[Shubbi]

I have an upcoming drive in Swift VDi from Kemmannugundi to Horanadu. gmaps suggests this route - https://goo.gl/NKDGmp.

Need inputs on this road's condition; any better/faster routes available? Does this route see any vehicle movement?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Shubbi

Need inputs on this road's condition; any better/faster routes available? Does this route see any vehicle movement?

I think the road to Balehonnur via Kadavanthi should be good. Some have taken that stretch in this season too I think. (I think it was @procrj. Check with him once)

[procrj]

Originally Posted by Shubbi

I have an upcoming drive in Swift VDi from Kemmannugundi to Horanadu. gmaps suggests this route - https://goo.gl/NKDGmp.

Need inputs on this road's condition; any better/faster routes available? Does this route see any vehicle movement?

Originally Posted by ampere

I think the road to Balehonnur via Kadavanthi should be good. Some have taken that stretch in this season too I think. (I think it was @procrj. Check with him once)

I did not do the Kemmanugundi - Balehonnur stretch but do remember reading someone post about it. Feeback was that its narrow with some patchy roads but very much doable. Not a fast road even though there is not much traffic.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Shubbi

I have an upcoming drive in Swift VDi from Kemmannugundi to Horanadu. gmaps suggests this route - https://goo.gl/NKDGmp.

Need inputs on this road's condition; any better/faster routes available? Does this route see any vehicle movement?

Originally Posted by ampere

I think the road to Balehonnur via Kadavanthi should be good. Some have taken that stretch in this season too I think. (I think it was @procrj. Check with him once)

Originally Posted by procrj

I did not do the Kemmanugundi - Balehonnur stretch but do remember reading someone post about it. Feeback was that its narrow with some patchy roads but very much doable. Not a fast road even though there is not much traffic.

Spoke to a friend from Balehonnur just now to get the latest situation. Says via Khandya kadavanthi is a mixed bag. Narrow, Good and Bad roads once in a while. At one point he even said it's a "Jeep road" where the roads were bad.

So taking this should not only be a calculated call but also depends on what you are driving and how comfortable are you to drive on narrow and bad patches with very less mobile network.

[Shubbi]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Spoke to a friend from Balehonnur just now to get the latest situation. Says via Khandya kadavanthi is a mixed bad. Narrow, Good and Bad roads once in a while. At one point he even said it's a "Jeep road" where the roads were bad.

So taking this should not only be a calculated call but also depends on what you are driving and how comfortable are you to drive on narrow and bad patches with very less mobile network.

Thanks Parag.

I am driving a Swift VDi, in day time. And very comfortable with driving on narrow roads, but also dislike (not hate) driving on bad patches, so to say

Are there better alternate routes? The one via CKM suggested by gmaps is what I am taking to reach Kemmannugundi, hence would prefer to not go via CKM again on the way back to Horanadu. And the other one via Tarikere, NR Pura sounds too round-about compared to Kadavanthi route.

2 hrs for 60 Kms for Kemmannugundi-Kadavanthi-Khandya sounds ok, unless those "jeep roads" are too bad for my VDi to handle.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Shubbi

2 hrs for 60 Kms for Kemmannugundi-Kadavanthi-Khandya sounds ok, unless those "jeep roads" are too bad for my VDi to handle.

Yes. You can consider that route as he never said "not to take" that road. That means it would not be that bad and hence I mentioned it as a calculated decision.

[Shubbi]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Yes. You can consider that route as he never said "not to take" that road. That means it would not be that bad and hence I mentioned it as a calculated decision.

Got it.
I missed asking this earlier, but any inputs on Balehonnur-Magundi-Balehole-Horanadu stretch?

[for_cars1]

Originally Posted by Shubbi

Got it.
I missed asking this earlier, but any inputs on Balehonnur-Magundi-Balehole-Horanadu stretch?

I did the Bangalore -> Belur -> Chickmagaluru -> Balehonnur -> Magundi -> Balehole -> Kalasa -> Horanadu stretch last week.

The Roads all the way from Chickmagagaluru (SH27, SH66, SH106) are in good condition. Progress will be slow and and need to be cautious due to the winding narrow roads and numerous blind corners.

