[msdivy]

I am planning to go to Munnar & en route stay in Coimbatore. Any suggestion at Coimbatore for around 1.5K? How is the road between Coimbatore & Munnar?

At Munnar, I am planning stay at Blackberry Hills // Retreat & Spa. Any review on this?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by msdivy

I am planning to go to Munnar & en route stay in Coimbatore. Any suggestion at Coimbatore for around 1.5K? How is the road between Coimbatore & Munnar?

At Munnar, I am planning stay at Blackberry Hills // Retreat & Spa. Any review on this?

From CBE the standard route is via Pollachi-Udumalpet (NH209).

The NH is very decent and nice to drive.
At Udumalpet you turn towards the forest and reach Munnar via Chinnar/Marayoor.

Getting in and out of Pollachi is difficult, as there is lot of traffic and crowd. Need to be careful about it.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by msdivy

Any suggestion at Coimbatore for around 1.5K? How is the road between Coimbatore & Munnar?

In Coimbatore I prefer to stay in Gandhipuram since there are lots of hotels and many options both for food and shopping (if you want to).
Some of the decent hotels in your budget range should be Hotel Aswini, Ess Paradise (opp. each other on Nehru Street), Seetharam Lodge on Kalingarayan Street - all these hotels are nearby.

Road from Coimbatore to Munnar is good.
Route is:
Coimbatore (turn left after Ukkadam toll booth)-Pollachi-Udumalaipet-Chinnar-Marayoor-Munnar
This route is very scenic and you should be able to do it in about 4 hrs or so.
You can find more details of route in my earlier travelogue (my earlier post #273 on this thread has link)

*you don't have to pay toll at Ukkadam (the contract period is over) but there will be someone there asking for money, just ignore and don't stop.

[msdivy]

@ampere, @NPV: Thanks.
I plan to do this next week. The reason I plan to stay in Coimbatore is I am starting from Nanjangud around noon, reach Coimbatore by evening and start for Munnar the next morning.

[jkrishnakj]

Originally Posted by msdivy

I am planning to go to Munnar & en route stay in Coimbatore. Any suggestion at Coimbatore for around 1.5K? How is the road between Coimbatore & Munnar?

At Munnar, I am planning stay at Blackberry Hills // Retreat & Spa. Any review on this?

Hi MS - Blackberry Hills resort is good. I have stayed there last year ( my travelogue in this forum). The service is relaxed, time consuming, but the food is pretty good. The rooms are clean and the ones that have a balcony with the hill views are really nice.

[msdivy]

Did this trip last week:
Going: Bangalore-Mysore-Nanjangudu-Chamarajanagara-Satyamangalam-Coimbatore-Pollachi-Udumalaipettai-Munnar.
Back: Munnar-Theni-Dindigul-Salem-Hosur-Bangalore

Few points:
1) Heavy traffic between Mysore-Nanjangudu & Coimbatore-Pollachi and watch out for rashly overtaking, oncoming buses.
2) Extra caution to be exercised with two-wheelers in Pollachi & Udumalaipettai.
3) While coming back, between Munnar & Chinnakanal, there was heavy fog blanket, with visibility less than 40 metres. This was at 12PM. Also in this stretch, the ghat road is broken in some places.
4) Overall the roads are good.

[kala]

Originally Posted by msdivy

Did this trip last week:
Going: Bangalore-Mysore-Nanjangudu-Chamarajanagara-Satyamangalam-Coimbatore-Pollachi-Udumalaipettai-Munnar.
Back: Munnar-Theni-Dindigul-Salem-Hosur-Bangalore

Few points:
1) Heavy traffic between Mysore-Nanjangudu & Coimbatore-Pollachi and watch out for rashly overtaking, oncoming buses.

To travel to Coimbatore via Satyamangalam, taking NH209 all the way from Bangalore itself (via Kanakapura-Malavalli-Kollegal-Chamarajnagar) is a much better option. Roads are excellent all the way through except for few kms on either side of Kollegal where the surface is slightly rough.

