[sdp1975]

Originally Posted by philjo

I am planning to drive to Ooty, this Friday. Which is the best route to an easy climb-up between Masinagudi-Kalhatty-Ooty and Gudalur-Naduvattom-Pykara-Ooty? Looks like no one has choosing the latter option even though it is bit higher in distance. Any thoughts?

Keep in mind the extra traffic due to the long weekend. I was returning to Bangalore on the long weekend of Jan 26 and Mysore road was a complete mess. Took a right turn at Mandya , reached Kanakpura road somehow. Heard somebody took 7 hours to reach Bangalore on that day.

If you're leaving early mornings there won't be a problem, but peak hours - particularly returning on the evening of Sunday May 3 may take longer if you choose Mysore road.

[sachinayak]

Am driving down to Coonoor in a fortnight from Bangalore, but am halting overnight at Mysore to split the drive duration (traveling with a 2 year kid, hence).

I understand the Mysore - Ooty (via Nanjangud - Gundlupet) road is in bad condition and avoidable. What other option do I have?

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by sachinayak

Am driving down to Coonoor in a fortnight from Bangalore, but am halting overnight at Mysore to split the drive duration (traveling with a 2 year kid, hence).

I understand the Mysore - Ooty (via Nanjangud - Gundlupet) road is in bad condition and avoidable. What other option do I have?

If you are halting in Mysore, you don't have any other option other than the Nanjangud-Gundlepet route. This route is not terribly bad, its being widened and hence several average stretches and diversions.

The other option is Bangalore-Salem-Avinashi-Mettupalayam-Coonoor. It is much longer by distance but should take almost the same time since you get 4 lane all the way to Avinashi and also avoid the time to cross Ooty.

I don't think you need a stop over. It will be a ~7hour drive, so maybe you can look at taking a longish break and complete the drive in one day.

[Car-go-man]

Hey guys
I am planning for a Bangalore -Ooty trip during the coming weekend (leaving on 2nd and returning on 4th). I understand from the previous posts on this thread that the mysore -nanjangud-gundlupet route is avoidable due to some road work. Is it still the case?
If so the other option appears to be the route that kala suggested in one of the previous posts i.e via malavalli-talkad -chamrajnagar. Are there good breakfast options on this route? If not, can I take the mysore road till srirangapatna and then deviate towards chamrajnagar? Is this road good and are there any deviations / road work on this stretch that I should be aware of?
Thanks in advance

[mpksuhas]

Unfortunately there is no trouble free route currently.

NH 209- Kanakpura -Kollegal route has bridge closure, which requires a long deviation which is listed in detail by TBHPian Kala few pages back.

Nanjangaud - Gundulpet route has road work in progress.

The deviation via Srirangapatana - Bannur- Mallavalli has bad sections in Bannur.

Guess you will have to opt for a lesser troublesome route based on your drive requirements.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

The deviation via Srirangapatana - Bannur- Mallavalli has bad sections in Bannur.

If you come down till Srirangapatna, then its: Srirangapatana - Bannur - T Narasipura - Muguru - Chamarajanagar.

I think Srirangaptna-Bannur is good. I am not sure about Bannur - T Narasipura.

Today I think an early start on the Mysore road followed by Bannur- T-Narasipura-Chamarajanagar-Gundlupet should give the best option. Simply because Mysore road will give options for food and then the follow-up route, bypasses the bad sections. There is only one unknown though as mentioned earlier. It would be good if someone can check it out. But yes, the whole option will cost about 30km more.

[InControl]

Was a terrible experience to say the least Bangalore - Mysore took 7 hours and then Mysore to Ooty another 4 hours. Left at 7.30 AM un the morning from New BEL road and reached at 6.30 Ooty on 1st May.

While coming back also Mysore-Bangalore took 5+ hours yesterday evening.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by InControl

Was a terrible experience to say the least Bangalore - Mysore took 7 hours and then Mysore to Ooty another 4 hours. Left at 7.30 AM un the morning from New BEL road and reached at 6.30 Ooty on 1st May.

While coming back also Mysore-Bangalore took 5+ hours yesterday evening.

I returned from Kerala via Gudalur-Gundlepet. Seeing the traffic inside the forest itself (at ~5 PM), I felt that Gundlepet-Mysore-Bangalore is going to be a nightmare. Hence I turned off at Gundlepet and returned via Chamrajnagar-T Narsipur-Talakkad-Malavalli-Kanakpura-Bangalore.

