[prashanthyr]

We are planning to drive from Bangalore to Pondicherry via Tirukkoyilur next month and want to know which is the best route to take. Since we are traveling with families, a route with good road and clean hotels/plazas is prefered. Can anyone please let me know if the Bangalore - Krishnagiri - Tiruvannamalai - Tirukooyilur - Pondicherry road is good and if restaurants are available on the way?

[akroy]

Originally Posted by prashanthyr

We are planning to drive from Bangalore to Pondicherry via Tirukkoyilur next month and want to know which is the best route to take. Since we are traveling with families, a route with good road and clean hotels/plazas is prefered. Can anyone please let me know if the Bangalore - Krishnagiri - Tiruvannamalai - Tirukooyilur - Pondicherry road is good and if restaurants are available on the way?

Pls read this thread, hope that helps
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...annamalai.html

Abhi

[mogambo]

Prashanth - Not sure if it is too late to answer your question yet
I was at T'malai and T'oor 2 days back.
You have to go via T'malai to T'oor (35km but superb road).
I did not go all the way to Pondy.
However, K'giri upto T'malai - expect bad roads for about 40km. Otherwise its great.

There is really no place at all to eat between K'Giri and T'malai. You might try something at some of the little hamlets on the way but probably there is nothing much more than a tapri types tea-shop.
@ K'giri you might have to get off the bypass to eat or maybe try ABhi's suggestion of Uthaiya's 10km before K'Giri tollbooth. I didn't do that.

You can try an alternative KGiri - TMalai route mentioned here - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...annamalai.html

As such i wasn't even impressed by food/hotels in T'Malai - quite strange given that most places in TN have awesome food.

A good idea is to carry snacks and a flask(s) of tea/coffee as we did. Saves time as well.

Suggestion - Between Tirukkoyilur and Tiruvannamalai, try the Manalurpettai (Manalurpet) route. This place is 10km North of Tirukkoyilur - there is a temple here called Thiruvarangam and is supposed to be really good. I didn't get a chance to see it though.

Thx

Ravi

Originally Posted by prashanthyr

We are planning to drive from Bangalore to Pondicherry via Tirukkoyilur next month and want to know which is the best route to take. Since we are traveling with families, a route with good road and clean hotels/plazas is prefered. Can anyone please let me know if the Bangalore - Krishnagiri - Tiruvannamalai - Tirukooyilur - Pondicherry road is good and if restaurants are available on the way?

[prashanthyr]

Thanks for the suggestions. Nope, its still not too late to give me more options. I am going only on Dec 22, posted this query a month in advance so that it gives me options on planning the logistics of the trip. We are 8 of us and are taking 2 cars - a 2006 Santro and a 2007 Getz 1.1.
The route I have was obtained from MapmyIndia - maps, directions, and local search across India - just search, print and go!

[mogambo]

Cool - I usually rely on Wikimapia - Let's describe the whole world!... Will look at mapmyindia.com - I recently purchased an India Road Atlas by Eicher Maps. Found it very good too to keep in hand and in the car...

[mogambo]

One nice tool which wikimapia.org provides is distance measurement. Select Geotools under wikimapia link on top left. Now you can click along the roads and the list on the right will tell you teh distance covered. I found this to be really useful - and from experience, quite accurate as well..

[thalavoy]

Just drove back to Bangalore from Chidambaram today. Tirukoyiulur - Tvmalai - Singarapettai - Tirupattur - Bargur - Krishnagiri - Bangalore. The roads between Krishnagiri - Mathur - Uthangarai - Singarapettai is bad. Thats the reason why I took an alternate route (< 15 kms more). I saw some repair work going on, so by the time you go, it should be okay.
In TVmalai, I had food at 'Nala Residency'. Quite good. Nearer KGiri, I always prefer Hotel Tamilnadu. Reasonable food, with spacious dining area.

[madaboutCARS]

hello prashant,
are you going to pondicherry during christmas time, i was also planning to go there and spend some time, great what i need to do is to follow this thread to get all the inputs. do share your plan , it will help me and others...

[mogambo]

Prashanth - don't forget to update the thread with your input after your trip

Cheers

Ravi

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by thalavoy

Just drove back to Bangalore from Chidambaram today. Tirukoyiulur - Tvmalai - Singarapettai - Tirupattur - Bargur - Krishnagiri - Bangalore. The roads between Krishnagiri - Mathur - Uthangarai - Singarapettai is bad. Thats the reason why I took an alternate route (< 15 kms more). I saw some repair work going on, so by the time you go, it should be okay.
In TVmalai, I had food at 'Nala Residency'. Quite good. Nearer KGiri, I always prefer Hotel Tamilnadu. Reasonable food, with spacious dining area.

Does the Bargur route join the Krishnagiri-Madras road? Or does it come straight to Krishnagiri? How are the facilities on this route?

[m8002?]

Hi,
You can try hotel Auro Usha just before tiruvannamalai. They have only continental breakfast (not sure about the food at other times of the day ) though and are a bit expensive.

Hotel TamilNadu at Kgiri is a good place to take a break, especially if you have kids. The food is very average. However, it may not be on your route to Pondicherry. I think it is after the turn to pondicherry when going from bangalore. ( Can someone please confirm this? )

[akroy]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Does the Bargur route join the Krishnagiri-Madras road? Or does it come straight to Krishnagiri? How are the facilities on this route?

Yes the Bargur route joins NH46 GQ about 14km from the Krishnagiri left turn for Chennai...

Abhi

[thalavoy]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Does the Bargur route join the Krishnagiri-Madras road? Or does it come straight to Krishnagiri? How are the facilities on this route?

Yes it does. Previously one had to go a little farther and take a U turn to go to Bargur. Now there is a right turn (on way to Chennai). Bargur and Tirupattur are the bigger towns. In Tirupattur, no need to enter the town, after the over pass bridge, look out for 'Salem Road'. Take the right on Salem road and take left again towards Singarapettai. This is the road one has to take to go to Javadi hills.
The roads are good and facilities are not. Wide open spaces with lots of rice fields. Good scenic drive.

[prashanthyr]

Our current plan (Tentative):
22 Dec 07 - Start from JP Nagar, Bangalore
25 Dec 07 - Start from Pondicherry

Route going to Pondicherry:
Bangalore - Krishnagiri - Tiruvannamalai - Tirukkoyilur - Pondicherry
Planning to visit a Jain temple in Krishnagiri and a Brindavana in Tirukkoyilur.

Route coming back:
Pondicherry - Tiruvannamalai - Krishnagiri - Bangalore

We have booked Hotel Annnamalai International thru Travelguru

Based on info I have till now from the posts above and MapmyIndia - maps, directions, and local search across India - just search, print and go! - i am expecting a 8 hr drive to Pondicherry

[rajeevng]

Originally Posted by thalavoy

Just drove back to Bangalore from Chidambaram today. Tirukoyiulur - Tvmalai - Singarapettai - Tirupattur - Bargur - Krishnagiri - Bangalore. The roads between Krishnagiri - Mathur - Uthangarai - Singarapettai is bad. Thats the reason why I took an alternate route (< 15 kms more). I saw some repair work going on, so by the time you go, it should be okay.
In TVmalai, I had food at 'Nala Residency'. Quite good. Nearer KGiri, I always prefer Hotel Tamilnadu. Reasonable food, with spacious dining area.

Hey thalavoy, could you give some more details on the route between tirupatur to singarapettai, there are so many arterial routes. Any specific route that you can remember or just ask and drive? The one problem with ask and drive is that it will eat away time.

Thanks,
Rajeev