[rk_sans]

Originally Posted by Ryuu

Anyway, I got in touch with my host. My hotel is at Marayoor. He confirms that the bridge collapse after Marayoor has been fixed.

Interested may confirm from their sources and proceed.

Best,
Ryuu

Thanks for this information. I am heading to Munnar during christmas week too. Will reconfirm this information with my host too.

[SNayak]

We've planned to visit Munnar this weekend and booked sterling resort in Chinakkal. Initial plan was to start from Bangalore on 22nd and reach Coimbatore and visit Adiyogi and start for Munnar next day. But later we came to know that Chinakkal will be around 6hrs from Coimbatore as we've to follow Marayoor route and pass through Munnar town to reach our resort in Chinnakal.

So the plan is bit changed now and we now decide to hit Theni on Day 1 considering my parents accompanying me and they will too tired to cover such a long distance in one day and with ghat sections. Then we move to Munnar next day. The route from Theni to Munnar is in good condition as confirmed by hotel guys. He also told that Theni route is now better than Marayoor route. When i asked if I can come through Poopara to Chinnakal from Theni, he discouraged saying the roads are under construction and may not be ideal. So i've below questions :-

1. How is the current road condition from Poopara to Chinnakal ? I am planning to hit this route as I heard it's very scenic.

2. As I am taking Theni to Munnar first time, how steep will the ghats and is advisable with old parents ?

3. Any famous places to see between Theni and Chinnakal ?

[kala]

Originally Posted by SNayak

1. How is the current road condition from Poopara to Chinnakal ? I am planning to hit this route as I heard it's very scenic.

If the hotel guys have advised you to avoid this route, it is best to heed to that advice. The Munnar and surrounding hills were hit badly with floods and landslides during the last monsoon and the reconstruction activities can cause considerable delays. So I would say stick to the route they recommended (probably the Bodimettu-Muthuvankudy-Chinnakanal road ?). The last time I went, that route was quite OK - somewhat rough roads but decent enough to traverse on even low clearance sedans.

2. As I am taking Theni to Munnar first time, how steep will the ghats and is advisable with old parents ?

The ghats are steep but nothing to be unduly worried about. Even that climb is pretty scenic and the road surface used to be very good.

3. Any famous places to see between Theni and Chinnakal ?

Nothing much really except for the views from the ghat section climb, and some views of the Anayirangal dam backwaters from the Bodymettu-Chinnakanal road.

P.S. The name of the place where Sterling is situated is Chinnakanal - not Chinnakal

[SNayak]

Originally Posted by kala

If the hotel guys have advised you to avoid this route, it is best to heed to that advice.

Thanks a lot Kala for your response. Just now received the below message from Sterling hotel. Posting it here as it may help others as well.

[rk_sans]

Originally Posted by Ryuu

Anyway, I got in touch with my host. My hotel is at Marayoor. He confirms that the bridge collapse after Marayoor has been fixed.

Interested may confirm from their sources and proceed.

Best,
Ryuu

My host too confirmed that the bridge has been fixed and we can come comfortably.

[SNayak]

I traveled to Munnar during last week of December. The initial mail I received was to come through Theni -> Bodi -> Bodimettu -> Poopara -> Chinnakanal

However got another mail from the resort on 24th Dec with a new route which is as below.

Coimbatore/ Theni/ Bangalore/ Salem/ Chennai routes are:-

Theni----------- Bodimettu------------- Suryanelli ------ Chinnakanal(Sterling Resort)

So i got confused and called the resort and they confirmed to follow the above route. The road from Theni to Bodimettu is in excellent condition. But post that the road that goes through Bodimettu to Suryanelli to Chinnakanal is small narrow roads but nothing to worry about. This is basically gram panchayat road and passes through villages.

But after reaching Munnar I realized that the road between Poopara and Munnar is getting widen and lots of construction work on going. So it's better to avoid this route

[Rohan24]

Planning to drive to Munnar this Holi weekend. Hotel is situated in Chinnakanal.
From earlier posts, Salem - Theni - Bodi - Chinnakanal route appears to be the best option.
Any updates on the road conditions between Munnar and Chinnakanal? As I plan to drive to Munnar and then Top station one of the days.

[Throtttle]

Originally Posted by SNayak

When i asked if I can come through Poopara to Chinnakal from Theni, he discouraged saying the roads are under construction and may not be ideal.

1. How is the current road condition from Poopara to Chinnakal ?

Originally Posted by kala

If the hotel guys have advised you to avoid this route, it is best to heed to that advice.

Originally Posted by SNayak

The initial mail I received was to come through Theni -> Bodi -> Bodimettu -> Poopara -> Chinnakanal

However got another mail from the resort on 24th Dec with a new route which is as below.

