[ranjith.rajaram]

Originally Posted by ddis_dude

I can vouch for NH4-NH46-NH7 as well. Drove to Bangalore 3 months back and the road is real pleasing. The only disappointment is the frequent stops at toll-booths - far too many of them and the tool is pretty expensive too.

I'm planning a Chennai-Ooty-Masinagudi-Coimbatore-Chennai trip over all of next week as well. After thinking about the Tambaram route for quite a while, I now feel the NH4-NH46-NH7 route is best even if its is a little longer.

On reaching NH7, we take a right to goto Bangalore and at this point we just need to take a left Salem per my understanding. Does anyone know how good the rest of the route is from Salem to Ooty?

A good option w.r.t. food is to stop by Saravana Bhavan at Vellore (which is no deviation at all). Anyone know of a good option for lunch in that route once we are on NH7?

Hey DD,
Yes you’re right. On reaching NH7, the right goes to Bangalore and at this point you to take a left to Salem. No Worries TN authorities have put ample sign board on this route. You will never get lost.

Route from Salem to Ooty I guess this would be the best (anyone correct me if I am wrong if you guys have made a recent trip, mine was years back)

From Salem, take Bhavani (don’t enter the Bhavani district, take the byepass), Avinashi, Annur, Mettupalayam, after mettupalayam ghat session start via Coonoor reach Ooty.

Until Avinashi its 4 lane for some part near Bhavani its 2 lane. I have done Annur Mettupalayam years back with was a 2 lane not sure about the road conditions now.

The whole stretch is about 275 - 300 KMS apprx, until mettupalayam it takes 3 to 4 hrs (deponds how you drive) from salem. Mettupalayam to ooty will take 2.5 hrs lots of hairpin bends.

Don’t worry about food, lot of restaurants on this route. Watch out for A2B

[hvkumar]

Road from Salem to Ooty via Avinashi, Annur, Mettupalayam is good.
On NH7, after end of Dharmapuri bypass and before the toll gate at the head of the ghat down to Toppur, there is a A2B (towards Bangalore).

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by ranjith.rajaram

Route from Salem to Ooty I guess this would be the best (anyone correct me if I am wrong if you guys have made a recent trip, mine was years back)

From Salem, take Bhavani (don’t enter the Bhavani district, take the byepass), Avinashi, Annur, Mettupalayam, after mettupalayam ghat session start via Coonoor reach Ooty.

Until Avinashi its 4 lane for some part near Bhavani its 2 lane. I have done Annur Mettupalayam years back with was a 2 lane not sure about the road conditions now.

Would be better to go via Salem rather than take the turn to Bhavani @ Thoppur,the roads between Thoppur & Bhavani were chipped at many places(unless they have been tarred by now-update as of 15th Mar)so speeds would drop.

Thoppur-Salem(4 laning complete),easy drive,
salem to Avinashi is again 4 laned,so overall should be an easy drive.
Turn off towards Annur @ Avinashi on NH47 and then onwards to Mettupalayam.
Avinashi-Annur is around 55kms
Annur-Mettupalayam is around 35kms,
Then onwards to Ooty via Coonoor.Did this route in 2008 December and roads were good.

[ddis_dude]

Ranjith and Kumar - thanks a lot for your responses! I guess there is also an A2B (I googled for this - I did not know this was Adyaar Ananda Bhavan lol) right at (or close to) the junction of NH46 and NH7. So, I'll look out for the other one as well.

I'm concerned because my 3yr old is very picky about what he eats!

Btw, google maps actually asks us to take a slight detour and take SH60 from NH46 and this merges into NH7 eventually. I'm just talking about directions on google maps from Chennai to Ooty. We save about 11 km's (per google) if we take this as we dont really have to even goto the NH46/NH7 junction.

Any of you know about the state of SH60? Is it worth the trouble?

[ampere]

NH7 meets NH46 at Krishnagiri. You need to go much beyond Dharmapuri (about 70Km from Krishnagiri) to hit the A2B. Its not at the intersection.

[citron]

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Originally Posted by ddis_dude

I guess there is also an A2B (I googled for this - I did not know this was Adyaar Ananda Bhavan lol) right at (or close to) the junction of NH46 and NH7.

I'm concerned because my 3yr old is very picky about what he eats!

The Tamilnadu Tourism motel at Krishnagiri is about 3 kms ahead of the intersection with NH 7, on the left. Has a clean restaurant with veg and non veg food.

Originally Posted by ampere

NH7 meets NH46 at Krishnagiri. You need to go much beyond Dharmapuri (about 70Km from Krishnagiri) to hit the A2B. Its not at the intersection.

That's right.It is a few 100 meters ahead of the L&T toll plaza,on the right - you have to watch out for the gap in the median and make a U-turn.Veg food but quality has declined in the last few months.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by citron

l
That's right.It is a few 100 meters ahead of the L&T toll plaza,on the right - you have to watch out for the gap in the median and make a U-turn.Veg food but quality has declined in the last few months.

One thing I have noted is that the Krishnagiri A2B is always crowded as it has to cater to folks traveling both towards Salem as well as Chennai.

I was wondering if the one at Thoppur would be less crowded. Though I have never been to that one.

[ddis_dude]

Thanks to everyone for their valuable inputs - I'll certainly watch out for for the A2B.

Anyone with any ideas about SH60 that connects NH46 to NH7 and saves about 11km of travel?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by ddis_dude

Thanks to everyone for their valuable inputs - I'll certainly watch out for for the A2B.

Anyone with any ideas about SH60 that connects NH46 to NH7 and saves about 11km of travel?

Its not worth it (unless you want to save toll at Vaniyambadi )
Its the same road which you take to go to Yelagiri.
Though the road is decent, its worth the effort.

