Just completed a week long road trip from Hyderabad, covering Hassan, Horanadu Sringeri, Agumbe, Mallandur, Bagmane, Mulliyangiri, Chikkamagalur, Ujire, Udupi, Malpe, Manipal, Chitradurga, Bellary and finally back to Hyderabad. Trip was done with family (Self, wife and two kids aged 10 and 5 years respectively) in a Wagon R, till Chitradurga. Wagon R had a problem, so we left it a Chitradurga and continued the journey in a cab till Bellary, and bus till Hyderabad. Route Taken:
Hyderabad to Hassan -
https://goo.gl/maps/8HBVuPzp7V22
Till Devanahalli, butter smooth route no problems. From Devanahalli till Gudemaranahalli we took the Bangalore by-pass. NH 648 from Devanahalli to Dabaspete is in the process of getting 4-laned, so expect slower speeds.
SH 3 from Dabaspete till its intersection with NH75 at Gudemaranahalli is also fine, there are culverts under construction en-route, so expect slower average speeds. NH 75 till Hassan was fine, but for those irritating speed breakers that keep cropping up at regular intervals, near village intersections. Stopped over for duel and Coffee at Belur cross CCD is a good stop-over option. There is a short two lane section from the start of Chennarayanapatna bye-pass, till the intersection with SH 7, so slower speeds are advised.
Hassan to Horanadu Via Belur road, NH 73 and SH 106 -
https://goo.gl/maps/5cejF1fchnC2
Nice two lane roads till Belur town, roads thru Belur town and till a few Kms outside Belur town are in shambles, and need urgent repairs, so slow progress is advised. Rest of the route is OK. Steep descent on approach to Horanadu village, so please exercise caution.
Horanadu to Sringeri -
https://goo.gl/maps/NRKtRU88k582 via Shantigrama - twisty roads, tarmac condition OK.
Sringeri to Agumbe and back via SH27 -
https://goo.gl/maps/yo9hDQ6qzSz Amazing twisty roads, smooth two lane roads. Also checked out Jogi Gundi falls near Agumbe bad roads to the falls, but the falls are worth a visit.
Sringeri to Beanstalk Bagmane Homestay -
https://goo.gl/maps/wDSdYHDeAH92 SH 27 till Bettadamalali junction is OK.
Route from Bettadamalali via Avati village and Makodu till the junction with Chikkamagalur Mallandur road should be avoided, and the more direct route via Aldur, Vastare and Chikkamagalur town should be taken. The road condition via Avati is pathetic and full of steep ascents the entire stretch though scenic and picturesque, is pretty desolate and you are pretty much on your own, should something happen to your vehicle, so avoid this section.
Bagmane to Mullayanagiri and back -
https://goo.gl/maps/e2gzB5zDnmv - Nice roads and there is a gradual ascent after Chikkamagalur town. At one point you will be asked to pay Rs 30/- as eco conservation charges at the entrance to Mullayanagiri I paid Rs 30/- but was given Rs 20/- receipt so that means Rs 10/- straight to the pocket of the collector. Insist on a Rs 30/- receipt. Last few Kms to Mullayanagiri can be a tough drive, so drive carefully. The steps to the peak can be tiresome but its totally worth.
While coming back/going up, stop over for coffee at the picturesque Siri cafι on the outskirts of Chikkamagalur town. Its a nice place, and has play facilities for kids too. Lunch at New Town Canteen is a must the place has a quaint, canteen feel and seating options are limited, but the food on offer at lunch Paratha Kurma, Veg Pulao and Maddur vada is very tasty down it with the hot Malnad Kashaya and Gulab Jamun.
Bagmane/Mallandur to Ujire Sree Sadasiva Rudra temple via Aldur, Mudigere Charmadi Ghats -
https://goo.gl/maps/CHPvUhirfDG2 - Charmadi ghats are very scenic and twisty need to watch out for KRSTC buses at the turns. Sadasiva Rudra temple (
http://temple-of-secrets.blogspot.in...ple-surya.html) is a must visit for those who have unfulfilled wishes.
Ujire to Udupi via Karkala, Shirva -
https://goo.gl/maps/imvt1ki9AfC2 - Good road condition. From Karkala till Belman, SH1 is amazing very smooth tarmac, decent speeds possible keep a lookout for local traffic. From Belman to Udupi on SH 67 roads are good, but a few Kms before joining NH 66, culvert works are in progress, so expect traffic back-ups. NH 66 to Udupi is fine.
Udupi to Chitradurga via Manipal, Hebri, Agumbe, Tirthahalli, Sakrebyle, Shimoga, Holehonnur and Channagiri -
https://goo.gl/maps/qVot8bbPKVQ2 - Pathetic condition of roads in Manipal, especially near TC. End Point opens at 4 pm, so that was a disappointment for me. Watch out for the twisty and broken road surface up the steep inclines of the Agumbe ghat. Agumbe Tirthahalli section is good. Near Tirthahalli town there are broken stretches of tarmac and bitumen, so go slow. If time permits check out the jungle camp at Sakrebyle. From Shimoga to Channagiri, its a slow progress, the road is wide, but due to unfinished work at the culverts, progress is slow. Post channagiri till Chitradurga, the roads are very good. Decent speeds are possible.
Chitradurga to Hyderabad via Bellary Our ride, the wagon R had to be left behind at the Maruti service station due to a cooling fan breakdown issue. We hired a cab to get to Bellary and from there, took an overnight bus to Hyderabad. Chitradurga to Bellary via Challakere SH 150A is a good road too no issues.
Overall it was a good road trip, save for the last stretch where we had to switch to cab/bus. Chikkamagalur district is very neat and clean with multiple rest and refuel options for tourists. Clean toilets at almost all places, which is very heartening to note