[blrboy]

Hi guys,
I am planning a trip to Palani with my family in the long week end
this month end.

1.Please, can you let me know the best route to take to reach Palani
from Bangalore.

2.Should I go via Dindigul.When I go to my native (Palakkad) I used to
take devaition from Thoppur and go via Mettur->Bhavani-> without
touching erode or salem.The road in feb 2007 was good and reduced
the journey by atleast 20 kms.Can I take the same route even now?

3.What are the road conditions between Krisnagiri and Dharmapuri?It was
bad then (in Feb 2007)

5.Is there any shell pumps on the route or Reliance A-one plazas on the
route ?

6.What are the good places to take a break for food and rest in between

At Palani:
1.What is a good place to stay?I heard that Hotel Rajalakshmi opp to Palani bus stand is a good place.have any body been there?

2.Is it worth taking the car to the hill top?How will be the drive.I am with a family of 5?

Thanks,

[blrboy]

Sorry..I forgot to mention this.I am travelling from Bangalore.

[blorebuddy]

Originally Posted by blrboy

Hi guys,
I am planning a trip to Palani with my family in the long week end
this month end.

1.Please, can you let me know the best route to take to reach Palani
from Bangalore.

You can take your usual Mettur - Bhavani route. After Bhavani you will get Perundurai where you will be taking right to go to Coimbatore/Palakkad instead go straight which will lead to Chennimalai - Kangeyam - Dharapuram - Palani which is the straight route for you. From Perundurai it is approximately 100kms to Palani

Originally Posted by blrboy

2.Should I go via Dindigul.When I go to my native (Palakkad) I used to
take devaition from Thoppur and go via Mettur->Bhavani-> without
touching erode or salem.The road in feb 2007 was good and reduced
the journey by atleast 20 kms.Can I take the same route even now?

Do not go to Dindigul which is very long - round about route.
I went on this road in August end. The road was in good condition except few patches.

Originally Posted by blrboy

3.What are the road conditions between Krisnagiri and Dharmapuri?It was
bad then (in Feb 2007)

This road is ok. Was getting bad. I think it will be still worse due to recent rain. Between Dharmapuri and Thorppur there are new pot holes. be watchful(might have filled by now also)

Originally Posted by blrboy

5.Is there any shell pumps on the route or Reliance A-one plazas on the
route ?

You must be knowing reliance plazas till Bhavani/Perundurai. There is one in Kangeyam but not on the Dharapuram road. It is on Kangeyam - Coimbatore road.
There is a Reliance pump in Palani. There are sign boards in Palani to reach it. It is on Palani - Dindigul road.

Originally Posted by blrboy

6.What are the good places to take a break for food and rest in between
Dharmapuri - Hotel Rama
Perundurai - Jothi Bhavan/Arya bhavan

Originally Posted by blrboy

2.Is it worth taking the car to the hill top?How will be the drive.I am with a family of 5?

You can't take the car to the hill top.

[blrboy]

Thank you blorebuddy.That was helpful

[2theMax]

Palani foothills is a nasty place for parking your car , you could park in the pay park next to the winch station , i leave my car in my hotel if not chauffered , and take a cab or rick to the foothills , which would be just a couple of miles from anywhere in palani .

If you are parking in the pay park , make sure no CD's or bags are left visible on the seats of your locked car.

Have a good trip .

[csentil]

All other information being the same, just an update on the Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri road. Just be careful while driving on this road especially after you change from the 4 lane GQ to the 2 lane NH. There are potholes on the middle of the road as well. Keep your speeds low and you should be fine. Avoid night driving at all costs.

Be careful when you overtake as there are no shoulders in certain sections and the other lane can have potholes which you might not be able to avoid.

The general consensus amongst us who went on that route was the lane from Krishnagiri to Dharmapuri has lesser potholes than the lane from Dharmapuri to Krishnagiri.

Dharmapuri - Thoppur also has its fair share of potholes. Just be careful.

[ravi@64bhp]

Blrboy
Take the route what Blorebuddy suggested. Travelled this route last month while going to Kodai. Very good roads except krishnagiri to dharmapuri. There is a Reliance Petrol pump between Thoppur and Mettur. There is one in Palani also.

Happy driving.

[GSHA]

Hi Blrboy...

I did a trip to Palani last weekend.

