[fast_elegance]

Originally Posted by patnaik7

Thanks Ampere. I have no plans to stay at Chinakannal at this point. Current plan is to stay and chill out in Munnar it self. The route Elegance followed was Kanakpura-Chamarajanagar-Annur-Karumathampatti-Palladam-Udumalpettai-Munnar route on way to Munnar and coming back via Salem. Planning to do the same now as the roads are supposed to be good. Any thoughts?

Hi Patnaik,
The best thing about the Kanakpura-Chamarajanagar route is that you dont pay any tolls anywhere and the roads are more scenic. On the Salem highway you would end up paying atleast 400 INR as road tolls. The roads were good when I travelled and I guess it would be the same considering there was no much rains after.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by patnaik7

Thanks Ampere. I have no plans to stay at Chinakannal at this point. Current plan is to stay and chill out in Munnar it self. The route Elegance followed was Kanakpura-Chamarajanagar-Annur-Karumathampatti-Palladam-Udumalpettai-Munnar route on way to Munnar and coming back via Salem. Planning to do the same now as the roads are supposed to be good. Any thoughts?

Kanakpura road is good but for the odd days of block at Dimbam, if any truck gets stuck in those hairpin bends. Else its a good road.
The other issue is railway over bridge construction at Karumanthampatti. The road around that location very bad for about 3-4 km.
Else the overall route is good.

Salem-Perundurai is a know good route. On the Kanakpura road the one place to stop for breakfast is at Chamarajanagar.
While on GQ you have many more options.

[kala]

Originally Posted by patnaik7

Kanakpura-Chamarajanagar-Annur-Karumathampatti-Palladam-Udumalpettai-Munnar route on way to Munnar and coming back via Salem. Planning to do the same now as the roads are supposed to be good.

Originally Posted by fast_elegance

The best thing about the Kanakpura-Chamarajanagar route is that you dont pay any tolls anywhere and the roads are more scenic. On the Salem highway you would end up paying atleast 400 INR as road tolls. The roads were good when I travelled and I guess it would be the same considering there was no much rains after.

Originally Posted by ampere

Kanakpura road is good but for the odd days of block at Dimbam, if any truck gets stuck in those hairpin bends. Else its a good road.
The other issue is railway over bridge construction at Karumanthampatti. The road around that location very bad for about 3-4 km.
Else the overall route is good.

Salem-Perundurai is a know good route. On the Kanakpura road the one place to stop for breakfast is at Chamarajanagar.
While on GQ you have many more options.

The NH209-Karumathampatti-Palladam route would be my most preferred one too. Last time I went that way (first week of December) I reached Udumalpettai in 6 hours inclusive of a 20 minute breakfast stop at Chamarajnagar (starting from Banashankari near Kanakapura road).

There is a flyover under construction on NH47 at Karumathampatti, but crossing that isn't much of an issue in spite of the road being a little bit rough. The bad stretch that Ampere mentioned is about 7-8 kms from there at Somanur where you cross the railway line. I took a narrow underbridge to cross the railway line at that place (Need to go about 0.5 kms towards your right from the main road, cross the underbridge and then take a left again immediately after the underbridge for about 1 km before you hit the SH again), so did not see the railway overbridge construction. The road on that stretch is pretty patchy (about 2 to 3 kms), but that's all the bad road you will find on this route till Udumalpettai.

The road inside the Chinnar WLS was quite bad - I'd advise speeds of only 20 to 30 kms when going in a small vehicle. Once you cross the WLS the road is quite decent except for occasional bad patches, but still not a high speed stretch since the road is quite narrow and curvy and overtaking opportunities are limited. The 80 odd kms from Udumalpettai to Munnar will take you 2 to 3 hours overall.

[patnaik7]

Originally Posted by kala

The NH209-Karumathampatti-Palladam route would be my most preferred one too. Last time I went that way (first week of December) I reached Udumalpettai in 6 hours inclusive of a 20 minute breakfast stop at Chamarajnagar (starting from Banashankari near Kanakapura road).

