[Proxima]

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

When did that change ???

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Well, maybe I am old fashioned, but I still know only Bombay, Madras, Bangalore and Trivandrum!!! So is the case with Dindigul/Dindukal.

Originally Posted by Proxima

Kumar, it's Dindukal, not Dindikul.

Don't know whats was the convention earlier, buy as far as I can remember, it was always called Dindukal. Anyways doesn't really matter.

Maybe I am wrong, dunno.

[praveen_v]

Hey guys, thanks for the route info. Completed the trip and came back yesterday evening. Here's the latest update on the route.

Chennai-Tindivanam - Great roads, 4 laned with median (of course everyone knows this )

Tindivanam - Villuppuram - Ok roads, 4 laning work in progress. at someplaces, it is singlelaned for each side and if you are stuck behind a heavy/slow vehicle, will have to crawl for sometime before the road opens up and overtaking possible.

Villupuram - Ulundurpet - Better roads, 4 laning in progress but traffic flows on one side of the completed stretch. Roads are excellent but have to slow down every now and then for diversion to other side of the road.

Ulundurpet - Trichy - Even better roads, very wide(6 lanes) in some places and you can make it in good time. More stretches are completed and traffic flows on both sides of the median for longer than the other 2 stretches and is merged on one side for the remaining distance. 200odd kms and can be covered in 2-2.5hrs

Not advisable to do chennai-trichy stretch in the night. Heavy traffic gets you bottled up and some rash driving by the heavy vehicles makes it risky.

Trichy - dindkkal - ok roads, 2 laned and no median, but not much traffic during daytime. Encountered small potholed stretch every now and then and had to drop speed. Also this stretch is curvy and I found very few long straights. Average speed around 60kmph. 4 Laning of this stretch has started just now.

Dindukkal - Batalagundu - Good roads. Have to drive a few Kms on the NH4 extension before taking right onto a state highway. Good road. Once again 2 laned but pretty smooth.

Batalagundu - Kodaikkanal - Ok roads. The ghat sections start about 10kms after batalagundu. Good roads till here. the ghats also had good roads but has quite a few potholes, and they are mostly in the curves making it a bit difficult to drive.

Overall a good drive. Took 11hrs to complete the 520kms. This includes the time spent crawling on outskirts of both chennai and trichy.

Very heavy and slow traffic on the NH45 on the outskirts of trichy and heavy and haphazard traffic right from chengalpet to guindy on the chennai side and these two stretches take up 15-20% of the entire journey time.

But once the Chennai-Trichy 4 laning is over, it will be a breeze to drive.

[Blue Thunder]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

...Dindigul-Kodai, 2 hrs

Not done Trichy-Dindigul for a long time, but you can do that in 1 hr.

It is an easy day's drive, even with breaks for food.

Originally Posted by Proxima

Kumar, it's Dindukal, not Dindikul.

Proxima, it was never mentioned as "Dindikul" by hvkumar

.

Originally Posted by Proxima

Don't know whats was the convention earlier, buy as far as I can remember, it was always called Dindukal. Anyways doesn't really matter.

Maybe I am wrong, dunno.

As far as I know, the official spelling in English has always been Dindigul

(though the correct pronunciation in Tamil would be something like DHIND-OO-KKAL )

Originally Posted by Proxima

...Anyways doesn't really matter....

It does matter.

.

Originally Posted by praveen_v

Hey guys, thanks for the route info. Completed the trip and came back yesterday evening. Here's the latest update on the route....

thanks for the wonderful route info update, praveen_v, , this is very useful

.

[Thad E Ginathom]

I am very happy to find this thread just as I am contemplating that some time in the foreseeable future (err, months ahead, rather than weeks...) I will need/want to drive to Alleppey. First I noticed this thread, then I looked at MapMyIndia for the route --- and realised that this thread covers a great deal of it.

I just hope I don't meet those three overtaking buses!

[Mission_Safari]

Praveen_v,

Did you do this trip? Can you please post the route you took and things to watch out for . I am planning to do this trip this weekend .

[vasudeva]

I plan to visit Kodai in 10/2008. I have really longed to see the place but being from Delhi, my budget did not permit it. Now it does. My plan is take a Delhi-Coimbatore flight, take a 7/8 day taxi to Kodai, and come back to Coimbatore the same way. I would be grateful for the following advice:
1. How to get a decent rental car/taxi from Coimbatore. Approx cost.
2. Where to stay in Kodai: my budget is around 4-5K/day on hotel (can stretch it to 6-7K). I have seen Carlton rates and they are in the range of 10K on the website. Do they discount. Other decent hotels (at least from the photos) could be: Sterling, Kodai resorts, valley view, villa retreat. What is the opinion of people who have been there?
Let me say that the hotel I am looking for is in the >3 star class (relative term) of Fortune Ooty (I stayed there in 2005), Radisson Shimla, etc.

Thanks

[csentil]

Originally Posted by Mission_Safari

Praveen_v,

Did you do this trip? Can you please post the route you took and things to watch out for . I am planning to do this trip this weekend .

I think its on post 17. Is there something specific you are looking for?

