[vartakavi]

Hi DragonHawk. I have driven multiple times from Hyderabad to Kodaikanal via Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri - Salem - Karur - Dindigul and also from Kodaikanal to Mysore.

Onward Journey: On NH44 (old NH7) as you near Dindigul there are two flyovers. You get off the highway at the first flyover (It will say Kodai / Palani) - keep going straight to the end of this flyover (if you turn right under this flyover, you will head to Palani) until you hit the next Flyover then take a right to the Batlagundu / Kodaikanal / Theni road. Just before you reach Batlagundu, there is a byepass to the right - take this, because it avoids the crowded Batlagundu town and bus stand. You will then hit the Batlagundu - Theni road. At this point, there is a restaurant called EDEN Garden - it has good coffee / tea and reasonably good food too. This will be your last toilet stop before reaching Kodai. Easy to find this place - it is always crowded! From Eden Garden, it will take about 1.5 hours to Kodaikanal. There were landslides during the recent cyclone on both the Ghat roads and repairs were going on, so budget a little more time.

Kodaikanal to Mysore: We have done this using multiple routes. Most easy route is via Kodaikanal - Palani - Coimbatore - Sathyamangalam - Dimbum - Chamarajnagar - Mysore, but it has the most traffic and you have to traverse Coimbatore from south to north, which takes time.

There are many routes from Palani to Sathyamangalam - you take a number of State Highways, skirting big towns and cities to avoid traffic. One option is to go via Dharapuram - Tirupppur - Avinashi - Sathy. There is quite a bit of lorry traffic before and after Tiruppur, which will slow you down.

The route I have been taking for the past couple of years is as follows:

Kodaikanal - Palani - Dharapuram - Kangeyam - Gobichettypalayam - Sathyamangalam.

There is a shortcut to the left about 5 kms before Gobi which help you to avoid Gobi town and save 15 kms - I think Google shows this road when you look up Kangeyam to Sathy. This bye-pass is a single road, but sparse traffic and good surface.

It takes me a little more than 8 hours from Kodai to Mysore on this route (I drive sedately) and the distance is about 370 kms. Remember you get down one ghat and have to go up another ghat - and you essentially use undivided state highways. The only problem is that there are lots of junctions and it is easy to miss the correct route (in quite a few places, the road signs are only in Tamil, and there are a few places where one has to ask for directions, because the route is not signposted).

Here are the details: Down the Kodai ghat road, at Perumalmalai, take the left fork to Palani. This road is narrower than the one from Vatlagundu, and watch for tourist buses that do not answer your horn on blind corners. Once you are down the ghat road, you will travel for about 10 kms on a lovely road flanked by coconut trees and mango trees. When you reach the Palani Byepass road (straight goes to Palani temple), take the right turn. Palani hill should be to your left. You will then hit a T junction on Palani main road. Take left here, through Palani town. You can tank up here - three or four Petrol Bunks on your left. Cross the first busy circle and at the next circle, turn right to Dharapuram (locals call it Tarapuram). You cross the railway tracks outside Palani town and about 3 kms on this road, there is a Chikki factory on your left that sells excellent fresh Chikki at wholesale rates. Keep going till you reach a T junction - this is not signposted. Turn left to Dharapuram. Apoorva restaurant about 1 km away along this road has good parking and toilets. You take the Dharapuram bye-pass and at the end of town, there is another restaurant called Chitra Bhavan which promises a Home Made Cook!

A few kilometres after Dharapuram, there is a Y junction (left goes to Tiruppur) - take the right fork to Kangeyam. When in doubt, ask for the Gobi road. At three places there will be junctions towards Tiruppur - you have to keep right - basically you circle Tiruppur town and avoid the traffic.

You can either go through Gobichettypalayam (not much traffic) or take a byepass if Google shows you where to take a left before Gobi Town (its a bit tricky because there is no sign there saying Sathy). At Sathy town, ask for the road to Bannari or Chamarajnagar if there is any confusion. You have to go through a narrow one-way street in Sathy town (the main road is for down traffic only). Just before you leave Sathy town, there are a few small hotels.

From Sathy, its a straightforward route - you touch Bannari and then the Dimbum ghat. 27 hairpin bends in 8 kms! Much more tricky than the Kodai ghat, and long lorries make it difficult because they cannot turn easily on the bends. As you enter some bends, if a lorry is coming down, he will expect you to come to the wrong side of the road because he needs the space to take the curve. We have spent anywhere from 20 to 50 minutes climbing this ghat, depending on how many big lorries are on that road at that time.