There is a flyover under construction on NH47 at Karumathampatti, but crossing that isn't much of an issue in spite of the road being a little bit rough. The bad stretch that Ampere mentioned is about 7-8 kms from there at Somanur where you cross the railway line. I took a narrow underbridge to cross the railway line at that place (Need to go about 0.5 kms towards your right from the main road, cross the underbridge and then take a left again immediately after the underbridge for about 1 km before you hit the SH again), so did not see the railway overbridge construction. The road on that stretch is pretty patchy (about 2 to 3 kms), but that's all the bad road you will find on this route till Udumalpettai.

The road inside the Chinnar WLS was quite bad - I'd advise speeds of only 20 to 30 kms when going in a small vehicle. Once you cross the WLS the road is quite decent except for occasional bad patches, but still not a high speed stretch since the road is quite narrow and curvy and overtaking opportunities are limited. The 80 odd kms from Udumalpettai to Munnar will take you 2 to 3 hours overall.

Thanks a lot everyone. I have decided to go now via the Salem route albeit the toll kicks in, as this is my first long drive. I might think of coming via kanakpura on my return. I appreciate your time and responses. I'll be leaving this Sunday, will pen down my experience upon my return.

[patnaik7]

Guys I am back from the trip to Munnar. Took the tried and tested route both ways i.e. Bangalore-Salem-Udumalpatei-Munnar Roads were superb, as discussed earlier, there is a 3-4 km stretch inside the Tiger reserve (area between Kerala and Tamil Nadu) that is not too good, but definitely manageable. There are some patchworks also done on that road. Also, the state highway from Udumalpatei to Munnar was very nice. I expect a lot of road repair work to be done both in Munnar and the tiger sanctuary as there were piles of gravel, road rollers at specific points.

Some tips:
-Wear something light (comfortable) and possible bright in color (black is a definite NO) so that heat is reflected during driving.
-Fill up petrol as soon as you get a chance in Munnar. The day we were supposed to leave, all pumps were out of petrol in Munnar.I did have half a tank, so I drove to Marayoor where there is 1 petrol pump, unfortunately, that was out of stock too. I finally made it into TN, Udumalpatei where I filled up.
-Language was a problem in TN. People were more than willing to help to show the way but had problems conversing. A kind gentleman went out of the way, made us follow his bike (5km) and showed us the way to Kerala. Disappointing to see signboards in local language that tourists cannot comprehend.
-People using GPS, do not rely solely on it. It can compute any route and show you, just validate the route again. In my case it was directing us to drive into Coimbatore and then right towards Salem, what a waste. Thankfully we were aware of the route so we did a detour and it computed an alternate route. Moral - Use GPS as an assistant/guide and not your only means of going around.
-Attached photos: road inside tiger reserve and state highway from Udumalpatei
-The check posts: Please keep change of at least 100 rupees in 10 rupee denominations. After making an entry, the guards expect you to tip them. Around Rs.20 is the norm.
-People with smartphones: Please download google maps offline. You can download 6 times (upto 85 MB per download). This was a life saver for me; I had downloaded the entire route in google maps. So when in doubt, just fire up the GPS along with google maps and it will exactly show you where you are on the map. I had sygic gps navigation (does not recognize newer roads) as well, but google gives you a high level perspective of where exactly you are, thus improving your sense of direction. Investing in a car charger for your smartphone is a very good idea.
-Started from Bangalore at around 5:30 a.m, reached Munnar by 3:30 a.m including breakfast and lunch stops.

That's it guys, it was an awesome trip, my first long drive. Any questions, please feel free to write. Thanks to everyone for their help in making this first trip possible.

[Shiv_1984]

Originally Posted by patnaik7

Guys I am back from the trip to Munnar.

Bump !!! Hey congrats with your successfull debut innings. BTW i am planninng to hit Munnar soon for my upcoming M anniv
Which resort/homestay/Hotel did you opt for and what where the charges. ?

