[arjithin]

Originally Posted by meetbadri

Could anyone please do let me know stay options there. As 14-Dec-2014 is Sunday do I have to book the rooms in advance?

i stayed in Hotel Devikripa, right in front of the temple. You can call them and block a room on previous day of travel, If 14th is not any special day.

They are a no frills hotel. No luxury and decent bathrooms + 24 hrs hot water.
Non AC double - Rs 450 per day
AC double - 900 per day.

Phone: 08254 25824

(But I was surprised to see a guest in Audi A8 staying there.)

Suggest to carry your own bedsheets to use in which ever hotel you go.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by meetbadri

I am fine with most of the road conditions however not sure about Kumbashi to Bhatkal stretch. Can anyone help me with the current road conditions at this stretch?

The roads around Hemmadi/Bhatkal were pathetic. They have been fixed (patched) now. Thats what I read last on this forum.

[mnvvishwa]

I’m going to Shivamogga this weekend via Chitradurga.
Does anyone have the latest information on Chitradurga to Shivamogga stretch?

[fusionbang]

Originally Posted by mnvvishwa

I’m going to Shivamogga this weekend via Chitradurga.
Does anyone have the latest information on Chitradurga to Shivamogga stretch?

Please refer to post number 179 for the latest update on this stretch. Hope this helps:-)

Also you can try Bangalore - Chanraypatna - Arsikere - Shimoga, the roads are pretty good and traffic is very sparse in this stretch.

[bik1906]

I can also vouch for the channarayanapatna-arsikere-shimoga road...just came back from an agumbe ride and took this route on the advice of the estate owner who we stayed with. Theres pretty much three stretches on this route the first being nelamangala to channarayanapatna and NH48 is always great in terms of road quality but boring. channarayanapatna to Arsikere is heavenly considering its empty and a great road through gorgeous countryside, its a true drivers delight. Arsikere to Tumkur is a decent 2 lane but gets crowded at times.

[meetbadri]

Originally Posted by meetbadri

I will be travelling to Honnavar on 14-Dec-2014. Below is my itinerary for the long leave. For this trip I am avoiding long drive as I will be accompanied by my 1 year old daughter who does not like to spend time in the car.
As 14-Dec-2014 is Sunday do I have to book the rooms in advance?

There has been change of plans for my trip and the plan is as mentioned below.

14-Dec-2014
Bangalore to Sagar -- Halt at Sagar
Bangalore- Tumkur- Gubbi- Tiptur- Arsikere- Bhadravathi- Shimoga- Sagar

15-Dec-2014
Visit Shreedharashrama
Sagar to Honnavar -- Halt at Honnavar


16-Dec-2014
Honnavar to Idagunji
Idagunji to Murudewshwar
Murudeshwar to Shirali -- Halt at Shirali

17-Dec-2014
Shirali to Kollur
Kollur to Sringeri -- Halt at Sringeri

18-Dec-2014
Sringeri to Bangalore
Sringeri- Aldur- Chikkamagaluru- Hassan- Bangalore.

Anyone else planning to drive along with me on 14th Dec? I will be accompanied with my parents, wifey and my daughter and will be starting from Vijaynagar at around 8:30 AM.

[shishir_bn]

Originally Posted by meetbadri

Visit Shreedharashrama
Sagar to Honnavar -- Halt at Honnavar

Don't forget to visit Duragamba temple where Shreedhar swamy meditated. It is a nice place. Just 200mts from the main gate of the Ashrama

[meetbadri]

Originally Posted by shishir_bn

Don't forget to visit Duragamba temple where Shreedhar swamy meditated. It is a nice place. Just 200mts from the main gate of the Ashrama

Sagar is my wifes home town and Sirsi is mine. I have visited Durgamba temple as well as Shridharaashrama many times in the past. I have plans to visit Durgamba temple also post lunch at Shridharaashrama.

[carChef]

I must say after searching all over the place, this thread comes up as a breather for me! I was super confused considering the fact that I have never travelled anywhere in Karnataka apart from Bangalore and Mysore. Appreciate all the details that you all have put in.

So I am making a trip to Kolur and this would be my route.(Of course this is purely based on what you folks have written! )

Bangalore- Tumkur- Gubbi- Tiptur- Arsikere- Bhadravathi- Shimoga- Hosanagar - Kolur.
And the same route back.

I am also trying to fit in Udupi as well but still working out on what route to take.

I am planning for 1st of January to start and come back on the 2nd.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by carChef

I must say after searching all over the place, this thread comes up as a breather for me! I was super confused considering the fact that I have never travelled anywhere in Karnataka apart from Bangalore and Mysore. Appreciate all the details that you all have put in.

So I am making a trip to Kolur and this would be my route.(Of course this is purely based on what you folks have written! )

Bangalore- Tumkur- Gubbi- Tiptur- Arsikere- Bhadravathi- Shimoga- Hosanagar - Kolur.
And the same route back.

I am also trying to fit in Udupi as well but still working out on what route to take.

I am planning for 1st of January to start and come back on the 2nd.

You could go via the Shimoga route and come back via Mangalore to Bangalore,enroute visiting Udupi Krishna temple.That way your drive wouldnt be monotonous as well.

Nelamangala-Shimoga-Kollur-Kundapura-Udupi-Mangalore-Shiradi-Hassan-Nelamangala.

