[NPV]

Some questions for a Bangalore-Tirthahalli drive, planning a 5am start from Indiranagar:
1.Is it possible to do quick stops at Sakrebyle Elephant camp, Gajanur Dam and Mandagadde bird sanctuary, are these very close to the Shimoga-Tirthahalli road or need long deviations ? With these stops how long would it take to reach Tirthahalli ?

2.Been few times on the Tumkur-Arsikere-Shimoga NH206 so thinking of Chitradurga-Shimoga this time. Will that be faster or slower compared to NH 206 ?

3.Options/recommendations for a breakfast stop (assume Chitradurga route)

[addyhemmige]

Originally Posted by NPV

Some questions for a Bangalore-Tirthahalli drive, planning a 5am start from Indiranagar:
1.Is it possible to do quick stops at Sakrebyle Elephant camp, Gajanur Dam and Mandagadde bird sanctuary, are these very close to the Shimoga-Tirthahalli road or need long deviations ? With these stops how long would it take to reach Tirthahalli ?

All these three places are adjacent to each other and right on the Thirthahalli road. You can take a boat ride on the Gajanur dam backwaters from Sakrebylu elephant camp.

I do not have much info regarding the 2nd and 3rd questions.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by NPV

3.Options/recommendations for a breakfast stop (assume Chitradurga route)

There is only one place:

Kamat at Sira

But its on the opposite of the 4-lane. It comes just at the entrance of Sira bypass.

[ashkamath]

Originally Posted by NPV

Some questions for a Bangalore-Tirthahalli drive, planning a 5am start from Indiranagar:
1.Is it possible to do quick stops at Sakrebyle Elephant camp, Gajanur Dam and Mandagadde bird sanctuary, are these very close to the Shimoga-Tirthahalli road or need long deviations ? With these stops how long would it take to reach Tirthahalli ?

2.Been few times on the Tumkur-Arsikere-Shimoga NH206 so thinking of Chitradurga-Shimoga this time. Will that be faster or slower compared to NH 206 ?

3.Options/recommendations for a breakfast stop (assume Chitradurga route)

1. All the 3 places are within the 60 Km drive from shimoga to Thirthahalli in the same order from shimoga as mentioned by you above. You could get delayed at Sakrebyle if there is heavy influx of tourists and you might have to wait in the que for the elephant ride. if you just want to go around and not the ride, then all the 3 places will be a breeze.

2. This is an interesting route that I have not come across. Please do share your drive experience if you choose to drive this route.

3. No idea about this one, sorry there

[aqualeo2040]

Originally Posted by NPV

Some questions for a Bangalore-Tirthahalli drive, planning a 5am start from Indiranagar:

2.Been few times on the Tumkur-Arsikere-Shimoga NH206 so thinking of Chitradurga-Shimoga this time. Will that be faster or slower compared to NH 206 ?

3.Options/recommendations for a breakfast stop (assume Chitradurga route)

Took the Chitradurga-Shimoga route last year for my Jog-Gokarna-Goa trip.
After leaving Chitradurga town, there's a decent restaurant/dhaba on the left hand side. You would have crossed the town and gone past a hill to reach that.

The road was mostly good. A few rough patches. But that was in 2012 Monsoons.

I took the Tirthahalli-Bhadravati-Tumkur Route back this year in Aug. I believe this route to be faster compared to the Chitradurga route since the Chitradurga-Shimoga road is a single lane one and multiple deviations on the NH6(?) (forgot the number ) causes a lot of delay.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by ashkamath

2. This is an interesting route that I have not come across. Please do share your drive experience if you choose to drive this route.

This route is discussed more in another thread also - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post3306372

Originally Posted by aqualeo2040

Took the Chitradurga-Shimoga route last year for my Jog-Gokarna-Goa trip.
After leaving Chitradurga town, there's a decent restaurant/dhaba on the left hand side. You would have crossed the town and gone past a hill to reach that.

Do you remember the name of the place ? With a 5am start, what time can I expect to reach this place ?

The road was mostly good. A few rough patches. But that was in 2012 Monsoons.

I took the Tirthahalli-Bhadravati-Tumkur Route back this year in Aug. I believe this route to be faster compared to the Chitradurga route since the Chitradurga-Shimoga road is a single lane one and multiple deviations on the NH6(?) (forgot the number ) causes a lot of delay.

Any idea of present conditions ?
Also, lot of folks (see link to another thread I posted above) mention that Chitradurga route will take about 4-4.5 hours.

[kala]

Originally Posted by NPV

Also, lot of folks (see link to another thread I posted above) mention that Chitradurga route will take about 4-4.5 hours.