After crossing Chickmagalur, you'll hardly find any place to eat until Kalasa(apart from small shops selling coffee). If you are traveling with family, make sure of having a break at Chickmagalur because it is very nauseating to drive on an empty stomach on this stretch.

[SureshS]

Planning to drive to Kollur the coming weekend. Would prefer to go via Agumbe. Which is the best route from Bangalore to get to Agumbe? Also is there an alternate route to Kollur which is better and faster?

[procrj]

Originally Posted by Shubbi

2hrs for 60 Kms for Kemmannugundi-Kadavanthi-Khandya sounds ok, unless those "jeep roads" are too bad for my VDi to handle.

do share an update on route taken and road conditions.

Originally Posted by SureshS

Planning to drive to Kollur the coming weekend. Would prefer to go via Agumbe. Which is the best route from Bangalore to get to Agumbe? Also is there an alternate route to Kollur which is better and faster?

Multiple routes to hit agumbe
1) Chikmagalur - Sringeri - Agumbe
2) Arsikere - Tirthahalli - Agumbe
I'm not sure what the road conditions are between agumbe & kollur but a friend of mine did Bangalore Kollur via Shimoga - Nagara - Kollur and he said road conditions are good but it's a lot of 2 lane roads & hence its not a 100 kmph cruise. Either ways it won't be a cruise and you will take 8+ hrs of driving to reach kollur.

Personally I'd prefer Sringeri - Agumbe - Kollur if the Agumbe kollur roads are fine as I know Bangalore Sringeri is a breeze with beautiful roads and nice twisties.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by procrj

Personally I'd prefer Sringeri - Agumbe - Kollur if the Agumbe kollur roads are fine as I know Bangalore Sringeri is a breeze with beautiful roads and nice twisties.

Best Option I would say is : Shimoga-Thirthahalli-Agumbe.

It may be a longer route, but it has lesser fatigue and its less twisty.

[SureshS]

Thanks Procrj and ampere. I may decide on Sringeri route as I love winding roads

[procrj]

Originally Posted by SureshS

Thanks Procrj and ampere. I may decide on Sringeri route as I love winding roads

Would suggest that you try the holige from this small place just outside sringeri on the sringeri - balehonnur road. They are simply melt in your mouth. Its not a shop but a small house where professional cooks make sweets for weddings & other functions.

[SureshS]

Wow. That's a good suggestion Will pick up some on the way and on the way back as well )

Which are good hotels at Chikmagalur to eat?

[Shubbi]

Originally Posted by procrj

do share an update on route taken and road conditions.

Well, it did not go according to the script

With my place of stay near Kaimara, the planned route was Baba Budan giri -> Kemmannugundi -> Kadavanthi -> Horanadu. But multiple people at Baba Budan giri (local jeep drivers, policemen, shopkeepers) warned against driving further on to Kemmannugundi, instead suggested to go via Kaimara - Lingadahalli. With time at a premium, had to drop this idea. Instead set out from Baba Budan giri to Horanadu via Sirisave, Kadavanthi. Traced back the route till point#A (refer map).

As soon as a I turned off the main road here, the road narrowed down to just enough for a truck, with thick bushes on both sides.

With no mobile coverage, relied on offline maps to navigate further. For the next 6-7 kms, the drive was spooky with hardly any soul around and the landscape alternating between lush tree cover and open roads covered by bushes.
Once I had to backtrack half a kilometer to find some space to let though a truck carrying logs. Next I ended up at an estate gate, where I realized that I had gone off the route, but I confirmed that the chosen route would indeed take me to Sirisave.
But around point#B, my offline map also lost its way and I ended up nowhere with hardly any visible road to drive further on, even though I sure had not missed any turns. With the silence in the car telling the story and time already around 1PM, my senses prevailed and the little adventure was ditched mid-way and I drove back all the way to point#A, turned right, drove to Horanadu via Kaimara-CKM-Balehonnur-Magundi.

Balehonnur-Magundi-Balehole-Horanadu is smooth surface to drive, with not much traffic and with many coffee shops on the way.

From Horanadu, returned back to Bangalore via Kalasa-Kottigehara-Belur-Hassan.