[Mission_Safari]

Originally Posted by csentil

I think its on post 17. Is there something specific you are looking for?

Oops. my bad. Missed it completely.

Anyway my plan to kodai this weekend has been scrapped.

[vasudeva]

It seems that I have very few friends on this site. That could explain no response to post no. 21 on this thread.

[jyobeb]

Originally Posted by vasudeva

It seems that I have very few friends on this site. That could explain no response to post no. 21 on this thread.

Sorry about that man, just saw this thread.
Carlton offers good off season rates which should be around 5K. Talk to a Mr Christopher in the Carlton. Tell him Beboy John, from the Round Table in Madurai, asked you to speak to him. He will help.
An alternate hotel is the Hotel Kodai International, which is good and with a great play area for children. Rates are within your budget too. Carlton offers pick ups from Kodai Road station, so a flight to Bangalore or Chennai and a train to Kodai road would make your travel cheaper. Plenty of taxis in Kodi.
Beboy John

[vasudeva]

Thanks a lot jyobeb. I have really wanted to visit Kodai for a long time (say from around 2005 when I visited Ooty, and felt much better than being in many Northern hill stations). However, could not go because of costs. I have noted your contact Mr. Christopher and appreciate your kindness in allowing me to use your reference. Carlton at around 6-7K is within budget. Seems like Kodai Intl. Is also a fine hotel (at least from the website). I am planning to be there around Mid-Oct. Travel most likely from Delhi-Coimbatore and then by private taxi. Delhi-Madurai is also possible, but the flights from Delhi are limited and inconvenient. Can I post here again for your help when my plans are firmed up? Mainly about road travel (taxi) references that you may have?

[esteem_lover]

Originally Posted by jyobeb

Sorry about that man, just saw this thread.
Carlton offers good off season rates which should be around 5K. Talk to a Mr Christopher in the Carlton. Tell him Beboy John, from the Round Table in Madurai, asked you to speak to him. He will help.
An alternate hotel is the Hotel Kodai International, which is good and with a great play area for children. Rates are within your budget too. Carlton offers pick ups from Kodai Road station, so a flight to Bangalore or Chennai and a train to Kodai road would make your travel cheaper. Plenty of taxis in Kodi.
Beboy John

That is some terrific info beboy. Now you got it vasudeva, you do have friends alright ? While you are at it, you might want to visit Madurai too.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by vasudeva

Thanks a lot jyobeb. I have really wanted to visit Kodai for a long time (say from around 2005 when I visited Ooty, and felt much better than being in many Northern hill stations). However, could not go because of costs. I have noted your contact Mr. Christopher and appreciate your kindness in allowing me to use your reference. Carlton at around 6-7K is within budget. Seems like Kodai Intl. Is also a fine hotel (at least from the website). I am planning to be there around Mid-Oct. Travel most likely from Delhi-Coimbatore and then by private taxi. Delhi-Madurai is also possible, but the flights from Delhi are limited and inconvenient. Can I post here again for your help when my plans are firmed up? Mainly about road travel (taxi) references that you may have?

One suggestion - since you are going to be in Kodai for 5-6 days, keeping an expensive car ex-Coimbatore is not a great idea - since you have to pay them a fixed charge per day. And you don't need to go around too much around Kodai - you can always engage a local taxi on 1 day - max distance is around 30-50 kms. Better idea would be to fly to Madurai (even though it may involve some hop-skipping through Chennai Airport), and take a shared mini-van from Madurai to Kodai where charges are per seat basis. That way, you can reach Kodai cheap without any obligations to pay a taxi all tthe days you are there. To return to Madurai also, you can do the same thing. Kodai-Madurai is a 3 hour drive.

You can always bargain with your hotel whether they can offer you a free or cheap pick-up service (many do), and compare rates.

[vasudeva]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

One suggestion - since you are going to be in Kodai for 5-6 days, keeping an expensive car ex-Coimbatore is not a great idea - since you have to pay them a fixed charge per day.

Better idea would be to fly to Madurai (even though it may involve some hop-skipping through Chennai Airport), and take a shared mini-van from Madurai to Kodai where charges are per seat basis. That way, you can reach Kodai cheap without any obligations to pay a taxi all tthe days you are there. To return to Madurai also, you can do the same thing. Kodai-Madurai is a 3 hour drive.

Your first suggestion seems fine. I have a wife and son. I can take a taxi to Kodai, and then hire taxi in Kodai on a daily basis when required. I am sure that I can get this taxi in Coimbatore and will ask for help on this when plans are firmed.

Second suggestion (Delhi-Madurai-Kodai instead of Delhi-Coimbatore-Kodai) seems unworkable. The flights are more expensive (around 8K one way), and also less in frequency. Plus, no direct flights (it is Delhi-Chennai-Madurai).

Thanks a lot to all. It seems that being here has reduced a lot of uncertainties.

[jyobeb]

Glad to be of help. I can PM you Christopher's number if you want and would be glad to help out in anyway if you need help in madurai. Madurai is connected to Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore in terms of flights in. Can help you with transport too!
Beboy John