[ddis_dude]

Ampere! Thanks a lot for the answer - I was in 2 minds thinking I'll take the risk. I did not know about the toll difference, but comfort is far more important - not just for us - but for Switfy as well :-)

[pypkmsrikanth]

Originally Posted by ranjith.rajaram

From Salem, take Bhavani (don’t enter the Bhavani district, take the byepass), Avinashi, Annur, Mettupalayam, after mettupalayam ghat session start via Coonoor reach Ooty.

Until Avinashi its 4 lane for some part near Bhavani its 2 lane. I have done Annur Mettupalayam years back with was a 2 lane not sure about the road conditions now.

The whole stretch is about 275 - 300 KMS apprx, until mettupalayam it takes 3 to 4 hrs (deponds how you drive) from salem. Mettupalayam to ooty will take 2.5 hrs lots of hairpin bends.

Don’t worry about food, lot of restaurants on this route. Watch out for A2B

Actually the better option is to go from Salem until Chithode which is just after Bhavani, take a right to Gobichettipalayam and then onto Sathyamangalam and Mettupalayam decent 2 lane roads all the way.

But just out of curiosity if you are going to Masinagudi it makes a lot more sense to go via Bangalore - Mysore rather than go via Ooty, not only would you be climbing up the ghat on your way to Ooty you will have to come down the Kalhatty ghats again, would be come pretty tiresome. Any specific reasons for planning via Ooty?

Originally Posted by ddis_dude

Thanks to everyone for their valuable inputs - I'll certainly watch out for for the A2B.

Anyone with any ideas about SH60 that connects NH46 to NH7 and saves about 11km of travel?

The SH60 is a winding 2 lane highway which is in OK condition upto Tirupathur and in good condition beyond that all the way upto Dharmapuri. But you would lose a lot of time crossing the town and reaching back NH7 just before the L&T toll booth. You would actually take up more time as compared to going via Krishnagiri.

If you do not have much issues in getting into Dharmapuri town you could either have your food at Meenakshi Bhavan or Hotel New Rama both are decent places to stop with some great tasting food.

[ddis_dude]

@ranjithp: Turn off towards Annur @ Avinashi on NH47 and then onwards to Mettupalayam.

Are you sure about this? Google maps tells me that NH47 is broken before it reaches Avinashi and tells me to take a loooong detour. The route you have mentioned is fantastic though and I'm going to do just this.

Don't know if I have hijacked a different thread though - sorry about that folks. Should I create a new thread for this or maybe should we just change the title appropriately to Chennai-Salem-Ooty?

Leave Chennai: 5:30am (I am very close to NH4 at Avadi)
Saravana Bhavan Vellore: 7:30am for breakfast, leave by 8:15am
Krishnagiri: 10:00am
Salem (some good hotel or A2B): 12:15pm, depart 1:00pm
Ooty: Around 5-6pm

NH47/67 combine is some 40km's more and google maps advices taking NH47/15. With this route, if the roads are in good shape, arrival even before 5:00pm is possible I guess (depending on how many stops we have for a look at the picturesque locations).

[pypkmsrikanth]

Don't trust google maps always. You can reach Mettupalayam from Avinashi via Annur. Once you are back from your trip you will realise that the collective wisdom of the forum is better than most maps.

[ddis_dude]

Originally Posted by pypkmsrikanth

Don't trust google maps always. You can reach Mettupalayam from Avinashi via Annur. Once you are back from your trip you will realise that the collective wisdom of the forum is better than most maps.

Agree with you Srikanth and I do realize this! Just that I was really surprised google maps shows a BIG gap on NH47 and asks us to take a detour to cover for the gap. After all, I don't want to end up like the driver that went off an unfinished bridge last evening in Chennai! Just kidding folks, chill. Thanks for the pointers.

Originally Posted by pypkmsrikanth

Actually the better option is to go from Salem until Chithode which is just after Bhavani, take a right to Gobichettipalayam and then onto Sathyamangalam and Mettupalayam decent 2 lane roads all the way.

But just out of curiosity if you are going to Masinagudi it makes a lot more sense to go via Bangalore - Mysore rather than go via Ooty, not only would you be climbing up the ghat on your way to Ooty you will have to come down the Kalhatty ghats again, would be come pretty tiresome. Any specific reasons for planning via Ooty?

The SH60 is a winding 2 lane highway which is in OK condition upto Tirupathur and in good condition beyond that all the way upto Dharmapuri. But you would lose a lot of time crossing the town and reaching back NH7 just before the L&T toll booth. You would actually take up more time as compared to going via Krishnagiri.

If you do not have much issues in getting into Dharmapuri town you could either have your food at Meenakshi Bhavan or Hotel New Rama both are decent places to stop with some great tasting food.

Thanks for the hotel references Srikanth. Thanks also for the route reference - lemme check a bit more and I'll finally choose one of these routes. I'll certainly avoid SH60 - not worth the trouble.

I'm going to stay for 3 days at Ooty and that's the reason I'm going to Ooty. After this 3-day stay, I plan on stopping by Masinagudi for 2 days and then onto Coimbatore. Return to Chennai from Coimbatore. Are you saying it makes sense for me to goto Masinagudi first and then goto Ooty?

[ddis_dude]

Originally Posted by pypkmsrikanth

Actually the better option is to go from Salem until Chithode which is just after Bhavani, take a right to Gobichettipalayam and then onto Sathyamangalam and Mettupalayam decent 2 lane roads all the way.

Thanks a ton Srikanth - you have hit a sixer just like your namesake used to do on the cricket field :-)

This is exactly what google maps also suggests and this is what I plan on doing. Thanks once again for confirming the nice 2 lane road facts.