[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by yosbert

Planning to do Bangalore - Kodai - Bangalore next month. Need some advice from the experts here.

Route: Bangalore -Hosur - Krishnagiri - Salem - Karur - Dindigul - Kodai Road - Nilakottai - Batlagundu - Kodai
Is this the most optimal route in terms of time taken and road conditions? I understand from the previous few posts that Dindigul - Kodai section has bad patches due to on going road widening work. What is the suggestion here?
For the return route, I see many people taking a different route (via Palani). Is there any specific reason for doing that? I would prefer the most time efficient route while coming back too.

Car: I am planning to take a 11+ years/~70K km old Santro for this trip. Any word of caution or suggestion? Planning to get the car checked up at the service center before that. I do not have any complaints in general with the car though.

Facilities en route: If I start early enough, I can finish breakfast in Salem which is probably the best option. Any suggestions here?
On return trip, any suggestions for a good place for lunch if I start around 9-10AM from Kodai?
Also, any recommended fueling stations en-route?

Just did Kodai-Blr-Hyd and my reccomendations would be as below:

I would suggest that you take the Palani route while going upto Kodai and take the Kodai Road while coming down for two reasons:

1.If you start early then you can conveniently make it to the Saravana Bhavan at Sankari-brilliant place-clean washrooms and excellent food.

2.The wayside vistas are brilliant on the Palani-Kodai road as opposed to the Vathalakundu side.Road is slightly patchy at certain sections but the drive is a very enjoyable one.For this turn off at Perundurai and go via Kangayam-Dharapuram-Palani-Kodai.

Plenty of fuel outlets enroute-nothing to worry on that front.

From Kodai,go till Vatalakundu town and at the junction where the road curves left for Dindigul continue straight and do not take the left.Go straight towards Kodai Road.KR is 20kms from Vatalakkundu.At Kodai road take a left and join NH7.Roads are excellent.The ghat sections are also excellent,but local bikers are mad and come screaming at you without any bother.Even the local taxi drivers were telling us that the bike menace was a big problem now a days on this route.

With a 8-9am departure from Kodai,you would conveniently make it to the brand new Rajabhojanam to your left at Thoppur ghat (after the toll and after the A2B refugee camp! )Brand new place,excellent interiors and clean washrooms.You should be there by 1-130pm.

[yosbert]

Originally Posted by ampere

Wont advice to take A2B on the way at Shoolagiri. Extremely crowded and you can lose quite some time. If you want south indian before Krishnagiri, I would say the best bet is Kamat.

Advice about A2B noted. But won't Kamat be too early for breakfast if I start around 5 from Bangalore?
Perhaps the best bet is to drive till Salem or Saravana Bhavan as Ranjit suggests below.

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

The wayside vistas are brilliant on the Palani-Kodai road as opposed to the Vathalakundu side.Road is slightly patchy at certain sections but the drive is a very enjoyable one.For this turn off at Perundurai and go via Kangayam-Dharapuram-Palani-Kodai.

Is the Palani route steeper as compared to the Vathalakundu route? I would prefer a route that is easier on my 11 year old car, is that something that I should be worried about on the Palani route?

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

From Kodai,go till Vatalakundu town and at the junction where the road curves left for Dindigul continue straight and do not take the left.Go straight towards Kodai Road.KR is 20kms from Vatalakkundu.At Kodai road take a left and join NH7.Roads are excellent.The ghat sections are also excellent,but local bikers are mad and come screaming at you without any bother.Even the local taxi drivers were telling us that the bike menace was a big problem now a days on this route.

Thanks for the heads up. Is the problem serious enough to warrant a change in route? Did you face any issues while coming back?

Thanks Ranjit and ampere for your valuable suggestions.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by yosbert

Advice about A2B noted. But won't Kamat be too early for breakfast if I start around 5 from Bangalore?
Perhaps the best bet is to drive till Salem or Saravana Bhavan as Ranjit suggests below.

That is true. Both A2B and Kamat come within 50-60km from Bangalore.
If you plan to go via Dindigul, then you wont hit Saravana Bhavan as its on the CBE side.

In that case, if you are OK to splurge I would suggest GRT. Ideal place for a stop. If you start by 5AM you should be there 7:30 or 8. BF opens at 7AM.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by yosbert

Is the Palani route steeper as compared to the Vathalakundu route? I would prefer a route that is easier on my 11 year old car, is that something that I should be worried about on the Palani route?

Both routes have their own share of gradients and nothing that a Santro cant handle.

Originally Posted by yosbert

Thanks for the heads up. Is the problem serious enough to warrant a change in route? Did you face any issues while coming back?

Both the routes have this problem-it just stems out of the overconfidence of the bikers nothing else.Make sure you honk at every turn and curve and you should be ok.

[balan]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Both routes have their own share of gradients and nothing that a Santro cant handle.
Both the routes have this problem-it just stems out of the overconfidence of the bikers nothing else.Make sure you honk at every turn and curve and you should be ok.

As I do BLR Kodai almost 3 times a year to our guesthouse there, I prefer the 4 lane comfort.

Also I am more used to BLR Madurai Virudhunagar route as I do it almost once in 2 months.

