[Night_Hawk]

Originally Posted by coolclouds

We are planning our Ooty trip from Bangalore for June last week. This is going to be my first drive to Ooty from Bangalore and I wish to try both routes (HPB and other route). What route would you suggest for onward journey as per your experience?

As many gurus have pointed out above, i suggest you take the kalahatti (36HPB) generally for climbing.
But if your planning the trip in the midst of monsoon fury, you need to choose Gudalur route

All the best! Drive safe and share your experience after the trip

[ajithbr]

Originally Posted by Night_Hawk

As many gurus have pointed out above, i suggest you take the kalahatti (36HPB) generally for climbing.
But if your planning the trip in the midst of monsoon fury, you need to choose Gudalur route

All the best! Drive safe and share your experience after the trip

When going from Bangalore side, you may stop at Theppekadu junction(Mudumalai forest) and enquire with jeep drivers or forest officers about the day's condition on Kalhatti route. They may be able to inform you of any blockages on the route for any reason. Heard (not sure, but seems possible) in some other forum that there was a particular day last year or the previous one when people were diverted to Gudalur route as some elephants had been strolling on the ghat roads.

[arun_josie]

I am planning for a Bangalore - Ooty trip during next week end. I would like to know the best route based on the current road condition and good hotels for stoppages since my parents are also travelling with us. Also, this will be my first drive to Ooty.

Route 1) Bannerghatta Road - Kanakapura - Malavalli - Kollegala - Chamarajanagar - Gundlupet - Theppakadu - Masinagudi - Kalhatty - Ooty

Route 2) Bannerghatta Road - Mysore - Gudalur - Ooty

Route 3) Bannerghatta Road - Mysore - Masinagudi - Kalhatty - Ooty

Please advise.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

I am planning for a Bangalore - Ooty trip during next week end. I would like to know the best route based on the current road condition and good hotels for stoppages since my parents are also travelling with us. Also, this will be my first drive to Ooty.

Route 1) Bannerghatta Road - Kanakapura - Malavalli - Kollegala - Chamarajanagar - Gundlupet - Theppakadu - Masinagudi - Kalhatty - Ooty

Route 2) Bannerghatta Road - Mysore - Gudalur - Ooty

Route 3) Bannerghatta Road - Mysore - Masinagudi - Kalhatty - Ooty

Please advise.

Nothing to beat the Bangalore-Mysore road for eateries.I dont think you would see any other road with as many eateries as this.So I would say stick to the 4 laned BLR-Mysore State Highway.

As for Masinagudi vs Gudalur,you could go via the Kalhatty road and coming back you could see Pykara Dam and then continue onwards towards Gudalur and onto Mysore.This way you would have taken both the routes.

BLR-Ooty shouldnt take u more than 6hours.

[ajithbr]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Nothing to beat the Bangalore-Mysore road for eateries.I dont think you would see any other road with as many eateries as this.

Someone mentioned that Bangalore-Mysore road is the biggest food-court he had seen :-)

Incidentally, I saw a list of eateries, their approximate distance from either Town Hall junction or NICE Road junction, which side of highway(LHS/RHS), town where it is located or (the town before, the town after), type of food and speciality dish(if any), timings etc. in an excel sheet format. This was during the X-Mas and New Year vaccation that just went by and so should be reasonably up-to-date. Unfortunately, that was with a tourist cab/agent (who was hired for a client from US) and he could not let me take a copy as he had only one hard-copy and could not spare anytime to let me write it down or even xerox it.

Any chance of anyone seeing something similar? We can make something similar though with inputs from members. I am not sure any other highway out of Bangalore can boast of such variety even if we can try this out, say NH-7 or NH-47. Any comments?

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by ajithbr

Someone mentioned that Bangalore-Mysore road is the biggest food-court he had seen :-)

the food court statement was mine itselfThere is no other highway with this kind of selection of eateries anywhere else in the country.The NH1 between Delhi & Ambala comes a close second,but still nothing as this.The proximity between the eateries on this road is mind blowing and that too all of them are the well known types that one only expects to see within a city.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

I am planning for a Bangalore - Ooty trip during next week end. I would like to know the best route based on the current road condition and good hotels for stoppages since my parents are also travelling with us. Also, this will be my first drive to Ooty.

Route 1) Bannerghatta Road - Kanakapura - Malavalli - Kollegala - Chamarajanagar - Gundlupet - Theppakadu - Masinagudi - Kalhatty - Ooty

Route 2) Bannerghatta Road - Mysore - Gudalur - Ooty

Route 3) Bannerghatta Road - Mysore - Masinagudi - Kalhatty - Ooty

Please advise.

Go route 2 or 3. Pleasant drive. Fully inhabited all the way. Gets you there in 6 to 7 hours peaceful driving.

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

As for Masinagudi vs Gudalur,you could go via the Kalhatty road and coming back you could see Pykara Dam and then continue onwards towards Gudalur and onto Mysore.This way you would have taken both the routes.

BLR-Ooty shouldnt take u more than 6hours.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Go route 2 or 3. Pleasant drive. Fully inhabited all the way. Gets you there in 6 to 7 hours peaceful driving.

Any idea about the current road condition beyond Mysore on both the routes? Especially speed breakers, potholes etc.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

Any idea about the current road condition beyond Mysore on both the routes? Especially speed breakers, potholes etc.

Not me. 6 months plus since last visit. Should be ok though as it is the most used route and the monsoon has not yet had time to destroy it this year!

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

Any idea about the current road condition beyond Mysore on both the routes? Especially speed breakers, potholes etc.