Bangalore-Shimoga via Tiptur-Arsikere can be done in about 4 hours too. When I travelled that way a few weeks ago, I started from near Banashankari at 5 AM and was on the Shimoga-Tirthahalli road by 9:30 AM. (This included a half hour break for breakfast at Tiptur, so the actual drive time was 4 hours)

[ZedMae]

Did a Blr-Thirthahalli drive a few days back. Route taken was Blr-Tumkur-Tiptur-Arasikere-Tarikere-Bhadravathi-Shimoga-Thirthahalli. The last stretch to Thirthahalli was easily the best. Total time taken from North Bangalore to homestay in Thirthahalli was 7.5 hours. Start at 6 AM in the morning and reached at around 130 PM.
Roads were good throughout.

[SmartCat]

Planning to visit Thirthahalli in August. Google Maps seems to be recommending Bangalore - Hassan - Thirthahalli route. The Shimoga route is apparently 30 minutes slower.



How is the road conditions in the Belur - Jayapura - Koppa - Thirthahalli stretch?

[NPV]

Originally Posted by smartcat

Planning to visit Thirthahalli in August.

I've taken the Shimoga route to Tirthahalli and I think it's still a good bet.

I've also traveled on 3 routes to Shimoga from Bangalore. Among them, via CR Patna and Arsikere will be the best since you get more options to break around the 100Km mark from Bangalore (Swathi Delicacy at Yediyur and Mayura at Bellur Cross).

So you can do Bangalore-Nelamangala-CR Patna-Arsikere-Shimoga-Tirthahalli. En route between Shimoga & Tirthahalli Gajanur dam and Sakrebylu elephant camp are by the roadside.

During one trip, returned from Tirthahalli after a visit to Horanadu temple and then took the Belur-Hassan route. There were some stretches near Javali where it road was extremely rough but that may have been patched up now, probably saw a post on that on some other thread recently.

[girimajiananth]

I will be going to Thirthahalli tomorrow morning. I checked google maps, route shown is Bangalore-->Nelamangala-->Kunigal-->Tiptur-->Kadur-->Tarikere-->Lakkavalli-->Mandagadde--> Thirthahalli.

I will not be entering Bhadravathi and Shimogga at all. How good is this route? I need to leave Bangalore by 5 AM and reach Thirthahalli as soon as possible. Please advice.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by girimajiananth

I will be going to Thirthahalli tomorrow morning. I checked google maps, route shown is Bangalore-->Nelamangala-->Kunigal-->Tiptur-->Kadur-->Tarikere-->Lakkavalli-->Mandagadde--> Thirthahalli.

You can do : Bangalore-->Nelamangala-->Kunigal-->CR Patna -->Arsikere --> Kadur-->Tarikere-->Bhadra bypass-->Umblibail --> Mandagadde--> Thirthahalli.


- Go till CR Patna on the Hassan 4-lane to exit for Arsikere on the CR patna bypass
- Instead of taking Lakkavali exit after Tarekere, go till Bhadra bypass and take the SH65 towards Mandagade.

[girimajiananth]

Originally Posted by ampere

You can do : Bangalore-->Nelamangala-->Kunigal-->CR Patna -->Arsikere --> Kadur-->Tarikere-->Bhadra bypass-->Umblibail --> Mandagadde--> Thirthahalli.


- Go till CR Patna on the Hassan 4-lane to exit for Arsikere on the CR patna bypass
- Instead of taking Lakkavali exit after Tarekere, go till Bhadra bypass and take the SH65 towards Mandagade.

Ok, thanks a lot. Just to be clear, is it Tarikere-->Barandur-->Bhadravathi Bypass (SH 65)-->Mandgadde ?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by girimajiananth

Ok, thanks a lot. Just to be clear, is it Tarikere-->Barandur-->Bhadravathi Bypass (SH 65)-->Mandgadde ?

Yes.

Here is the route link that I mentioned: Route Link

Maybe the Lakkavalli option is good too. But I would suggest sticking to NH more if possible.

[girimajiananth]

Originally Posted by ampere

Yes.

Maybe the Lakkavalli option is good too. But I would suggest sticking to NH more if possible.

Just got back from my trip. Here is the update on this route.

Took the 4 lane NH till Channarayapatna, right turn towards Tarikere. Tarikere-->Lakkavalli-->Umblibail--> Muttinkoppa. Roads are awesome. Fresh tarmac, since it was a weekday there was absolutely no traffic.

From Muttinkoppa to Muduba, the road is a bit narrow, some potholes here and there, doable in any car though. Muduba-->Thirthahalli road is good, road widening work is in progress, decent roads all the way till Thirthahalli.

I left Bangalore at 5:30 AM, drove sedately all the way. Had a breakfast stop at Mayura and reached Thirthahalli at 12:15 PM.