At the top of the ghat road, at Asanur, there are a few small hotels with toilets. From here, its a nice drive through the forest to Chamarajnagar. The surface on the ghat road was recently done and is in excellent condition, but once you cross over into Karnataka, the surface deteriorates and you will encounter many potholes. In the forest, there are lots of road barriers and speed breakers - watch out for them.

There is a new bye-pass through Chamarajnagar which was quite messy when we last went through. We just followed the cars ahead through the semi-finished byepass. From Chamrajanagar to Nanjangud the road surface is OK (I will not call it good but it used to be much worse a few years ago). At Nanjangud, you will see the famous temple on your left and the river bank on your right. The road takes you across the railway track and hits the Mysore - Ooty highway. Be careful taking a right turn here - lots of fast vehicles on this road. From here, its a nice divided highway to Mysore.

If you are not entering Mysore city, you can take the ring road which is a little after the Mysore airport.

Hope this helps - remember to keep asking for the next destination town if you are in doubt - we have lost our way many times and wasted time back-tracking. That is the only real problem on this route - its a nice drive and not much traffic!

Originally Posted by DragonHawk

Planning for Kodai this December and for my onward journey I am sticking to the default route via Dindigul-Bathlagundu-Kodai. However I will be travelling to Mysore during my return leg.

Google suggest below two routes

1. Kodai-Palani-Gudimangalam-Avinashi-Puliampatti-Dimbam
2. Kodai-Palani-Kangayam-Kolapallur-Sathy-Dimbam

How does the above routes fare in terms of availability of veg restaurants and fuel stops? Also depending on the time I reach Mysore I may end up driving all the way to Mangalore on the same day, hence I am planning to leave Kodai by 8am. So any latest updates and suggestions are welcome.

Thanks in advance.

[deadguy25]

Originally Posted by YashD

Planned route as per google maps, Bangalore - Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri - Thoppur - Salem - Mudalaipatti - Paramathi - Dindigul - Kodai

After you cross the Karnataka border and enter Hosur, from there-on, please be very careful wherever there are median gaps because they have put-up barricades near median gaps\junctions. I hit a barricade head-on last evening (near Hosur) when the bus in front of me veered to the left suddenly.

[gadadhar]

I am driving from Bangalore to Kodai during the X-mas weekend. I am thinking about starting on Friday evening 5ish and break mid way. This should help me to avoid the early morning X-mas rush on the highway.

Considering around 4 hours of drive and hit the resting place by around 9 pm, I am looking at Namakkal as an option

Looking for suggestions on the location (i'm not locked to Namakal) and a place to stay. I'm driving with wife and 15 year old son, preference is a clean and safe place for spending the night in around 2K budget with no much of detour from the normal road.

[sridhu]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

I am driving from Bangalore to Kodai during the X-mas weekend. I am thinking about starting on Friday evening 5ish and break mid way. This should help me to avoid the early morning X-mas rush on the highway.

Considering around 4 hours of drive and hit the resting place by around 9 pm, I am looking at Namakkal as an option

Looking for suggestions on the location (i'm not locked to Namakal) and a place to stay. I'm driving with wife and 15 year old son, preference is a clean and safe place for spending the night in around 2K budget with no much of detour from the normal road.

Karur / Dindigul are probably better bets. Namakkal is too small Towny.

Salem might be the best - considering it is Christmas and the inevitable queues at toll gates, it will probably take you 3.5 hours to get to Salem. The road post that is brilliant.

Consider hitting Kodaikanal directly. We took about 7 hours including 1 breakfast break and 8 hours on the return leg with 1 lunch break & 1 diesel break.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

Looking for suggestions on the location (i'm not locked to Namakal) and a place to stay. I'm driving with wife and 15 year old son, preference is a clean and safe place for spending the night in around 2K budget with no much of detour from the normal road.

Inside Namakkal, Hotel Nala and Grand Chariot have been recommended earlier in the Accommodation thread.

Alternately, drive on to Karur - The Residency is good and very close to the highway so not much of a detour. However, not sure if it will be within the 2k budget

[gadadhar]

Originally Posted by sridhu

Karur / Dindigul are probably better bets. Namakkal is too small Towny.

Salem might be the best

Consider hitting Kodaikanal directly.

Thanks. Salem might be little too close for the break. One got to Kodai will be the option if I start next day morning, else not planning to drive late night through the last stretch.

Originally Posted by NPV

Inside Namakkal, Hotel Nala and Grand Chariot have been recommended earlier in the Accommodation thread.

Alternately, drive on to Karur - The Residency is good

Namakkal options are sounding good, Around 6K in Residency is too much for just for 8 hours sleep.

Are there any road side inns like we have on the Salem Coimbatore stretch?

[NPV]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

Are there any road side inns like we have on the Salem Coimbatore stretch?