Recently new dining options are opening up between Namakkal and Karur

Suggest this plan. Early start at BLR (Which I never do as I am a late riser)
Breakfast at A2B just before Thoppur toll gate, drive straight into Kodai road, vatlagundu, lunch at Thalaipaikatti Biriyani hotel (If you are non veg), Kodai lake time pass and then late check in at your place

Return also follow the same route.

There is a new dhaba between Karur Dindugal sector (Krishna Dhaba or something in the petrol pump) 20 km from Karur. You can try lunch there on the way back from Kodai or try Venu Biriyani inside Dindugal (Google map still doesnt list this.
There is another restaurant at the Karur toll gate
(I havent tried both these places yet)

The local bikers on the kodai ghat section are not a problem. It is the weekend bikers who are a nuisance. Horn in advance should keep them off.

[floyd.bell]

Originally Posted by yosbert

Facilities en route: If I start early enough, I can finish breakfast in Salem which is probably the best option. Any suggestions here?
On return trip, any suggestions for a good place for lunch if I start around 9-10AM from Kodai?
Also, any recommended fueling stations en-route?

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

With a 8-9am departure from Kodai,you would conveniently make it to the brand new Rajabhojanam to your left at Thoppur ghat (after the toll and after the A2B refugee camp! )Brand new place,excellent interiors and clean washrooms.You should be there by 1-130pm.

I definitely recommend Rajabhojanam anytime over A2B. I have already had breakfast/lunch 4 times here on 2 of my trips that side. In fact, you can stop here for breakfast while going instead of Salem.
On return trip, for lunch you can even try Food Fort at Dindigul on NH7 itself. Amazing biryani they have, mutton and egg

[balan]

Originally Posted by floyd.bell

I definitely recommend Rajabhojanam anytime over A2B. I have already had breakfast/lunch 4 times here on 2 of my trips that side. In fact, you can stop here for breakfast while going instead of Salem.
On return trip, for lunch you can even try Food Fort at Dindigul on NH7 itself. Amazing biryani they have, mutton and egg

Does this Rajabhojanam have a petrol pump attached to it or vice versa
Since my kids always prefer to stop at MacDonalds I usually drive upto Shoolagiri before stopping.

Another nuisance to note on this route is
Beware of the the locals with suicide wish coming on the wrong side of the road on the opposite direction in esp in the Dindugal - Vedasandur - Aravakurichi section.
Best regards
Bala

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by balan

Does this Rajabhojanam have a petrol pump attached to it or vice versa

Yes this is attached to a COCO Indianoil pump.

[CLIX]

Originally Posted by ampere

My take is :
Drive till Salem and take a break by splurging at either GRT or Park Plaza !

Ampere, thanks for the tip. Further - could you please provide directions to GRT or Park Plaza or any other decent breakfast joint in Salem? Am not too familiar with Salem roads. A Google maps link would be great.

cheers.

[prakash_ajp]

Originally Posted by CLIX

Ampere, thanks for the tip. Further - could you please provide directions to GRT or Park Plaza or any other decent breakfast joint in Salem? Am not too familiar with Salem roads. A Google maps link would be great.

cheers.

Both GRT and Park Plaza are right on the NH7 just as you enter the salem city. You can't miss GRT for sure.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by CLIX

Ampere, thanks for the tip. Further - could you please provide directions to GRT or Park Plaza or any other decent breakfast joint in Salem? Am not too familiar with Salem roads. A Google maps link would be great.

cheers.

Both are right there on main 4-lane on to your left. GRT at the deviation to 5 roads signal. Park Plaza is a km before.

Here are the locations:

GRT
Park Plaza

[yosbert]

Did Bangalore - Kodai over the weekend. We decided to stick to Bangalore - Krishnagiri - Salem - Karur - Dindigul - Kodai Road - Vatalgundu - Kodai route both ways due to time constraints. It still took us about 10 hours either way, due to frequent and sometimes long breaks for various reasons.
Thanks ampere, ranjitp and others for all the suggestions.
Breakfast at GRT, while going, turned out to be great! Thanks ampere for the idea.
On return leg, tried Rajabhojanam and came out fully satisfied.

Route-wise, I have nothing new to add other than what has already been said before. NH7 is excellent to drive, except for Krishnagiri - Bangalore stretch with their frequent diversions and no road markings. TN state highways are also a pleasure to drive, except for few bad patches.

[Diesel_convert]

Any suggestions as to which is the better road for corner carving?

Planning to leave for Kodai on sunday.
Also is the dumper truck problem still there on the Kodai road?

When I went two years ago, dumper truck's would come hurtling down the road and scare the daylight's out of you!

Cheers

[CLIX]

Did BLR - Kodai and back.
Route : Bangalore - Krishnagiri - Salem - Karur - Dindigul - Kodai Rd. - Nilakotai - Vatlagundu - Kodai.
Had a small section with some repairs between Kodai Rd and Vatlagundu. But overall roads were awesome.

Thanks for the tips on the refreshment breaks. I stopped at GRT (Salem). Very good. Went for a chicken sandwitch - was done just right. Was a complete meal by itself. Place was very clean and service good. Cost: worth it.

[mv4bhp]

Hi Clix,

How long did the BLR-Kodi and Kodi-BLR trips take you? And how much were the tolls overall? I am thinking of a trip later this month.

Thanks