[maddy42]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Drove to Virajpet and back over the weekend that passed & needless to say I did not take the usual Bangalore-Mysore Highway for a Friday evening start.

For the onward, we had some work at Hassan and hence drove Bangalore-Hassan - Holenarasipura - KR Nagar - Hunsur - Virajpet. While we took 3 hours to reach Hassan with a break at Kunigal, it consumed around 3.5 hours from Hassan to Virajpet driving through the night with a midnight start from Hassan.

For return we again took Virajpet - Hunsur - KR Nagar - Holenarasipura - Channarayapatna - Kunigal - Bangalore. We started from Virajpet exactly at 0715am, halted for a Breakfast break after Kunigal at 1045 and reached home at 1200 noon. That was around 4H45 Min drive with 2 breaks for Breakfast and Refueling.

Route Conditions:

• Bangalore - Channarayapatna : Brilliant as usual
• Channarayapatna - Holenarasipura: Single carriageway, clean roads including the bad patch for 2 kms while approaching Holenarasipura (its done now)
• Holenarasipura - KR Nagar: Excellent roads, regular speedbreakers, totally peaceful
• KR Nagar - Hunsur: Few sections freshly done with shoulder marking, completely good all the way
• Hunsur - Virajpet: Again, the usual good. No Qualms

This route is perfect and the funny part is most of the coorgs dont use it too! Do lookout for speed breakers at towns and villages and please have your breakfast on NH48.

Maddy

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by maddy42

Do lookout for speed breakers at towns and villages and please have your breakfast on NH48.

Since I belong to Belur, not only I have borne the brunt of this horrible stretch once (Hassan - Elwala) but also started to drive after this was relaid completely by the same consortium that did Belur-Hassan in 2002-03 and surprisingly this is holding up brilliantly after more than a decade with few patch work here and there.

Those were the days when folks from Hassan/Belur opted to travel by train to Mysore or deviated and took CR Patna KR Pet Srirangapattana road to reach Mysore.

The speedbreakers are aplenty between KR Nagar and Holenarasipura but reduce between Holenarasipura and Hassan, significantly.

[maddy42]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Those were the days when folks from Hassan/Belur opted to travel by train to Mysore or deviated and took CR Patna KR Pet Srirangapattana road to reach Mysore.

The speedbreakers are aplenty between KR Nagar and Holenarasipura but reduce between Holenarasipura and Hassan, significantly.

Same was the case of the Anechokur- Mysore stretch which was terrible. We didnt have options of a train and had to keep our vehicles at home and take the bus.

The speedbreakers part is what i do not understand. Build a beautiful road and then spoil it by having speed breakers on!

Maddy

[airbus]

I am planning for a trip to Coorg during 25 - 27 March. I will be driving with family (wife and two kids). Requesting suggestion on routes and condition of roads. My vehicle is TUV300.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by airbus

I am planning for a trip to Coorg during 25 - 27 March. I will be driving with family (wife and two kids). Requesting suggestion on routes and condition of roads. My vehicle is TUV300.

On 25th (Friday) if you can manage to leave Bangalore by 6, you can take the usual road all the way to destination. That is - Bangalore-Maddur-Mandya-Mysore-Hunsur-Coorg.

Roads remain good throughout. When you refer to Coorg, please let us know where exactly is your destination based on which the route and its conditions can be advised.

In general, whether it is Madikeri or Virajpet, the roads are good throughout.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by airbus

I am planning for a trip to Coorg during 25 - 27 March. I will be driving with family (wife and two kids). Requesting suggestion on routes and condition of roads. My vehicle is TUV300.

Where in Coorg ? it is a district and quite big
If you're headed to Madikeri, then go via Mysore outer ring road (turn right at Columbia Asia signal).
So you can start early, take Bangalore-Mysore route, take Mysore ORR. En route you can visit the Tibetan monastery at bylakuppe, cauvery nisarghadhama at Kushalnagar.

[airbus]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

When you refer to Coorg, please let us know where exactly is your destination based on which the route and its conditions can be advised.

Originally Posted by NPV

Where in Coorg ? it is a district and quite big

Thanks paragsachania and NPV. Our hotel is located in Madikeri - Virajpet Road, State Highway 27, Madikeri. We will start our journey from Old Airport Road. As we have small kids, we will try to start latest by 8 am. Considering that 24th March is also holiday, I assume traffic will be manageable on 25th March.

Besides Dubare Elephant Camp, what are the other important attractions for small kids (6 years and 3 years)?

We will be taking another trip to Virajpet in June and will stay at the Club Mahindra Resort, Virajpet.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by airbus

Thanks paragsachania and NPV. Our hotel is located in Madikeri - Virajpet Road, State Highway 27, Madikeri. We will start our journey from Old Airport Road. As we have small kids, we will try to start latest by 8 am. Considering that 24th March is also holiday, I assume traffic will be manageable on 25th March.

You can take the usual Mysore Hunsur Madikeri road. That works best.

Regarding traffic, its always a gamble but on 25th things should be manageable.

With an 0800am start make sure you budget at least 4 hours for Mysore and another 2.5 hours for Madikeri.

[hemanth.anand]

For the upcoming 3-day weekend, 3 families of 3 members each including 3 kids of 3+/- years are driving down to Somwarpet tomorrow morning.

Kids with us are very difficult to manage inside the car for long duration (fortunately no travel sickness).

So, we want to take the fastest option.
So, we have planned to go Via the Hassan Highway NH75.

Planned route is as below (Have split it into 3 sections for better understanding):
1) Bengaluru-Kunigal-Channarayapattana
2) Channarayapattana-Holenarasipura
3) Holenarasipura-Arakalgud-Shanivarasanthe-Somwarpet

I know that the roads in the sections 1) and 2) are 'very good' and 'good' respectively
But I'm not sure of the present condition of the section 3).
Any inputs will be helpful.

