bangalore to Kollam Saturday early morning ( 2 AM). The following the route I have in my mind:
Bangalore -> Kanakapura ->Malavalli->Kollegal->Yelandur ->Chamaraja Nagar -> Satyamagalam -> Annur -> Coimbatore -> Palakkad -> Thrissur -> Cochin -> Kollam.

Can anyone tell me about this road? Is it a good and Safe drive? I never been to this route before. Doing this to avoid Bangalore -> Coimbatore stretch, which is really bad due to road widening.

OT: Is there anyone driving from Bangalore to Kerala by Saturday(06-sep-2008) early morning ?

[pgginish]

Hi HCP,

I will be driving to Ernakulam on saturday morning (4AM) in my Getz. I am planning to take Blore-Msore-Nilambur-Trichur-EKM route.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by sj_koova

Hey thanks hv and rex.
I will look at yahoo maps and mapmyindia to understand this part better.
How much can I cut down by deviating vai pandikkad?

Almost the same distance. More of relief from congested roads in and around Manjeri and Malappuram.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by HotChillyPepper

Even I will be driving down from Bangalore to Kollam Saturday early morning ( 2 AM). The following the route I have in my mind:
Bangalore -> Kanakapura ->Malavalli->Kollegal->Yelandur ->Chamaraja Nagar -> Satyamagalam -> Annur -> Coimbatore -> Palakkad -> Thrissur -> Cochin -> Kollam.

Can anyone tell me about this road? Is it a good and Safe drive? I never been to this route before. Doing this to avoid Bangalore -> Coimbatore stretch, which is really bad due to road widening.

OT: Is there anyone driving from Bangalore to Kerala by Saturday(06-sep-2008) early morning ?

I would take pgginish's route. The roads are bad in some places (Kanakapura-Malavalli, Charamajnagar-TN Border, Coimbatore-Palakkad, etc), and you also end up navigating Coimbatore city (unless you take a longer route going from Annur to Avinashi).

[unni.ak]

[quote=OT: Is there anyone driving from Bangalore to Kerala by Saturday(06-sep-2008) early morning ?[/quote]

Me too planning 6th Sept '08 drive home at around 4am (depending on when I can get out of office)

Route: Bangalore - Mysore - Nilambur - Edappal - Ernakulam - Alleppey

[HotChillyPepper]

Originally Posted by pgginish

Hi HCP,

I will be driving to Ernakulam on saturday morning (4AM) in my Getz. I am planning to take Blore-Msore-Nilambur-Trichur-EKM route.

Originally Posted by unni.ak

Me too planning 6th Sept '08 drive home at around 4am (depending on when I can get out of office)

Route: Bangalore - Mysore - Nilambur - Edappal - Ernakulam - Alleppey

Originally Posted by hvkumar

I would take pgginish's route. The roads are bad in some places (Kanakapura-Malavalli, Charamajnagar-TN Border, Coimbatore-Palakkad, etc), and you also end up navigating Coimbatore city (unless you take a longer route going from Annur to Avinashi).

Thanks for the great info Kumar. So better I will follow pgginish

@pgginish & unni
Shall we join somewhere at outskerts of Bangalore and go together ?

[unni.ak]

Originally Posted by HotChillyPepper

Thanks for the great info Kumar. So better I will follow pgginish

@pgginish & unni
Shall we join somewhere at outskerts of Bangalore and go together ?

Sure we can try to do that. PM'ed you my mob number.

[bijayks]

On 24th Aug, I traveled from Kodungallur to Bangalore via Thrissur P.Manna, Nilambur. Road between Thrissur and Nilambur is good, but narrow with lots of private bus and trucks. Road from Nilambur until TN border is very good, recently done up i think. TN border until Karnataka border is pretty bad and then on its really good. I was surprised to see the quality of roads inside the forest within Karnataka!!

[pgginish]

Originally Posted by bijayks

TN border until Karnataka border is pretty bad and then on its really good.

The roads in TN is managable?

[hellstar]

I just heard that the road from Thekkady to Kottayam , NH220 ( i think so ) is blocked due to heavy rains resulting in landslides, has anybody done this route in the past couple of days ? Any updates ?

@ unni.ak and @ hotchillypepper finally which route did you guys take and what are the route updates?

[hvkumar]

Not only in Thekkady-Kottayam but also in various parts of Idukkki district, roads were blocked due to heavy rains in the last 2 days (as per local Malayalam TV channels).

I had a quick word with unni.ak who drove down to Alapuzha/Ambalapuzha via Mysore, Gudalur, Nilambur and Edappal. He reported bad roads from Gudalur to Kerala border. The ghats leading down to Nilambur have some damages on the curves. But the worst experience was reserved for the drive from Nilambur to Edappal, where he lost considerable time and hurt his car (Ford Fiesta). Very surprising, this entire route was in great form even 3 weeks ago when a friend of mine drove down from Bombay to Pattambi on this route.

Let us await a detailed report from unni.ak - he must be busy with his Onam celebrations.

[hellstar]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Not only in Thekkady-Kottayam but also in various parts of Idukkki district, roads were blocked due to heavy rains in the last 2 days (as per local Malayalam TV channels).

I had a quick word with unni.ak who drove down to Alapuzha/Ambalapuzha via Mysore, Gudalur, Nilambur and Edappal. He reported bad roads from Gudalur to Kerala border. The ghats leading down to Nilambur have some damages on the curves. But the worst experience was reserved for the drive from Nilambur to Edappal, where he lost considerable time and hurt his car (Ford Fiesta). Very surprising, this entire route was in great form even 3 weeks ago when a friend of mine drove down from Bombay to Pattambi on this route.

Let us await a detailed report from unni.ak - he must be busy with his Onam celebrations.

I was considering this route for an overnight drive starting from Blore on 10th sep'08 at 2200 hrs , now i think i will either have to take the normal NH47 route after the mettur - bhavani excursion...or the madurai route and then enter kerala from courtallam .... i dont think there are too much issues on the madurai route other than the odd deviation and the road widening.

I am worried as i too wanna get busy with Onam !

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by hellstar

I was considering this route for an overnight drive starting from Blore on 10th sep'08 at 2200 hrs , now i think i will either have to take the normal NH47 route after the mettur - bhavani excursion...or the madurai route and then enter kerala from courtallam .... i dont think there are too much issues on the madurai route other than the odd deviation and the road widening.

I am worried as i too wanna get busy with Onam !

The route via Calicut is also still in good shape, and since you are going by night, you can escape all the day traffic of Kerala.