Both roads are good,no problems with any speed breakers.Mysore-Ooty would take you around 3-4 hrs.BLR-Mysore would take you around 2-3hrs.Stick to the traditional BLR-MYS-NANJANGUD-GUNDULPET-BANDIPUR route since this is your 1st time.You could stop at the CCD at HP,Gundulpet for a short break as well.

The diversion to Masinagudi is at Thepekadu within Bandipur.Well marked.

[hrman]

I just came back from Coonoor-ooty to Bangalore day before. Here is my summary:

Coonoor- Ooty- Good road. Negotiable incline curves and bends.
Ooty-Gudalur- ok roads. Lots of potholes into the forest especially on the left side of the road. I couldnt keep a speed of more than 40 throughout. Took this route as against the Hairpin bend route. Hence ended up going some 35 kms extra to Masinagudi
Gudalur- Mudhumalai-Masinagudi- Better roads than above
Masinagudi-Bandipur- Great roads, but speed breakers at every 300 mts.
Bandipur- Gundlupet- Excellent roads. No problems at all. This was the best stretch overall.
Gundlupet- Mysore- Good roads.
Mysore-bangalore-SH- Good roads. But lots of speedbreakers. I think they ahve added at least 30 more speedbreakers since the last time I went. This ensures you dont exceed 70-80 kms, since by the time you speed, you get a speedbreaker. I was cursing the government for spoiling such a great road with speedbreakers.

It took me a total of 10 hours, with 1.5 hour break in between.
Coonoor to masinagudi was the longest. Took 3.5 hours for 95 kms.

[vnabhi]

Guys
I am at Ooty and need pointers for my return trip to Bangalore tomorrow. I am taking the route via Gudalur to Gundulpet as I'd seen the Kalhaty route while coming here.

I plan to leave Ooty around 10 am tomorrow, and stop at Pykara Lake and waterfalls for a short while. I wanted to know whether I should take the route via Chamarajanagar to Kanakapura instead of the Mysore Road (we came via Mysore Road).

1. I need specific waypoints on that route so that I can add it to my Garmin GPS. This is the first time I am using that route.
2. I also need info on what food joints come on that way.
3. And how is the condition of that route? If it is good, and saves time, then I am for it.

I will take the NICE road from Kanakapura to Koramangala via Hosur Road Jn (I know that part of the road).

Thanks

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Guys
I am at Ooty and need pointers for my return trip to Bangalore tomorrow. I am taking the route via Gudalur to Gundulpet as I'd seen the Kalhaty route while coming here.[*] I also need info on what food joints come on that way.
[

Thanks

Ooty Gudalur Thepekadu Bandipur Gundlupet Chamarajanagar Kollegal Malavalli Kanakpura

Stop at Nijaguna Residency at Chamarajanagar.
Www.nijagunaresidency.com

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

1. I need specific waypoints on that route so that I can add it to my Garmin GPS. This is the first time I am using that route.
2. I also need info on what food joints come on that way.
3. And how is the condition of that route? If it is good, and saves time, then I am for it.

Hi vnabhi, Last time, I came through Gundelpet - Chamrajanagara - T-nasasipura - Malavalli - Kanakpura - Bangalore.

The road is very good, except for a ~5km stretch. I guess Kollegal way is also good. Experts can comment.

No idea about food joints.

It is single laned, but you can save time for sure, as traffic is sparse, and road is good.

[kala]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

I wanted to know whether I should take the route via Chamarajanagar to Kanakapura instead of the Mysore Road (we came via Mysore Road).

1. I need specific waypoints on that route so that I can add it to my Garmin GPS. This is the first time I am using that route.
2. I also need info on what food joints come on that way.
3. And how is the condition of that route? If it is good, and saves time, then I am for it.

I will take the NICE road from Kanakapura to Koramangala via Hosur Road Jn (I know that part of the road).

Yes, the NH209 route even though a 2 lane road is much easier to drive when compared to the 4 lane SH17, and the roads are in good shape almost all through.

At Gundlupet, the road to Chamarajanagar is the first right turn you find as you're entering Gundlupet town. (This right turn comes up in about 200 meters after you pass the road from Wayanad/Calicut that joins you from the left, and about 100 meters past the RTO checkpost you find on your left).

About 15 kms past Chamarajanagar, you'll find a place called Santhamarahalli where you need to take a Right turn to go to Kollegal. (Straight road goes to T.Narsipur, Left goes to Nanjangud)

Between that point and Kollegal, you'll pass through 4 or 5 villages where the road is quite narrow, so be on the lookout for Buses coming in the opposite direction, you may sometimes need to reverse a bit to let them pass.

About 25 kms from Kollegal just before you reach Malavalli town (about a km or so before the town), NH209 takes a right turn. Watch out for this Right turn direction board to Kanakapura / Bangalore. (Going straight there will take you to Maddur instead)

Here are a couple of links to Maps which I had made a a while back to help a nephew find his way through Chamarajanagar and Kollegal towns. Restaurants in the two places are also marked in the maps. (The place markers have longish descriptions with details on how to spot the key points, so please go through them). May be helpful to you.

Gundlupet to Bangalore - Passing Chamarajnagar - Google Maps

NH209 to Bangalore - Passing Kollegal - Google Maps

All the restaurants shown in these maps are sort of average ones with the exception of Nijaguna Residency which is probably 3 star or equivalent. Other than this the only other decent food joint you'll find on this route is Hotel Gokul in Kanakapura (comes up on your left within a km or so after you enter the town).

Alternately if you're in Gundlupet around lunch time, there are a few restaurants there (a CCD included), but you'd need to go about a km or two on the way to Mysore to get to them (and then come back to take the Chamarajanagar road).