Thanks !

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Shiv_1984

Bump !!! Hey congrats with your successfull debut innings. BTW i am planninng to hit Munnar soon for my upcoming M anniv
Which resort/homestay/Hotel did you opt for and what where the charges. ?

Thanks !

Check this TL. The estate bungalow at Munnar looked very nice. PM @vindywheels for more details.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ays-bliss.html

[Shiv_1984]

Originally Posted by ampere

Check this TL. The estate bungalow at Munnar looked very nice. PM @vindywheels for more details.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ays-bliss.html

Thank You sir. From what i digged out in this thread i am now aware of the 2 routes so wont bug you on that, but what i would like to know is :

1.Do you have any recent updates on condition of both of the roads.

2.Which one would you recommend if i say i will fix up with something around chinnakanal(Resort). In general i know it's through Dindigul but i would personally like to try the one through udumalpet provided it isnt too much of a detour at EOD.

Thanks!

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Shiv_1984

2.Which one would you recommend if i say i will fix up with something around chinnakanal(Resort). In general i know it's through Dindigul but i would personally like to try the one through udumalpet provided it isnt too much of a detour at EOD.

Its not a detour, but since you would hard pressed for time to reach before evening, you may not be able to do a good justice to Udumalpet-Munnar road. In other words, frequent stops to take pictures may not be possible.

What I would recommend is take the Udumalpet route on the way back. Because even if you reach Bangalore late, that would be fine. While going go via Dindugul/Theni.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by Shiv_1984

1.Do you have any recent updates on condition of both of the roads.

As Ampere says, for the Chinnakanal route take the Theni route onward and return via Udumalaipet (if you wish to try that route as well).
Please note that it may be a good idea to take the Kodai Road exit from NH7 instead of the regular exit to Batlagundu (this road is being widened, more details in the "current condition of roads to kerala" thread).

[achandawarkar]

Hi Guys,
I am planning to hit the roads travelling from Bangalore - Munnar - Adimali - Thekkady, starting on 28th Feb, 2013. I will be travelling with my family.

Team - Me, wifey, kiddo, In-laws, Bro-in-law & fly + kid
Machines - ANHC (2011), Maruti 800 (2005)
Destinations - Munnar, Adimali, Thekkady
Homestay - SreeKrishna Homestay (http://www.sreekrishnahomestaymunnar.com)
Travel Dates: 28th Feb - 3rd Mar, 2013.

Can you please help me on the roads to reach Adimali. I was guided by the homestay people that I wouldn't have to touch Munnar at all, instead, take the BLR - Krishnagiri - Salem - Karur - Dindagul - Periyakulam - Bodinayakanur - Adimali which is about 545 KM. I am actually not aware of this road and didn't come across anyone mention about this in this forum either. I was thinking to take road suggested by AKRoy or dreamdiesel which is as follows:

Bangalore – Hosur – Krishnagiri – Dharmapuri – Thoppur (Exit NH7 and turn Right) – Mettur – Bhavani (Join NH47) – (Exit NH47) Perundurai – Chennimalai – Kangayam – Dharapuram – Udumalaipettai – Marayoor – Munnar

Which would be advised for me to take, specially keeping in mind that I'll be travelling with two toddlers, so I'd prefer the quickest and shortest route to reach Adimali (due to the fact that the homestay is located in Adimali).

Cheers,
Anand

[NPV]

Originally Posted by achandawarkar

Can you please help me on the roads to reach Adimali. I was guided by the homestay people that I wouldn't have to touch Munnar at all, instead, take the BLR - Krishnagiri - Salem - Karur - Dindagul - Periyakulam - Bodinayakanur - Adimali which is about 545 KM. I am actually not aware of this road and didn't come across anyone mention about this in this forum either. I was thinking to take road suggested by AKRoy or dreamdiesel which is as follows:

Bangalore – Hosur – Krishnagiri – Dharmapuri – Thoppur (Exit NH7 and turn Right) – Mettur – Bhavani (Join NH47) – (Exit NH47) Perundurai – Chennimalai – Kangayam – Dharapuram – Udumalaipettai – Marayoor – Munnar

Which would be advised for me to take, specially keeping in mind that I'll be travelling with two toddlers, so I'd prefer the quickest and shortest route to reach Adimali (due to the fact that the homestay is located in Adimali).