Theni----------- Bodimettu------------- Suryanelli ------ Chinnakanal(Sterling Resort)

So i got confused and called the resort and they confirmed to follow the above route. The road from Theni to Bodimettu is in excellent condition. But post that the road that goes through Bodimettu to Suryanelli to Chinnakanal is small narrow roads but nothing to worry about. This is basically gram panchayat road and passes through villages.

But after reaching Munnar I realized that the road between Poopara and Munnar is getting widen and lots of construction work on going. So it's better to avoid this route

Dear Fellow BHPians,

As per above mentions it seems that until some time back due to construction work between Poopara and Chinnakanal, route advised for Bodimettu to Chinnakanal was via Suryanelli and not the main highway route via Poopara.

Does anybody have any recent updates regarding resumption of the main highway route via Poopara as the preferred/optable route now, to be able to avoid the alternative narrow village route.

Thanks.

[Aiel]

We drove back from Munnar to Bangalore (with an overnight break in Coimbatore) last week. We left Munnar (Chinnakanal) on Sunday around 10AM. The road from Chinnakanal to Munnar was quite bumpy (due to construction), but the few kilometres which were completed, were quite brilliant (broad, smooth and curvy). We got stuck at Eravikulam for about an hour. We took the route via Udhagamandalam. There was minimal traffic and road conditions were quite good.

We took quite a few breaks - one for changing diapers (travelling with a year old infant), buying jackfruit, buying jaggery (at Marayoor), and a lunch break just before Udhagamandalam (at Kickgrass- a random stop, but very good place for a break, clean toilets, tasty and fresh food (especially the mushrooms), and great service).

[jkrishnakj]

Hope you meant Udumalaipet and not Udhagamandalam, unless you returned to Bangalore from Coimbatore via Ooty

[aunpdk]

I drove from Trivandrum to Chinnakanal (Hotel Sterling) last weekend. I took the route via Kuttikkanam, Kattappana and Pooppaara. There is road widening work happening between Pooppara and Chinnakanal. In most of the parts widening has completed but tarring is pending. The ride is bumpy but flat roads with mettils laid on top and lot of dust due to that. Tarring is completed in the last 3 km and the road is superb.

[meetbadri]

I am planning to drive to Munnar from Bengaluru and plans are as below

29-Sep: Bengaluru to Munnar Start as early as possible (by 4:00 AM) and the route is Bengaluru --> Hosur --> Dharampuri --> Salem --> Namakkal --> Dindigul --> Theni --> Ammankulam --> Munthal -> Muthuvan --> Munnar.
30-Sep: Sightseeing
1-Oct: Sightseeing
2-Oct: Munnar to Bengaluru Start by 9:00 AM and route is Munnar --> Udamalpet --> Avinashi --> Perundurai --> Idappadi --> Dharampuri --> Hosur --> Bengaluru

I will be travelling with my Wife and 6 year old kid and would need some assistance in below queries

1) Good Vegetarian restaurants on both ways for Breakfast and Lunch.
2) Good places to fill Diesel for my i20
3) Conditions of roads.

Thanks in advance.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by meetbadri

I
1) Good Vegetarian restaurants on both ways for Breakfast and Lunch.

First of all I assume you are staying in and around Chinnakanal and hence going via Theni makes more sense. (Chinnakanal is 22km from Munnar towards Theni. Hence you cover that much lesser a distance)

4AM start means you are at Salem by 0630/7. Most places open by 7. Dont take the 5 roads flyover at Salem. Go down to the next junction after 5-roads and you see Sri Saravana Bhavan.

Once done your next food stop should be for lunch at Theni. We are talking another 250km and about 4/4.5 hours of drive. I only remember Western Gatz in the city which is best place. But my info is quite old. I dont know what new options have cropped up.


Similarly while returning, till Avinashi I dont see much options. We are talking 90km/3 hours (Munnar-Udumalpet) and another 90 minutes to Avinashi (80km).

So easily 4-5 hours till you hit the 4-lane. There is not much on the way. but once at Avinashi, immediately there are many options. Anandas, A2B, CCD etc. (You name it!)

2) Good places to fill Diesel for my i20

Not much that I can suggest. I just fill where I find many trucks filling up!

3) Conditions of roads.

All 4-lanes in top condition and so is Dindigul-Theni. Same goes for Udumalpet-Avinashi. Don't know about the ghat sections and effects of recent monsoon.

Hope that helps .

[meetbadri]

Originally Posted by ampere

Hope that helps .

Thanks for all the information. Yes I'll be staying in Chinnakanal "Fort Munnar" to be specific.

I am bit worried on the road conditions as many of my friends have told that there is lot of construction works in progress in Kerala towards Munnar. But not sure about the road conditions.

[ramanan.skr]

Originally Posted by meetbadri

2) Good places to fill Diesel for my i20

Look out for LOA Petrol bunks(Lorry Owner's Association) on both sides of NH47 between Sankari and Perundurai.