This way it forms a perfect circle.

https://goo.gl/maps/LMm0l

[carChef]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

You could go via the Shimoga route and come back via Mangalore to Bangalore,enroute visiting Udupi Krishna temple.That way your drive wouldnt be monotonous as well.

Nelamangala-Shimoga-Kollur-Kundapura-Udupi-Mangalore-Shiradi-Hassan-Nelamangala.

This way it forms a perfect circle.

https://goo.gl/maps/LMm0l

Thanks ranjitp1! I shall try the same. And revert back on the same thread to tell how it went. Thanks once again.

[hemanth.anand]

I've to attend a wedding reception in Bhadravati this Friday(19th December 2014). I'll start in the morning from Bengaluru and return back the same night.

Normally I just take the Bengaluru-Tumakuru-Gubbi-Tiptur-Arasikere-Tarikere-Bhadravati route.

However fellow BHPian mnvvishwa suggested Bengaluru-Channarayapatna-Arasikere-Tarikere-Bhadravathi route.
From previous posts, I gathered that this is a good option (although longer by 20kms) too considering the current road condition.
I have decided to take this route "just for a change".

For the same reason I thought I'll take the Bhadravati-Tarikere-Ajjampura-Hosadurga-Hiriyur-Tumakuru-Bengaluru.

We will be 4 friends going together ready to try an alternative and in no hurry to come back soon as its a weekend after that. However we would not want to break our backs in doing so.
Is it a route worth taking? Anyone have any idea about the road conditions?

[hemanth.anand]

Since there was no reply to my post, Let me answer it myself with this Route update.

As mentioned I just wanted to try out alternatives "just for a change"
On Firday, I went to Bhadravathi to attend a friend's wedding reception and we returned back the same day

For the Onward Journey from Uttarahalli, we took the NH75 (Old NH48; Bangalore-Mangalore) till Channarayapatna and then from the Channrayapatna bypass, we took a right to reach Arasikere and then to Bhadravathi.


https://www.google.co.in/maps/dir/12...3.84!3e0?hl=en

We had to pick a friend up in Nagarabhavi and hence we went via Magadi and joined NH75 at Kunigal. Thereby we saved 3 tolls(NECE, Nelamangala expressway, and the first toll on NH75)
From Uttarahalli we took around 3:45 hours plus breakfast time at Adiga's Grand near Yediyur for this journey of 285kms (~20kms more than the tiptur route)
The route Via Magadi till Kunigal is nice and curvy as usual. However, we have to watch out for few idiots overtaking in blind curves.
Kunigal to CRPatna is buttersmooth and fast as usual. Albeit some new speedbreakers have emerged.
The Channarayapatna to Arasikere route is very nice with very less traffic and all potholes patched up neatly. We were driving in my friend's Punto and we felt none of those patches
The Arasikere to Bhadravathi is as usual nice but the traffic slows you down.

For the return journey we again decided to try out another route (because of which we lost the extra amount we had paid for the 2 way tolls on NH75)
We came via Channagiri to Chitradurga and joined NH48(old NH4; Bangalore-Pune)


https://www.google.co.in/maps/dir/Bh...!1m0!3e0?hl=en

The Bhadravati to Chitradurga route is also good and goes via some nice and curvy Forest roads. For the initial distance from Bhadravati however, there are many speedbreakers. this 100Kms took 1.5hrs
The Chitradurga to Bangalore is as usual smooth and fast except for a small patch of bad road while crossing Chitradurga
To drop the person in Nagarabhavi, we took the NECE road till Magadi road junction. This entire route was ~300Kms and it took us 4 hours

These two are good and faster/better alternatives to the Tiptur route IMO though we have to pay little for the tolls. The Tiptur route is getting slower by the day because of the traffic in the many towns we have to cross on this route

[fusionbang]

Good to know you tried alternate options But seriously 4 hours for 300kms is very good. Recently when I had been to Shimoga it took me almost 6 hours with half an hour breakfast break, period.

And yes, as you mentioned Channaraypatna-Arasikere is better considering Tiptur is becoming crowded nowadays with more vehicles and more over buses stopping in between to pick passengers or dropping them is a major road blocker.

[meetbadri]

Completed the trip to most sacred temples of Karnataka last week. Below is the update of road conditions:
14-Dec-2014
Bangalore- Tumkur- Gubbi- Tiptur- Arsikere- Bhadravathi- Shimoga- Sagar (Very good roads) Bypass road in Tumkur is in very bad condition, and stretch between Kadur and Tarikere has lot of potholes.

15-Dec-2014
Sagar to Honnavar
little bit of potholes till Gersoppa from Jog.

16-Dec-2014
Honnavar to Idagunji
Idagunji to Shirali
Nice roads, however 4 lane work on the highway is in progress, difficult to drive more than 60KMPH as truck traffic is more.

17-Dec-2014
Shirali to Kollur
Kollur to Sringeri 4 Lane work in progress till Byndoor.
Byndoor to Kollur is very bad to drive. Repair work is in progress. Hopefully road will be drivable in another month or so.
Kollur to Ampar is in good condition. However Ampar to all the way till Aagumbe roads have gone bad.

18-Dec-2014
Sringeri to Bangalore
Sringeri- Aldur- Mudigere- Belur- Hassan- Bangalore.
Sringeri to Mudigere can’t get worse than the present condition it almost took me 4 hours to drive 90 Kms. Mudigere to Belur is a single road but in good condition. Belur to Bangalore is heavenly roads.