The big plus is the sparse traffic which makes the drive on this route absolutely tension-free, especially when comparing to the crazy traffic in the Bangalore-Mysore-Nanjangud sector (and the innumerable speedbreakers that makes driving on SH17 literally a pain in the butt !!)

[ampere]

Any reason to go via CBE rather than the stand GQ?
Any work at CBE which required this route? Passing through cities would consume more time.

[msdivy]

Originally Posted by ampere

Any reason to go via CBE rather than the stand GQ?

I had to visit Nanjangudu temple.

Originally Posted by kala

To travel to Coimbatore via Satyamangalam, taking NH209 all the way from Bangalore itself (via Kanakapura-Malavalli-Kollegal-Chamarajnagar) is a much better option.

Yes, and the distance would be less too.

Toll paid between Dindigul bypass to Bangalore:
1) TNDK, Velanchet: 60
2) NK, Rasampalyam: 32
3) MVR, Omalur: 53
4) L&T Thopur: 66
5) HK, Krishnagiri: 50
6) BETL Attibele: 20
Total: Rs 281

[ampere]

Originally Posted by msdivy

I had to visit Nanjangudu temple.Yes, and the distance would be less too.

Sorry for asking it twice.
I just realized I had also asked it earlier before you left!

[cool_dube]

Guys,

Am headed to Munnar around end-August and would be there for 3-4 days. Any good drives around other than the standard Top Station and Eravikulam circuit? I am looking at some scenic sectors not more than 80-100 kms to and from Munnar.

On a side note, I am planning to go via Dindugul-Theni and return via Chinnar - Coimbatore, so I'd be covering these sectors anyways.

Thanks in advance!!

[rameshnanda]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

Guys,

Am headed to Munnar around end-August and would be there for 3-4 days. Any good drives around other than the standard Top Station and Eravikulam circuit? I am looking at some scenic sectors not more than 80-100 kms to and from Munnar.

On a side note, I am planning to go via Dindugul-Theni and return via Chinnar - Coimbatore, so I'd be covering these sectors anyways.

Thanks in advance!!

Enough has been discussed about the routes to Munnar. Both routes will be good and has its own Charm. Munnar-Maraiyoor-Udumalpet will be more scenic.

Why do you want to return via Coimbatore? If you have a purpose to go to Coiimbatore, then its fine.

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by rameshnanda

Enough has been discussed about the routes to Munnar. Both routes will be good and has its own Charm. Munnar-Maraiyoor-Udumalpet will be more scenic.

Thank you but I have done both these routes multiple times and am aware of the charms! Please re-read my post - my query was something different.

Originally Posted by rameshnanda

Why do you want to return via Coimbatore? If you have a purpose to go to Coiimbatore, then its fine.

I meant Udumalpet - Palladam - Avinashi when I said Coimbatore route.

[rameshnanda]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

Thank you but I have done both these routes multiple times and am aware of the charms! Please re-read my post - my query was something different.

Sorry dude. It's my bad. To my knowledge there are 3 routes to Munnar. The third route is from Kerala (thru kothamangalam). I have done this route and has its own charm.

Originally Posted by cool_dube

I meant Udumalpet - Palladam - Avinashi when I said Coimbatore route.

Alright. Again, I would advice that you need not touch Avinashi too. You can do Udumalpet-Dharapuram-Kangeyam-Perundurai to avoid the under construction stretch between Avinashi-Chengapalli.

[ampere]

@cool_dube, I remember there was TL from a member who's relative actually studied Engineering in Munnar! (How I envy him! )

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ving-road.html

He may be able to tell about more places inside and driving options within that region.

Also as Ramesh mentioned, good to avoid Avinashi and go via Udumalpet-Dharapuram-Kangeyam-Perundurai-Salem-Bangalore.