You have mentioned 2 of the 3 common routes from Bangalore to Munnar, the third being NH7 all the way to Dindugal (Bangalore-Hosur-Krishnagiri-Dharmapuri-Salem-Namakkal-Karur-Dindugal) and then turning off towards Batlagundu, then Theni-Bodi-Poopara-Chinnakanal-Devikulam and then to Munnar.
For resorts/hotels in the Chinnakanal area, the above route is better since you don't have to actually go all the way to Munnar (hence it is better than going via Marayaoor which will take you to Munnar first and then it's a drive of 20-25Km to Chinnakanal on the hills that can take easily 1 hour or more).

Since your final destination is Adimali, you need to take a deviation at Poopara towards Adimali instead of going towards Chinnakanal-Devikulam.
So, your route would be:
Bangalore-Hosur-Krishnagiri-Dharmapuri-Salem-Namakkal-Karur-Dindugal-turn off from NH7 towards Batlagundu-Theni-Bodi-Poopara-Rajakkad-Adimali

NOTE: The Batlagundu route is being widened so there may be diversions, this can be avoided by going further on NH7 and then taking "Kodai Road" and reaching near Theni, from there on same route via Bodi.

[patnaik7]

Originally Posted by Shiv_1984

Bump !!! Hey congrats with your successfull debut innings. BTW i am planninng to hit Munnar soon for my upcoming M anniv
Which resort/homestay/Hotel did you opt for and what where the charges. ?

Thanks !

They had charged me around Rs.1500 a day. If you are looking at good hotels, Silver Tips is an excellent choice, albeit pricey. Here are a couple you can have a look at: http://www.munnar.com/homestays-in-munnar.htm

[odyssey045]

I am planning a trip to munnar this weekend and i am confused about the route to take.. I was initially considering the bangalore - dharmapuri- mettur - bhavani - udumalaipet route that was mentioned above.. but i am not sure what will be the fastest way to reach there.. After exiting the NH near salem, i am concerned if the mettur - bhavani - udumalaipet roads would be good.

The dindugal - theni - bodi route sounds good since the roads are surely good till dindugul. I am concerned about the dindugul - theni - bodi stretch..

NPV, I am not very clear about the route after dindugul that you mentioned. I was checking the google maps for this and is the kodai road route that you mentioned via vadipatti, usulampatti, andipatti?

Do you think for directly reaching Munnar, the mettur-bhavani-udumalaipet route would be faster than going through theni?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by odyssey045

I am planning a trip to munnar this weekend and i am confused about the route to take.. I was initially considering the bangalore - dharmapuri- mettur - bhavani - udumalaipet route that was mentioned above.. but i am not sure what will be the fastest way to reach there.. After exiting the NH near salem, i am concerned if the mettur - bhavani - udumalaipet roads would be good.

The dindugal - theni - bodi route sounds good since the roads are surely good till dindugul. I am concerned about the dindugul - theni - bodi stretch..

NPV, I am not very clear about the route after dindugul that you mentioned. I was checking the google maps for this and is the kodai road route that you mentioned via vadipatti, usulampatti, andipatti?

Do you think for directly reaching Munnar, the mettur-bhavani-udumalaipet route would be faster than going through theni?

Here you go Route Link


- Go through Dindigul bypass
- Drive towards Madurai
- About 10-15 km down you would see Kodai road exit.
- Take this exit and from here drive to Batlagundu.
- At Batlagundu take the regular NH to Theni.
- The NH I am told is better off now. But by going Kodai road, you still have avoided half the problem.
- At Theni do go into the town, but take the bypass and reach teh other end of the town and then exit to Bodi.