Left Gundlepet at 5.40 PM and reached the Kanakpura-NICE Road Jn at 9.50 PM with a 20 min break.

On a long weekend, you should be out of Bangalore and hit Mysore Road by 5 am if taking Mysore Road, and return either before lunch on the last day of the holiday or take a different route.

Edit: Mudumalai Forest Entry to Theppakadu continues to be in shambles. I had read in some thread here that it had been repaired. Not true at all

[InControl]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Chamrajnagar-T Narsipur-Talakkad-Malavalli-Kanakpura-Bangalore.

Left Gundlepet at 5.40 PM and reached the Kanakpura-NICE Road Jn at 9.50 PM with a 20 min break.

On a long weekend, you should be out of Bangalore and hit Mysore Road by 5 am if taking Mysore Road, and return either before lunch on the last day of the holiday or take a different route.

Thanks. I learnt it the hard way though.

[motomaverick]

Originally Posted by InControl

Thanks. I learnt it the hard way though.

Even I was there on 1st May on Mysore road going towards Wayanad. It was worse than Bangalore city traffic. Started at 12.30pm from Kamalanagar and could reach Maddur only by 3PM. After lunch took the diversion at Maddur towards Chamrajnagar via Mavalli. Much better in terms of traffic. Roads are not good though from Maddur upto Malavalli due to expansion work.

While returning completely misread the route and went via Kollegal towards Malvalli only to find out that the bridge is closed hence, had to backtrack to go via Talakkad.

[ampere]

Looks like day by day driving to Ooty is no more a pleasure at all. Crowd, bad roads, closed bridges just to name a few. The only solution now is to time it right.

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by ampere

Looks like day by day driving to Ooty is no more a pleasure at all. Crowd, bad roads, closed bridges just to name a few. The only solution now is to time it right.

Ooty itself is becoming a "hill station" over-crowded, ill maintained and in desperate need of fresh air. I had made visit their four years back, but luckily decided to stay put at Masinagudi. The small resort at Masinagudi gave my family a better experience, which we could not have got in the crowded Ooty. Two years later we visited Kodaikanal, seems to be in much better shape than Ooty.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by ampere

Looks like day by day driving to Ooty is no more a pleasure at all. Crowd, bad roads, closed bridges just to name a few. The only solution now is to time it right.

Yes, looks like it needs to be timed well. Maybe plan the trip during weekdays. Unfortunately there is no end in sight and it is only going to get worse. The 6 laning of Mysore road will really not help. What was needed was a controlled expressway like the NICE Road. Making it 6 Lane and building by passes are only temporary solutions. Also fail to understand why the road inside the Bandipur/Mudumalai forest has not got a fresh coat of tar for years now. The Theppakad-Gudalur section has been in shambles for a very long time now.

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Ooty itself is becoming a "hill station" over-crowded, ill maintained and in desperate need of fresh air. I had made visit their four years back, but luckily decided to stay put at Masinagudi. The small resort at Masinagudi gave my family a better experience, which we could not have got in the crowded Ooty. Two years later we visited Kodaikanal, seems to be in much better shape than Ooty.

Ooty, fortunately (or unfortunately) is very accessible. I spent several years in Ooty as a kid in the 80's, even then there was a large tourist influx from Kerala. It is ~5 hours drive from pretty much any place from Central to North Kerala. Similarly it is very accessible from large parts of Karnataka and Tamilnadu. Last but not the least, with the concept of quick trips gaining popularity and more and more people willing to drive, crowds from Bangalore pretty much take over any tourist spot and Ooty is always the prime contender.

Kodai is a little lucky in that aspect, it is a little more isolated compared to Ooty.

[luvurride]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Kodai is a little lucky in that aspect, it is a little more isolated compared to Ooty.

Not really, Kodai is also packed with local crowd over the weekends. Madurai/Dindigul/Trichy/Coimbatore/Erode are all pretty close a drive.

[maheshramaling]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Hence I turned off at Gundlepet and returned via Chamrajnagar-T Narsipur-Talakkad-Malavalli-Kanakpura-Bangalore.

Hi, Isn't road work happening on this section or is it over or you took some deviations?

Planning to go tomorrow to masinagudi from Bangalore - hence, enquiring.