Do check the availability of such options. Some A2B outlets on highways also have a lodging section branded Adyar Ananda Bhavan Residency. I'm not sure if there are A2B outlets beyond Salem on the Namakkal-Karur route.

I also remember seeing a decent looking hotel on the service road (on left when going from Bangalore) near Namakkal and it was surrounded by colleges/universities nearby, unable to remember the name though.

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

Namakkal options are sounding good, Around 6K in Residency is too much for just for 8 hours sleep.

You can check hotel Sanu International, I stayed here two years back and it was good.

But keep in mind that, Friday evening will be very crowded too. If you are comfortable with an early morning start then consider a 3AM start.

[ampere]

Agree with Arun. The main choke point would be the tolls till Thoppur. Beyond that it eases out. And once past Salem, it anyway thins out given traffic diverts toward Coimbatore. A 3AM start should pretty much keep the crowds at bay.

[gadadhar]

Originally Posted by NPV

I'm not sure if there are A2B outlets beyond Salem on the Namakkal-Karur route.

I also remember seeing a decent looking hotel on the service road (on left when going from Bangalore) near Namakkal and it was surrounded by colleges/universities nearby, unable to remember the name though.

Thanks again NPV, Let me try to get some info on A2B. I'm a regular on Salem Coimbature route, but it is been more than 1 year since I have taken the Namakkal route and I am unable to recollect any options

I could find a place called Hotel Coastal Residency near the Namakkal bypass, it may be the same place you are referring to?

Originally Posted by arun_josie

You can check hotel Sanu International, I stayed here two years back and it was good.

Thanks Arun. Sanu is looking like a good option, but looks like a detour from the bypass road. Karur being a small town, how long do you think will be additional time taken for this?

Originally Posted by ampere

Agree with Arun. A 3AM start should pretty keep the crowds at bay.

Thanks ampere, 3ish AM start or 4 pm start is the norm for my trips to my native in Kalady (Keralam), this being a vacation, thought of taking it a bit easy. Also I have a friend and family driving to Trivandrum to keep us company till Karur, so we thought of taking a break together.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

I could find a place called Hotel Coastal Residency near the Namakkal bypass, it may be the same place you are referring to?

Not sure. Also, there is a hotel Shanthi Inn Grand that's just inside Namakkal town, but pictures of the building resemble the hotel on the highway that I mentioned.

Do check if the A2B in Karur has lodging, it's not too far from highway.

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

Thanks again NPV, Let me try to get some info on A2B. I'm a regular on Salem Coimbature route, but it is been more than 1 year since I have taken the Namakkal route and I am unable to recollect any options

There is one A2B at around 20-25Kms from Salem, but not sure if it has lodging option.

Originally Posted by gadadhar

Thanks Arun. Sanu is looking like a good option, but looks like a detour from the bypass road. Karur being a small town, how long do you think will be additional time taken for this?

Karur is another 30-40 minutes from Namakkal

[vartakavi]

Hi Gadadhar. There is a decent hotel called NALA in Namakkal, where we have stayed multiple times on our way to Kodaikanal. You can book online. It is clean, quiet and the rooms are quite big. Good value for money. Fairly decent breakfast is served from 7 am onwards - you can have your breakfast and start and reach Kodai in good time for lunch with a break in Eden Garden (off Vatlagundu, just before the ghat road).

It is a 10 minute detour from the highway - from NH44 take the first Exit to Namakkal and drive through the town - I remember this Hotel is on the other side of town, on the Trichy road. Next morning, you need not back track - there is a shorter route back to the Highway. Have a good trip!

[gadadhar]

Originally Posted by vartakavi

Hi Gadadhar. There is a decent hotel called NALA in Namakkal

Thanks. We booked in Sanu International Namakkal before seeing your post, hope it is an ok place. Break at Vatalgundu sounds like a good option.

[HappyWheels]

Originally Posted by vartakavi

Hi Gadadhar. There is a decent hotel called NALA in Namakkal, where we have stayed multiple times on our way to Kodaikanal. You can book online. It is clean, quiet and the rooms are quite big. Good value for money. Fairly decent breakfast is served from 7 am onwards - you can have your breakfast and start and reach Kodai in good time for lunch with a break in Eden Garden (off Vatlagundu, just before the ghat road).

It is a 10 minute detour from the highway - from NH44 take the first Exit to Namakkal and drive through the town - I remember this Hotel is on the other side of town, on the Trichy road. Next morning, you need not back track - there is a shorter route back to the Highway. Have a good trip!

NALA used to be my de facto stop place for breakfast / lunch during my travels between Bangalore and Trichy. Especially when the kids were small.

But noticed that the food quality went down when a (then) new hotel came up right opposite to this. Not sure if is improved now.