[Aiel]

We completed a Bangalore - Hyderabad drive on Friday. There was no COVID related checking anywhere along the way.

Observations:
- There are a couple of new Restaurants on this side. We took a break at Rainbow Hotel (a few kilometres after Food Pyramid) - new hotel, clean restrooms and sufficient parking.

- I noticed a mobile interceptor on the other side, around 10-15 kilometres after Kurnool (in the Bangalore direction).

[hserus]

Originally Posted by smsrini

Planning to drive from Bangalore to Hyderabad on Sunday, 10th October. I see moderate to heavy rain predicted for anantapur and Kurnool. Looking for any updates on the route due to rains.

Thanks
Srinivas

Good roads. If you have visibility issues due to too heavy rain, just pull over to the side at some safe place and wait.

[sriturl]

Originally Posted by Aiel

We completed a Bangalore - Hyderabad drive on Friday. There was no COVID related checking anywhere along the way.

Observations:
- There are a couple of new Restaurants on this side. We took a break at Rainbow Hotel (a few kilometres after Food Pyramid) - new hotel, clean restrooms and sufficient parking.

- I noticed a mobile interceptor on the other side, around 10-15 kilometres after Kurnool (in the Bangalore direction).

Telangana has become a speed trap. They fine for ridiculous speed limits like 40 and 50 on highways.
https://echallan.tspolice.gov.in/publicview/

Just a general guidance that normal speed limit is 100.
Shadnagar bypass it is 80.

Other places, they setup speed traps. They come up with boards which says 60 and then 40 in few mts. which according to them is when a village is approaching etc., thats when you get fined most of the times.
I have violations at 80 kmph at a couple of these junctions.

[jkrishnakj]

Is there a good breakfast place towards Hyd. Plan to leave very early tomorrow morning. I’m generally used to grabbing a quick bite at the places just after the Bangalore airport. For the time I’ll leave tomorrow, I would be crossing Blr airport around 545 am.

Any recommendations are welcome. Preferable a veg place. Thanks.

[pariwar]

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

Is there a good breakfast place towards Hyd. I would be crossing Blr airport around 545 am. Preferable a veg place. Thanks.

If you can hold the hunger till about 8.30 a.m. then I would suggest Hotel Suraj Grand at Kurnool (google for it). Completely vegetarian, parking is not a problem and reasonably clean washrooms. They have a buffet breakfast for approx. ₹220 or ₹250 - south indian mostly, bread/butter/jam & the usual fruit juice/cut fruits. Quite sumptuous. Have used this option multiple times.

[sriturl]

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

Is there a good breakfast place towards Hyd. Plan to leave very early tomorrow morning. I’m generally used to grabbing a quick bite at the places just after the Bangalore airport. For the time I’ll leave tomorrow, I would be crossing Blr airport around 545 am.

Any recommendations are welcome. Preferable a veg place. Thanks.

Anantapur now have some decent eateries. Havent tried, but the places looked good from outside. There are few options just before Anantapur.
Similarly, just before Kurnool, but Anantapur might be a good option for breakfast if starting early.

[jkrishnakj]

Well, the typical Udipi restaurant that’s our usual place was open to service at 615 am. So, I enjoyed the steaming hot Idlis there.

I did see atleast 4-5 new places near the Lepakshi turn off and at Anantpur. They all looked pretty decent. This is a welcome change.

I’m returning to Bangalore tomorrow and I’ll update back with the names of these places. Since I was in a bit of a rush driving towards Hyd, I failed to notice the names.

[sanchari]

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

Is there a good breakfast place towards Hyd. Plan to leave very early tomorrow morning. I’m generally used to grabbing a quick bite at the places just after the Bangalore airport. For the time I’ll leave tomorrow, I would be crossing Blr airport around 545 am.

Any recommendations are welcome. Preferable a veg place. Thanks.

Too late to reply to this now. But anyway, next time go to Nandi Upachar, which is at Devanahalli, around 10-15kms from Blr airport. Nice hotel with clean bathrooms , and has both self-service and sitting options with good food. Its our pit stop when we travel between blr-hyd.

This year during Navaratri, we made HYD-BLR-HYD trip. We had packed lunch, but we stopped at Nandi Upachar around 4:00pm for snacks and coffee. On the way back, we had breakfast there and also got some food packed for lunch.

[jkrishnakj]

On way to Hyd, I might have crossed the speed limit someplace before entry to ORR.

On my return, coos we’re stopping cars that had a pending challan and asked me to pay up. I told them that I will pay later, but the same day, since it’s online and I can pay once I reach Bangalore. They insisted it’s paid right then before I was let off.

This time, I saw a lot of cameras mounted, both sides on this highway. Must be the Cyberabad police working overtime.

[chethan.ram]

I had been to Mantralaya recently and we travelled on the same highway till Gooty. Once you cross Nandi Upchar, you have absolute no options. There is not even a single decent place. What could be the reason? Aren’t there enough vehicle movements on this highway? It’s a real pain to travel on this highway when it comes to decent restaurants and washrooms.

[nagarjun]

Originally Posted by chethan.ram

I had been to Mantralaya recently and we travelled on the same highway till Gooty. Once you cross Nandi Upchar, you have absolute no options. There is not even a single decent place. What could be the reason? Aren’t there enough vehicle movements on this highway? It’s a real pain to travel on this highway when it comes to decent restaurants and washrooms.

There are a few options on both sides of the highway just before Anantapur when going towards Hyderabad.
However if you compare then against Nandi Upachar, they are little below par especially in terms of general Hygiene and washrooms. But I felt them to be ok and not too bad.

[chethan.ram]

Originally Posted by nagarjun

There are a few options on both sides of the highway just before Anantapur when going towards Hyderabad.
However if you compare then against Nandi Upachar, they are little below par especially in terms of general Hygiene and washrooms. But I felt them to be ok and not too bad.

In fact, we ended up having breakfast at the same place that you mentioned. It was very ordinary and it was not at all hygienic. In fact, they didn’t have proper restrooms also. If I am travelling on that route again, I will make sure that I eat in Nandi Upchar. I don’t want to take chances.

[ph03n!x]

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

...
On my return, coos we’re stopping cars that had a pending challan and asked me to pay up.
...

Where was this happening, was it at a toll or did they flag you anywhere else?

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

On my return, coos we’re stopping cars that had a pending challan and asked me to pay up. I told them that I will pay later, but the same day, since it’s online and I can pay once I reach Bangalore. They insisted it’s paid right then before I was let off.

Originally Posted by ph03n!x

Where was this happening, was it at a toll or did they flag you anywhere else?

This has been an old practice of theirs. Every now and then, the traffic cops set up such camps major ORR toll gates and flag only outstation cars. Once you stop, they punch your car number on their portal. If there's any outstanding fine, you have to pay online and right on the spot, else they don't let you go.

I have been stopped atleast 4-5 times (across 3 different ORR toll gates) and have paid fine once. Rest of the times, I was asked to continue respectfully as there wasn't any pending fine. I have seen drivers calling their bosses to arrange for online payment of pending fines.

[jkrishnakj]

Originally Posted by ph03n!x

Where was this happening, was it at a toll or did they flag you anywhere else?

They had a big bunch of traffic police situated just at the exit (maybe 50-60 mtr) of the ORR towards Bangalore.

While we go slow at the Toll for Fastag, there were 3 policemen who were typing in vehicle details. Easy for them because the vehicles are dead slow for the barriers to open.

They were flagging those with a pending challan to the side for payment (looks like they have an arrangement with Paytm services)

It’s a different issue that almost 70% of vehicles were pulled to the side.