The Route: Bangalore - Hosur - Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri - Salem - Namakkal - Karur - Tharapuram - Palani. This seemed to be the most direct route on the maps.

The Road: It is GQ till Krishnagiri. The road till Dharmapuri is fine - you could do easy 100kmph if the traffic is light. Thoppur ghats have bad surfaces (due to molten tar sliding out). For about 20km beyond Thoppur, the road is full of potholes. Patience is the only virtue. Salem to Karur is fine too. The best part is the road from Karur to Palani. Though it is a state highway, the surface is silk smooth - looks relatively new. Could clip at 120kmph. Very light traffic too - since it is not a commercial route, practically no trucks.

Places to eat:

1. Hosur - Rennaisance Grand located about 3km after Hosur
2. Krishnagiri - Hotel Tamilnadu, a slight deviation of 1km on the GQ towards Chennai
3. Dharmapuri - Hotel Rama, [plus there is a new big one which I don't recall the name]
4. Salem - Sangeeta on the ring road (first cutting)
5. Namakkal - Annapurna (but you have to go into Namakkal town) on the Tiruchy road
6. Palani - Arya Bhavan, Nala bagham, Saravana Bhavan (many of them are called by the same name!!)

I stayed at my uncle's place in Namakkal... so, no idea about hotels in Palani!!!

[blorebuddy]

@GSHA
Hi, I know this is the straight route but it is lot of traffic till Karur as this is NH7. Also roads are very bad from Thoppur for another 20kms

@Bloreboy
Did you take Hosur - Royakottai - Palakod route?
I am traveling this weekend. How is this road?
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[ravi@64bhp]

Raikotta road is two lane with lot of twisties. I have travelled from hosur till Raikotta and found many potholes, a bit dangerous too with some fools overtaking at blind curves. I suggest, you better stick to hosur-krishnari-dharmapuri road.

Do not take salem route. Just take Thoppur-mattur-bhavani-perundurai-kangeyam-palani. You will enjoy the ride.

[blorebuddy]

Originally Posted by ravi@64bhp

Raikotta road is two lane with lot of twisties. I have travelled from hosur till Raikotta and found many potholes, a bit dangerous too with some fools overtaking at blind curves. I suggest, you better stick to hosur-krishnari-dharmapuri road.

When did you take this route? recently?

[civicsense]

Hello,

I am planning to travel from Bangalore to Palani Hills in my Civic this weekend and I would like some advice on which route to take.

I seem to have the following options:

Route 1. Easiest, but Longest (about 450km)

Take NH 7 till Karur (Blr-Hosur-Krishnagiri-Salem-Namakkal-Karur)
Karur-Dharapuram-Palani

Route 2. Shortest Route, but roads unknown (about 339km)

Take NH7 till Hosur
Take SH17 via Rayakottai, Palakkodu, merging with NH7 past Dharmapuri
Proceed til Thoppur on NH7 (could even take NH7 from Blr-Thoppur-part of Route1)
Take SH20 to Bhavani (Thoppur-Mecheri-Mettur-Bhavani) BLR-Bhavani is 216km. bhavani-Palani is 123 km
Take NH47 to Perundurai (Bhavani-Chittode-Perundurai)
Take SH96 to Kangeyam (Perundurai-Chennimalai-Kangeyam)
SH96 merges with SH37 at Kangeyam - proceed till Dharapuram
Take SH153 to Palani Hills (Dharapuram-Alangiyam-Palani)

Questions:

1. How good is SH17 (hosur-rayakottai-palakkod-dharmapuri) right now?
2. How good is SH20 (Thoppur-Mecheri-Mettur-Bhavani) right now?
3. Any experiences to be shared for the route from Bhavani to Palani Hills woul d be really useful.

Thanks,
Pravin

[civicsense]

Hello,

Has anyone recently traveled from Bangalore to Palani? How is the state of the roads from Thoppur to Mettur to Bhavani? What about the section from Bhavani to Perundurai to Dharapuram to Palani?

If they are not good, I will take NH7 all the way to Karur and then through Dharapuram to Palani. But this is at least 60km more.

Thanks,
Pravin

[hvkumar]

Toppur-Mettur-Bhavani has some patchy sections, but generally OK. Road from Perunthurai is good.

[PraveenM]

We were on the Mettur-Thoppur section a week back and there are sections that have been patched up but remain rough, but no potholes. Wouldn't slow you down.