Also, how are the following other options? They are around 30 kms longer but if roads are good, we have no worries.

1. Bengaluru-Hassan-Gorur-Arakalgud-Shanivarasanthe-Somwarpet
2. Bengaluru-Hassan-Gorur-Arakalgud-Ramanathapura-Somwarpet

[NPV]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

Planned route is as below (Have split it into 3 sections for better understanding):
1) Bengaluru-Kunigal-Channarayapattana
2) Channarayapattana-Holenarasipura
3) Holenarasipura-Arakalgud-Shanivarasanthe-Somwarpet

I know that the roads in the sections 1) and 2) are 'very good' and 'good' respectively
But I'm not sure of the present condition of the section 3).
Any inputs will be helpful.

I think the Gorur road was bad.

#3 was quite good except for a small 2Km stretch near Government Polytechnic at Holenarasipura (I guess this also was relaid some time back but not sure).
Anyways, there is an alternate to avoid that stretch in the direct Channarayapatna-Holenarasipura route by going from Channarayapatna to Holenarasipura via Agrahara, the road is good as well as scenic with windmills and hills, ample photo opportunites

More details of this route - here

[DragonHawk]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

3) Holenarasipura-Arakalgud-Shanivarasanthe-Somwarpet

I know that the roads in the sections 1) and 2) are 'very good' and 'good' respectively
But I'm not sure of the present condition of the section 3).
Any inputs will be helpful.

Also, how are the following other options? They are around 30 kms longer but if roads are good, we have no worries.

1. Bengaluru-Hassan-Gorur-Arakalgud-Shanivarasanthe-Somwarpet
2. Bengaluru-Hassan-Gorur-Arakalgud-Ramanathapura-Somwarpet

Hemanth,

Recently I had gone for a ride to Bisle, during my return journey I took Shanivarasanthe-Arkalgudu-Holenarsipura-Channarayapatna-bangalore. Barring speed breakers between HN Pura and Arkalgudu, roads were good throughout. Regarding Shanivarsante-Somwarpete, I did it 5 months back and roads were good at that time and going by the nature of the stretch with no heavy vehicle movements, I would say it will be still holding good.

I would suggest you stick with below route Bangalore-Channarayapatna-HN Pura-Arakalgudu-Shanivarsante-Somwarpete rather taking the other option as it is good 30kms longer and add to that you will come across toll booth as well.

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by DragonHawk

I would suggest you stick with below route Bangalore-Channarayapatna-HN Pura-Arakalgudu-Shanivarsante-Somwarpete

Originally Posted by NPV

Anyways, there is an alternate to avoid that stretch in the direct Channarayapatna-Holenarasipura route by going from Channarayapatna to Holenarasipura via Agrahara, the road is good as well as scenic with windmills and hills, ample photo opportunites

More details of this route - here

Thank you very much for the suggestions. Returned back on Sunday evening after.
We were in two cars - Safari driven by BHPian avinashsg and a Ritz, driven by BHPian pumpy_raj.
The Safari took the alternate route(SH-8>SH121>SH127>SH57>SH8) suggested by NPV in both the directions but the Ritz took that route only during the return journey.

BHPian pumpy_raj told me that the direct route(SH8) from Channarayapatna to Holenarasipura is wider but with lot more traffic.
However in the alternate route is medianless but smooth tarmac and almost zero traffic more than makes up for it.


The usual route


The alternate route

Alternate route:
When you are on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru NH75, we have to enter Channarayapattana town to the left instead of the taking the by-pass road to the right.
Then, we have to take a left turn in the town, (boards directing towards Mysuru are present). This is the SH8
After some distance, you'll get a small junction where the SH8 turns rightwards and there is a board written in Kannada which reads "HD revanna circle" there is also a direction board directing towards Agrahara. we have to take this road.

The difference


The deviation
* This Photo was taken while returning to Bengaluru

After this, the roads are like shown below


Straight and empty


The rebel

The place where WE have stopped the car to take a photo has 3 windmills on the road side. So its a good photo opportunity.
*photo with the windmills are not yet downloaded fro my camera.

However, in this route, there is a small stretch(Which I have marked in yellow) which passes through villages where the road is comparatively narrow and we should be slower. but the surface remains excellent.
The Green marked road is the empty and fast stretch.
Also the Alternate route is 3 Kms longer!

Speed

[arvind71181]

Hi All - Planning to go to Coorg in the last week of April. Destination is Orange county. Suggested routes from Bangalore please? I will be starting from my brother's place which is right behind Leela Palace.

2nd question, I have heard that roads are not very good when approaching Orange county. Will my Swift be able to tackle these roads?

[Arjun Reddy]

Guys, can someone tell me the road condition between Virajpet and Club Mahindra Virajpet. Traveling on the 13th and will be staying at Club Mahindra.
PS: plan to travel in an Elantra.

[pganapathy]

Originally Posted by arvind71181

Hi All - Planning to go to Coorg in the last week of April. Destination is Orange county. Suggested routes from Bangalore please? I will be starting from my brother's place which is right behind Leela Palace.

2nd question, I have heard that roads are not very good when approaching Orange county. Will my Swift be able to tackle these roads?

The road from Gonicoppa to Virajpet and then Siddapur is fine. There is the odd pothole but nothing to worry about. Siddapur to Orange County the road is not great, but you can definitely do it in a Swift. Just drive slowly and you will be fine.

Originally Posted by Arjun Reddy

Guys, can someone tell me the road condition between Virajpet and Club Mahindra Virajpet. Traveling on the 13th and will be staying at Club Mahindra.
PS: plan to travel in an Elantra.

The road is decent though there are a few potholes. No issues at all with travelling there in an Elantra